Well, the last time I was writing on Junk Fujiyama（ジャンク フジヤマ）, it was back in late January which was several weeks before the premiere of his newest album "Shoukei Toshi ~ City Pop Covers"（憧憬都市...City of Aspirations）. I featured a couple of tracks there which were indeed his versions of those City Pop tunes "Telephone Number" and "Windy Summer" by the late Junko Ohashi（大橋純子）and Anri（杏里）respectively. Happy to say then that "Shoukei Toshi" was released a couple of days ago and hopefully sales have been brisk so far.
This song by Fujiyama though isn't on "Shoukei Toshi" because in point of fact, it was placed on his previous album from last August "Dreamin'". I don't think "Are wa Tashika September" (Had to Have Been September) even really counts as City Pop. It's more of a summery pop tune, natural to think so considering that release month, but it is one that could have been recorded by Tatsuro Yamashita（山下達郎）, the man who Junk has been inspired by. Written and composed by Tatsuki Kamiya（神谷樹）, "Are wa Tashika September" seems like a bittersweet tune in terms of Kamiya's lyrics. One day in that titular month, a man sees a woman of his dreams searching for her lost key to lock the bicycle at a convenience store. But it appears that he never gets the gumption to help her out, thinking that he's just a mere boy next to the absolutely mature lady that he's fallen for. So, he settles for admiring her from afar. Sounds like a premise for an anime or a TV drama. 😎
Fireminer here. Like you said, this sounds like a summery tune, but it's title contain "September." Seems like someone is regretting having let the summer of youthful opportunity passed through his fingers.
ReplyDeleteHey, Fireminer. Well, the first twenty days of September are still considered summer so I think we're still OK with the "summery" adjective. But I hear you about the title since the season vis-a-vis Japanese music is all about opportunities lost and promises broken in the romance department. At least, the autumn is great for food in Japan. :)
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