Born in Okinawa, Japan, within the 12 months 2000, singer-songwriter YU-KA spent her early years in America and Switzerland. At age 15, she took up the acoustic guitar, and he or she began writing her personal songs at age 17. She started really throwing herself into music upon successful a particular award in a film theme song-writing audition. “Hoshizukiyo,” which she launched in February 2023, took the No. 1 spot on Billboard JAPAN‘s “Download Songs” chart, making it her greatest hit. 

The title observe of her newest EP, Sunshade, was produced by ONE OK ROCK’s Toru and is the theme music of the TV collection Smiling Matryoshka. The 24-year-old musician is equally centered on each her musical actions in Japan and abroad, bringing a separate mentality to every. Billboard Japan lately had the chance to speak to her about her newest launch, an encapsulation of the place she is now. 

What’s the idea behind the Sunshade EP? 

YU-KA: When I wrote my first album, Brighter, a whole lot of the lyrics I wrote have been actually grand in scale. The hottest music on the album, “Hoshizukiyo,” was a hovering love music. With the brand new album, I wished to make one thing extra private. I wished to jot down lyrics about love at a one-to-one degree — the extent of “me and you.” The paintings displays that, too. I’m not carrying some kind of attractive costume, only a T-shirt. It’s made up of pure images taken in on a regular basis settings, minimize and pasted collectively like a patchwork. I wished to offer it that handmade, unadorned really feel. 

I simply adopted my coronary heart wherever it led in writing “forget-me-not,” and I believe it brings me again to my pure roots. The lyrics to “Clouds” are all in English, and I really feel like that music ties in to my indie days. At the time, I used to be doing a whole lot of dwell reveals, attempting a whole lot of new issues, like utilizing a looper and matching English lyrics with easy chord progressions. I believe the music’s sound is linked with that time of my life. On the flip facet, I used to be re-examining J-pop after I wrote “Sunshade”, “Tsuraikurai,” and “One more time.” I like each Western music and J-pop, and I wished to jot down music that lies someplace in-between, however I additionally took on new challenges by working within the vein of J-pop. 

Do you’ve got totally different goals while you’re singing in English than while you’re singing in Japanese? 

YU-KA: I rely so much on no matter phrases the melody and the music convey out of me. Especially after I’m co-writing abroad, I have a tendency to jot down the lyrics utilizing phrases that I’m drawn to, or phrases I wish to sing due to how they sound. With English, I discover that very straightforward. In “Clouds,” I wished to make use of a whole lot of phrases, like writing in a diary. You can match in additional phrases with English than with Japanese, so since I wished to pack the lyrics in, English was the way in which to go. Also, I believe writing a music like this connects to my very own roots and actually expresses elements of myself. The music’s lyrics embrace “Tokyo” and “scramble crossing,” so though the music is in English, I believe I’ve put in parts which can be a true-to-life depiction of my life in Japan. 

“Sunshade” has 4 traces that begin with “Ne,” (a Japanese expression that’s just like a softer model of “Hey”). I discovered that use of repetition in Japanese to be notably efficient. 

YU-KA: In the previous, a whole lot of my songs combined English and Japanese, however these days I’ve been feeling that simply utilizing Japanese alone sounds cool. The “Ne” a part of “Sunshade” would have been simpler to jot down if the lyrics have been in English, however I centered on writing in Japanese, and, I believe, that’s why I used to be in a position to give you these lyrics. I’m notably keen on that a part of the music. Deciding what Japanese to make use of when working with a smaller variety of notes is an fascinating course of. It’s like writing a waka or tanka (Japanese poems). I loved determining specific myself inside these limitations. I believe that, by way of this course of, I’ve change into in a position to specific issues that I couldn’t specific earlier than, after I was mixing Japanese and English lyrics. 

You wrote the lyrics for each “Tsuraikurai” and “Sunshade,” and Toru from ONE OK ROCK wrote the music, proper? I perceive that you just’ve written with Toru a number of instances prior to now, too. What have been some takeaways out of your newest collaboration? 

YU-KA: When I used to be making my main label debut (“lullaby,” produced by Toru), I used to be simply working like loopy. I didn’t know which finish was up. But working with Toru, I all the time have a wealth of experiences. For instance, I’ll go in pondering I haven’t modified however it’ll open my eyes to how a lot I’ve modified, or I’ll go in pondering I’ve gotten used to one thing, and I’ll discover myself butting up towards a wall. 

How did the writing course of go? 

YU-KA: “Sunshade” is a tie-up music for a TV collection. The means of writing a tie-up music entails creating one thing that goes past your personal talents alone, so I really feel prefer it brings so much out of you. I wished to make the lyrics somewhat cryptic, however then I assumed that they wanted to convey the place I used to be, what I used to be doing, what I wished to do. So the lyrics turned an increasing number of concrete as I labored on the music. That means of rewriting was additionally a whole lot of enjoyable. 

You’ve travelled backwards and forwards between Japan and different international locations. You grew up within the US and Switzerland, and also you travelled to Sweden when making the album. What elements of Japan, and of different international locations, do you want in relation to environments for creating music? 

YU-KA: When I used to be in Sweden, I used to be working actually quick, making one or two songs a day. It constructed up my explosive energy — my means to take off working. In Japan, however, I really feel like I spend much more working with every music, fighting enhance it and consistently making refinements. When I co-wrote with non-Japanese individuals, I used to be frightened that I’d be overwhelmed and simply let myself get swept away, throwing in the towel, however really the other was true — the core elements of me which can be constants, and the elements that make me who I’m, would stay. I write music earlier than I speak to the individuals I’ll be working with, so the melody traces and the interactions I’ve whereas we’re engaged on the music are like a self-introduction for me. The approach that I wanted to immediately introduce myself by way of my music was an actual eye-opener and helped me develop. 

You’ve carried out on the SXSW for 2 years working, and also you’re an energetic musician abroad. What sort of musical actions do you wish to do in Japan and in different international locations? 

YU-KA: As an artist, the way in which I’m in Japan and the way in which I’m abroad are like mirror photographs. When I’m in Japan, the truth that I lived abroad, and the way in which that have impacts my music, are like part of my persona. Overseas, the truth that I’m Japanese and hearken to J-pop units me aside. I believe that going backwards and forwards between these two environments makes my very own musical sensibilities extra clearly outlined. 

Going backwards and forwards between Japan and different international locations, I typically ask myself what it means to be true to myself, however I believe who I actually am is what comes out of me after I simply act naturally. That’s why after I’m abroad, I consider myself as a Japanese artist as I make and carry out my music. I wish to attain a place that I’m uniquely suited to and to create works that basically convey what I intend, to each Japanese and abroad audiences.

—This interview by Reina Murakami first appeared on Billboard Japan