bird's 'bird' Taught Me Sophistication at Age 14 — Koutaro Kai

This is a story from when I was exploring different kinds of music, trying to figure out "what kind of music I liked." At the time, I was a 14-year-old second-year middle school student.

R&B That Reached a Hip-Hop Kid

During that impressionable period, I was into Japanese hip-hop acts like BUDDHA BRAND and Dragon Ash, mimicking rap by humming along and thinking that the rhythm of rhyming was really cool.

To my middle school self, who was all about hip-hop, bird's 1st album 'bird' delivered a shock from a completely different vector, showing me "R&B can be this cool." There was something sophisticated and mature coolness within the slow flow that was completely different from hip-hop, and it had a huge influence on me at an age when I wanted to seem more grown-up.

The Flow of Album 'bird' — From Intro to Promise

This album has a beautiful flow throughout the entire record.

When you play the first track "Intro," the gradual build from silence creates an atmosphere as if a live performance is about to begin. After masterpieces like "SOULS" and "Sora no Hitomi," having "deep breath," a one-minute track that creates a moment to pause, was innovative to me.

Then comes "REALIZE feat. SUIKEN." This transition is the highlight of the album.

bird's soulful vocals intersecting with rapper SUIKEN's sharp delivery created a moment where my hip-hop passion perfectly linked with this new R&B sensation, and I felt like I had found my sweet spot.

And then there's the flow toward the end. As it progresses to the final track "Yakusoku" (Promise), the heightened emotions gradually fade out very naturally into a relaxed state.

Rather than forcing continuous excitement, this lingering feeling that naturally blends into daily life is what I think makes listening to the entire album such a rewarding experience.

1999: The Act of Buying CDs

As a slight digression, around 1999 when this album was released, rental CD shops were at their peak and MDs were all the rage. "Borrowing music and dubbing it onto MD" was becoming the norm, and I think it was a transitional period when the act of "buying" albums was gradually declining.

That's precisely why deliberately buying a CD with limited allowance money was also a special ritual of confirming one's identity, saying "I am a fan of this artist."

Peeling off the film from a brand new album and opening the case. Taking out the booklet with lyrics inside and feeling that slightly smooth texture. And that fresh smell mixing ink and paper - I still remember it.

Even now, when I listen to bird's music through my smartphone, that smell and texture from when I was 14 comes back vividly. I now realize, as an adult, that experiencing an album isn't just about listening to the sound, but about etching the entire atmosphere of that time into memory.

The Miura Jun Couple and My Youth

And now, when I searched for information about bird again, I learned that she was married to Miura Jun.

It was also his influence that taught me about the coolness of subculture when I was 14.

Perhaps my youth was colored by this couple.

Editor's Note

I've always been someone searching for companions throughout my life. Even though I had my own company, I desperately wanted to work with teammates, so at age 55, I applied to Koutaro's company. Despite my advanced age, they welcomed me in. The days spent working on various systems at the Narita, Chiba location have become one of the pillars strongly etched into my life.

The trigger for my application was a photo of Koutaro eating that was featured on the company website at the time. Seeing that, I thought "I want to work with this person." Energetic and always looking forward. We still maintain a good relationship, and I continue to receive work from him.

— Namio