In-depth review of new albums by Azumi Waki, Ai Nakajima, Riho Iida, and Marika Takano with impressive lyrics! [Monthly Seiyu Artists Bulletin, February 2021 issue

In the case of voice-over artists, it seems that as their careers have progressed, they have stepped up from the phase of "acting" the characters in their songs to "embodying" the meaning of the lyrics themselves, which is recognized as a form of perfection. I have the impression that "embodying" the meaning of the lyrics oneself is now recognized as a form of perfection.

What is needed, then, is a phrase that expresses this activity in a single word. In this regard, this report will review the contents of four voice-over artist albums released in February 2021, citing one memorable phrase from each album.

Azumi Waki 1st album "Cho-Keizoku-teki Koisuru Nichijo" (released on February 17)

I want to be honest with my crush, I fell in love / From "If it's not love, what is it?

This attitude of using "crush" as a driving force is the very essence of Azumi Wake's musical activities. In addition to the 10 newly recorded songs, the album is divided into two sides (A-side and B-side) like a vinyl album, with each side taking a different sonic approach.

For the A-side, in order to deliver her great music, the production team said, "No time to relax! The A-side is a collection of mainly girls' rock songs, starting with the heartwarming guitar pop "Isoge Ajuju," in which the production team encourages the singer to "take it easy! The B side of the album then moves on to "Cupidevi," an electro-funk song created by Hisakuni, and the tracks change one after another, from "Tuesday," which follows the 90's R&B sound, to "Darling," which sings about the feelings of love and affection in a gentle manner. It was like a mixtape.

While keeping her signature fresh and pure voice in this album, "Koisuru Nichijou," a song about the anxiety of a "marriage blues," may have made some fans shiver. The song is a dimly-lit house number with a distinctive clicking sound, and was written by Natsumi Tadano and Tsuyoshi Sakabe, who have created many masterpieces of voice-over electronica, including Aya Uchida's "Pink Magenta. I had always had a "fluffy" image of Ms. Waki's musical activities, as in her debut song, but I had no idea that she would strike at the opposite with a song as important as the title of her album.

From negative emotions to positive ones like the A-side, "Cho-Revolutionary Koisuru Nichijo" is like a "love instruction manual" that packages all kinds of love stories. First and foremost, the words "bang! The title of the book is the best of all worlds. It is the perfect title for this work, as it perfectly describes the state of being so single-mindedly in love that one cannot think of anything else.

Ai Nakajima's 5th album "green diary" (February 3)

Oh, let me show myself like this to you, with a face better than you can imagine in the depths of your reflected eyes

And simply walk on, beyond this story / from "GREEN DIARY

The motif of this work is "green. It is the image color of Ranka Lee, the character she played in her debut work as a voice actress in "Macross F," and is, so to speak, her starting point.

In the past, Ms. Nakajima has insisted on drawing a line between herself and Ranka in her musical activities, but in recent years, she says she has come to enjoy her music more comfortably by acknowledging it as part of her identity (see " Interview: Returning to Her Origins After 10 Years of Debut? 　(Reference: "green diary," a refreshing album based on the theme of "green," the color of Ai Nakajima's beginnings ). It is a monumental piece of work that personally depicts the time spanning more than 10 years since such a debut.

The opening track, "Over & Over," was produced by Yasutsugu Miura (Kuchiroro). The song is one in which one can feel the comfort of the "repetition" of the sound, with the light rhymes at the beginning of the song, the same phrases going back and forth like "verse chorus, verse chorus," and the BPM shifting from low to high to low throughout the song. The song is full of ideas that only a hip-hop artist could have come up with.

The next song is "Green Diary," whose lyrics were also quoted at the beginning. Produced by Yuki Ozaki (BBHF), it is a song that looks back on his history with Ranka Lee, which goes without saying. In particular, the second verse, "Green pages, stickers everywhere, even the graffiti makes me cry every time I flip through the memories," describes the days with Ranka in a fresh, sometimes shadowy way.

The track "Melon Soda Float," which captures the "sweet and painful" feelings of love, was written by Soulife, who produced the famous song "Nijin Saison" by Keyakizaka 46, and the chorus of "Hair Decoration Angel," which is soaked in the beauty of raw sound, was written and arranged by Kayoko Yoshizawa and Tatsujin Sei. Nakashima, who is known for his love of idols, is also a member of the band. Nakajima, who is known for his love of idols, set up this "idol time" so to speak.

From there, the disco number "Jealousy by the Window" by RAM RIDER and a minimal track by tofubeats with a reduced number of notes, "How did you come to understand the meaning of the song on the B-side? The flow of the song dives deep into Mr. Nakajima's mind, including "Drive," a sentimental one-liner that accompanies a single night alone. After such a long time, the final song was "All Green," which was titled "No Abnormality. This song is a culmination of all time, starting from the time when he first met Lanka, to the present and the bright future that awaits him.

The synergy between Ms. Nakajima's voice, which exudes an overwhelming presence with a dignified bearing, and the sophisticated track is a perfect match. It is an "evergreen" masterpiece that will remain in the history of voice-over artists as a well-crafted, yet light pops album that will relax your shoulders.

Riho Iida Single "One Wish" (February 10)

More than just sparkling, if you chose this world, you have found your "me-ness

I'll believe in you more and move on / From "Won't lie never ever

The title song is used as the ending theme for the TV anime "Kingslade: Successors to the Will". Produced by labelmate Satoshi Yaginuma of fripSide, the song has a sense of bravery that was not present in Mr. Iida's music stock. In particular, the chorus, "That chain that connects our hearts, it will never break," is sung in a gradually rising tone without breath until the "chain," and the accent is placed on the "unbreakable" part, which is truly a "Yaginuma section.

The coupling song "Won't lie never ever" is based on her belief that "I can't lie, I can't lie. Please refer to the interview below for more details, but it is a message song for her juniors in the entertainment industry (Reference: Riho Iida's first new single in two years is sound produced by fripSide and Satoshi Yaginuma! Interview in commemoration of the release of the new ED "One Wish" for the anime "Kingslade"!) ).

It is a very clear one phrase that reflects her personality.

Marika Takano 1st single "Yumeteki, but it's not a dream" (February 24, 2012)

It's like a dream, but it's not a dream.

I want to be more excited tomorrow, a well-worn story / from "Yumetai, but it's not a dream

Ms. Takano makes her debut as a voice-over artist with this work. The title track is a song about her initial impulse in making her debut, as if she were opening a big window on a sunny day and jumping out into the outside world. The snare that swells in the A-melody of the song seems to express the steps of taking a new step forward.

The "coloring thoughts" that appear in the beginning of the song and in the chorus are said to represent courage, energy, hope, etc. The emotions associated with these feelings are left to the listener's interpretation (see "Interview: Marika Takano Debuts as a Solo Artist; 1st Single "Dreamy, But Not a Dream" is a Song of Orthodoxy! !) ). Incidentally, in the same interview, we can also find out more about her decision to debut and the coupling song "I tie U".

Returning to the topic of lyrics, she defines her own artistic activities as "a well-told story. In light of the works released by the aforementioned Azumi Waki as well as label mates Aya Uchida and Nanaka Suwa, she must have encountered a wide variety of music and satisfied her curiosity. When such a life continues for three or five years, the phrase quoted at the beginning of this article will surely have developed a context that will bring tears to the eyes of fans. This is a very perfect song for a debut album, including a phrase that will symbolize his own musical activities.

(Text by Kota Ichijo)