Yufu Terashima - Kimi ni Toropitaina (君にトロピタイナ)

It has been a while since I wrote something for the blog. I have been missing it, honestly, but for a few months, college took a lot of my time and now I am finally feeling more free. Still, I keep updating my Twitter regularly: it is easier to consume bite-sized information and I have begun to use it a lot more in the last few months.

I have been listening to a lot of music lately, due to getting Spotify Premium in a Christmas deal and installing a rhythm mobile game called Girls Beat Stage. I have already spent some money in there as the "gacha" gods have been blessing me... Lol. It is a lot of fun, so I don't regret it!

The game has opened my eyes to both songs I have listened before without paying that much attention, both new songs I have come to love. Today, I would like to talk about one of them.

Twitter @yufu_0708

I have known Yufu Terashima (寺嶋由芙) for a long time, but I have never properly listened to her discography. I think the first time I heard about her was when I saw the MV for "Neko ni Naritai" (猫になりたい). At the time, I didn't even know she had been a member of BiS, the alternative idol group I now love very much. Well, it's a fact Yufu herself doesn't really like reminiscing as well...

The aforementioned Girls Beat Stage includes several idols tied with DEARSTAGE Inc., the idol agency that manages most notably Dempagumi.inc. Yuffie (as she's also called by fans) is also one of their artists. Her first song featured in the game is "Kimi ni Toropitaina" (君にトロピタイナ), her latest single as of this day, released October 17th, 2018.

I like this song very much because the synths and the overall mood remind me of Showa era songs. Both lyrics, composition and arrangement are the work of Gota Nishidera, the main singer, songwriter and producer of the band NONA REEVES. In the official Teichiku Records website for the single, he states he had been studying the concept of idol along with Yufu and came to the conclusion of basing the song off the genre of "Tropical Minneapolis Euro Kayo" - which is how I assume the term "Toropitaina" came to mind.

Interesting, huh? It's pretty nice to see how much thought still goes to modern idol songs in order to conduct a well-thought, well-balanced, nostalgic-sounding music that still has a modern feel to it and sounds like idol music - mainly because of Yufu's vocals, which are technically not too good, but are pleasant and very characteristic.

I have definitely woken up to Yuffie's music and one of this days I'd like to write about "Kimi ga Chiru" (きみが散る), another very good and nostalgic pop tune.