Yuma Uchida‘s 3rd album “Y”, celebrates 5 years of solo career while showcasing completely different sides to himself.
Popular Seiyuu and solo artist Yuma Uchida, is back with a full-length album, 2 years after releasing “Equal” and 4 years after the stellar 1st album “HORIZON“.
“Y” is scheduled to be released on 29/11/2023 and available in 3 editions: Regular, CD + BD, and 5th-anniversary Limited Edition BOX.
The cover art is the following for each edition:
Title: Y Release date: 29/11/2023 Label: KING AMUSEMENT CREATIVE Genre: R&B pop/Rock/Funk-pop/Melodic Hardcore/Acoustic
Tracklist:
1 - I’m here 2 - Shot 3 - Joyful 4 - Congrats!! 5 - DangeR 6 - Hope 7 - iDea 8 - Salt & Sugar 9 - ものたんない 10 - 旅路 11 - Happy-go-Journey 12 - Good mood 13 - 1 LOVE 1
Track by track analysis:
1 – I’m here
Yuma Uchida kickstarts “Y” with “I’m here”, song with a dreamy sound rooted in minimalist synths – atmospheric and a bassy lead – but soon, it builds up until something else.
There is a sense of grandiosity going on about this song despite how subdued all elements in it end up being. The slow-paced beat, the fancy synth hits in the background that seem like light glittering on stage, the punchy yet deliberate bassline and the low guitar riffs all seem to create the perfect stage for Yuma Uchida to take over.
And taking over is exactly what he does as the song transitions from its minimalistic synths-driven verses to the emotional chorus. His voice seems to be screaming as he adds a lot of air to his delivery – not quite a falsetto but you can feel how ethereal it sounds like.
As a result, I couldn’t help but to feel that this song despite appearing quiet has a big heart and passion at its core that shines in Yuma Uchida’s powerful performance.
I especially love how breathy he can make his performance in specific parts of the chorus. Those paired up with his backing vocals are a nice touch.
On the bridge, there is something new happening. A moment of silence. A genuine moment of nothingness in this song that arrives unexpectedly but ends up being the perfect build-up in tension for the final chorus.
This is honestly a refreshing song by Yuma Uchida – both in tone as well as in performance – and I love it.
2 – Shot
[As previously reviewed] The 3rd entry in Yuma Uchida’s 5th anniversary digital single series is here and it arrives with a completely different tone and vibe from the previous ones.
“SHOT” opens with big synths with a retro feel. Despite its big entrance, the synths quickly take a spot in the background, giving the spotlight to Yuma Uchida’s clear vocals.
The bassline is massive in this song, serving as a contrast to the big synths playing in the background.
The chorus brings an upbeat, happy tone to this song, in which Yuma Uchida’s vocals crank up the energy and good vibes in it. This is easily the big hook in this song, making you want to sing along to it.
There are little details to this song – which was chosen as the official song for Japan’s ping-pong league – that nod at the sport. You have the sound of the balls hitting the table, the running shoes, with the rubber creaking with each movement change. Even down to the fast hits on the racket.
Everything about the beat in this song feels like the rhythm of the ball going from side to side of the table.
As far as a song created specifically for an event goes, it perfectly captures the excitement and pacing of the sport in question; however, if you compare it to everything released up until now in this digital series, “SHOT” is, easily, the weakest entry so far.
I feel like “1 LOVE 1 ” and “DangeR” did a far better job at showcasing Uchida’s versatility and quality as a singer and performer.
Still, even if “SHOT” has its shortcomings, this 5th anniversary digital single series is all about showing different sides to Uchida’s singing, his versatility, and the new possibilities.
And I am all in for it. Flaws and all.
So far it has kept surprising me with unique entries that consistently show how much of a technical and talented singer, Yuma Uchida is.
Yuma Uchida’s “SHOT” misses the mark to impress but it is nonetheless an entertaining song.
3 – Joyful
[As previously reviewed] Arriving with happy, relaxed vibes is Yuma Uchida with “Joyful“.
The song kicks off with laid-back guitar riffs, a jaunty piano melody, and washy synths, slowly and happily welcoming you to this tune.
In the 1st verse, the beat is hip-hop inspired, bringing to the spotlight the classic hi-hat triplets and a tight snare to the mix.
The build-up to the chorus may go unnoticed but it is rather smooth and perfectly puts together the verse and the chorus.
And when the chorus arrives, the bassline cranks up and takes the lead as the brass plays in the background.
This gives the song an amazing opportunity for call and response, something I believe will be quite amazing to energize a live performance, mobilizing the crowd to sing along.
The 2nd verse has a completely different vibe and from that point on expect Uchida to bring you small sections that shift in tone and instrumentalization.
When you notice, you’ve already experienced a couple of different music genres throughout the song and all made seamless transitions between each other, overall fitting with the fun and playful tone of this song.
First, things go quiet with the bass leading the way in a dark hip-hop style part, then it shifts for a full-on R&B part with a smoother instrumentalization led by the bassline as Uchida riffs his way through the song.
And then, you’re back, ready for another energetic chorus.
This is quite the sequence, making the 2nd verse colorful and unexpected, putting the listener on the edge of their seats anticipating what comes next.
When it comes to the performance itself, Yuma Uchida brought everything to the table.
There is clean singing, rapping, and R&B riffing, and he plays around with his range and control during the brief R&B section within this song.
Speaking of the latter, I would love it if you could pay close attention to when the R&B section kicks in (1:36 min) and notice what he does at the 1:46 mark.
What is insanely technical on the vocal end, Yuma Uchida makes it sound easy. Not to mention the way he is singing in that part is the perfect climax to this song, hyping you up to the brief bridge and the last chorus.
All in all, “Joyful” brings happiness to the spotlight alongside an energetic and fun performance by Yuma Uchida.
4 – Congrats!!
[As previously reviewed, adapted] “Congrats!!” welcomes listeners to a dreamy soundscape much in the same vibe as “NEW WORLD” however, think of this song as a mature twist to that very first song.
Energy levels are high in this track with the relentless bassy beat and fancy guitar riffs making sure the verses will hype you up.
There are a couple of interesting things going on in the verses. The first and second verses may share the same structure and have the same progression but their vibe and instrumental are rather different. In the first verse, the focus is put on a cool mix of rock and hip-hop with atmospheric synths.
In the 2nd verse, ska and EDM join in the instrumental, adding a unique twist. I was not expecting ska at all to be in this song – that is already pretty busy – but, somehow, it worked pretty well, melding into the song like it’s no big deal.
And Yuma Uchida shines on the vocal end. The biggest change is on the pitch and backing vocals in which, this time around, he is doing everything from rapping to clean singing.
Just like the “with friends” version, “Congrats!!” is a bundle of fun, an energizer that shows that upbeat songs don’t have to be cheesy to be fun.
5 – DangeR
[As previously reviewed] Yuma Uchida arrives with “DangeR” and let me tell you, what is awaiting you is a never-heard song by Uchida.
Distorted synths disrupt the soundscape as a booming bassline pounds in the background.
The intro is intense and rather “in your face” as the sound is really close to you, the listener.
The verses put the spotlight on Yuma Uchida’s tenor vocals as he blends clean singing for the very first part of the verse, smoothly transitioning to rapping in the latter part leading up to the dreamy pre-chorus.
The chorus is a thing of beauty. The bassline hits low, the snare is tight and powerful, the synths while disruptive, manage to be quite easy to the ears and the vocals by Yuma Uchida stand out with surprising ease in such a busy song.
“Desire” and “danger” are the two concepts at the core of this song, with the composition reflecting that sense of danger as Yuma Uchida goes all out to smoothly illustrate the concept of “desire”.
The bridge emphasizes those concepts, with a beautiful piano echoing in the wide soundscape – the only time it happens in this song -, creating the stage for Uchida to lower his voice tone, contrasting with it.
The last chorus brings out the power and intensity of the tight chorus that, by now, you are well familiar with (and perhaps quite addicted to by now).
“DangeR” is certainly a big departure from Yuma Uchida’s sound and concept yet it felt and sounded really good.
Uchida fits this mature, passionate, and “masculine” vibe like a glove. Desire, forbidden love, and danger seem to work well with Uchida as a performer. His tone in the clean singing parts is surprisingly seductive which is a big departure from his style but then again, it sounds so good.
His voice can do amazing things and his versatility enables him to shift from his clean, technical singing to rapping and you will not even notice the shift.
And the sound you get in this song is exciting, intense, and engaging at all times. While many things are going on in it, the mixing is well done to the point that you know a lot is going on but you can tell everything apart, not to mention the vocals are clean and powerful at the center, with everything else surrounding Uchida.
When “DangeR” wraps up, I am left wanting more from Yuma Uchida (as well as wishing that he revisits this concept in future releases).
6 – Hope
Yuma Uchida. Performing hardrock with a touch of melodic hardcore. Adding a hint of screamo.
Yes, this is not a drill.
Finally, Yuma Uchida showed his rock side in a way that I believe many of his fans were not expecting – certainly not those who only enjoy pop music.
This song will arrive as a shock to many but it instantly turned into my favorite song in this album. Hands down.
From desire in “DangeR” to “Hope”. Yuma Uchida brings a heavy emo-rock sound that is the very first time for him.
The intro is aggressive and goes really low on the guitar riffs and bassline, contrasting those with splashy drums.
The verses are led by a dirty bassline and low guitar riffs, contrasting with Yuma Uchida’s midtone yet powerful vocals.
And this is where things get even more interesting. Why, you ask?
Is that a hint of screamo going on in this performance? Although just a hint in “tell me why”, the “me” feels like it could be the start of something unbelievable. Instead of just screaming or delivering a flat rock performance like most pop artists usually do, Yuma Uchida is the true embodiment of a hard rocker in this song. The fair technique he brings to this performance is unlike anything he has shown before – solo artist career and 2D music work included. He is hinting at screamo, adding a bit of flair to his delivery to sound and feel naturally rough despite how melodic he can be in the second part of the bridge, for example.
When he goes for those legato notes in the chorus, raising the volume and key to build up even more tension for the bridge breakdown to dispel it, I stand here with a massive grin on my face.
This is too good to be true. But it is true and now I want more.
The breakdown in the bridge is like it was taken from a hardcore rock song and… you can’t believe how my jaw has dropped for this performance. The guitars go even lower, shredding their way through this song as the drums demolish the soundscape. This is a thing of beauty for fans of heavy rock music like myself.
In a way, there are strong hints of the UK’s melodic hardcore bands such as Architects. This song gets an extra bit of appreciation as if that is right, that’s my favorite rock band’s sound with Yuma Uchida’s vocals on top which is a match made in heaven. But I’ve already gone on a tangent in here so let’s sum things up in here.
This is an unbelievable performance in what is a truly wild card song in this album. And yes, I want more of this.
7 – iDea
The tone shifts completely for the 2nd part of this album as “iDEA” arrives with a loungy, downtempo acid-jazz sound.
The soundscape is warm and cozy, getting quite close to you. In the background, guitar licks add color while a simple hi-hat beat adds depth to this song. The tone is mature and alluring in a way as the chorus arrives.
Yuma Uchida delivers a dual performance in the chorus. First, the main part is performed fully in falsetto whereas behind it – or even running parallel to it – is Uchida unleashing his R&B riffing to add a lot of elegance to this performance.
The rhodes piano plays alongside and the bassline groovily complements his falsetto and honestly, I can’t get enough of this.
This stylish sound fits so well with his vocals and the vibes are absolutely amazing. This is a “feel good” type of song.
The second verse tones things down, letting a fancy piano melody take over as, slowly, a hi-hat beat joins in. Then you get just a hint of brass in there before things tone down yet again to this loungy groovy R&B tune.
The outro to this song is so, so good. The rhodes piano goes to the background as the bright piano takes the lead, adding a jaunty melody to complement the slow-paced funky guitar riffs.
8 – Salt & Sugar
[As previously reviewed] A jaunty piano melody fades in and out of the soundscape as “Salt & Sugar” kicks in.
In this song, Yuma Uchida delivers a dual performance shifting from groovy rapping alongside the jaunty piano and punchy bassline to a melodic clean singing style as the fancy strings make their entrance.
This duality remains for the whole song, with the verses bringing forward a groovy bassline-driven sound on top of a simple snary beat with funky guitar accents in the background.
As the song progresses, strings and fancy piano make their entrance, leading up to the bubbly chorus.
The good balance between the deep bass rap parts and the clean singing delicate parts is a delight to listen to however, within this song, there is something that stands out and it’s not for a good reason.
Leading up to the chorus, there is a synth that suddenly takes the spotlight and rises in volume in an unnatural way that strays away from the cleaning mixing up until then.
This only happens twice in this song but since it felt so unnatural and came out of nowhere, it ended up distracting me from the song, especially when I first listened to it.
Further listens end up erasing that issue – because you will get used to it -, ending up making “Salt & Sugar” quite the entertaining song.
9 – ものたんない (Monotannai)
Yuma Uchida changes gears yet again for “Monotannai”. This is the type of pop tune made to put a smile on your face. It is fancy, groovy – the bassline is massive -, and has plenty of brass and funky guitar riffs, all creating a fun soundscape.
It is worth mentioning that, on the vocal end, Yuma Uchida delivers a dual performance in which clean singing and rapping join hands. His transition from one to the other is so smooth that is unreal – it is as if he does that regularly while it is actually a rarity in his repertoire.
The chorus is quite addictive and you will find yourself singing along to it in no time. The bridge gets brief with the bass leading the way and what a treat it is as the grooviness is cranked up to the maximum.
10 – 旅路 (Tabiji)
Yuma Uchida’s first-ever step as a singer-songwriter arrives with “Tabiji”, an acoustic pop-rock tune with a unique R&B twist to itself.
The song kicks off with dual acoustic guitars painting a warm and wide soundscape for you to enjoy. Slowly, new elements join in the instrumental.
As the first verse – acoustic – wraps up, Yuma Uchida takes you to a second verse – yes, without a chorus – to show you another world, one in which electric guitars and drums join.
The journey has started, are you ready to go? The vibe is slightly nostalgic yet with a lot of excitement and hope as well.
The song progresses past that and gets more intense on the guitar and drums before, coming to a surprise halt. Yes, this song doesn’t have a “normal” structure. It has 3 verses and 1 chorus and completely skips over the outro to wrap up on an expected note.
This song has a completely different energy from everything else he has performed so far and I love it.
Is this the start of singer-songwriter Yuma Uchida, one can wish but seeing how many fans are not even enjoying this song, I reckon it won’t happen.
On my end, I love the whole vibe of this song and the unexpected composition that Uchida delivered. For his very first effort as a singer-songwriter, he did amazingly.
11 – Happy-go-Journey
[As previously reviewed] A shuffle beat, fancy strings, and groovy bassline lead the way in the laidback tune “Happy-go-Journey”.
The unplugged sound in this song is a winner for me. The beat is simple, focusing on the hi-hat as the acoustic guitars give off that loungy vibe as the brass plays in the background.
An electric guitar and trombone smoothly join in the composition as we get closer to the chorus, heightening the tension in a simple and groovy way.
When the chorus kicks in, brass and a shuffle beat blend to create a bouncy sound that will grab your attention.
Acoustic guitars spread good vibes throughout the cozy soundscape as the fancy elegantly struts into the scene. Yuma Uchida stylishly performs this tune, focusing on his R&B style of singing, sounding incredibly melodic throughout.
However, there is a small surprise for you as an intermission arrives, playing around with turntables and acoustic guitars before leaving you to the devices of the 2nd verse.
When “Happy-go-Journey” wraps up, you are left wanting to never leave that relaxing and groovy soundscape.
12 – Good mood
[As previously reviewed] A sweet piano melody echoes in the background, setting the stage for Yuma Uchida’s R&B riffing to kick off.
The tone is gentle in the verses with the piano being used as the sole accompaniment to Uchida’s smooth, emotional tenor vocals.
And while you may be thinking to yourself that this song will be pretty quiet for the whole duration, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find it building up its tension, adding more elements and little details in the instrumental as the song moves forward.
In a way, it feels like you’re walking in an empty soundscape, leaving a dim, small place and moving towards something that will open your horizon, and make you happy.
The first chorus does signal a change is going to take place, leaving behind those feelings while you try to embrace positivity and put a smile on your face as you confidently find your way.
The 2nd verse changes things around and introduces a clap track + bass drum beat as well as a punchy bassline, expanding the soundscape for this track.
When you get to the pre-chorus before the 2nd chorus, the soundscape in front of you is wide, the horizon in front of you while you feel warm and cozy. This is quite the change in tone and a fantastic build-up to the powerful chorus that awaits you.
The piano beautifully plays in the background, lighting up the path for you to shine and get in a “Good mood” as Yuma Uchida goes all out for a technical performance that sees him going to a half-head voice chorus with crescendo and vibrato in the mix.
The way he tackles the words “Good mood” in the chorus, with that effortless mix of head voice, crescendo, vibrato, and R&B riffing is just divine.
An outstanding way to start this single, go straight for the listener’s emotions.
13 – 1 LOVE 1
[As previously reviewed] To celebrate his 5th anniversary and kick off a series of consecutive digital singles, Yuma Uchida released “1 LOVE 1”.
The song brings the feelings of excitement of going into the unknown with big dreams and hopes, with the instrumental washing away all worries with its atmospheric synths.
Slowly fading in, the song brings a tight bassy beat to the spotlight, groovily leading to the chorus.
And what about that chorus? With this song embracing a nu-disco style of sound, it is undeniable how groovy and danceable this song is even as it doesn’t have much going on in the instrumental.
The funky guitars, the old-school atmospheric synths, punchy beat and bass combo and then Yuma Uchida’s emotional vocals with that unique R&B styling make this performance stand out.
On the vocal end, Uchida performs the song mostly in his sweet mid-tones however while bringing a bit of falsetto into the mix, enhancing that dreamy tone in this song.
The 2nd verse embraces an even funkier sound, bringing a fast hi-hat beat, a punchy baseline, and funky guitar riffs (these playing on your right ear).
This is a geeky detail but I love the drums (toms) fill and fading splash connecting parts within the chorus. It feels so satisfying to listen to those parts gluing together the song while keeping the energy high and the song cohesive.
When “1 LOVE 1” wraps up, you’re left wanting more, much more from Yuma Uchida. This sound goes in line with what he released in “Equal” however vastly upgraded and sounding more mature, bringing nu-disco and unleashing all the groovy goodness with the listener.
This song right here is a definitive banger and the perfect way to wrap up this album, reflecting on an awesome 5-year career.
Final considerations
Yuma Uchida wraps up an awesome chapter of 5 years since his debut with an album that aimed at showing completely different sides to himself while celebrating that journey along the way.
For starters, Uchida has made it a habit to feature acapella songs as the intros to his albums but this time around he changed things, and “I’m here” is an emotional, downtempo, and grandiose song that opens the curtains with determination and hope, feelings that I believe perfectly encapsulate what this album is all about.
After that, listeners get a relay of previously released songs with “Shot”, “Joyful”, “Congrats!!”, “DangeR” and “Hope”. Out of all these songs, “DangeR” is still the song I can’t believe Yuma Uchida has released but I so much hope he ends up releasing something like it again.
The vibes are good and positive yet the tone starts changing in “Hope” as things take a turn towards hardcore. Yes. You read well, Yuma Uchida released a hardcore song. And it is good. It sounds legit, which may come as a surprise coming from an artist – up until now – known for R&B pop music and the occasional pop-rock tune.
This is a massive turn of events and for me, the song that takes the crown is the best Yuma Uchida song. And this is not even a choice because I love rock especially melodic hardcore rock. It is because Yuma Uchida completely embodied the concept and delivered a natural performance that suited his voice, fit the narrative, and had an unreal power.
I was not expecting this and, as such, this song arrives as the biggest surprise of the year for me.
If someone told me “Yeah, Yuma Uchida is going to release a hardcore rock song.” I would have said, “interesting but it doesn’t seem like his fans will appreciate it”.
Well, color me surprised. Yuma Uchida really tested his limits and showed that there’s much, much more to him as a performer. He’s not just amazing with R&B pop, ballads, or pop-rock. He’s also an absolute machine when it comes to heavy rock, in this case, melodic hardcore.
And I’m all for it. May this not be just a one-off thing. I would love to see him continuously challenging himself while evolving as an artist. The occasional heavy rock tune would be a treat and I’ll say it again, it suits Yuma Uchida like a glove. Gotta love how his gentle vibe fits with such a heavy rock subgenre.
“iDEA” then takes over and brings loungy downtempo jazz to the spotlight, yet another big surprise in this album. While the transition is a bit rough between “Hope” and “iDEA” – there’s no conductive thread between both songs and the tone and instrumentalization is on completely different sides of the spectrum.
“Salt & Sugar” and “Monotannai” followed, adding a layer of pure fun to this album but I believe not many people were expecting what Yuma Uchida had to offer in “Tabiji”.
The acoustic pop-rock tune is Yuma Uchida’s first-ever take on being a singer-songwriter and it was quite impressive. He didn’t go for a common pop-rock structure and kept showing different things in the song structure even down to his performance – which sounds nothing alike the other ones in this album (perhaps because it has a personal touch).
I would to hear more of Uchida’s compositions and lyrics in the future. Here’s to wishing that happens and that, slowly, he starts to have more say on his sound.
The album then revisits “Happy-go-Journey”, “Good mood” and “1 LOVE 1”, wrapping up on a strong, hopeful note.
This is a genuinely good album. Different but good.
However, with the album including 13 songs and 10 of those being previously released, it is hard to approach this album as something truly “new”.
“Y” feels more like a best of album than a new album and honestly, I would have preferred if it had been presented as such. Calling it a new album when not even ⅓ of the songs are new is just… weird. It feels weird.
So while I enjoyed “Y” a whole lot, this is, by far, not Uchida’s best album to date – that title still belongs to “equal”. While there were certainly some surprises in here – “DangeR”, “Hope”, “iDEA” and “Tabiji” – in comparison to Uchida’s usual sound, for those that followed the digital single series, only 3 songs were genuinely new (and really good).
Now imagine if Uchida hadn’t pre-released those songs. How amazing would this album have felt? Especially on a first-ever listen?
This is the “what if” I bring here and that’s because, for me, the first impression an album gives is usually something you can’t replicate. It will inspire you, make your jaw drop, make you cry, or even sound like something you don’t like. But a first impression is usually magical for fans especially those that appreciate the whole experience of listening to new music.
In my case, this album lost that magic by having most of the songs pre-released or picked up from previously released singles.
So, as it is, “Y” is a strong album that further solidifies Yuma Uchida as one of the best and most versatile solo artists among male seiyuu.
However, a, perhaps, rushed want to present fans with new music – and then featuring said music all in this album – removed most of the magic it could have had.
If this is your first time coming across this album – if you skipped the digital singles – this is easily one of the best albums of 2023 but due to how experimental it is, it fails to have a conductive thread in terms of tone and vibe, something in which “equal” excelled.
“Y” is available for purchase at CDJAPAN and is also available at Amazon Japan (they ship internationally).
“Y” is available for streaming on Spotify.
Do not support piracy. Remember to support Yuma Uchida by streaming via official outlets.