Credits

I would like to give credit where credit is due. Videos are from YouTube and other sources such as NicoNico while Oricon rankings and other information are translated from the Japanese Wikipedia unless noted.

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Tomoko Kuwae -- Koibito no Ryoubun(恋人の領分)

 

Just for this article, I asked the AI art generator to cook up KKP representative Kayo Grace Kyoku to be draped over a chaise longue or chaise lounge (according to Wikipedia). However, Bing decided that the result would be too "racy" so I had to settle for the empty furniture. As for the reason that I made the request in the first place was that I was planning to talk about a song that could be considered to be within the sphere of Fashion Music, a particularly refined form of 70s New Music which I've often compared to Baroque Rock or Baroque Pop. I've given my examples on a 2018 article titled "J-Canuck's Fashion Music"(ファッション・ミュージック). In all aspects, my genre is something that I impressed upon the blog on my own since its very brief usage in Japanese media had only been for singer Asami Kado(門あさ美)as a catchphrase for her 1979 song "Fascination". But in my opinion, there has been a good chunk of songs with that certain baroque quality so that the genre name is worthy of continued existence.

Anyways, one of my fellow Japanese music-loving Twitter companions, -3°C, informed everyone quite happily about how much they have have enjoyed this song "Koibito no Ryoubun" (Lovers' Domain) by Tomoko Kuwae(桑江知子). Listening to it myself, I agreed and opted to write about it today on KKP seeing it is Hump Day and by this point, a lot of folks would probably love to lie down on the chaise longue, KKP's official furniture of Fashion Music.

It's got the gallant languidness that would suit the genre but it also possesses a certain relaxing country music lilt, and so I could easily imagine other singers such as Ruiko Kurahashi(倉橋ルイ子)or even the aforementioned Kado covering "Koibito no Ryoubun" as well. Maybe even Mariya Takeuchi(竹内まりや)back in those early years. Speaking of which, the song was a track on Kuwae's 2nd album, the December 1979 "Neppu"(熱風...Tropical Winds). The sibling songwriting duo, lyricist Etsuko Kisugi(来生えつこ)and composer-singer Takao Kisugi(来生たかお)were responsible for "Koibito no Ryoubun" which doesn't surprise me since those two are quite famous for their smooth and languid arrangements. 

Kuwae has dabbled in pop and City Pop, so why not something like Fashion Music? But since you're here, you can additionally try out her most well-known song, "Watashi no Heart wa Stop Motion"(私のハートはストップモーション)from that same year of 1979.

Takao Kisugi himself covered his composition in his December 2010 album "Hitasura ni"(ひたすらに...Devotedly) to mark his 35th anniversary in the business. His version seems almost elegiac as if he was thinking about putting a close to his career. Thankfully, that has yet to happen.

1 comment:

  1. Hello J-canuck please thank -3°C for me! This is a good recommendation!

    ReplyDelete

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