Yuma Uchida’s “Heartache” is a rock-solid single filled with a ton of addictive tunes and with so much energy that makes it a must-listen, especially if you want to have a big smile on your face.
Title: Heartache
Release date: 02/04/2025
Label: KING AMUSEMENT CREATIVE
Genre: R&B pop/Rock/Dance pop
Tracklist:
1 - ハートエイク
2 - アトリエ
3 - Chemi-story
4 - ハートエイク（off vocal ver.)
5 - アトリエ（off vocal ver.）
6 - Chemi-story（off vocal ver.）
Track by track analysis:
1 – Heartache
Muffled vocals introduce us to an amazing, groovy pop tune with acid-jazz influences.
The bassline is insane for this song, going deep while adding an addictive bounce to this song that will instantly make you dance along to this track – or, at least, bounce a bit like me.
I love the main melody to this song – you can hear it clearly in the intermission between the first chorus and the second verse. It is fancy, mature, and plenty of fun, mixing playful guitar riffs, bassy drums, and that punchy bassline that will have you grooving to this song in no time.
This song reminds me a lot of the good old 00s J-rock scene sound. It has a certain playfulness and cheeky vibe to its instrumental while ensuring that the pop lyrics and playful rock sound blend with jazz elements – the piano melodies and even some melodies within the song. On top of this, and this is more of a “Yuma Uchida touch”, the song brings some synths into the mix, but they are minimal and well blended into the overall sound, creating a — once again — really fun sound that you won’t get enough of.
When it comes to the vocals, Yuma Uchida has an interesting mix of things going on here. For starters, he’s performing in his comfortable mid-tones but within those – and even without belting anything (no need here) — he’s singing in a high tempo and never missing a beat, at the same time he’s bringing his trademark airy falsetto as well as a bit of a rougher edge in the bridge with his vocals bringing less of a pop vibe and venturing more to rock territory.
“Heartache” kicks off with a groove that is impossible to shake off.
2 – Atelier
The song is followed by “Atelier”, track that brings to the spotlight a powerful EDM sound with trap elements taking over the intro. The synths are deep and dark, the brass stabs – a staple of trap music – are there to add drama, while the bassline goes intense in the background, contrasting with Yuma Uchida’s vocals.
The pre-chorus gives strong K-pop vibes, with the brief rap parts leading up to the chorus. This builds up the excitement for the chorus and oh boy…
Let’s talk about the falsetto in the chorus? Because this is a massive highlight in this song. I feel the contrast with the heavier, deeper sound in the verses makes this song have a pleasing feel, as if there is a perfect balance to it. In this section, dynamics open and string-like synths create a wider and brighter soundscape in comparison to the tight feel in the verses.
Now, everyone, where things get crazier is on the bridge. Oh boy, this is dance break territory if there ever was one. I can’t imagine how insane it may look live, knowing how Yuma is a powerful, energetic type of dancer with sharp lines.
While this is far from being my favorite song within this single, it’s undeniably a really fun and unpredictable song that had me guessing what would happen next, and just because of that, I feel this song is well worth checking out (and will become a fan favorite for sure).
3 – Chemi-story
And wrapping up this single is “Chemi-Story”, a song that was featured as the theme song for Yuma Uchida’s VS live shows in 2024.
The song starts with chanted vocals and big, live drums, giving the vibe that you’re in an arena singing along to the song.
However, what awaits you is an addictive blend of R&B and rock music.
In a way, I feel this song perfectly encapsulates Yuma Uchida’s essence as a solo artist. The two parts – his R&B sound, which has been a staple, blending with rock, which has been a genre in which he impresses and sounds incredibly comfortable performing — blend seamlessly. And on the vocal end, you also have a blend of styles – the soft, gentle R&B singing style, energetic rapping, and then the powerful rock singing style in the chorus.
Yes, the verses in this song are chill, sometimes even downright alluring (the bridge section heightens that feel), but the chorus goes off to a rock sound that will make you excited and want to sing along. In a way, I feel that this song, especially when it goes to the rock sound, sounds like something that would be featured as an anime theme song back in the late 90s, early 00s.
This is a fun track, wrapping up this single with a ton of energy.
Final considerations
Yuma Uchida’s “Heartache” is quite the fun, energetic entry, and I was not expecting this from the title or from the cover. This is one of those cases in which everything was misleading in the most pleasing way – I love to be surprised in every single CD I listen to, and here we are, Yuma Uchida did manage to pull that off.
By far the best song, in my opinion, is “Heartache”. I love how it is nothing like what Uchida has done in the past (yes, you could say a similar sound was present in “Idea”). The bassline is insane in this song, and I didn’t need more than a couple of seconds into the song to know that I was going to enjoy this song (even without knowing exactly how the vocals or lyrics would go).
“Atelier” quenches that thirst for EDM-meets-trap music, bringing a deep and intense sound with a strong performance on the vocal end. I can imagine this song being so much fun in a live context.
“Chemi-story” caught me by surprise by blending elements of Yuma Uchida’s identity as a solo artist. It’s good to see how those were interwoven into the composition and even brought forth by his vocals when the time arrived for him to shine behind the mic.
The anime-style chorus was a bit underwhelming in my opinion, as I was expecting that big, stadium rock vibe from the intro to materialize in that section, but alas, that was not the direction.
All in all, “Heartache” is a rock-solid single that showcases the unique sides of Yuma Uchida’s solo career. Filled with a ton of addictive tunes and with so much energy — that will pump you up in the blink of an eye — it’s a must-listen both for fans as well as those wanting to have a big smile on their face.
“Heartache” is available for purchase at CDJAPAN.
