Well, this last spot for Urban Contemporary Fridays on KKP used to be reserved for the weekly Yutaka Kimura Speaks ~ Japanese City Pop Masterpieces 100 article, but I finally completed the hundredth song last week, so that series is over...for now.
However, it's hard to break a habit so I'm still putting in a fifth article regarding City Pop or anything similar to finish Friday, and my final one happens to have come because of a request that came from commenter Lea a couple of days ago via the article for Akiko Kosaka's（小坂明子）"Again" album. She had asked whether I could get her the romaji version of the lyrics for the title track. I remember that I posted something on the 1983 album back in 2019 and at that time, I tended to not put up all of the songs due to risk of exhaustion and laziness (mostly the latter).
One of the songs that I had omitted to post was the actual title track itself which ended the album. "Again" was written and composed by Kosaka and it's quite the power pop ballad about love rekindled and everlasting with a fully charged electric guitar to end things. I was also reminded that Kosaka's voice had deepened and matured considerably since those days of her magnum opus "Anata"（あなた）. In any case, thanks to Lea for inadvertently giving me the opportunity to provide an article on another lovely Kosaka ballad.
Listening to this I am getting a strong feeling of Déjà vu and it is driving me crazy. I am pretty sure I have not actually heard this song before, but I have heard a melody that sounds some how so familiar and I can't be my finger on it.
ReplyDeleteHello, Brian. I wouldn't doubt it...as we know, during the 80s, Japanese songwriters liked to "lift" and adjust a certain chord progression or riff from a famous song across the Pacific and use it for one of their own creations.
DeleteI loved that article! Thank you so much for sharing all these amazing songs and your perspectives on them with us! I think 'Again' is my favorite song of all time, so I really enjoy reading anything about Akiko Kosaka or her songs. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Lea! Keep on reading!
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