Music Corner Week 61: Kiro Akiyama

Kiro Akiyama is an artist who is currently signed to Epic Records Japan. He writes, composes, and arranges all of his own songs while also producing videos and illustrations. He became interested in music when he was in junior high thanks to the anime K-ON! where he was inspired to pick up and start playing bass. He would later go on to produce his first song while he was a freshman in high school. Akiyama started his music career in 2017, and in June the following year he released his first single titled “Yasagure Kaido” which played number two on the Spotify viral chart. Also in the same summer, Akiyama made an appearance at SUMMER SONIC 2018 which is an annual two to three day rock festival held at the same time in Osaka and Chiba. In January of 2019, Akiyama released his first mini-album titled Hello my shoes, and in March in 2020 he released his first full-length album titled From Drop-out, which also served as his major debut. 

Kiro Akiyama is a powerhouse with solid vocals and good song composition. His music usually falls in the Rock genre but he has songs like “Goddamn” that has a more punk feel to them. Akiyama’s song “Monologue” is a good showcase of his talent and features a wide range of instruments and has really good composition. Also, the listener gets to hear a more emotional side of his vocals.

Akiyama is staying busy having just dropped his latest single “Searchlight” on his official YouTube page. His official website stays up to date on all of his upcoming work and Akiyama stays pretty active on his Twitter account. Please check out his song “Monologue” in the video below!

Music Corner Week 60: Hakubi

Hakubi is a three-member rock band that started on 2017 from Kyoto. Born out to the concept of “making music that listeners can snuggle to late at night”, the band looks to take the industry by storm. They show this by displaying soft yet powerful vocals with equal, if not more out of this world composition. 

One of the things that really stands out from the band is guitarist/vocalist Katagiri’s amazing vocal range and lyrics. Her talent just pierces through the listeners which lure them into their discography even more. A majority of Hakubi’s tracks are a mid-tempo style of composition, but the range the band has for this style is what makes them stand out from the rest. Tracks such as  “夢の続き” (“Yume no Tsuzuki”), “午前4時、SNS” (“Gozen 4Ji, SNS”) “どこにも行けない僕たちは” (“Doko Nimo Ikenai Bokutachi ha”) and “辿る” (“Tadoru”) show off the camaraderie the three members have for each other through this style and that any shortcomings that one might have. Other members are able to comb over things with amazing flair. The more vocal heavy songs are one of the reasons to keep a look out for this band. “22”, “光芒” (“Kobo”) and “大人になって気づいたこと” (“Otona ni Natte Kitsuita Koto”) hits off the band’s concept without fail and was the main point that turned my head to them. 

Hakubi has five E.Ps with the latest, Musubi released back in September and had also released two digital singles in 2020. Be sure to check out Hakubi’s official website, Twitter, and Instagram accounts along with the music video for their track “22” below!

Hakubi stars

Aru Yasukawa- Bassist

Katagiri- Vocals/ Guitarist

Yuki Matsui- Drummer

Music Corner Week 59: Leola

Leola is a pop-rock vocalist who began her career in 2016 with the debut single Rainbow and is currently signed to Sony Music Associated Inc while managed by LDH. Leola is a stage name for Sugano Yuri; the name Leola is derived from the Hawaiian words “Leo” meaning “voice” and “la” meaning “sun”. Leola’s stage name fits her voice and music style perfectly as her voice is like the sun as it shines in all her music. She has a beautiful and powerful voice that sways and makes you feel good inside. Many of her tracks have a Hawaiian feel to them. Leola also uses English in many of her tracks and switches between Japanese and English flawlessly. Her tracks leave you wanting more as each one is easy to listen too.

Leola’s voice and music has a relaxing and powerful feel to it. Her newest track “Naimononedari” is a gorgeous ballad that shows off her powerful vocals and has a beautiful composition with the use of the piano. In her track “Let It Fly”, the piano at the beginning sets the mood for a relaxing yet powerful track that uplifts your spirits. Her vocals flow perfectly with the piano making it an easy listen. In her track “Summer Time”, the composition showcases a Hawaiian feel and gives off a relaxing beach theme. In “Sunshine & Happiness”, the pop track carries a soothing feel as the composition starts out simple and matches perfectly with her voice. In “Futari feat. JAY’ED”, you hear Leola’s voice mixed with JAY’ED and it flows greatly making for an uplifting mid-tempo track that is a wonderful love song.

Currently, Leola has two studio albums (Hello! My Name Is Leola (2017) and Things change but not all (2019) ), one mini album (LOVE, LIFE, & LAUGHTER (2018) ), five physical singles (“Rainbow”, “Let it fly”, “I&I”, “Koiseyo Watashi/Mr. Right” and “Puzzle”), and twelve Digital Singles (her newest one being “Naimononedari/Lucky Me”). Leola’s music is available on all Digital platforms. Check out her official website, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube accounts along with the live special of “Naimononedari” below!

Music Corner Week 58: Kodai Yoshida

Kodai Yoshida made his way to the music scene in 2015 as part of the boy idol group X4. X4 was a group of four guys that was a mix of Japanese and Korean. The band stayed together up until March of 2020 when they decided to part ways. Yoshida back in 2018, had already laid the groundwork for a solo career releasing his single “Anata ga kidzukanai yō ni” which released on July 7th. In October of 2018, Yoshida released an additional three singles. The same month X4 disbanded, Yoshida released his very first album titled 0 (Zero). His latest release is his song “Please make it emotional” which dropped back in May. Ever since X4 disbandment, Yoshida has committed to working solo projects.

Yoshida’s time with a boy group shows through in his solo work with his powerful vocal work. He really brings a wide range of styles in his work going from punk rock, to pop, to powerful ballads. He really has a sense of song composition and knows how to employ various instruments to great effect such as the harmonica in his song “Tokyo Skip”. Every one of his solo songs was written by him. “Tokyo Skip” is easily my favorite song of his, mixing this cool electronic sound with a wide range of traditional instruments. It’s a fun song that really pulls the listener in.

Be sure to stay up to date with Yoshida on his website which can be found here. He also has a personal blog which can be found here. All of Yoshida’s solo work can be found on both Apple Music and Spotify. Lastly, be sure to check out his song “Tokyo Skip” in the video below.

Music Corner Week 57: MARIA

MARIA is a female rapper who is apart of the hip-hop group SIMI LAB and is currently signed under SUMMIT. She joined SIMI LAB in 2009 when they first formed and as part of the group, each member released their own work separately. All members in SIMI LAB are either half or mixed, which includes MARIA. She released her first solo album Detox in 2013, followed by Pieces in 2017. Her music is heavily influenced by Western-styled hip-hop and lyrics. MARIA mixes both languages flawlessly and goes between Japanese and English so smoothly that you don’t even realize the switch happened.

The composition in MARIA’s tracks shows the laid back hip-hop vibe that gives off a 90s Western flavor such as “Set Me Free”, “A.W.A.R.E”, “Hip Hop’s Ma” and “Far Away (feat. LUVRAW). Her latest track “Like That feat. Frankie” switches between Japanese and English so perfectly and has a great combination of rap and vocals. She also released some harder rap tracks that scream Western Hip-hop such as “Helpless Hoe”, “Tired”, and “Cold”. MARIA shows off her rap skills and smooth vocals in all her tracks and shows that she is no one-trick pony when it comes to hip-hop.

MARIA has two studio albums (Detox and Pieces), five digital singles, and one EP titled Deep Float that just released September 30th. All are currently available on digital platforms. Check out her official website, Twitter, and Instagram accounts along with the music video for “Far Away (feat. LUVRAW) below!