Nogizaka46 -- Route 246

 

I believe that I've heard this Nogizaka46（乃木坂46）single before but I can't quite remember. But I think I know why "Route 246" sounds so familiar.

Didn't look up the group's latest digital download single on J-Wiki at all before I heard it, but immediately from the opening notes, I pegged it as a Tetsuya Komuro（小室哲哉）creation. And sure enough, when I did look up the article, it was indeed Komuro behind the melody with Yasushi Akimoto（秋元康）on lyrics.

Released in July this year, Akimoto's lyrics just seem to be tailored for "Route 246" to be one of those Olympic campaign songs. There's no mention of any Tokyo 2021 association but I wouldn't be surprised if it gets the nod sometime down the line by the Japanese Olympic Committee and/or a commercial TV network. And with the Kohaku Utagassen lineup announcements coming out sometime in the next few weeks (yep, it's still scheduled...they already announced the hosts), Nogizaka46 will probably be invited.

Well as for the familiarity angle, on hearing those Komuro synths once more, my memories took me back to the Komuro Boom of the 1990s with trf and globe. I could easily imagine Komuro having created "Route 246" for either of those units a quarter-century ago. The nostalgia is simply flowing.

"Route 246" peaked at No. 4 on Oricon Digital.