TENDRE -- Ride

 

As I type this, I'm approaching the noon hour but this is where I will be ending my Urban Contemporary Friday session, now that I've gotten my six articles done in the last twelve hours and will be facing some busy times in the next several hours.

TENDRE is a musical marvel that I've been keeping my eyes on for a while now. I was charmed by his 2017 "crave" for its cool and funky nature. He even came up with the current theme song for the NHK morning information show "Asaichi"（あさイチ）and the only disappointment there is that it's so short. Happily, there is no such thing with the coupling song to his very first digital single "SOFTLY/RIDE" from May 2018. 

Groovalicious is another made-up adjective that I love to apply to TENDRE's stuff and that includes "Ride". I'm happy to finally see the guy in the music video while he is strutting his stuff on those overnight streets (just hope he didn't get mugged). It feels like a ride through the 1970s and 2010s at the same time with all of that smokiness and coolness. I also love the video's use of Monty Python-esque animation. In April 2023, TENDRE provided a slightly more oomphed-up version of "Ride" in his digital EP "Beginning".