Yorushika (ヨルシカ) is a Japanese rock duo founded in 2017 represented by Universal Music Japan. The group is composed of N-buna, a vocaloid music producer, and Suis, a female vocalist. They are known for their juxtaposition of "passionate" and "upbeat" production and instrumentation fused with heavier lyrical content, which often explore ideas such as love and human emotion and draw from works of literature including Masuji Ibuse and Jules Verne.[1][2] The name "Yorushika" is taken from a lyric in their song "The Clouds and the Ghost"; "yoru shika mō nemurezu ni" (夜しかもう眠れずに, meaning "I can't sleep at night").[3] The eye-designed logo mark is a motif of two moons facing each other and also serves as a clock hand, portraying the time "from 6:00 to night".[4]
Yorushika | |
|---|---|
 Yorushika's logo | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Japan |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Labels | |
| Members |
|
| Website | yorushika |
The duo is extremely secretive, never publicly revealing their faces. N-buna stated that he doesn't want the creator to take precedence over the work.[5]
History
editPrior to the formation of Yorushika, N-buna already had a sizeable following on Niconico, a Japanese video hosting website, first releasing vocaloid music on the platform in 2012. His 2013 song "Tōmei Elegy" (透明エレジー) reached first on the platform's daily vocaloid ranking.[6] Additionally, he has produced two albums through U&R records, a subsidiary of Niconico's owner Dwango.[7][8]
According to an interview with Natalie, N-buna and Suis met through a common acquaintance; Suis was a longtime fan of N-buna's vocaloid work. Suis first appeared as a guest vocalist during N-buna's two solo concerts in Tokyo.[3][9] N-buna reached out to Suis to form Yorushika as part of N-buna's effort to find a "more human" voice to use in his music, as opposed to vocaloid.[1] Since then, the two have released three extended plays and three full albums, all of which charted on both the Oricon Albums Chart and the Billboard Japan Hot 100 Albums Chart. Yorushika's popularity grew explosively, with critics noting that the lyrics seemed to strike a chord with younger audiences.[1] Additionally, the song "Just a Sunny Day for You" (ただ君に晴れ, Tada Kimi ni Hare) also became popular in video app TikTok.[10]
As of May 2023, their faces and detailed profiles have not been disclosed,[11] as they want their audiences to listen to their music without "preconceptions". They have hosted live performances before, but the etiquette of concerts in Japan is a strict no-image policy until told otherwise.[12] In their live performances, such as this one on their official YouTube channel, they often use backlighting on stage to obscure their faces, further maintaining their anonymity.[13]
In 2020, they provided the theme song "Ghost in a Flower" (花に亡霊, Hana ni Bōrei), the insert song "Night Journey" (夜行, Yakō), and the ending song "Liar" (嘘月, Uso Tsuki, lit. 'Lying Moon'), for the animated film A Whisker Away.[14][15]
In 2021, Suis provided the ending theme "Shōnen Jidai (Ano Natsu no Ruka Ver.)" (少年時代（あの夏のルカVer.）) to the Japanese version of the Disney film Luca.[16]
In 2022, they provided the theme song "Left-Right Confusion" (左右盲, Sayūmō) for the movie Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight and The Fruits of the Earth (チノカテ, Chinokate) for the Japanese TV drama "Renovation like Magic" (魔法のリノベ, Mahō no Rinobe).[17]
In 2023, they provided the song "Setting Sun" (斜陽, Shayō), the opening theme song for the first season of the anime series The Dangers in My Heart, and the song "Telepath" (テレパス, Terepasu), the opening theme song for the anime series Kaina of the Great Snow Sea.
In 2024, Yorushika provided the song "Sunny" (晴る, Haru),[18] the second opening theme song for the anime series Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Yorushika also participated in a tribute album for the band Creep_Hyp, where they covered the song "Yū, Sansan" (憂、燦々),[19] They also provided the song "aporia" (アポリア),[20] as the ending theme song for the anime series Orb: On the Movements of the Earth which started airing on October 5, 2024. Additionally, it was announced that they will provide the theme song titled "Taiyou" (太陽).[21] for the movie titled Seitai (正体), directed by Michihito Fujii.
Members
edit- n-buna (pronounced nabuna) – music, lyrics, guitar, arrangement
- suis (pronounced su-i) – vocals
Supporting members
edit- Mitsuyasu Shimozuru – guitar [22]
- Tatsuya Kitani – bass [22]
- Masack – drums [22]
- Tetsuya Hirahata – piano [22]
Discography
editAlbums
edit| Title | Album Details | Chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPN[23] | JPN Hot Album |
TWN East Asia Album | ||
| That's Why I Gave Up on Music (だから僕は音楽を辞めた, Dakara Boku wa Ongaku wo Yameta)[a] |
|
5 | 5[24] | — |
| Elma (エルマ, Eruma) |
|
3 | 2[25] | — |
| Plagiarism (盗作, Tōsaku) |
|
2 | 1[26] | 3[27] |
| Magic Lantern (幻燈, Gentō) |
|
— | 5[28] | — |
Extended plays
edit| Title | EP details | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oricon Weekly Albums Chart[23] |
Billboard Japan Hot 100 | ||
| The Summer Grass Is Getting in My Way (夏草が邪魔をする, Natsukusa ga Jama wo Suru) |
|
32 | 35[29] |
| A Loser Doesn't Need an Encore (負け犬にアンコールはいらない, Makeinu ni Ankoru wa Iranai) |
|
5 | 6[30] |
| Creation (創作, Sōsaku) |
|
4 | 4 |
Singles
edit| Year | Single |
|---|---|
| 2019 | A Hole Opened Up in My Heart (心に穴が空いた, Kokoro ni Ana ga Aita) |
| 2020 | Night Journey (夜行, Yakō) |
| 2020 | Ghost in a Flower (花に亡霊, Hana ni Bōrei) |
| 2020 | Eat the Wind (風を食む, Kaze wo Hamu) |
| 2021 | Spring Thief (春泥棒, Haru Dorobō) |
| 2021 | Matasaburō (又三郎) |
| 2021 | The Old Man and the Sea (老人と海, Rōjin to Umi) |
| 2021 | Howl at the Moon (月に吠える, Tsuki ni Hoeru) |
| 2022 | Bremen (ブレーメン, Buremen) |
| 2022 | Left-Right Confusion (左右盲, Sayūmō) |
| 2022 | Chinokate (チノカテ) |
| 2023 | Telepath (テレパス, Terepasu) |
| 2023 | Algernon (アルジャーノン) |
| 2023 | 451 |
| 2023 | Setting Sun (斜陽, Shayō) |
| 2023 | Moonbath (月光浴, Gekkōyoku) |
| 2024 | Sunny (晴る, Haru) |
| 2024 | Rubato (ルバート) |
| 2024 | Forget It (忘れてください, Wasurete Kudasai) |
| 2024 | Yū, Sansan (憂、燦々) |
| 2024 | Aporia (アポリア) |
| 2024[*] | Taiyou (太陽) |
^ The song has not yet been released
Accolades
edit| Year | Ceremony | Award | Nominated Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 34th Japan Gold Disc Award[32] | Best 5 New Artists | Won | |
| 2020 MTV Europe Music Awards | Best Japanese Act | Nominated | ||
| 2021 | 13th CD Shop Awards[33] | Finalist Award | Plagiarism (盗作, Tōsaku) | Won |
| Space Shower Music Awards[34] | Best Pop Artist | Nominated |
Art books
edit| Year | Art books |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Magic Lantern (幻燈, Gentō) |
Videography
editMusic videos
edit| Title | Year | Director |
|---|---|---|
| Fireworks Beneath My Shoes (靴の花火, Kutsu no Hanabi) | 2017 | Second Origami |
| Say It. (言って。, Itte.) | Ootori | |
| Semi-Transparent Boy (準透明少年, Jun Tōmei Shōnen) | 2018 | Minakata Laboratory |
| Hitchcock (ヒッチコック, Hitchikokku) | Ootori | |
| Just a Sunny Day for You (ただ君に晴れ, Tada Kimi ni Hare) | Popurika | |
| The Clouds and the Ghost (雲と幽霊, Kumo to Yūrei) | ||
| Deep Indigo (藍二乗, Ai Nijō) | ||
| Parade (パレード, Paredo) | 2019 | Ootori |
| That's Why I Gave Up on Music (だから僕は音楽を辞めた, Dakara Boku wa Ongaku wo Yameta) | Popurika and Magotsuki | |
| A Hole Opened Up in My Heart (心に穴が空いた, Kokoro ni Ana ga Aita) | Kawasaki Kenji | |
| Rain with Cappuccino (雨とカプチーノ, Ame to Kapuchīno) | Popurika | |
| Nautilus (ノーチラス, Nochirasu) | Kohta Morie | |
| Night Journey (夜行, Yakō) | 2020 | Hiroshi Kamebuchi |
| Ghost in a Flower (花に亡霊, Hana ni Bōrei) | Popurika | |
| Prostitution (春ひさぎ, Haru Hisagi) | Takuya Katsumi | |
| Thoughtcrime (思想犯, Shisōhan) | Rabbit MACHINE | |
| Plagiarism (盗作, Tōsaku) | Tetsuya Nagato | |
| Eat the Wind (風を食む, Kaze wo Hamu) | Kyotaro Hayashi | |
| Spring Thief (春泥棒, Haru Dorobō) | 2021 | Kohta Morie |
| Matasaburō (又三郎) | Takuya Katsumi | |
| Howl at the Moon (月に吠える, Tsuki ni Hoeru) | Ryu Kato | |
| Bremen (ブレーメン, Buremen) | 2022 | Rabbit MACHINE |
| Left-Right Confusion (左右盲, Sayūmō) | Kohta Morie | |
| The Fruits of the Earth (チノカテ, Chinokate) | Ryo Ichikawa | |
| Telepath (テレパス, Terepasu) | 2023 | Rabbit MACHINE |
| Algernon (アルジャーノン, Arujanon) | Takuro Oishi | |
| Miyakōchi (都落ち) | Atsuyo Kanamori | |
| Setting Sun (斜陽, Shayō) | Yutaro Kubo | |
| The First Night (第一夜) | Ryu Kato | |
| Moonbath (月光浴, Gekkōyoku) | Yutaro Kubo | |
| Sunny (晴る, Haru) | 2024 | Kohta Morie |
| Forget it (忘れてください, Wasurete Kudasai) | MimicryMeta | |
| Aporia (アポリア) | Ryu Kato |
Live videos
edit| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2021 | Yorushika Live 「Zensei」 (ヨルシカ Live 「前世」) |
| 2022 | Yorushika Live 「Gekkō」 (ヨルシカ Live 「月光」) |
| 2024 | Yorushika Live 「Tsuki to Neko no Dansu」 (ヨルシカ Live 「月と猫のダンス」) |
The Tsuki to Neko no Dansu live performance has been made available for free on YouTube.[35]
Notes
edit- ^ The literal translation for That's Why I Gave Up on Music (だから僕は音楽を辞めた, Dakara Boku wa Ongaku wo Yameta) is "That's Why I Gave up on Music" but the official published English is "Moonlight".
References
edit- ^ a b c 天野史彬 (August 28, 2019). "ヨルシカインタビュー 自分を滅却し、芸術に人生を捧げた2人の決断". Cinra.net (in Japanese). Retrieved November 7, 2019.
- ^ St. Michel, Patrick (April 12, 2019). "Yorushika offers a subversive meditation on artistic passion on "That's Why I Gave Up On Music"". OTAQUEST. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
- ^ a b 風間大洋. "ヨルシカ". Natalie (in Japanese). Retrieved November 7, 2019.
- ^ 風間大洋 Kazama Taiyo (2017-06-28). "ヨルシカ「夏草が邪魔をする」インタビュー｜気鋭ボカロP・n-bunaが新たに挑む"バンド"という表現手段 - 音楽ナタリー 特集・インタビュー". natalie.mu (in Japanese). Natasha Inc.'s Music Natalie Editorial Department. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
「雲と幽霊」の2番に「夜しかもう眠れずに」っていう歌詞があるんですけど、以前から「夜しか眠れない」っていう言葉が頭の中にあって、だからこの曲にもこういう歌詞を付けたんです。そのフレーズが好きで、語感もすごくよかったしそこから取りました。
- ^ 風間大洋 Kazama Taiyo (2018-05-09). "ヨルシカ「負け犬にアンコールはいらない」インタビュー". Natalie (in Japanese). Retrieved September 19, 2024.
- ^ "人気若手ボカロP、ナブナが初のフル アルバムをリリース". okmusic (in Japanese). May 12, 2015. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
- ^ "人気若手ボカロP"ナブナ"、初の全国流通盤となる新作アルバムの発売決定！". UtaTen (in Japanese). May 13, 2015. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
- ^ "「ウミユリ海底譚」で知られるn-buna、童話をモチーフにしたフルアルバム発表". Natalie (in Japanese). April 26, 2016. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
- ^ "n-bunaがバンド編成で初ライブ「1人だと思ってたけど支えられてた」". Natalie (in Japanese). August 17, 2016. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
- ^ "TikTokで使用されている人気の楽曲の原曲はこちら！(邦楽編)". Tower Records Japan (in Japanese). November 20, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
- ^ "Faceless Japanese Artist". Vogue. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
- ^ "ヨルシカの顔出しはライブ待ち。ちなみにサポートメンバーは超人気バンドの元ドラマー！ | レコメンロック". www.rockband-recommended.tokyo (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-02-09.
- ^ "ヨルシカ - LIVE「斜陽". 2024-09-13. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
- ^ "A Whisker Away Anime Film's Video Reveals Yorushika Ending Song". Anime News Network. June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
- ^ "J-Pop Duo Yorushika's 'Usotsuki' Featured in Netflix's New Animated 'A Whisker Away': Watch Video". Billboard. 17 June 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
- ^ "Yoshika suis reveals the reason why he doesn't show up. 'The joy of living that I felt by breathing into the work". Richhippos. 2021-06-28. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
- ^ "ドラマ『魔法のリノベ』主題歌「チノカテ」、8月29日デジタルリリース決定！". ヨルシカ (in Japanese). 2022-08-22. Retrieved 2022-09-29.
- ^ "ヨルシカ「晴る」CM SPOT（A type）". YouTube. 5 January 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
- ^ "Yu, Sansan". Youtube. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- ^ "アニメ『チ。 ―地球の運動について―』本PV". Youtube. 5 September 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- ^ "新曲「太陽」が映画「正体」の主題歌に決定". ヨルシカ (in Japanese). 2024-09-24. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
- ^ a b c d "ヨルシカ Biography". yorushika (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-04-26.
サポートメンバー：下鶴光康（Guitar）、キタニタツヤ（Bass）、Masack（Drums）、平畑徹也（Piano)
- ^ a b "ヨルシカ". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved November 7, 2019.
- ^ "Hot Albums 2019/04/22 付け". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved November 6, 2019.
- ^ "Hot Albums 2019/09/09 付け". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved November 6, 2019.
- ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums | Charts". Billboard JAPAN (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-08-07.
- ^ "Taiwan G-music Chart". g-music. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
- ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums | Charts". Billboard JAPAN (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-05-02.
- ^ "Hot Albums 2017/07/10 付け". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved November 6, 2019.
- ^ "Hot Albums 2018/05/21 付け". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved November 6, 2019.
- ^ "【12/9追記】ヨルシカEP『創作』2021年1月27日発売決定". ヨルシカ (in Japanese). 2020-12-09. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
- ^ "The 34th Japan Gold Disc Award". golddisc.jp. Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
- ^ "The 13th CD Shop Awards 2021 Announces Its Nominees for 2020". 8 January 2021.
- ^ "Space Shower MVA nominees".
- ^ "ヨルシカ LIVE「月と猫のダンス」Blu-ray & DVDの発売が決定、Youtubeへの全編公開も。（9/12更新）". yorushika.com (in Japanese). September 12, 2024. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
External links
edit- Official website
- Yorushika at Oricon (in Japanese)