I've had a fair number of Judy & Mary songs included onto the blog including "Brand New Wave Upper Ground", but I realized that the only YUKI tune that I've had up in the nearly eleven-year history of KKP is "JOY" from 2005. And it certainly deserves to be up there because it is such a quirkily marvelous solo single for the vocalist of J&M.
Well, the second song by YUKI goes up here and it is "Prism" which was actually her 2nd solo single from March 2002. Written by the singer, it was composed by Andy Sturmer of the rock band Jellyfish who also helped out Puffy Amiyumi at one point. According to the J-Wiki article on the song, YUKI's lyrics reflect the hopes and fears of her going solo as well as her gratitude to her fellow band members following the band's breakup in 2001. In addition to her wonderful vocals, there is some great Elton John-esque piano accompanying her and the overall melody is wonderfully wistful.
The video of YUKI as a mysterious sprite has a rather environmental feeling and the besuited company worker getting all sorts of dirt heaped onto him in the forest is played by actor Hidetoshi Nishijima（西島秀俊）. Nishijima would later star in 2021's "Drive My Car" which got an Oscar last year for Best International Feature Film.
"Prism" peaked at No. 11 on Oricon while ranking in at No. 160 on the yearly rankings. The song eventually earned YUKI her first invitation onto NHK's Kohaku Utagassen in 2012 (no error with that year, by the way). It also exists on her first solo album "Prismic" which was released in March 2002, getting as high as No. 3 and becoming the 65th-ranked album of the year.
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