Anna Takeuchi -- TICKETS

 

Enjoy my photo of an Apple Cobbler A La Mode, courtesy of the Hard Rock Café, most likely the branch in Roppongi back in 2009. My apologies on the slight blur...I think my lens was watering at the sight.

From Amazon.jp

Anyways, although I'd initially just wanted to focus on one song by this singer-songwriter Anna Takeuchi（竹内アンナ）, I did discover that there were two songs in the backlog by her, so I naturally opted to cover those two and one more from her 2nd full album "TICKETS" which was released in March 2022. I believe that a commenter had me cottoned onto Takeuchi, so to that person, I will give my thanks. Moreover, because I had for a moment wondered about it as well especially with that family name (as common as "Takeuchi" is), I will let you know that she's not related to Mariya or Tatsuro in any shape or form.

Takeuchi was actually born in Los Angeles but her family moved to Kyoto when she was around 5 years of age, and she began her songwriting path while in junior high school. Performing her original works in various clubs cemented that path onto becoming a singer. Then at the age of 19, she made an appearance at the 2018 edition of the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas and then went on the Japan Nite US tour 2018 through seven other American cities.

Getting onto "TICKETS" itself, here is "Ice Cream." (which is why I put up the photo of the cobbler), her August 2021 digital single, some laidback pop which includes some rap and a bit of some 1970s R&B. According to her J-Wiki profile, Takeuchi, thanks to her parents, got to know the music of The Beatles and Earth Wind & Fire and other types of music from the 70s and 80s. In fact, "September" is one of her touchstones.

Takeuchi began to get more interested in African-American music, although she was also influenced by the Japanese rock band Bump of Chicken and American singer-guitarist John Mayer. I think some of that 1970s soul comes out to the fore with her February 2022 digital single, "Te no Hira Kasanereba"（手のひら重ねれば...If We Put Our Hands Together）, a nice and bouncy song of pining for that wonderful guy.

For the last track for the article, here is "YOU + ME=", a short and fast-paced tune that has Takeuchi making a pitch for why she and a certain guy would make the ideal combination. Some nice catchy delivery and I'm getting very comfortable with her high and breathy voice.