Mayumi Hara -- Nagisa Hotel

 

Looks like Kayo Grace has gotten dolled up for a night in the big city. Meanwhile, someone else has chosen to try out a hotel on the beach.

Well, specifically "Nagisa Hotel" (Beach Hotel) by aidoru Mayumi Hara（原真祐美）. This was actually the B-side to her 5th single from April 1984, "Wakatte My Love"（わかってマイ・ラブ...Understand Me, My Love）, and this one is a rather interesting tune in terms of the key and chords. Plus, there is this combination of the disco strings and 80s rhythm that skirts with City Pop. Written by Yasushi Akimoto（秋元康）and composed by Hiroshi Shinkawa（新川博）, Hara gamely sings in a soundscape that has its dramatic and doubtful verses which shift into a hopeful pre-chorus before things revert to a determined and perhaps heroic chorus. It sounds like one of those gang girl dramas on TV centering on one lass trying to get out of the life but having to literally punch her way through to the light. 

As with my previous Hara outing, "Yuugure wa Love Song"（夕暮れはLove Song）, "Nagisa Hotel" was also a track on her 2nd album "Vert Clair"（ベール・クレール）from February 1984.