So this week I thought I'd do an artist recommendation. I figured I've spammed you guys enough with anime-related articles for a while. Time for something new.
Daichi Miura's a 28-year-old Japanese singer. He used to be the lead singer of a group called Folder before getting into his solo career, which he's been doing for a little over a decade now.
I first learned about him through an anime (only anime reference in this article, I promise) called "Parasyte: The Maxim" (another one I recommend, just not to start off with since it can get pretty brutal). The ending song, "It's the Right Time," is one of his most recent singles released. I remember I was captivated by the song when I saw the first episode of the anime; it was so pretty, and the singer's voice was so beautiful. After watching a few more episodes, I had to look up the full version of this song, which I did and found the music video. I wasn't disappointed...just surprised. I wasn't expecting choreography for this song since it's a pretty mellow tempo, but lo and behold, there's choreography. Eventually, I looked up more of his songs, and so far I haven't heard anything that I don't like.
I'd recommend listening to him if you like R&B in general or are just looking for something different. A lot of his older songs, from what I've heard at least, sound a lot like typical American R&B music. It seems like he's branched out in more recent years, though; his newer songs all sound different either because of tempo, rhythm, or overall style. He's also a fantastic dancer, which makes his music videos even more enjoyable. Whether watching him perform live or in a music video, his choreography is always impressive and entertaining. But mostly, I recommend Daichi because of his voice...it's basically like honey: rich, full, and sweet.
If you're interested, I'd recommend listening to "It's the Right Time." This was the first song I heard by him, and it really is beautiful. The arrangement, lyrics, melody, Daichi's falsetto- they all work together really well with this song. It's kind of a slow song and overall peaceful.
I also recommend "Turn Off the Light." I've been hooked on this song for a couple of weeks now; it's addicting, and the choreography's pretty fun to watch, too. I also love the message of this song, which is basically that we can be our own light during the dark times in our lives and that we'll make it as long as we keep going.
"Music" is another one I really like and is also pretty different for his music style. This is more of an upbeat song at a medium tempo, which differs from his other songs. Being a music lover, I really appreciate this song, which is simply about the beauty of music. My favorite line is "Music make us one" since I believe that music is a powerful uniting force, transcending time, distance, and even cultures.
One live performance you should check out is of his song "4am." Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a translation for this, so I can't really describe the lyrics. Everything else, though, I can say is amazing. It's a slow song, and his voice sounds incredible in this (the best I've heard him sing so far actually), especially toward the end. The limited choreography and lighting of this song help to highlight the atmosphere, too. It's definitely worth your watch.
My favorite song by him is "Lullaby." This song is really calming, like a lullaby should be. He tells the listeners to go a head and rest as he sings them a lullaby. (I may or may not listen to this before I go to sleep, too.)
I just scratched the surface with some of his music here; there are so many more songs to choose from. He's an incredible artist, and I'm glad I found him. 10/10 recommend.
