Mariya Takeuchi and Erika Ikuta appear together in a music video for the first time! Mariya Takeuchi releases music video for her new song "Uta wo Okuriou"

■ Erika Ikuta’s appearance was made possible by an offer from Mariya Takeuchi’s side

The music video for Mariya Takeuchi’s new song “Uta wo Okuriou” (released August 28th), who will celebrate her 45th debut anniversary in November 2023, has been released.

“Uta wo Okurerou” is the theme song for the currently airing ABC TV/TV Asahi drama “Subarashiki Kaya, Sensei!”. The drama depicts the growth of a novice high school teacher played by Erika Ikuta, and has become one of the most talked-about works this summer. This is Ikuta’s first lead role in a terrestrial TV drama series.

“Let’s Give a Song” was written specifically for the drama, and is a medium tempo ballad song. It is a heartwarming song with a warm message for people who live today despite their worries and pain, just like the main character played by Erika Ikuta. It is also worth noting that Erika Ikuta participates as a chorus member in the second half of the song.

Ikuta also appeared in the music video for “Uta wo Okuriou.” Takeuchi offered Ikuta the role, and the two appeared together for the first time.

In the music video, Ikuta plays a woman who has just started a new life in the city.

The most important thing about his new life in the city was being able to put his precious piano away. He had just moved and his belongings hadn’t been tidied up yet, but he was sorting them out little by little whenever he had the time. There were some scratches here and there in the room, but being able to live with his precious piano was enough for him.

Ikuta plays the piano. Mariya Takeuchi can be seen singing in the studio through the smartphone screen. In the second half of the song, the dream and the real world intersect, and Ikuta and Takeuchi perform together for the first time! The beautiful harmony of the two has resulted in a fantastical and special music video.

The video was directed by Wataru Takeishi, a video creator who has worked on music videos for many artists. This is his first collaboration with Mariya Takeuchi in 10 years since the music video for “Shizukana Densetsu.”

The single “Songs to Give” comes with a remastered version of the hit Asahi Draft Beer CM song “Genki wo Dashite,” as well as the first recorded version of JD Souther’s “The Last In Love” and a cover of the Eagles’ “New Kid In Town.” In addition, the original karaoke versions of “Songs to Give” and “Genki wo Dashite” are included, making this a luxurious release with a total of six songs. This is a limited edition, so we recommend that you make your reservation early.

Mariya Takeuchi is scheduled to release her first original album in 10 years, “Precious Days,” on October 16th. Be sure to check that out too.

■ Comment from Wataru Takeishi (MV director of “Let’s Give a Song”)
In this music video, we depicted how Mariya’s singing voice gently soothes and supports Ikuta’s loneliness and fatigue that she feels in her daily life. Through the harshness of reality and the events of everyday life, we gently express the loneliness that lurks in her heart and the warm memories of the past. By adding a dreamlike scene of them performing together at the end, we emphasized how important Mariya’s presence is to Ikuta and how comforting it brings to her heart. The intention is to convey the healing power of music in a soft and visual way.