REVIEW · Songs & Albums
YOASOBI’s “Gunjō,” the time after admitting what you love
Karaoke song numbers
Finding something you love can sound like the end of a story. YOASOBI’s “Gunjō” draws attention to the time after that discovery. Knowing where desire points does not automatically bring faith in your ability. Only after recognizing what you want can the distance between yourself and others become painfully visible. That uncomfortable beginning remains within the song’s brightness.
The inspiration of Tsubasa Yamaguchi’s manga Blue Period makes this feeling more specific. In a story approaching art and self-expression, colour is more than an attractive metaphor for personality. It is material for someone who must look, choose, and make something with their hands. Considering the ultramarine of the title brings the large idea of a dream closer to a person facing actual work.
Between seeing and being able to draw
Feeling something vividly differs from making it visible to another person. Someone admitting what they love for the first time may arrive directly at that gap. Finding a shortfall does not prove the feeling false. Having something to express can make the parts that remain out of reach more apparent.
One pleasure of hearing “Gunjō” as a song about making things is leaving that gap open before turning it into a heroic growth story. Choosing a colour does not complete the work. A choice may disappoint; an attempt may need to begin again. The experience a listener brings need not be a magnificent accomplishment. It could be the first difficulty encountered after acknowledging a genuine interest.
A chorus in a song about finding your voice
Written by Ayase and sung by ikura, the song also brings in voices from Plusonica. A story about finding an individual expression makes space for a group singing together. Describing a personal choice does not require every sound to belong to one person. The cast of voices suggests that making yourself heard need not erase the presence of other people.
The chorus supplies no answer to the difficulty. What to make and what to call important remain personal decisions. Yet placing other voices around a single one can help distinguish choosing a path yourself from having to endure it alone. Someone may be unable to do the work for you and still be able to witness the choice. Encouragement can acquire force at that modest distance.
Leaving another attempt, rather than a completed self
The song began where an Alfort Mini Chocolate campaign met Blue Period. An impression of blue encountered in a brief film becomes a longer span across the complete song. Recognizing a feeling, trying to express it, and meeting another shortfall remain visible behind the finished image. Loving something is a reason to start and a condition that makes the subsequent difficulty matter.
Confidence need not be complete when the track ends. If an unsatisfactory drawing or an unwritten sentence becomes something to approach once more, the song has encountered a present task. The colour of “Gunjō” sits close to the person choosing another attempt, rather than serving as a badge for a perfected identity. After the many voices have passed, that individual pair of hands remains at work.
Music and production information
YOASOBI: Gunjo release information ↗ · YOASOBI: Gunjo official music video ↗
