Naoki Sanada -- Maji de Horeta（本気で惚れた）

 

I was slightly caught off-guard last night just when "Uta Con"（うたコン）was signing off for another week when the concierge Shosuke Tanihara（谷原章介）quickly rapped off about a saishuukai（最終回）. Well, saishuukai means final episode so did that mean that "Uta Con" was wrapping up things after a 5-year run? As it turns out, I think that I am mistaken and that probably the saishuukai was in reference to the current NHK morning serial "Ochoyan"（おちょやん）, although I'm also surprised that it's finishing its run since it just seemed to speed by. Plus, I don't think that I ever heard of any Japanese television show suddenly cutting out less than a month after the new fiscal year kicks in. If "Uta Con" had ended its run, it would have been at the end of March, not April.

One segment on last night's episode involved showcasing four of the young Turks in the enka/new kayo world, including Ikuzo Yoshi's（吉幾三）protégé, enka singer Naoki Sanada（真田ナオキ）. I first wrote about him back in 2018 with his "Yoi no Blues"（酔いのブルース）and since then, he seems to be doing his old master proud.

Well, Sanada has come back with his latest single from February 2021, "Maji de Horeta" (Really Fallen In Love). Naturally, written and composed by Yoshi, the Saitama Prefecture-born singer brings out a lot of gravelly and boisterous brio in his vocals, something that has probably also been cultivated by Yoshi since he's also got a similarly rumble in his delivery when it comes to his songs. "Maji de Horeta" has quite the grandeur and I'm sure that the karaoke folks will love tackling the undulating first line in each verse. I just think that the end is a little too abrupt.

I think that there is something quite Tadao Ando（安藤忠雄）in the building in the shortened video where Sanada is singing. But aside from that, I think young Sanada is beginning to show a few of his own characteristic physical flourishes during his performances...kinda like Hiroshi Itsuki（五木ひろし）. "Maji de Horeta" hasn't done too shabbily, either, by peaking at No. 6.