Butaji - Thoughts of You(GREY) - Japan CD

"ThoughtsofYou" It’s music that comes to life when you think of someone. Her previous album, RIGHTTIME, released in 2021, won the Grand Prize at the “APPLEVINEGAR-MusicAward-2022”—an award established by Masafumi Gotō of ASIANKUNG-FUGENERATION—and was highly praised for its artistic merit. He co-wrote “Presence,” the theme song for the Kansai TV/Fuji TV series “Towa Daidai and Her Three Ex-Husbands,” as well as “SummerRide” by timelesz in collaboration with STUTS. Furthermore, as part of the Mirage Collective with STUTS and YONCE (Suchmos, Hedigan’s) as part of Mirage Collective to produce “Mirage,” the theme song for the Kansai TV and Fuji TV series “Elpis.” Through his exceptional songwriting, butaji has crafted memorable melodies and lyrics that have resonated with audiences across the nation. Now, butaji has completed her first full-length album since 2021, Thoughts of You. The music of an era when the great jazz pianist and singer Nat King Cole graced the world of popular music. butaji has long been captivated by the rich arrangements that gently draw you in while evoking the very breath of life. He wanted to leave behind a work for the present day that embodies those very sounds in his own songwriting. Furthermore, in today’s world where everything is visualized at breakneck speed, butaji wanted to deliver music that can be savored slowly. With these sentiments as the starting point, the production of this album began. As a result, a vast number of musicians came together for this album, each carefully shaping butaji’s music through their own performances. Centered around live band performances, the album blends a modern band sound—infused with a longing for that era—with layered string arrangements, resulting in a singer-songwriter album that radiates warmth. Evoking the texture of ’60s pop and singer-songwriter works, while also drawing on butaji’s unique melodies and lyrics—shaped by a love for ’90s J-POP—this album offers those of us living in 2026 a moment to breathe and a gentle pause to reflect. It all began in 2021 with the NHK experimental short drama I Want to Hear Your Voice, which she created as part of the duo butasaku with musician Yusaku Arai. With just one character who cannot hear the other person’s voice—the piece consists solely of a 10-minute shot of someone talking on the phone—butaji created “Insilence,” the album’s opening track, by repeatedly sketching out ideas while asking, “What kind of music would I compose for this?” While honestly reflecting the spirit of the times—and acknowledging that not everything that emerges from that process is necessarily upbeat—this song, which sings of the feelings one has for someone else, serves as a guiding light for the entire album. Takuro Okada, who has earned high acclaim for his work with Satoko Shibata and Yuga, served as producer for this track and “LostSouls,” while contemporary musician Yuma Koda handled the string arrangements. Furthermore, Tadashi Machida handled the strings for the other four tracks, enriching the emotional depth of the songs. (1/2)