Music Corner Week 90: Akira Takano

Akira Takano is a vocalist who got his start with the popular five-member co-ed idol group Dream5 back in 2009, but has then broke out on his own after the group dissolved back in 2016. While he initially started his solo work with various amounts of stage play work throughout the years, Takano would then return to the music industry back in 2019. Taking what he learned from his time off, Takano brings solid vocal work and style that he wasn’t able to bring before hand. Nothing takes that example to a head like “New Direction” and “tiny lady”, while not being all changing for a solo male pop artist field, the work shows off he has matured as a vocalist. Takano also mixes it up with several emotional pack tracks such as “You’ve broken my heart”, and while it’s a bit more of a mid-tempo style of compositions, it really proves that with a bit of a push he can handle any type of work that can come his way. His biggest vocal improvement was shown back during his re-debut year of 2019 with the song “Can’t Keep it Cool”, an out of this world performance that needs to be heard to be believed. 

Akira Takano has only one album titled ENTER that released back in March of 2021, along with five singles and a digital single with the latest being “Vacances” back in August. 

Be sure to check out his official website along with his Twitter and Instagram and his latest music video “tiny lady” below!

Music Corner Week 89: ReN

ReN is a alternative singer-songwriter who became interested in music at the age of ten when he studied abroad in England to be athlete, from there he aspired to be a singer by the age of 20. ReN began his career in 2015 by completing the Hyakusen Renma 2015 which has 102 live concerts a year in the Kanto region and appeared in the FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL 2015 the same year. In 2016, he made his official debut with his album Lights. ReN has a unique blend of music as he incorporates what he learned in the UK and Japan together creating a hybrid style of West meets East in lyrics and sounds. ReN’s music tends to give a rock band feel with the way he utilizes the acoustic guitar in his music, giving him a memorable sound.

“Illumination” is the first track I heard by ReN and fell in love with his vocals and sound immediately. He has smokey yet piercing vocals which fit with his lyrics and move you to emotion, not to mention how he uses his acoustic guitar fits so well into the alternative genre. “Tell Me Why” is a slower song with a beautiful piano opening which gets you hooked. ReN also shows off his vocals on this track as he knows how to match them perfectly with this song giving off the power where it needs to be. “Running Forward” is one of ReN’s latest tracks from this year and is a more pop-rock style, with a catchy beat. ReN shows off his vocal range in this song from the versus to the chorus. I enjoy how fast paced “Running Forward” is and how it gives off a different vibe than he usually does.

ReN currently has three studio albums: Lights (2016), LIFE SAVER (2017), and ReNBRANDT (2021 - releasing September 8); two EPS: Sounzai Shoumei (Existence) (2018) and Fallin’ (2019), and eleven digital singles. You can follow ReN at his official website, Twitter, and Instagram. Check out the music video for “Illumination” below.

Music Corner Week 88: White Jam

White Jam is a three-member co-ed vocal group that formed in 2011. The members of the group are Shirose, Gashima, and Nikki. Shirose and Nikki are the two main vocalists for the group while Gashima provides the wrapping for the songs. In 2014 they signed with the Universal Sigma record label. Over the course of their career, they have released nine albums total with their first album being Jiyuu Jikan from 2014. Their latest album dropped in March of this year and is titled Shinu Hodo Suki. 

White Jam’s track style is based on R&B and HIP HOP, but they have a really strong pop feel to their music. Shirose and Nikki have really good vocals to really capture the listener. Gashima is a fantastic rapper with really good cadence and rhythm. Together they create songs that really enrapture the soul. One of my favorite songs is “Silent Night” which is a holiday song but honestly, I could hear it play any time of the year. The piano in this track is played by Shirose himself and it’s done really well. Their song “Usotsuki” is a really good midtempo song, and they have great dance tracks like “Tik Tok”. White Jam has a really wide variety of tracks that everyone can find something to like.

White Jam is showing no signs of stopping with the release of their Shinu Hodo Suki album that dropped earlier this year. Their official website stays up to date with all their latest news along with their official Twitter account. Lastly, be sure to check out their song “Silent Night” in the video below.

Music Corner Week 87: SUKISHA

SUKISHA is the solo music project of track maker Hiroyuki Ikezawa that got its start back in August of 2017. With the daunting virtue of pursuing unique and universal sound that is enjoyed by all audiences, SUKISHA does it with a wide net of compositions. Wither it be the house style of “Sparkling” and “Blue in Green” or the Neo-Soul melody of “Cherry”, or the lofi works of “Magic Spell”, he is certain to turn heads of many new comers and persuade them to keep on listening to the next track. While several of his solo tracks are amazing in their own right, SUKISHA really shines in collaborative efforts. The songs “Big Smile” with kojikoji and “Just Dance” with Kan Sano are some of many examples that show how he is able to bring the best out in any vocalist. 

SUKISHA released six albums between 2018 and 2021 with over 30 digital singles, there are bound to be new sounds and experiences for new listeners and fans alike. 

Be sure to check out the music video for “Magic Spell” below, along with his official website, Twitter, and Instagram!

Music Corner Week 86: Iroha

Iroha is a six member female vocal and dance unit that formed in January 2020 and consists of the members: Yuna, azuki, Maya, MISAKI, MAMI, and emina. During Iroha’s trainee days, the members began appearing in the spotlight such as the events "Kobe Girls Collection”, “Tokyo Girls Collection”, and “Kansai Collection”, along with model publications in magazines, and hosting the stage at the infamous venue “Zepp Namba”. On March 22nd, 2020, Iroha released their debut album Iroha which showed off the variety of music genres they can do from Pop to R&B to Hip-hop. Iroha is a new unit and are still finding themselves musically, however, each member knows hows to use their skills to the best of their ability.

Iroha’s track “Kataomoi” grabbed me immediately as you can hear their vocal skills come to full swing in this ballad song. “Kataomoi” has an R&B composition and the rap in the track flows perfectly making it a very stand-out track and an easy listen. “Super Girl” is the first song I heard by Iroha and uses a high energy medley, the girls vocals and rap combination instantly grabbed me; it led me to check out more of their music. “I Like It” is one of their more hip-hop type tracks with the composition focused on the beats and is based around their rap. I enjoy hearing more of the rap as it shows off their vocal skills. Their newest single “Wonderland” is a more pop style track and very heavy on the vocals but also mixes in rap as well. The lyrics are uplifting and matches the composition with its poppy dance beat that makes you feel good inside.

Iroha currently has one album, Iroha; one EP, Super Girl; and three singles, BonBon, Kataomoi, and Wonderland. All of their releases are available on all digital streaming platforms. You can follow Iroha on their official website and Twitter. Check out their latest music video “Kataomoi” below!