Aya Uchida, Yuri Komagata, Rena Ueda, Haruka Kudo, and Rikako Aida - an in-depth review of the new albums by female voice actors who are in season and deserve to be heard now! Seiyu Artists Bulletin - March 2020 issue

When looking back on this year's seiyu music scene, March will probably be regarded as a particularly important month. The number of releases by voice-over artists in the past few weeks has been remarkable.

Aya Uchida "Reverb

First up was Aya Uchida, who released her 4th single "Reverb" on March 4. The title song is the ending theme song for the TV anime "Infinite Dendrogram" (TOKYO MX, etc.) currently airing on-air. The song features an aggressive bass line that is typical of Katsuhiko Kurosu, who wrote and arranged the music.

The song that deserves special mention in this article is the coupling track "Koe" (voice). Hisakuni, who produced the song, has been involved in many turning points in Uchida's musical career, including "Yellow Sweet. Speaking of Ms. Uchida, her album "Ephemera," released last November, marks a sudden change in direction. She has created a series of rock numbers that depict her own struggles, and at times her confidence was shaken by the difficulty of expression.

Including the growth shown in "Ephemera," "Voice" is an affirmation of the path he has taken as an artist. Ms. Uchida said she was greatly helped by the message that accepted her life-size self. It is a song that sums up her journey since her debut as an artist.

Yuri Komagata "a Day

Yuri Komagata also released her third mini-album "a Day" on March 4. As the title "a Day" suggests, the album features songs that one would like to listen to during "daytime". The album features a more acoustic sound than ever before, and the pop sound that blends in well with everyday life shines through.

The lead track, "On My Way," also shows her "sense of balance" in her musical activities. Ryo Takahashi, who arranged this song, has been creating brass-based music since Ms. Komagata's debut album "[CORE]". On My Way" also has a particularly strong power on the album, with the vividness created by the brass instruments buzzing around the track to complement her highly saturated, fresh voice. With each successive album, she takes on new challenges, while at the same time making solid use of her past experiences. This is a work that captures Komagata's thoughts and feelings in her musical activities.

Rena Ueda "Empathy

Next is Rena Ueda, who released her full album "Empathy" on March 18. The album is filled with her feelings of "empathy" for various characters, which she has cultivated through the many roles she has played as a voice actress. She has always avoided singing, but recently she has been gradually becoming more positive about this activity. As if reflecting this positive attitude, this album is united with bright Philly soul tones that give a sense of spring, perfect for the current season.

The fourth track, "Teacup," is one of the most pleasant, with an urban R&B taste based on black music elements. The song's structure, which allows the listener to hear the brass before the chorus, is very interesting, and it is a perfect match for Ueda's voice, which is still downbeat in a good way. The album as a whole boasts a high degree of perfection that is so close to the concept of the work that it is no wonder that it has been highly acclaimed as a masterpiece by many listeners. Without a doubt, this is one of the voice-over artists' works that will represent 2020.

Haruka Kudo "KDHR

Next up is Haruka Kudo, who will release her debut mini-album "KDHR" on March 25. Haruka Kudo is known for using her special skill, the guitar, to create the unit "Rosel" from the media mix work "BanG Dream! She is also known for her performance in the music video for "MY VOICE," the lead song of the new album.

In addition, "KDHR" consistently presents the up-tempo digital rock numbers that he loves. Perhaps his experience with Roselia was also a factor in the creation of "KDHR. Despite being a debut album, the band already seems to have a clear image of their musical activities. In the latter half of the album, the artist also takes on the role of a voice actress, and in songs such as the fifth track, "Anata ga Iru," she uses the skills she has cultivated as a voice actress to express herself in different roles, paying particular attention to the distance between the listener and the vocalist as she seeks softness and tenderness in her vocals.

Rikako Aida "Curtain raise

Last but not least, Rikako Aida will release her first album "Curtain raise" on March 31. The lead song, "Lotus," is a medium number for which she wrote lyrics for the first time, and is a calm song with a more mature impression than her previous single, "for.... Ms. Aida made her artist debut last June with the EP "Principal. Since she has only been active for a short time, she is probably still searching for a sound and worldview that fits her voice.

In this process, "Tiered," which is recorded at the end of "Curtain raise," may serve as a guideline for the future artist. Tiered" was written in response to an enthusiastic offer from Yanaginagi, whom Aida admires and respects. Since Ms. Aida is expected to be involved not only in singing but also in writing lyrics after this album, it is likely that she will be able to gradually flesh out her image through the production of this song. It will be interesting to see what role "Curtain raise" will play in her future.

As we have seen, despite the timing of the release of the theme songs for the 2020 winter anime, March this year has been a period of outstanding voice-over artist productions. What kind of works will continue this trend from April onward? We look forward to seeing what the future holds.

(Text by Kota Ichijo)