I believe that it's every singer's dream to come up with a distinct personality or style for oneself. Perhaps I'm watching one example of this right here. Over the past few years, I've noted the enka singer, young Naoki Sanada（真田ナオキ）, who's learned his craft under singer-songwriter Ikuzo Yoshi（吉幾三）, carving out this niche of a stylish man-about-city with oodles of growly verve and passion. His song titles have involved the general imbibing of mass quantities along with certain metropolitan areas.
Well, his latest single which came out on April 19th is "Yoe Nee yo!" (Ain't Getting Drunk!). Once again, his mentor Yoshi was behind words and music and if I've got my understanding in check, it's about a guy trying to get through a rough patch while ensconced in his bottle with the love of a good woman, although it's up in the air whether he'll succeed. Yelling out the title in his vocals, he only promises that he won't get drunk today.
Sanada seems like a chip off the old block with that low and raspy delivery and emotional rough-hewn oomph that Yoshi has used in his own songs like his trademark "Yukiguni"（雪国）. Melodically, I've categorized the other songs by Sanada as either Mood Kayo or enka, but "Yoe Nee yo!" is especially difficult because it has elements of different genres: the garrulous brio of enka and maybe even rock but with those punchy horns which takes things into a more soulful direction. Could this be what Neo-Mood Kayo sounds like or is it more along the lines of the New Adult Music blend of enka and rock that I mentioned in Sanada's "Yoi no Blues"（酔いのブルース）?
Whatever the case may be, I think Sanada's persona in his videos is the type of guy you'd want to take you on a barhopping tour in Tokyo...provided that he picks up the tab.🍷
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