Interview] Nanaka Suwa sings her first anime theme song. Cobalt Heartbeat," a refreshing song about the feeling of being on the starting line.

Nanaka Suwa is releasing "Cobalt's Heartbeat," the opening theme for the TV anime "Battle Asleites Daiundokai ReSTART! While the song is a fresh and bright coming-of-age song, the melody and arrangement have a very peculiar feel to them, making the song unforgettable once you hear it. The visuals are also the strongest in the jacket and music video (MV), dressed in exhilarating white and blue outfits! We talked to her as she continues to expand her potential as an artist with each new release!

The song "Cobalt Heartbeat" has a fresh, fast-paced feel.

The previous work, the TV anime "Battle Athletes Undokai," was broadcast from 1997 to the following year. You were still very young, weren't you, Mr. Suwa?

I heard that this is the first anime in 23 years.

This "Battle Athletes Undokai ReSTART!" takes place 100 years after the previous work, and various girls from different parts of the solar system gather to compete in a divine athletic meet for the title of "Cosmo Beauty". First of all, could you tell us your first impression of this work?

Suwa: As the title "Dai Undokai" suggests, I thought it was a story about friendship among girls through running and competing with each other. The setting of a university satellite in space, where the "Great Undokai" will be held, is grand and novel (laughs).

Laughs] "Cobalt's Heartbeat" is the OP. This is your first TV anime theme song, isn't it?

Suwa: I've always wanted to sing an anime theme song someday, so I was very happy. In my previous albums (1st album "So Sweet Dolce" and mini-album "Color me PURPLE"), there were a lot of cute songs, but this time, the songs are refreshing and have a sense of speed to match the content of the work.

I felt that the song was not only refreshing, but also difficult.

Suwa: Yes, it was difficult (laughs). (Laughs.) There have been many difficult songs of mine in the past, but I thought this one was going to be difficult too. But that was more than made up for by the fact that it has a very stylish melody. The lyrics include the words "start line" and "run to wherever you want to go," and I think the song is linked to the artwork, but at the same time it shows my personality as an artist.

───The seasonality of the song is also just right for this time of year, isn't it?

Suwa: That's right. The sound is refreshing, and the lyrics about standing on the starting line and getting started are very spring-like.

───The lyrics, music, and arrangement are by OSTER project.

Suwa: OSTER project wrote the lyrics for the song "Macaron Love" on our first album "So Sweet Dolce," and at that time they wrote very cute lyrics. I was surprised that the lyrics were so fresh this time, but I was told that the tone of the song "Cobalt Heartbeat" was more like OSTER project's style.

─ How was the recording process?

Suwa: The animation director, Tekka Sasaki, chose this song from several candidates, and he was present during the recording. I sang the song with a sense of freshness and speed in mind, and I think my vocals naturally took on a new feel to match the tone of the song.

─ What did you pay special attention to when singing the song, and what do you particularly like about the lyrics?

Suwa: The second line of the A melody, "Aim, set, restart," has a different musical arrangement for the first and second lines, so I listened to the demo carefully before recording. I listened to the demo carefully before recording the song. If you ever sing the song at karaoke, I want you to pay attention to this point. I especially like the lyrics of the second verse, "There were times when I couldn't erase my anxiety, yet I'm still standing here on these legs." It is a song about the feeling of not giving up on anything, and I think it is a part that will reach the hearts of listeners.

─ How did you feel about the title "Cobalt's Heartbeat"?

Suwa: Cobalt is a word that does not appear directly in the lyrics. The words "heartbeat" and "clear blue" appear in the lyrics respectively, so I thought it was a combination of the two. I like the sound of "Cobalt" and think it is a very good title.

─ ─ The music video was also impressive with its fresh blue color.

Suwa: The visuals for my previous albums have been based on pretty colors such as pink and purple, so the color blue was refreshing. In the music video, I dance with two blue flags in the image of a cheerleader cheering everyone on. I was conscious not to bump into them. The set was cute, so I danced without destroying it.

─ How do you like the costumes?

Suwa: For the music video, I wore a stadium jumper and skirt with cute blue checks and ribbons. I also wore a pink costume in a different pattern. The jacket outfit is a sporty design based on white, with a sailor-like top and culottes instead of a skirt. The jacket outfit in particular is a color scheme and design that I don't often choose in my private life, so it was very fresh.