For as highly anticipated as Yojiro Noda’s first live performance under his own name at the Tokyo Garden Theater on September 27 was, he still managed to fill it with surprises. A DJ set with his vocals layered over beats and played like an instrument, video and backup dancers bringing his music to life, a stage shared with big names in contemporary Japanese R&B and hip hop like iri, Awich, and kZm—while Yojiro Noda has always had an interest in Black music and beyond, even his most devoted fans didn’t seem quite prepared for just how much of his mystery-shrouded ego the singer was to put on display. The concert was nothing less than an opportunity for him to fulfill his desire to branch out in new directions by separating the outward-facing musician from the version of himself kept deep within.
Even with the unexpected release of his solo album WONDER BOY’S AKUMU CLUB, it’s not surprising that Noda sought to widen his reach beyond the sphere of his 20-plus years of ongoing work with RADWIMPS. His musical exploration has seen significant changes over the past few years. The band’s become big enough that they’re embarking on world tours, largely thanks to their collaboration with director Makoto Shinkai, and they’ve been commissioned to provide music for multiple soundtracks. His alter ego illion has gradually fused into RADWIMPS over the course of a decade, integrating much of his musical legacy into the group. Having allowed himself such an extensive outward expression of his creativity, it isn’t hard to imagine he harbored a growing desire to turn his focus inward on his own personal music and message that’s gradually accumulated inside him as a result.
And that’s perhaps the most significant thing about his new album: It’s one of personal feelings that’s uncharacteristic of him. illion, the start of his solo journey, was born against the backdrop of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, also known as the Great East Japan Earthquake. He captured the feelings of loss, loneliness, and sorrow in an experimental style leaning towards electronica and indie pop. The emotions rising up from that music could never have been purely personal. Though he sought to console himself, what he created would eventually become a comfort to all. Here Yojiro Noda the person stands in clear separation from Yojiro Noda the musician. He speaks of his typical thoughts and of his views, sharing the concerns he faces and how he views himself. The whole idea of someone who was used to embodying “the artist” now taking his true self and making that the subject of his craft was something all-new for Noda.
While Noda may have found the motivation purely inside of himself at first, there came to be someone else who fueled him further: Portuguese producer and beat maker HOLLY. The beats HOLLY sent through Instagram DMs inspired Noda, leading Noda to develop a framework blending different genres he’d always been interested in. It speaks to how much music production has evolved that now total strangers can connect through social media and create something tangible. What began as a fun experiment snowballed until the focus naturally shifted to telling Noda’s story and the messages he wanted to convey through his personal tastes in music.
As those reading along carefully may have pieced together, all 13 tracks off Noda’s latest album stray far from rock. The earlier and middle tracks, in particular, have little in the way of real instruments and aim for more of a minimalistic but still energetic beat-heavy sound that almost makes it feel like a hip hop album. The first two tracks steer the album in this direction in a strong way: “PAIN KILLER,” a condensing of Noda’s love of hyperpop into a single song, takes a completely different approach than the rest of his body of work to date, whereas “STRESS ME” emphasizes his rapper side with a choppy flow that stresses every syllable within the pronounced space of the 808 bass. He’s no stranger to rapping with RADWIMPS either, having shown off his flow on songs like “G Koui” and “PAPARAZZI.” His mastery of language shines through once more as he effortlessly bounces between genres.
The fruits of Noda’s exploration of musical trends are on full display in the warm combination of a gospel choir against a breakbeat in “HOLY DAY HOLY” and the expansive layers of distorted guitar, chiptune synths, and singing rap in “HYPER TOY.” Conversely, the switch past the album’s halfway point from the trendy beats of the dance floor to the serene sounds of a jazz bar in “BITTER BLUES,” much like the powerful wave of classic soul that comes crashing down through the audio in “PIPE DREAM,” finds the singer paying homage to the pop leaders of yesterday. His fluid and free reinterpretation of the musical undercurrents of different eras reveals that his wellspring of creativity is far from running dry.
In addition to transformation by way of genre, Noda also focuses on his voice. The new wavelength created by editing and distorting his vocals every which way feels like the cherry on top of an already amazing release. The autotuned call-and-response chorus in “EVERGREEN” (feat. kZm) introduces a swath of new characters, the wildly warping vocals in “HAZY SIGH” distort all sense of time and complement the track’s chaotic nature, and the chipmunk-like high parts layered over his normal vocals in “SHEETA” are the perfect use case of hyperpop’s love of excess. His approach of stretching out the spectrum of different sounds through variations in timbre in some ways reflects his focus on giving the album a sound decisively made in the studio, with minimal consideration given to live performances.
Lastly, there’s the singer’s inner world. The album expresses so many of the emotions that he’s experienced by creating music this long, and there’s nothing too roundabout about it. Seeing Noda earnestly put his ear to the ground and really hear his own emotions after spending so much time singing loudly out to the world paints a dramatic picture. The lyrics to tracks like “PAIN KILLER” and “BITTER BLUES,” which explore why he continues to make music, reveal a side of him not seen with RADWIMPS or his alter ego illion. The way his quintessential “LAST LOVE LETTER” to fans closes the curtain on the album feels that much more symbolic given how long he’s kept such emotions tucked away. Other tracks offer rare glimpses into the often mysterious man behind the microphone as he ponders existence, waxes philosophical on life, and sings about his true priorities.
Despite spending some two decades at the crest of the music wave and offering hardly any clues to his inner workings, it can be argued that Yojiro Noda ultimately spends this highly autobiographical solo album hinting at what really makes him tick. His use of genres that directly reflect his tastes and the candid, straightforward, practically confessional lyrics support this view. No doubt it’s a solid album, but perhaps the same things that make it so intriguing for some also make it sound somewhat strange to others. Some welcome the glimpse into his personal side, while others may find all the references to different styles end up diluting his originality.
One thing is for certain: The album was a necessary step in his continued musical journey—one where he could shed the weight of his artist persona, even if only slightly, and let his true self out. By building himself a playground where he can play to his heart’s content, Noda has written another new page in his 20-year career. Now he can release the music he writes for others to hear with RADWIMPS and put out music designed to bring himself comfort under his real name. This semi-autobiographical I-novel, one that allows Noda and his shadow to coexist, has breathed new life into the artist thanks to the brand-new approach. After spending years too busy with his craft to catch his breath or notice what he might have left behind, the music of this album has given him a moment to pause. And for those who may have momentarily grown overly accustomed to the name Yojiro Noda, what’s realized in this unexpected and ultra-refined music is enough to reignite that curiosity.