“Mayonaka no Love” is an elegant debut single with a mature sound, an 80s aesthetic, and a fancy performance by Kent Ito that will make you want more.
Title: 真夜中のラブ Release date: 21/09/2022 Label: A-Sketch/Astro Voice Genre: Citypop
Tracklist:
1 - 真夜中のラブ
Track analysis:
1 – Mayonaka no Love
Funky guitar riffs light up the stage for “Mayonaka no Love”. It doesn’t take long for you to notice that the soundscape in front of you is that of the 80s. Neon lights, good times, simpler, punchier bass-driven music.
For those paying close attention to the rhythm and key of the song, the punchy bassline first joins the track off tempo and off key before clashing with the instrumental and thus harmonizing with it. After that it is pure bliss.
The verses are dreamy with the rhodes piano complementing Kent Ito’s vocals in the best way you can imagine. This results in a soft, gentle performance that is full of passion, grabbing your attention right from the start.
The chorus is catchy as hell. As soon as that bassline starts grooving to the rest of the instrumental, you know you are in for a treat. Funky guitar riffs join in, the piano adds a dash of gentleness to the track. And Kent Ito’s vocals are addictive. By the time the 2nd chorus kicks in, you’ll be singing along to this track.
The intermission – between the first chorus and 2nd verse – is unreal. For those fans of a good bassline, this part is pure bliss. Bouncy, the slap bass adds an addictive groove that will make you dance almost immediately.
The bridge is also unreal. A contrabass and piano battle each other in such a tasteful way, having the warmth of the bass contrasting with the fickle nature of the bright piano melodies.
In the outro, vinyl scratches and 80s poly synths neatly wrap up this trip down memory lane.
Let’s talk about the vocal progression in the chorus. It is a delight to listen to those punchy vocals, heavily punctuated to match the bassline. Then, Kent Ito does an absolute masterclass by delivering his smooth mid-tones with a subtle raspy twist, hits, and bits of falsetto and vibrato.
Kent Ito is a ridiculously talented singer and songwriter and finally has gotten the chance to showcase what he is all about without being tied to “2D music project A” or “anime B”.
It is time to unleash the awesome artist he is and from what “Mayonaka no Love” has delivered, I can safely say that I’m looking forward to more. Much more from Kent Ito.
Kent Ito’s “Mayonaka no Love” is an elegant debut single with a mature sound, a tasteful 80s aesthetic, and a fancy performance on top that will make you want more. If you have yet to listen to this song, stop for 3 minutes and surrender yourself to the feel-good vibes behind Kent Ito’s music.
“Mayonaka no Love” is available on Spotify.
Do not support piracy. Remember to support Kent Ito by streaming via official outlets.
THIS IS SO REAL VANESSA YOU HAVE THE BEST TASTE EVER
Ah ha! Thanks for the compliment! Also, a big thank you for reading the review