There is no other band that can share their music with everyone just through lyrics.
I became obsessed with Southern All Stars the year after I bought "SOUTHERN ALL STARS" in my second year of junior high school. It was after my tutor, who was a fan of Southern All Stars and Yuming, made me a cassette tape of his favorite songs.
After that, I listened to those three albums over and over again in the early '90s, along with "Inamura Jane" and "Yo ni Manyo no Hana ga Sakunari." In my twenties, I was obsessed with UK and US indie music, but when I first started living alone, I would often gather with my middle school friends in my apartment, bring the records I'd recently bought, and listen to each other's music while drinking and chatting until the morning.
One day, around 3am after we'd done that for a while, we decided to play "10 Numbers Dry" as background music. When the third song, "Sister on Lachien Street," came on, it somehow touched me deeply, and we both came to the conclusion that "In the end, Southern All Stars are the best!"
From that moment on, I realized that Southern All Stars are a part of my blood, that we came from here, and that we will continue to run alongside them. I still remember that day. That friend is helping me with the background illustrations for my latest work, "Satin de Southern." We are still connected through Southern All Stars.
"Rachien Dori" is definitely my favorite Southern song, but their latest album was also really good. "Sakura, Hirari," released on New Year's Day, is a masterpiece that stands alongside their previous hits and really moved me. The lyrics really touch my heart, and I always find myself in tears when I hear the line, "I want someone to convey the words to the future in a meaningful way."
After that, I got hooked on Western music as I listened to the radio and learned about Southern All Stars' roots, and I particularly liked "Gomen ne Kaasan," "Shikushi Saikyo Saikyou Monster," and "Kanashimi wa Boogie no Kanata ni," which really showed Kuwata's "Western music loving mode."
When I listened to "Sing, Japan's Sky" again on the album, my impression changed to how much more stylish the song was than when I heard it as a digital single, and in the end, I started to like all of the songs as I listened to them.
"The Scariest Thing in History" has folktale-like lyrics set to a Western-style tune, and I was happy to see specific words like "Ukraine" and "Mr. Hawking" included in it. I thought that the reason I started using proper nouns in manga was because of manga artist Kyoko Okazaki and Fujiko Fujio A's "Manga Michi," but after listening to "Dream Space Travel," I realized that Southern All Stars was definitely a big influence.
"My lucky charm is signed by Iggy Pop" sounds so cool! I've always loved how Kuwata's lyrics are stoic and don't take on too much weight, and I admire that laid-back, "chic Japanese" image, which is similar to Ueki Hitoshi's.
In manga, you can't hear the music. But with Southern All Stars, just by writing the lyrics, they can make the same music ring in the heads of many people. I think that's an incredibly amazing thing.
Hit Me Lyric
The lucky charm is signed by Iggy Pop
From "Dream Space Travel"
My Favorite Southern
The Sisters of Latien Street (1979)
"This is definitely my favorite song, as it encapsulates the bittersweet memories of my twenties. When I listen to it late at night, the opening line, 'If you call, we'll meet right away...' really gets to me."
Sha La La (1980)
"I was listening to it around the New Year's holiday, and the positive, optimistic lyrics, which have the nuance of welcoming the new year while gently embracing our weaknesses and weaknesses, really resonated with me."
Bye Bye My Love (U are the one) (1985)
"When I was a virgin in junior high school, I was like, 'Drunken nude
And now I'm being held by someone." I imagine the sadness of that situation and it makes me feel sad. It's a song I like so much."
