Release Date: October 18, 2017
Track Listing
- Te wo Tsunagu Riyuu
- One More Time
- Drive Away
- Te wo Tsunagu Riyuu (Instrumental)
Review
Winter is traditionally the season for J-Pop artists to release ballads. Holding to that fact is Nishino Kana’s latest release Te wo Tsunagu Riyuu. Besides being her 32nd single, it was also the October theme song for the Nippon TV series Sukkiri!!
Te wo Tsunagu Riyuu is a simple ballad that relies on a stripped-down piano and strings arrangement. This allows Nishino’s vocals to be front and center in the song. Her performance is free of diva-like theatrics and instead opts for a subtle feeling that matches the minimalism of the instrumental.
There are two coupling tracks on this single. The first is One More Time, which was used as a CM song for Lenoir Happiness. It has a fuller production than the a-side and is thematically different from it. Te wo Tsunagu Riyuu follows eternal love, whereas One More Time is about longing for love long lost, even if it doesn’t necessarily sound like it.
The second coupling song, Drive Away, feels like the odd song in this single package: the bright and happy pop song among the moodier tracks. It is okay but not essential listening. Meaning you won’t miss this song if you happen to skip it.
