Atsukikokoroni

■ Human is a “warm and deeply human” cover album by Gota Nishidera (NONA REEVES), in which he takes on deep City Pop, kayokyoku, and New Music from the 1980s and ’90s. Following his 2023 solo cover album Sunset Rain, this new album is also crafted with carefully selected songs. The 7-inch single drawn from the album features a coupling of two tracks: “Atsuki Kokoro ni”, the 1985 hit sung by Akira Kobayashi that captivated audiences across Japan, and “Ringo no Mori no Konekotachi”, the 1983 ending theme of the NHK anime Spoon Obasan, sung by Mari Iijima.

■ “Atsuki Kokoro ni” is a masterpiece carried through the Shōwa, Heisei, and Reiwa eras and sure to be sung by future generations written by two icons of Japanese pop: lyricist Yu Aku and composer Eiichi Ohtaki. Nishidera's powerful rendition symbolizes the entire album; he decided to record it after performing the song at a local karaoke contest he happened to join during a solo visit to Taiwan, where it received an enthusiastic response.

■ “Ringo no Mori no Konekotachi” is a work created by the golden duo of lyricist Takashi Matsumoto and composer Kyohei Tsutsumi. Originally sung by Mari Iijima as the ending theme of the NHK anime Spoon Obasan, it is a familiar song to children of that era. Nishidera covers it with heartfelt respect for the original, which he also discussed in his book J-POP Marukajiri.

■ “Atsuki Kokoro ni” was used in 1985 for a series of commercials for AGF Coffee’s “Maxim”. The visuals for this release produced by Keita Fukumi, producer of the YouTube Gota Nishidera channel—pay homage to the atmosphere and aesthetic of those original commercials, drawing inspiration from their distinctive mood.