FREE STUDIO ep. 36 MC Shin'ya Kiyozuka Guest Daichi Miura

42:11~ they perform in duo cover of Kawa no Nagare no You ni (Misora Hibari's hit song)

New Album『Sono Saki e』 Comments by Everyone Involved

This album may have been the longest production period in my career. It took more than a year to complete this album full of messages that Wakana wanted to convey. I have been working with Wakana since her solo debut, creating works together, producing her live performances, etc. The first concept we came up with for this project was an image of a ray of hope shining brightly through this sad and suffocating world, with Wakana's voice representing a soothing light raining down from heaven. I asked all the composers, lyricists, arrangers, and musicians that I truly trust to help us express such a scenery through their music and words. Wakana herself spent a lot of time working on her lyrics, practicing her singing, and recording. It was her who suggested the title "Sono Saki e (Beyond this Point)". She was very determined about everything she wanted to express with this album. It’s about the strength to open up and stay true to yourself without being afraid to move forward and not allowing yourself to be held back by current events. I am proud to say that all the songs are sparkling and shining just like Wakana herself. I am full of gratitude to all the creators who have contributed to the production of this album. I hope that everyone who listens to these songs will continue to move forward together with Wakana! With this album all we wish is for everyone’s future to be bright, kind, and full of love.

Producer Satoshi Takebe

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This was the first time I wrote lyrics for Wakana-san. When I heard Muramatsu-san's beautiful yet sad melody, there was only one thing that came to mind. All the tragic events that have taken place in Ukraine right after the invasion, women and children leaving the country, having to say goodbye to their husbands, fathers, sons and brothers who remained in order to fight. Countless fateful choices had to me made, families and lovers were torn apart. Yet the war still continues in this opaque world. I wanted to provide a bit of hope for such dreary times, show a way how we can continue living despite not knowing what lies ahead of us. Wakana-san sings the lyrics perfectly, accentuating each tiny fragment of sadness and hope.

Yūho Iwasato ("Kibou" - Lyrics)

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I would like to congratulate Wakana-san on her album release! I am very happy to be in charge of composing and arranging the lead song "Butterfly Dream". It was my first time working with Wakana-san, in preparation for our first session together I listened to her past works and tried to get a feeling for her voice, gradually my image of Wakana-san was expanded and I was able to create a new worldview for her. I wrote the song so that Wakana-san's delicate and powerful voice would stand out amidst mysterious chords, I wanted her vocals to feel as if they were floating on top of the melody. As for the arrangement, I played around quite a bit with various tricks such as chord progressions, different melodies, and rhythms, so I'd be happy if you could listen to the song and discover various things!

Yuki Kishida ("Butterfly Dream" Composition & Arrangement)

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"I would like you to write a song for Wakana that showcases her beautiful voice and talent. She is an incredibly capable singer so she can 100% do a song with a high degree of difficulty.” When Takebe-san made such an offer to me, I got very excited and ended up writing a very difficult song. I honestly struggle to play it myself. But somehow this is what it took to create and express such a "beautiful harshness". Just as Takebe-san said, Wakana turned out to be a singer with great talent!

Shin'ya Kiyozuka ("KEMONO" - Composition & Piano)

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Hello, I am Kujiraba. I am an artist and usually draw manga but this time I was asked to write lyrics for a song. When I listened to the demo tape, I felt a strong sense of frustration and the urge to run away. Immediately I was reminded of the confusion and pain that is prevalent in today's society. If you're in a place you don't want to be in, don't give up, continue resisting even if you don't have the strength to get out. Sharpen your fangs and claws and prepare to escape. KEMONO is a prayer song for escape, hoping that you can go to places you have never been able to go or places you have given up on. It’s for everyone who feels alone, anytime, anywhere. If you are in a difficult place right now, I would be happy if this song could provide some comfort for you.

Kujiraba ("KEMONO" - Lyrics)

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Before I started working on this song, I wanted to get a lot of input from Wakana, I wanted to hear what she had to say, listen to her story. After spending a lot of time together, learning more about her and sharing our tears, I wanted to write a song that perfectly encapsulated all the precious feelings that Wakana-san carries in her heart for her late father. I wanted to make sure that every word she told me would be sown into the very fabric of this song. Her path as a singer, the way her father had always encouraged her, how her existence in the here and now is her father’s legacy. Wakana's clear singing voice has a radiance that seems to reach the sky. I am so grateful that I got the opportunity to work with her.

Yoshiko Hanzaki ("Shirushi" - Lyrics & Composition)

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A broken heart Carrying the smallest suitcase Heading to Haneda Buying a random ticket on the way there Wanting to go to the farthest place. Anywhere. Just far away from here

When you are in your 30s, the times are over when you scribble the name of your crush over and over again, you are no longer naively infatuated with the feeling of being in love. You have reached an age where you should be able to recognise each other's strengths and weaknesses. I was thinking about the relationships between men and women. How you should go on a trip all by yourself in order to be able to accept all the things that you previously weren’t able to accept about your partner. This way you can become stronger. This song is a poem about how I felt when I traveled to Easter Island once upon a time. I imaged Wakana-san singing the song standing on the cliff. I want them to shoot a beautiful music video with a drone *laughs*.

Yo Hitoto ("Rapa Nui" - Lyrics)

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When I started composing Rapa Nui, I had an initial meeting with Takebe-san over the phone. The main goal was to create something that wasn’t J-pop. I gathered a lot of ideas, I wanted to give the song an Irish touch, maybe make it a little folky. Listening to Wakana-san's older songs, I got the strong impression that her voice was very clear, resounding like a fresh breeze through the air. That's why I thought it would be nice to have an ambient melody with a bit of an ethnic essence. In the end, it turned into something that can’t really be labelled properly but Hitoto-san’s lyrics made it possible to envision sceneries of a foreign place. I usually write quite hectic chord progressions but this time I stuck to one chord for the verse and then changed the chorus to a minor key. The part at the beginning of the chorus is very difficult, but as expected, Wakana-san sang it perfectly. I would be happy if you could feel the quiet rock amidst the gentle atmosphere.

Tatsuro Mashiko ("Rapa Nui" - Composer)

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When writing music, the most important thing for me is the voice of the artist. Wakana-san's voice is ethereal and full of emotion, there’s a complexity to it that makes you see both light and darkness at the same time. And the lyrics she wrote mysteriously matched the world view I had imagined, it really became a unique song. I hope that Wakana-san's voice will gently light up the hearts of many people in this age of uncertainty.

Toshiaki Matsumoto (”Sono Saki e” - Composer)

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During the production days of "Sono Saki e" I always had everyone’s feelings in mind. I wanted to fully understand the world and thoughts envisioned by my producer Satoshi Takebe-san, all the composers, writers and musicians. That’s why I did my best to carefully challenge each song. While feeling the music soaking into my body, I experienced the joy of unraveling the feelings contained in each and every one of them, adding my voice to them many times during the production process. However, there were also many times when I felt frustration and resentment towards myself, occasionally it was painful and tough, but to be honest, those moments were necessary. What do I feel in this world right now, what do I want to cherish, and what do I want to convey to everyone? I put all these thoughts into my album. When you feel overwhelmed by sadness and loneliness, I hope that there will be a moment when my music can provide solace for your heart, even just a little.

Wakana

Daichi Miura x Shin'ya Kiyozuka - Sansan (SONGS)

Daichi Miura x Shin'ya Kiyozuka - Sansan (SONGS)

Daichi Miura x Shin'ya Kiyozuka - Sansan (FNS Kayousai Natsu 13.07.2022)

Wakana 3rd Album “Sono Saki e” Tracklist Revealed & Billboard Lives Announced

Following a number of announcements back in mid-March, we now have a new batch of exciting news. As teased yesterday by Wakana, we finally get all the tracklist details. To accompany these news, a short snippet of 「明日を夢見て歌う/Asu wo Yume Mite Utau」from last year’s「Wakana Classics 2022 ～Christmas Special～」 was posted to YouTube. In addition, there will be two Billboard Lives held in July to celebrate the release of the album.

Snippet of「明日を夢見て歌う」from「Wakana Classics 2022 ～Christmas Special～」

Title: 明日を夢見て歌う/Asu wo Yume Mite Utau Lyrics：Wakana Composition&Arrangement：Satoshi Takebe Track 8 of the album and track 10 of the bonus DVD. The full version of this live performance will be included as bonus feature on Type A of Wakana’s 3rd album “Sono Saki e”. Thoughts: Wow, my memory officially sucks. I had zero recollection of the song. I remember writing in my live report that the song wasn’t very memorable and I still stand by that statement (there’s too little buildup towards the chorus imo) but it’s more pleasant than what I recall (especially the melody in the beginning and Wakana’s singing overall). I know I compared it to Takebe’s other song “Kimi Dake no Stage” in terms of my feelings for it but they do not really sound anything alike and I suspect that this one will grow on me once I get to hear the whole song a few times (especially this acoustic live version which has such a lovely arrangement).

『そのさきへ』 Tracklist and Featured Composers/Artists Revealed

M1. Butterfly Dream Lyrics: Wakana Composition/Arrangement: Yuki Kishida M2. Rapa Nui Lyrics: Yo Hitoto, Composition: Tatsuro Mashiko, Arrangement: Satoshi Takebe M3. 標(Shirushi) Lyrics/Composition: Yoshiko Hanzaki Arrangement: Satoshi Takebe M4. 希望(Kibou) Lyrics: Yuho Iwasato Composition: Takatsugu Muramatsu Arrangement: Yuji Toriyama M5. 殻(Kara) Lyrics: Goro Matsui Composition: Satoshi Takebe Arrangement: Yuji Toriyama M6. そのさきへ～(Sono Saki e) ~Interlude~ Composition: Toshiaki Matsumoto、Arrangement: Satoshi Takebe 　 M7. KEMONO feat. Shin'ya Kiyozuka Lyrics: Yoshitani Kuji, Wakana Composition: Shin'ya Kiyozuka Arrangement: Yuji Toriyama M8. 明日を夢見て歌う(Asu wo Yume Mite Utau) Lyrics: Wakana Composition/Arrangement: Satoshi Takebe 　 M9. Flag Lyrics/Composition: BOI　Arrangement: Ryuichi Takagi M10. そのさきへ(Sono Saki e) Lyrics: Wakana Composition: Toshiaki Matsumoto Arrangement: Yuki Kishida 　 M11. あとひとつ(Ato Hitotsu) Lyrics: Wakana Composition/Arrangement: Satoshi Takebe

Thoughts: The track titles have got me very intrigued. “Rapa Nui” sounds like it could be the song that’s completely different from anything Wakana has done before (as she hinted towards in one of her Instagram posts). Then again, they are already labeling it as Wakana’s “Hanamizuki” due to everyone involved in the making so it might just be a ballad. Maybe it was a reference to KEMONO, although I assume that’s gonna be a pretty standard ballad too seeing as it features a pianist. Wish there were more lyrics by Wakana but I take whatever I can get. Interesting choice to include an interlude. The title track must be really good to deserve its own interlude/instrumental. Would have preferred a new song of course but oh well, this might turn out to be super lovely. Happy to finally see Ato Hitotsu on an official release, it was long overdue.

「Wakana Billboard Live 2023 ～そのさきへ～』

In celebration of the album release, Wakana will be holding Billboard Lives in Yokohama and Osaka.

▼Billboard Live Yokohama 2023/07/06 ＜1st Stage＞17:00 / 18:00 ＜2nd Stage＞20:00 / 21:00

▼Billboard Live Osaka 2023/07/20 ＜1st Stage＞17:00 / 18:00 ＜2nd Stage＞20:00 / 21:00

【Performing artists】 Vocal：Wakana Production・Piano：Satoshi Takebe Others TBA

【Ticket price】 Service Area：￥9,000- / Casual Area：￥8,500-

Pre-order of FC tickets is scheduled to start on April 22nd. Club BBL member advance tickets will be available from May 12th and general reservations will be accepted from May 19th onwards.

Thoughts: Ohhhhhh! The Osaka Live is so close to YK’s Saitama concert. Now I am really considering making a trip. But damn, I think flights will be super expensive. T_T Looks like I might need to fork out 2k for a roundtrip (direct flights). And it will be stinking hot in Japan. Will have to think this through properly. But now with those overseas tickets available for YKL Vol#18, it would almost be a shame to not use that opportunity.

Music Video for Butterfly Dream Coming Up

Wakana teased in a tweet reply that she shot a MV for “Butterfly Dream”. *weeee* So excited! I am surprised they are not doing a video for the album title track “Sono Saki e”. Maybe they will do one for that as well? It’s a shame though that this won’t be included on the album. But then again, they will use for a YouTube promo so that’s always a good thing

“Sono Saki e” Promotion

Wakana visited the Tower Recrods Shibuya store to promote her newly released album! Tweet 1 | Tweet 2

Digital Album (Purchase/Stream): https://jvcmusic.lnk.to/wakana_sonosakie

Oricon Entry Position

“Sono Saki e” made it to #14 on its first day in the Daily Oricon Charts. That’s honestly lower than I expected, really not the best entry position (especially compared to Keiko who managed to reach #8 on the first day). This doesn’t bode well for the overall performance.

Uta-Net Lyric Essay Part 2

In commemoration of the release of her 3rd original studio album “Sono Saki e”, Wakana has been invited to write three lyric essays for the song column of “Uta-Net”. Part 1 can be found HERE. Part 2 was posted today. You can read the essay on the website. There’s also an audio recording provided, be sure to check it out! This installment is dedicated to “KEMONO feat. Shin'ya Kiyozuka”. Speaking of which, an animated music video for the track was posted on Wakana’s Official YouTube Channel last night. If you haven’t yet, be sure to watch it!

Interview with Real Sound

Source: https://realsound.jp/2023/05/post-1338130.html

We get another longer interview with some interesting insight regarding “Sono Saki e”. Here are some of the highlights┗(•ˇ_ˇ•)―→

With this album, Wakana wants to provide solace for people who are in a dark place right now. Music should always bring light into your world.

Both “Asu wo Yume Mite Utau” as well as “Flag” contain the image of looking towards the future and hoping for a brighter tomorrow. Even though those songs were written long before her and Takebe came up with the final album concept, they fit perfectly into it. 

The album contains a transition between a strong sense of loneliness and slowly gaining hope, realising that you are not alone.

It was actually Takebe who suggested to add some darker elements to “Butterfly Dream”. It turned into a dark fantasy. Hidden withing the cute melody, there’s a muddy desire to possess something that is important to you. The point of view is quite delusional, borderline crazy

Wakana loves the “folk” and rock-ish sound of “Rapa Nui” and she had a blast singing in the language of Easter Island even though she wasn’t really sure how to pronounce most of the words. She tried to listen to more recent recordings of the language but it was still difficult to figure out the best way to sing those lines. The song is about facing your own weaknesses. It’s not always a bad thing to be by yourself. You can find strength in being alone.

“Shirushi” has a strong message of knowing that you always have someone by your side even if they are not physically there with you. Your very existence is proof that someone else has been there and touched your life. Just this thought can be reassurance enough. 

“Kibou” and “Kara” are both about finding light and hope within a dark world. You can be sure that the sun will rise again no matter what. 

Wakana would like us to compare “Tsubasa” and “Kara” since “Kara” is pretty much a sequel. It tell a story of how time has passed between those two songs. She talked with the lyricist about being afraid to trust people. The song is about having been betrayed and hurt in the past which makes you want to hide away and not interact with people anymore. You start to feel like you are completely alone but there comes a time when you realise that no, you are not in fact alone. You always have your friends and family by your side. With their support you have the strength to move forward. 

“KEMONO” is about not being afraid to be different in today’s world and to live your truth with pride. Wakana enjoys the jazzy feel of the piano, she thinks her singing and the piano playing almost sounds like an elaborate game of ping-pong.

“Sono Saki e” actually has the same message as “Ato Hitotsu”, just a little more profound. Finding joy in the small things in our daily lives

Interview with USEN Encore

Source: https://e.usen.com/interview/interview-original/wakana-sonosakihe.html

2023/05/30 Instagram post by Wakana

Finally, my 3rd album "Sono Saki e" will be released!! ️🥳🎉 The day has finally come...✨Can't wait for tomorrow!! ️🤩I’d like to make a little announcement of a program that will be on air the night before the release 🤗 Tonight at around midnight, I will have an appearance on "Artist Voice" on ABC TV📺 I got to shoot in a very nice space🌟 Please take a look ✨You can watch the broadcast on TV or an archived version on Abema ☺️(Source) [Note: Hopefully someone will upload this appearance]

Wakana  New Album『Sono Saki e』 Rapid-Fire Full Album Listening Event

Wakana is live-streaming a “Rapid-Fire Full Album Listening Event” on her Official YouTube Channel. It's Wakana’s wish to listen to all the songs together with the fans. The event will be moderated by Takumi Fujita. While listening to the 11 songs recorded for the album, Wakana will share her thoughts and a few anecdotes from the recording process. Edit: Oh no, they made the video private. I had hoped they would archive it T_T I replaced it with the “Butterfly Dream” MV.

Initial thoughts:

M1. Butterfly Dream: Still not sold on the song (especially not as a leading track) but I am feeling more favourable towards it today. Maybe because my mood is better XD Or maybe because I finally got to watch the full MV. Waaahh, I am obsessed with it. M2. Rapa Nui: Wow, the song lives up to its title. A refreshing sound. Although it’s more Celtic than Polynesian. I am digging it, especially smitten with the verses. I can imagine the chorus will grow on me after a few more listens.    M3. 標(Shirushi): Hearing the rest of the song again makes me appreciate it more. I just have to be in the right mood for this, then it is 100% going to make tear up.   M4. 希望(Kibou): The type of ballad I adore. Instant favourite.   M5. 殻(Kara): Great vocals. Never been a huge fan of the Spanish guitar but I am liking the arrangement. It works for Wakana. Reminds me a bit of “Tsubasa” which is not a bad thing I guess. M6. そのさきへ～(Sono Saki e) ~Interlude~: Can never say no to a lovely piano arrangement. Still not sure why we needed it but oh well XD  M7. KEMONO feat. Shin'ya Kiyozuka: Oh no T_T This is absolutely NOT what I had hoped for. Getting flashbacks to some of my more recent Keiko song reactions. I wish it wasn’t the case but every cell in my body is literally rejecting this type of song.    M8. 明日を夢見て歌う(Asu wo Yume Mite Utau): To think that my initial reaction to this was rather lukewarm and now it’s one of my favourites XD  M9. Flag: Still solid.  M10. そのさきへ(Sono Saki e): It’s quite nice with beautiful vocals but the chorus doesn’t have enough oomph for me. One part of the verse sounds a bit like “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas so I was hoping for a similarly epic chorus. Alas, it’s a little bland :-( M11. あとひとつ(Ato Hitotsu): So happy to have a clear and pure studio version of this.

Tweet 1 & 2 by Wakana | Instagram post by Wakana

2023/04/15 Blog post by Wakana そのさきへの中身を大公開！〜想像してみてください〜 

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The Contents For “Sono Saki he” Have Been Revealed ！〜Please Try To Envision It〜

Yesterday, I went to see 【Billboard Live presents Piano Duo Session#2 Ayaka Hirahara×Satoshi Takebe ～ Ayaka Hirahara 20th Anniversary Special ～】 at Billboard Live Tokyo! ! \(^o^)/ Takebe-san and Aya-san's doing a live together😳✨ It was amazing…!!😭😭 I was crying the whole time (T-T) When you combine Takebe-san's amazing ability to play any song beautifully on a piano and Aya-san's gorgeous, versatile singing voice from another dimension, it is an experience that’s truly out of this world😭✨ They are celebrating their 45th and 20th anniversary respectively❗️ Amazing...😳 The 70 minutes flew by and I had such a great time☺️♡

Hello, this is Wakana (0￣▽￣0)／

Billboard Live are more relaxing than normal concerts, they make you love music even more♪ By the way, the other day, we announced the song titles for my 3rd original album "Sono Saki he" which will be released on May 31st😊There is still time until the release so we didn’t want to reveal more than the titles of all the songs, I am sure everyone is working hard to imagine what the songs could sound like based on their titles🤣🤣 Anyway, please be patient a little while longer and just stare at the titles! 😂

◆Tracks included in my 3rd Original Album "Sono Saki he"◆

M1. Butterfly Dream Lyrics: Wakana Composition/Arrangement: Yuki Kishida M2. Rapa Nui Lyrics: Yo Hitoto, Composition: Tatsuro Mashiko, Arrangement: Satoshi Takebe M3. 標(Shirushi) Lyrics/Composition: Yoshiko Hanzaki Arrangement: Satoshi Takebe M4. 希望(Kibou) Lyrics: Yuho Iwasato Composition: Takatsugu Muramatsu Arrangement: Yuji Toriyama M5. 殻(Kara) Lyrics: Goro Matsui Composition: Satoshi Takebe Arrangement: Yuji Toriyama M6. そのさきへ～(Sono Saki he) ~Interlude~ Composition: Toshiaki Matsumoto、Arrangement: Satoshi Takebe 　 M7. KEMONO feat. Shin'ya Kiyozuka Lyrics: Yoshitani Kuji, Wakana Composition: Shin'ya Kiyozuka Arrangement: Yuji Toriyama M8. 明日を夢見て歌う(Asu wo Yume Mite Utau) Lyrics: Wakana Composition/Arrangement: Satoshi Takebe 　 M9. Flag Lyrics/Composition: BOI　Arrangement: Ryuichi Takagi M10. そのさきへ(Sono Saki he) Lyrics: Wakana Composition: Toshiaki Matsumoto Arrangement: Yuki Kishida 　 M11. あとひとつ(Ato Hitotsu) Lyrics: Wakana Composition/Arrangement: Satoshi Takebe

For the first time, the album was produced entirely by Satoshi Takebe-san. I've been working together with Takebe-san for almost 5 years now but I still get nervous 😳 I'm sure he himself would be surprised and just ask "why!?" but there is just that special [Takebe Aura] around him. It’s just so unique😂

During the production period I was able to meet Takebe-san a lot, I got to see how his work progressed at a tremendous speed, and I learned a lot. There were a lot of different composers and artists involved, some I had never collaborated with before, others I had the pleasure of working with before. Regarding some of the songs, we have 「明日を夢見て歌う」 which Takebe-san composed for my Billboard Live two years ago and I wrote the lyrics for. Then there is 「Flag」, a song for the mobile game Memento Mori's and dedicated to the character "Florence". Yoshiko Hanzaki-san wrote 「標」  for me, it contains all of my feelings for my father. And finally we have 「あとひとつ」 included on a CD, it’s a song that Takebe-san wrote for me at the very beginning of my solo career and I've been singing it for a very long time...

I think I've already told everyone about these songs😊 There are still many other things I want to share with you about the other songs but for the time being please just try to enjoy looking at the full tracklist *laughs* I would like to continue revealing small details little by little as we get closer to the release date! 😘

On a side note, we have decided to hold a live to celebrate the release of the album! \\\\٩( 'ω' )و //// I'm looking forward to it 🥺💕 『Wakana Billboard Live 2023 ～そのさきへ～』 7/6 Billboard Live Yokohama 7/20 Billboard Live Osaka

And tomorrow is my first online sign event for those who pre-ordered the album!😊 You can watch the broadcast on Victor YouTube channel! The video will be archive until April 23rd! Please check it out〜＼(^o^)／

That's it for today! Until next time ☆( *'▽'*)/

＊＊＊Wakana＊＊＊

Daichi Miura & Shin’ya Kiyozuka - Fureau dake de ~Always with you~ (live performance at The Music Day 2019)