A unique singing style that should be inscribed as "KEISUKE KUWATA" in future sheet music.
Since I was four years old, influenced by my parents, I've been singing Southern All Stars songs at home. When I was in fifth grade, I asked my parents to buy me "Killer Street." I listened to it until the lyric sheet was worn out. I still look forward to their new songs. That young RIKU (lol) later became a singer and is now 31 years old. It's quite moving for me.
The long-awaited "THANK YOU SO MUCH" incorporates musical styles from various genres, with wordplay, satire, and sometimes sexy lyrics... Overall, it's rich in variety, and I felt it summed up Southern All Stars' musical style up to now.
There are many playful parts, making it a record that anyone can enjoy. However, after listening to the entire album, I had some thoughts about the last song, "Relay ~ Mori no Uta." While depicting the dark news of today and changes in the natural environment, I felt that the song also contained a message saying, "Wouldn't it be better if we did it this way?" It's a song with a heavy theme, but I think that's what Kuwata and Southern All Stars want to convey most right now.
I think they made the whole album pop and relaxed in order to convey those feelings to many people. Also, "Relay ~ Mori no Uta" doesn't just express sadness about modern society, but also seems to be an encouragement to the young people who will carry the future and the next generation. I think it's a very encouraging song for our generation.
I also felt Kuwata's feelings for the next generation in "Sing, Nippon no Sora." The lyrics recall his hometown and love from his youth. Kuwata's generation experienced not only Japan's glorious times, but also the difficult times we see today. Rather than simply recounting the past with nostalgia, I felt he was trying to convey the charm and power of Japan through memories of those happy times.
Kuwata has written many candid love songs, including "Utae Nippon no Sora," and Hara Yuko even sang the chorus. With that relationship in mind, I think Southern All Stars are the strongest rock and roll band in Japan (laughs).
And in terms of singing technique, one thing I really want to mention is the line "I don't want it to end as a dream, ay yay yah" from "Say Hello to Joan of Arc"! The singing style of dragging out the end of the word and connecting it to "Yai yay yah" is familiar from "BODY SPECIAL," but I've called it the "Southern style" ever since I was a child.
As I became a singer myself and studied singing techniques, I realized that only Kuwata sings in this way. It's a completely original singing style. From now on, when I sing in this style, I think it would be better to write "KEISUKE KUWATA" on the sheet music! (laughs)
Kuwata has created new melodies and lyrics in Japanese, but even now, with his career under his belt, I think his curiosity about music remains the same as it was when he was a teenager.
Hit Me Lyric
Holding the memories of the summer I spent playing with you, my beautiful hometown
From "Sing, Japanese Sky"
My Favorite Southern
Moon Light Lover (1996)
"This song was released when I was two years old, and before I knew it, I was singing it (laughs). I wanted to become a singer who could sing songs like this."
Endless Eternal Love (2005)
"I listened to this song in the car on the way to my grandparents' funeral when I was in sixth grade. It reminds me of the fun times I had with them. It's a heartwarming song that's always there for me."
I AM YOUR SINGER (2008)
"I was shocked because I was going on hiatus after this, but I took it as a message saying 'Wait for me until I come back,' so I listened to it all the time."
