Tetsuya Kakihara goes all out for a mature, intense and emotional set of songs in his 7th single “Give It To Me”.
Review
Title: Give It To Me
Release date: 29/05/2024
Label: Kiramune
Genre: Funk/EDM/Pop-rock
Tracklist:
1 - Give It To Me
2 - It's time to…
3 - アクト
Track by track analysis:
1 – Give It To Me
Tetsuya Kakihara arrives with “Give It To Me” song that fully embraces a funky, bouncy sound that is instantly an attention-grabber.
The intro brings disco’s trademark brass with the trumpets and trombones joining in to add a layer of fun and create a glitter-filled soundscape for you to lose yourself in.
Funky guitar riffs, a punchy bassline – a massive treat for me – and downtempo bassy drums create a fancy, stylish vibe that instantly made me groove along to it.
The chorus is everything and more I wanted from this song, especially given how playful and full of life the verses are.
Synths team up with the punchy bassline and what you get is a song ready for the dancefloor. You have to listen to it to understand just how good this chorus is. Addictive from start to finish.
The second verse brings to this spotlight dreamy synths and a rhodes piano, adding a loungy, smoky jazz club vibe to an already cool soundscape.
When it comes to the vocals, Kakihara brings his signature breathy singing style but packs a lot of power and energy to this performance.
At the same time, he raps in the first part of the verses, sings in the second part, and then, when the chorus kicks in, he shows why he’s been one of the most exciting singers among male seiyuu, bringing his falsetto and performing in a nu-soul style.
“Give It To Me” is a ridiculously confident and charismatic start to this single. An instant hit in this single.
2 – It’s time to…
“It’s time to…” changes things around 180. An alarm blasts in the background as a motorcycle revs into the distance.
Leaving the scene is Kakihara in that motorcycle as the downtempo dance tune slowly creates a nighttime, cinematic soundscape.
Atmospheric synths and a progressive piano melody create an airy soundscape devoid of anyone but him. The instrumental is hard-hitting yet incredibly slow, putting all your focus on Kakihara’s powerful vocals.
The build-up to the chorus creates a lot of tension as the clap track and bass drum pick up the pace. One thing that will stand out is how that tension is never truly dispelled completely in the chorus – and for a good reason (the chorus itself is full of tension).
When that chorus kicks in the brass joins in alongside the deep, reverbing bassline and Kakihara blasts the full chorus in English…
The song shifts completely its focus as soon as the intermission arrives and Kakihara goes from singing to rapping!
And let me tell you, Kakki goes really off in that part! (and even drops some Shakespeare in the lyrics and everything). Expect a lot of English in this song as 80% of the lyrics are in it.
On top of it all, Kakihara not only sings and raps but also goes off in his falsetto, making “It time to…” a must listen in this single.
3 – アクト (Act)
And this single wraps up with “Act“. Now, this song arrives to change things around a little, straying away both from the funky stylings of the title track and the downtempo, slightly alluring vibe in “It’s time to…”.
In “Act”, listeners find a sweet pop-rock tune driven forward by strings. This song kicks off in an explosion of color, with strings, drums, bass and electric guitars teaming up to create a sweet sound.
The verses have an interesting duality as the first part is rather quiet but as you get closer to the chorus, drums, bass, electric and acoustic guitars join in, adding warmth to this song.
When the chorus kicks in, you will find yourself with a smile on your face. And by the second time the chorus arrives, you’ll be singing along to it.
The tone in this song is gentle and caring, something that happens from time to time in Kakihara’s releases and always ends up being interesting in how it fits with the other tracks.
One thing I absolutely love about this song – despite the piano and strings being prominent in the composition – is the guitar solo which is powerful and pleasing. It perfectly dispels all the tension and prepares the listener for the last chorus, a big smile plastered on their face.
Final considerations
It is safe to say that Tetsuya Kakihara is really comfortable and charismatic in his mature style (been a thing in the last couple of CDs). With this maturity – and his constant improvements on the vocal end – Kakihara continues to be one of the most exciting singers among male seiyuu.
While he may go unnoticed by many – still something I don’t understand – his singing skills have been off the charts in the past couple of years and his music has been consistently good.
“Give It To Me” – the single – is another good, inspired entry in his repertoire. It is filled with life and perfectly captures Kakihara’s vibe as a solo artist while further solidifying him as one of the most interesting and unique talents at Kiramune.
As it is common, each song will cater to different tastes. The title track is more mature than ever in tone, bringing the fun of funk, disco, and jazz to the spotlight. “It’s time to…” is dark, intense, and dance-driven whereas “Act” is a sweet pop-rock tune.
And the interesting thing here is that these songs all fit insanely well together. The shifts between them are never drastic, which is something I appreciate when it comes to the mixing.
Bringing Tomohiro Nakatsuchi – best known for his work among seiyuu and 2D group fans for his work with TRIGGER – in “Give It To Me” was the best choice ever. This song is pure funky goodness.
Stylish, mature, and plenty of fun – while actively avoiding being cheesy. It’s hard to have this kind of balance, especially when it comes to seiyuu music.
Well, Kakki has found it and oh boy, it sounds addictive and loungy at all times and when that chorus kicked in… it was pure bliss for me. I found myself jamming to this song in no time.
At the same time, I’m completely in on this mature, stylish artist vibe Kakki now has. It fits him and his vibe – even as a voice actor, not only as a singer.
It’s ridiculously charming and he sounds and performs in the most charismatic way at the moment (I believe, much due to this shift in vibe).
“It’s time to…” is the song I didn’t know I needed for Kakihara. It’s worth noting that dance music is not a novel thing in his repertoire but it’s been a while since he created something this powerful. I love how downtempo and impactful it is, putting the focus on Kakihara’s vocals.
And speaking of vocals…Now, let me geek a bit because I love how Tetsuya Kakihara is quickly and seamlessly shifting from Japanese to English lyrics – and this will never cease to impress me.
The song is, pretty much, 80% performed in English and his pronunciation is close to perfect at all times.
I’ve said this before but he’s one of the cleanest singers in English among male seiyuu and it is still a point that makes me really geeky about Kakihara’s music and performances.
“It’s time to…” really arrives with so much power and those English lyrics only make it hit harder as Kakki raps along to the downtempo, hard-hitting instrumental.
How Kakihara hasn’t been called for a rap/hip-hop project is something I can’t understand. His flow and energy in the rapping parts of this song is jaw-dropping. He goes off and drops the mic in the best way possible. That’s too much confidence and charisma in one performance to handle.
And “Act” brings back a sweet pop-rock sound that has been a staple in his repertoire. With each year that passes, I feel like Kakihara gets better and better at performing these types of songs. “Act” arrives to neatly wrap up a single overflowing with emotion and with a genuinely powerful and confident delivery.
“Give It To Me” is his best work so far, a flawless single with songs worthy of making it into the “Best of” playlists for the year.
“Give It To Me” is available for purchase at CDJAPAN.
“Give It To Me” is available for streaming on Spotify.
Remember to support your favorite seiyuu artists by streaming their music – if you can’t purchase it.
