Kenshi Yonezu is a Japanese multi-talented singer-songwriter & producer who, similarly to several of his peers, began his career in the mid-2000s via the Japanese video-sharing website, Nico Nico Douga, under the pseudonym Hachi as a Vocaloid producer. The soloist was particularly known for his chaotic compositions featuring the vocal emulation software of Hatsune Miku. Which happens to be, by far, the most popular Vocaloid software to date and continues to see success through the wider media with concerts, associated mobile games, and wider merchandise centred around the virtual idol. Kenshi Yonezu began his life in Tokushima, Japan, and grew up in a low socio-economic background. The singer-songwriter spent much of his youth feeling that he didn’t belong, and it was only later in life, during his early 20s, that he was diagnosed with autism. It was through this that he came to an understanding of why he had struggled so much with building relationships throughout his childhood. In an interview, the Japanese singer stated that he was never able to “properly converse with people” and that the way that he saw his classmates “wasn’t even like ‘foreigners’, but as ‘animals‘” instead. Through these anecdotes, we can see that he displayed signs of his neurodivergence throughout his teenage years, many years before his diagnosis. Lost Corner is the soloist’s 6th LP and his first album release since 2020’s Stray Sheep. This album is, at its core, a monster, and with a total run-time of a whopping 70+ minutes, we’re definitely in for an earful! Throughout the album, the soloist displays his personality through previously released hit tracks such as 2022’s ‘Kick Back‘, his Hayao Miyazaki collaboration, ‘Spinning Globe’ or more recent releases like ‘Mainichi‘. We’re also introduced to several new singles throughout the album, such as ‘Garakuta (Junk)‘, ‘Ohayo‘ & more. Now with all this said, let’s jump into the album review!
‘Red Out’
‘Red Out‘ is our first track on ‘Lost Corner‘ and was officially released as a single a few weeks prior to the release of the album on the 8th of August. The track is an intense and bass-heavy track whose atmosphere perfectly utilises Yonezu‘s grainy vocals to add to the mood of the single. The track, which was recently selected as the theme song for Spotify Japan‘s latest CM, has scathing lyrics to complement the deranged nature of the music video. The soloist once again delivers with this song. However, I felt that ‘Red Out‘ didn’t quite compare to the masterful genius that can be seen through later tracks within the album, such as ‘Kickback‘, ‘Mainichi‘ & ‘Shinigami‘ and received a lower score as a result.
7.5/10
‘Kickback’
Following ‘Red Out‘ is ‘Kickback‘.A rock-influenced track that is probably one of, if not the most famous track from ‘Lost Corner‘. The track served as the OP to one of the most talked-about anime series of 2022, Chainsaw Man, and was also the first Japanese-language single to receive gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The song, which samples Morning Musume’s ‘Souda! We’re ALIVE’ was officially released in 2022 alongside the aforementioned anime series. ‘Kickback‘ is written through the point of view of Chainsaw Man‘s protagonist, Denji. A down-on-his-luck Yakuza-associated devil hunter who is later reborn as the hero, ‘Chainsaw Man‘. Through the lyrics, we can see just how ill-fated Denji‘s current life really is: “Laundromat’s empty, must be my lucky day // It’s about time, I said bye-bye to this crud “. This line gives a sense of normalcy to Denji — by doing something mundane — while also highlighting the difficulties as the ‘crud’ that he’s had to face throughout his short life, which has left everlasting stains on his psyche. This, combined with Yonezu’s purposefully grainy vocals, provides the perfect backdrop for a disillusioned character such as Denji to be reborn into the hero that ‘Chainsaw Man‘ later becomes. Overall, it’s a fantastic release and is probably the highlight of ‘Lost Corner‘ for me.
10/10
‘Margherita’ (ft. AiNA THE END)
‘Margherita‘ displays itself as the first b-side to not receive a pre-release from ‘LOST CORNER‘ so far. With ‘Margherita‘ Yonezu has chosen to collaborate with the former BiSH member AiNA THE END, the only former BiSH member to remain under the WACK label following the group’s disbandment in 2023. The track opens with what would seem to be lo-fi type beats throughout the intro only to transition into a combination of UK garage-type & EDM beats once AiNA THE END is introduced a little over one minute into the track. The song’s title, ‘Margherita‘ and theme revolves around the theme of ‘Margherita‘ Pizza — as opposed to the similarly sounding alcohol — where he displays his love for the delicacy, while also using the food-based theme to paint an allegory towards the tension — be it sexual, romantic, etc. — between a couple. Overall, it’s a fantastic release and one of Yonezu‘s first great collaborations after a while.
10/10
‘Pop Song’
Kenshi Yonezu‘s ‘Pop Song‘ was another track released prior to the announcement of ‘Lost Corner‘. The song, which came out all the way back in January 2022 as a collaboration with PlayStation Japan is a Romani-influenced pop song that has a golden age cinema/broadway feel to it. When Yonezu — who was an avid gamer throughout his childhood — was first approached by Playstation Japan for the collaboration he reportedly jumped at the chance. Through the lyrics, the soloist portrays the ideology of living in the moment and recontextualizing the negative word ‘nonsense’ into a word with a much more positive meaning. Yonezu explains: “Danshi Tatekawa said that ‘life is killing time until you die’; I feel there’s a seed of salvation in those words. If people living stiff-shouldered start to think ‘life is just a series of time-wasters ’til you die anyhow,’ they can start to loosen up. In that way, I think it’s a good word too.” In this way ‘Pop Song‘ plays into all of its eccentricities showcased throughout the song and its accompanying music video in order to bring a slice of fun to ‘Lost Corner‘!
8/10
‘Shinigami’
‘Shinigami‘ which was initially released on the soloist’s ‘Pale Blue‘ single album in 2021 has been repackaged as the 5th track on ‘Lost Corner‘. The presentation of ‘Shinigami‘ takes inspiration from Rakugo (comic storytelling). Which is a Japanese form of verbal entertainment. In this format, a single storyteller sits in the center of an empty stage, a Koza, and uses props such as a paper fan and small pieces of cloth to aid in their storytelling. The one aspect that where this method may differ from other traditional storytelling methods is that the rakugo artist is forbidden from standing throughout the entirety of the presentation. Yonezu’s ‘Shinigami‘ takes inspiration from one of the most renowned rakugo stories to ever exist: ‘Shinigami‘ — or ‘Death God‘ — Penned by the Edō period author & rakugoka San’yūtei Enchō, ‘Shinigami‘ tells the tale of a lazy man who must quickly make money or commit suicide. However, the man accidentally summons a Shinigami who becomes bound to the man. Thus finding a way to make money and barter for his freedom through the help of the death god. Yonezu‘s interpretation of ‘Shinigami‘ pays homage to this story. The lyrics have multiple points of view from both the rakugo storyteller: “What a load of crap, when will this end? // Feel like I’m dying inside, aimless, aimless, aimless // Too bad, got nothing to do on my own // “Ajarakamokuren tekerettsu no paa”” as well as the
‘Shinigami‘ bound to the storyteller: “Alright, what needs to be taken care of? // Like to get a glimpse of him after he’s been put through hell // Want to see his face // After he’s gone off flying, slippеd, cried and bawled // He can’t gеt away from us anyway”. Another interesting aspect of the track is that the singer uses different tones in order to distinguish the two points of view to showcase the utter masterpiece that is ‘Shinigami‘.
10/10
‘Mainichi (Everyday)’
‘Mainichi‘ — or ‘Everyday‘ — was released in 2023 as a CM song for the Coca-Cola Japan ‘Georgia’ coffee beverage. This came two months following the soloist’s last release, ‘Sayonara Mata Itsuka‘. ‘Mainichi‘ plays to the singers’ vocal abilities, while also displaying a bright and experimental tone throughout the single. He displays a happy-go-lucky delivery, while also remaining critical of society. Taking aim at the current culture of stagnation that we often see throughout modern society. All of this, combined with the genius delivery of the stunning direction of its accompanying one-shot music video makes for another fantastic release from Kenshi Yonezu that is probably one of my favorite of his recent releases from ‘Lost Corner‘.
9/10
‘LADY’
Kenshi Yonezu released ‘LADY‘ in early 2023 as another CM collaboration song with Coca-Cola Japan. This release is, at its core a love song and one of the first releases that we see the singer-songwriter’s unobscured face within its accompanying music video. Perhaps showing that, following his years in the spotlight, he now has the confidence to attach a face to his voice. He would continue to display this in later tracks as well, such as ‘Mainichi‘ & ‘Sayonara, Mata Itsuka‘. As for the song itself, ‘LADY‘ is a bright and upbeat love song that has an almost unique presentation as it feels, at times, like the singer is dictating a story rather than singing. As for the music video, Yonezu has once again collaborated with the director behind ‘Lemon‘ to create a hit that tells the storyline of Yonezu‘s ideal love story. Overall, it’s a track that will have you smiling from ear to ear throughout its entirety.
7/10
Yumetsutsu (Daydream)
words ‘Yumetsutsu‘ — or ‘Daydream‘ — is a coffee house semi-ballad pop song filled with easy listening vibes throughout the track. The lyrics of the track portray Yonezu‘s daydreams while wandering throughout the backstreets with one person on his mind: “I’ve been searching forever for the followup to a dream // In weaving back alleys alongside the entire town // Carrying an advertisement, a paper airplane takes flight // How far will it fly, I wonder?” This track, in particular, could be one of the most unique singles from LOST CORNER. It does not match up with the soloists’ previous ballad material, nor does it align with the more upbeat pop releases on the album either. Thus making it an anomaly with its mystical instrumental composition that is only further enhanced once the vocals are layered on to perfectly fit onto ‘Yumetsutsu’.
6.5/10
‘Sayonara, Mata Itsuka!’
Kenshi Yonezu‘s ‘Sayonara, Mata Itsuka‘, was released in April as the theme song for the NHK drama series, ‘Tora ni Tsubasa’. A WWI-era drama that tells the story of Inotsume Torako and her journey to become a judge within the male-dominated legal profession. When penning the lyrics for ‘Sayonara, Mata Itsuka‘ Kenshi Yonezu reportedly took inspiration from the concept of feminism in order to do the story of ‘Tora ni Tsubasa‘ justice. This release, like last year’s ‘LADY’ & ‘Shinigami’ is an upbeat and jazzy single that encapsulates the auteur’s approach to both singing and songwriting perfectly. Its accompanying music video only further heightens this through its unique structure and composition. One of my favorite techniques used within the video has to be the technique of rewinding the footage as a storytelling method. Overall, ‘Sayonara, Mata Isuka‘ is a great track that is both empowering and thought-provoking through its overall message.
7.5/10
‘Tomaremiyo (Stop, Look Both Ways)’
Our next LOST CORNER b-side is ‘Tomaremiyo‘ — or ‘Stop, Look Both Ways’ — which is an eccentric song that makes full use of Yonezu‘s unique enunciation to bring yet another stunning b-side to LOST CORNER. In ‘Tomaremiyo’ Yonezu brings forth the concept of ‘Look Both Ways‘ by telling us to ‘keep going forward’ regardless of whether we know what’s waiting for us at the end of the road:“I just wanted to see it so I traveled forward // ‘Keep going, keep going, keep going’, where to… No one knows what’s ahead after this.” With this track, the soloist grounds the song around a sound effect of a train signal in order to bring the concept of ‘Look Both Ways’ to the forefront. In addition to this effect, the artist also employs the use of electric guitars and the use of several sporadic percussion instruments to ground and base the song around in addition to its already fascinating concept.
7/10
‘Lens Flare’
Next, we have what is probably one of my favorite b-sides from this release. ‘LENS FLARE‘ is a bizarre-sounding experimental release that brings us back to the artist’s days under his Vocaloid-producing pseudonym with similarities to past hits such as ‘Donut Hole‘ — which the soloist just recently remastered & re-released — as well as ‘DUNE‘. With this release, the soloist gives us a self-reflection where he discusses the burn-out associated with the idea of being a celebrity. Where we watch artists, such as Yonezu himself, singing, and dancing under the ‘LENS FLARE‘ for the gratification of others. He later expresses his desire to just disappear from the spotlight despite his desire to be loved.
9.5/10
‘Tsuki wo Miteita (Moongazing)’
‘Tsuki wo Miteita‘ — or ‘Moongazing‘ — was released in July 2023 as the ending song to the 2023 JRPG, Final Fantasy XVI from the Final Fantasy franchise series. Yonezu reportedly penned the lyrics to ‘Tsuki wo Miteita‘ in the point-of-view of Clive, our main character. When seeking out an artist to perform the ending theme of the video game, FFXVI producer, Yoshi-P stated that the developers were seeking someone who had a significant influence on the younger generation of Japan who may not have ever played a Final Fantasy game before which is why the team picked Yonezu for the honor. Yonezu, who has found immense success with hits like ‘Lemon‘, ‘Kick Back‘ & ‘Peace Sign‘ was able to both bring in the eyes of the younger audience, while also displaying his passion for a series that he has enjoyed since elementary school. Now moving on to the song and ‘Tsuki wo Miteita‘ is a stunning release that Yonezu wrote with the idea of allowing listeners to become immersed in the storyline of the JRPG. The track is filled with several haunting chord progressions that, when paired with the singer’s stunning vocals, allows players to put themselves into the shoes of the tragic tale of FFXVI‘s Clive.
8/10
‘M87’
‘M87‘ was released two years ago in early 2022 as the theme song for the 2022 live-action hit Ultraman series film, ‘Shin Ultraman‘. The song — which was released as a single album with ‘POP SONG‘ & ‘ETA‘ — is a track with several hidden meanings such as surpassing difficult situations and placing trust in yourself and others in order to fulfill your destiny as a hero. Additionally, ‘M87‘ utilizes several different instrumental compositions such as its use of the string quartet accompanied by sci-fi sounding synths to keep with the fantasy-based theme of the film.
7/10
‘Pale Blue’
Kenshi Yonezu‘s ‘Pale Blue‘ was released in mid-2021 following its debut on the Japanese TV dorama, Rikokatsu — or How to Get a Divorce for the Whole Family! — as a 90-second snippet release for the show as one of its theme songs. The song, which was created for and inspired by the TBS network drama centers around the topic of marriage and divorce. We see the soloist open the song with a passionate proclamation of love: “Always, always, always // Have been in love with you… You were more important than anything” only to accept the end of a relationship that he wishes to continue pursuing following the song’s conclusion: “We can’t even be friends anymore… This boring movie is finally over”. Through ‘Pale Blue‘, the soloist aptly portrays the breakdown of a relationship which is perfectly complimented by the singer’s emotional vocal presentation.
8/10
‘Garakuta (Junk)’
‘Junk‘ — or ‘Garakuta‘ — is a self-affirmation towards anyone struggling with depression or poor mental health. It tells us the story of a pair of lovers who struggle with mental illness and how they struggle to cope with such a debilitating illness while making sure to never dismiss or stigmatize such a serious issue. Throughout this track, Yonezu reaffirms that, despite how it may feel at times, you are never truly alone when it comes to mental health struggles: “Even if you remained forever broken never to come back // I wouldn’t mind as long as you live alongside me“. As for the composition, this track is an emotional release that combines Yonezu‘s more modern rock sound with his indie-rock roots of the past in order to create the stunning and emotional masterpiece that is ‘Junk‘.
7/10
‘Yellow Ghost’
With the release of Lost Corner, Kenshi Yonezu declared that he would return to his roots with this album. Basing the concept around the idea of just sitting in a room by himself and making the music he loves. One song that I feel really nails down that concept is ‘Yellow Ghost‘. The track is an experimental upbeat track that sounds like it could’ve come straight out of his 2014 album, Yankee. It’s a track that’s music and lyrics deliver the polar opposite of each other. The lyrics are filled with nostalgia while its composition is anything but depressing and calls back to the artist’s earlier years with its upbeat synths and drum beats.
9.5/10
‘Post Human’
‘Post Human’ is a sentimental slower-paced track. The song itself, however, is a dreary tale of an android living in an abandoned world without social interaction — let alone seeing a sign of another living lifeform — while searching for its maker. Through the lyrics, we see the subject of the song wish for a simpler life doing trivial things such as child rearing or picking flowers together. One particular element I liked within ‘Post Human’ was how Yonezu implemented distortion effects in order to both enhance the feel of the overall song, as well as give his voice an artificial feel about it, which perfectly fits the track’s artificial intelligence concept.
8/10
‘Chikyugi (Spinning Globe)’
‘Spinning Globe‘ was pre-released on the 26th of July, 2023 as the theme song for Hayao Miyazaki‘s semi-autobiographical film, The Boy and the Heron. Which would also mark the director’s first film since his 3rd retirement in 2013. Miyazaki invited Yonezu to compose the song for the film several years prior to its initial release. The Studio Ghibli-associated director personally sought out the singer after the former came across Yonezu‘s 2020 Tokyo Olympics tie-in song, ‘Paprika‘, a catchy and upbeat single that was especially popular with children throughout the country. Of Miyazaki, Yonezu stated that: “It is also a way for me to give back what I have received from Miyazaki-san all my life. Thank you for continuing to make movies over the years, and please keep on making more in the years to come.” As for the song itself, ‘Spinning Globe’ explores the themes of self-discovery and finding comfort in companionship through Yonezu‘s poetic verses and stunning vocals. While it also explores the themes of loss established throughout the film following the main character Mahito‘s loss of his mother following the outbreak of WWII. The chamber-pop composition — similarly to Miyazaki‘s previous work with Joe Hisaishi — was constructed around the use of a chamber orchestra alongside Yonezu, who provided the piano instrumental for the song. Overall, ‘Spinning Globe‘ is an emotional rollercoaster that pulls at your feelings in all the best ways and alongside ‘Kickback‘ & ‘Mainichi‘ cements itself as one of my favourite tracks on ‘Lost Corner‘.
10/10
‘Lost Corner’
The second last song of the album, whose title — ‘LOST CORNER’ — this album takes its name from, is an upbeat track about letting go of your worries and running forward. The song’s lyrics, “The Norfolk sky, the guitar I bought on a whim and lost // Is it being played by someone now? That was its place, right?” references a situation where the songwriter lost his guitar during a trip from Norfolk, England, to Paris, France. While being interviewed following the release of LOST CORNER, Yonezu divulged that the guitar, which he had bought on a whim while in Norfolk, had become lost during his flight to Paris. But rather than feeling depressed over his missing guitar, he chose to let it go by thinking, “Someone might be playing that guitar somewhere.” Overall, it’s a great track with a positive message that anyone, regardless of their outlook on life, can relate to.
7/10
‘Ohayo’
The outro song, ‘Ohayo’, is a haunting and nostalgic track that sets the tone right from the first note. The song, while having barely any vocalisation through the track — with the vocals that are present heavily distorted to the point of barely being recognisable — calls back to his roots as the Vocaloid producer, hachi, with its stunning composition and vocal distortion. Making ‘Ohayo’ the perfect song to send off LOST CORNER.
9/10
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Have you had a chance to check out Kenshi Yonezu’s latest album yet? What songs did you like the most? Make sure to let us know in the comments below!
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Artistic Creativity: 9/10
Vocal Quality: 8.5/10
Music: 8.2/10
8.5/10
