Yuma Uchida “NEW WORLD” (Review)

NEW WORLD is the start of a bright solo career for Yuma Uchida. Powerful vocals and funky instrumentals are the greeting cards for what is one of the best debut singles released in the past few years.

Title: NEW WORLD
Label: KING RECORDS
Release date: 30/05/2018
Genre: Pop/Dance

Tracklist:

1.NEW WORLD 
2.BE MY BABY
3.ボクらのカタチ
4.NEW WORLD (instrumental)
5.BE MY BABY (instrumental)
6.ボクらのカタチ (instrumental)

Track by track analysis:

1 – NEW WORLD

NEW WORLD’s instrumental is a blend of various music genres well put together. While at its core we find rock, especially noticeable with the presence of bass-y drums and a funky bass line, as well as the massive light that is shed over exciting guitar riffs and melodies.

Underneath all that we find that this instrumental has a danceable touch, much due to the fact that synths, piano melodies and dubstep-ish drums worked hard into introducing that twist to this song in the smoothest way possible.

The verses rely mainly on a simple rock sound, with electronica elements only joining in during the pre-chorus or leading the way in the break.

On the vocal end, Uchida didn’t spare anything nor anyone. He simply made this song his playground, rapping (even if briefly and rather clumsily), tackling high notes, delivering smooth mid-tones, ultimately delivering an all-rounded, entertaining performance.

2 – BE MY BABY

The vibe changes completely for BE MY BABY, 80s inspired pop tune in which soothing synth pads, funky guitar riffs and groovy bass lines rule. The soundscape created by this song immediately takes the listener on a summer-y trip or even on a throwback.

It’s a warm and sweet song with an extremely simple structure and progression that works like perfection. The verses are quiet, basically having the bass line and some minimalistic percussion elements setting the stage in which Uchida shines.

Now, the highlight. The chorus. This is one of the sweetest sounding choruses I’ve heard this year. It’s groovy, soothing and slightly alluring at the same time. It has a classy touch while having a playful twist. Most of all: it’s incredibly catchy.

With a funky instrumental like this one you can only expect that the vocals can match it, at least that’s the minimum expected. Well, Uchida doesn’t settle for the minimum and delivers his best performance on this release. His R&B-ish vocals shine on this performance, one in which high notes, smooth mid-tones, alluring falsetto, all were on point. Flawless performance on both ends.

3 – ボクらのカタチ

To wrap up this release we have the acoustic pop-rock tune Bokura no Katachi.

A laidback vibe takes over as soon as the sweet acoustic guitar riffs and electric guitar licks make their appearance. The drums are simple, mostly a blend of sampled drums and live drums that add warmth to this song. A funky bass line adds some depth to this song, all while Yuma Uchida tackles its tricky singing sections with flying colors and almost effortlessly.

Bokura no Katachi is on the same wavelength as the previous songs, is an extremely fun song however, this time around, exuding a youthful vibe. The verses flow well and the chorus is nice to the ears. The addition of some scratches was made in a tasteful way, suiting this song perfectly.

Vocally, this song is completely different from the previous ones. Uchida delivered a strong performance that required work mainly with his mid-tones.

However, he doesn’t settle for less and upped the ante, adding falsetto and some R&B touches to his performance. He matched this song’s laidback and gentle tone comfortably.

Final considerations

NEW WORLD is the start of a bright chapter for Yuma Uchida. He kicks off his solo career with an eclectic release filled with great tunes and stunning vocal performances that will have everyone begging for more.

From the eclectic instrumental, that lent elements from rock, funk, pop and dubstep, to the vocal sections that had Uchida singing and rapping at the same time, the title track had a whole lot going on. Just from this we can ascertain that NEW WORLD has more than its fair share of layers and complexity, however, it doesn’t sound, by any means, fresh or unique.

This is the kind of music that, for example, his label mate Mamoru Miyano is known for (minus the rapping and dubstep). Nevertheless, even if it isn’t fresh, his performance and the way the instruments flowed swiftly made that minor flaw easy to forget. NEW WORLD is a great title track that put Uchida in pop-rock territory and he delivered.

Then, the gears changed and we found the best song on this release, BE MY BABY. Rock and dubstep are nowhere to be found in this track. Instead, the listener is enveloped by a funky and warm instrumental that impresses within the first bar. It rather tricky to point out which part of the song was best because everything felt right about it.

Uchida‘s performance is among his best, and the instrumentals brought rich, funky elements that set a summer-y mood. This is the kind of tune you’ll want to have on repeat during the summer. It’s playful, sweet and catchy. The perfect summer song.

The release wraps up with Bokura no Katachi, song that took Uchida to acoustic pop-rock territory. Once again he showed that he can adapt to any music genre, delivering a powerful performance. His falsetto is incredibly smooth and controled, and his singing tone has a sweet sounding R&B touch that took this song to greater heights.

All in all, this is one of the best debut releases in the past couple of years. The instrumentals to most songs are rich and focused on being groovy (it seems that bass plays a major role in his music) and Uchida‘s vocals are impressive (his range and technique are unparalleled).

Additionally, this single doesn’t have a single “tacky” or overly “bright” song on it. All songs are memorable which is also a rare feat in debut releases (usually more focused on impressing with the title track than with the whole release).

For all these reasons we consider that King Records scored big with Yuma Uchida joining them. Before making his solo debut, he already looked and sounded already like an experienced singer, with a confidence, natural talent, passion for music and dancing that would put most experienced/veteran seiyuu (debuted as singers) to shame. 

Uchida‘s got the talent to make it big, perhaps even bigger than his label mate Mamoru Miyano (I’m using him as a basis for comparison because: Uchida is often compared to him / they are labelmates and Miyano is the most successful solo artist with seiyuu background).

Right now, however, in comparison with the superstar, Uchida still has a long way to go. Nevertheless he’s already shown some of his cards with this release. He’s got a lot of talent and potential to grow even more. It’s safe to say that he’s got a bright future up ahead.

NEW WORLD is the kind of debut single that most seiyuu wish they had under their belt. Quality oriented instrumentals covered in flawless performances. Easily among the best debut singles released in the past few years.

NEW WORLD is available for purchase on CDJAPAN.

New World [Regular Edition]

Yuma Uchida

New World [CD+DVD / Limited Pressing]

Yuma Uchida