Voice actress Himena Naota, who made her debut as an artist with the digital single “Lavender Blue” on April 17th, her birthday, will perform “Hina Suguta 1st LIVE – Sings -” on May 4th (Saturday). ” at SUPERNOVA KAWASAKI. We will report on the two daytime performances (daytime and evening performances).
The only song they have released is their debut song “Lavender Blue.” Most of the other songs are new songs, with only a few songs being released at pre-listening events and streaming. Although it was largely unknown what kind of musical direction her solo career would take, many fans gathered at the venue, which was packed to capacity.
Moreover, the first live performance was performed by a live band. Naota is also active as a guitarist in Content, and has been playing the acoustic guitar since high school, so his guitar skills are solid. Next to the vocal microphone was a white Telecaster that he had bought for his career as an artist. The backing band is Reajubone (Makoto Asai/Gt, Hibiki Nishikawa/Bass, and Hisashi Shibata/Dr), and the members are responsible for all of Naota’s compositions and arrangements. In other words, this live show will be a live performance with the recording members.
Around 3:00 p.m., when the show started, the members of Reajuborn took their positions, and the delay sound of the guitar overlapped with the sound of the bass drum. As the prelude resounds, Naota appears on stage and performs her debut song “Lavender Blue.” Since it was the first stage of their 1st live performance, there may have been a bit of tension, but the vocals gradually became more emotional and the songs became much more relaxed. I also felt a strong desire to have fun with the audience, such as the clap during the B melody and the wiper during the chorus.
“This is the only song that has been released in the world, but it was the first time we performed it with the band sound! Everyone’s movements were perfect! However, the next songs will be performed for the first time, so I hope everyone will enjoy the music in their own way. “Masu,” and the song begins with an intense drum solo, “Respiral no Hana Bouquet,” a catchy chorus and cute vocals that echo through the song. Her vocals easily carried the rhythm and melody that seemed difficult to grasp. It felt like I was witnessing the high level of performance.
He then asked, “Are you ready to sing out loud!?” and enthusiastically sang the heavy rock tune “Monday Night.” This time, she delivers powerful vocals that won’t be drowned out by the speedy and hard sound. Even though the fans were hearing the song for the first time, they were excited and shouted “Oi! Oi!” as if it didn’t matter.
“The title of this live show is “-Sings-” and it means that I will focus on my singing.In the various contents, there were many opportunities to dance and play the guitar. So, I don’t think people have ever listened to Naota’s songs like this before, so what do you think?”, and the fans responded with loud applause and cheers.
He then said, “Next time, I’m going to sing while playing the electric guitar,” and performed “My Truth” on vocals and guitar. This song, like her debut song, was written by Mayumi Kaneko. A slightly dark worldview and emotional performance. Naota also strums his guitar during the chorus and sings as if pouring out his overflowing emotions. When she overwhelms with her expressiveness, the audience can’t help but exclaim, “That’s so cool!”
“Next up is another really exciting song. Hey everyone! Hey! Are you ready? It’s rock ‘n’ roll that looks great on a Telecaster!” he sang “DAYDREAM BEAT”. A loud “Hey! Hey!” voice rings out from the intro, followed by a big beat, and the chorus opens up all at once, giving a refreshing feeling. Naota himself said that singing makes him positive, and the straight-through vocals make the listeners positive as well.
He announced that the second half of the live show would be filled with songs that he hadn’t performed anywhere yet and that he was hearing for the first time. “N-O”, which starts with a bass intro, is a mixture rock song with dialogue-like rap, lines, and phrases that are shouted in time with the beat. Even though the sound is a strong mixture, the tricky way that the vocals are closer to the voice actor is quite innovative. Naota’s vocal ability was amazing as he was able to express this song live without any failures, and after performing live again and again, everyone was saying “NO! ” It seemed like a scene of him screaming came to mind.
At this point, they put down the electric guitar and once again performed “Bakadana” with lyrics written by Mayumi Kaneko. While the earlier song “My Truth” seemed to express muddy feelings inside, this song is a refreshing pop tune. The phrase “I didn’t fall in love with you just to make you fall in love with me” was also memorable, and I felt a sense of sadness. “Mr. Kaneko wrote the lyrics, and the songs are sprinkled with phrases that I have heard before.When you put these three songs side by side, you can tell a story, so when the lyrics are released, you can imagine them by looking at them. I hope you can do that,” he said.
“ASTRO ESCAPE”, which started with clap, is a UK rock song that uses impressive riffs. Although it had a 90’s sound, there was a modern feel to the way they sang, and there was a good chemical reaction. They sing in high spirits, and at the end, they show off by making hearts with their fingers. The last part of the story is a pop song with a catchy melody that makes you feel nostalgic, “Sukidatta”. They sang the sad feelings in the lyrics with rich expression while adding nuance, and ended the concert with a smile on their faces.
The first encore song was “Glamorous Sky” (NANA starring MIKA NAKASHIMA), which she had covered on her own YouTube channel. There was no synchronization for this song, and the performance consisted of only the sounds and vocals produced by the three members on stage, but the four members’ breathing was perfect and you could tell they were having fun performing live (* The night performance will be a cover of “Tabako”/Koresawa). She then sang “Lavender Blue” one last time, ending her first one-man live. It was a live show that once again made us realize the full potential of Himena Naota, an artist who can dye any song into her own color and perform with an outstanding sense of stability.
On Sunday, May 12th, “Hina Suguta 1st LIVE – Sings – After Party Screening Talk Event” will be held at Tokyo Theater Wing. During the night performance, it was also announced that her second single “My Truth” will be digitally released on July 24th. Please look forward to future developments, including the audio version of the songs performed that day.
■2nd single information
Himena Naota 2nd Single “My Truth”
2024.07.24 Digital Release
COKM-45166
“My Truth”
Lyrics: Mayumi Kaneko Composer: Hibiki Nishikawa Arrangement: Reajuborn
■Event information
Hina Suguta 1st LIVE – Sings – After Party Screening Talk Event
Date and time: 2024/05/12 (Sun)
<1st time> Doors open 12:30 / Show starts 13:00 <2nd time> Doors open 16:00 / Show starts 16:30
Location: Tokyo Theater Wing (ASTY B1F, 1-22-16 Wakaba, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo)
Contents: 1st LIVE digest screening & episode talk
Starring: Himena Naota
*A B2 poster of “Lavender Blue” will be presented as a bonus for visitors.
▼Please check the artist homepage for details.
https://columbia.jp/sugutahina/live.html#talk
■Official HP https://columbia.jp/sugutahina/
■Twitterhttps://twitter.com/hina_suguta
■Staff Twitterhttps://twitter.com/staff_hina
■Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/hinahinyan_official/
■Staff Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/staff_hina/
