If one were to define Nariaki Obukuro, "indefinable" might be the most accurate label.

In 2018, handpicked and endorsed by the Japanese icon Hikaru Utada, Nariaki Obukuro caused a sensation in the music industry with his Utada-produced album Separation Fever. Subsequently, he chose to live in London for six years, immersing himself in Europe's most cutting-edge musical laboratories. From exquisitely delicate R&B to deep layers blending Dub and Jazz, his evolution has never ceased.

Upon returning to Japan, Obukuro took an unexpected turn by running for mayor of his hometown, Saitama City, as a way to practice social advocacy and personal growth. This artist, who constantly breaks out of his shell in search of truth, will finally grace the stage of Billboard Live TAIPEI on February 7th.

Prior to his arrival, we invited four dedicated listeners to recommend three essential tracks from their own perspectives. Through their ears, before unboxing this "zero pre-recorded source" pure performance, let us step into Obukuro’s musical world—one that is both detached and tender, Japanese yet international.

Recommender 1: Tokyo Music Diary (Music Critic / Owner of Tsumukaze Records)

〈Zatto〉

I love the powerful drum beats at the start, followed by the gradual emergence of instruments and vocals—it's incredibly catchy. The whole vibe makes me imagine models walking down a runway with a commanding presence and an aura-filled stride if this were fashion show music.

〈Shiranami〉

This track feels like a fateful pull, with a melody that creates a sense of exotic placelessness. Especially when Obukuro’s first vocal line emerges, a shiver like an electric current runs through my whole body. I also love the interplay between the electric guitar and trumpet in the middle—it is absolutely fantastic!

〈Hanazakari〉

While the elements of Jazz and Blues are already blended masterfully and maturely across the album, this track pivots toward a Reggae rhythm yet still firmly captivates the listener's heart.

• Summary Comment: He possesses both the craft to prune a garden meticulously and the magic to let flowers bloom naturally.

Recommender 2: Hitomi Xu (Writer)

〈Summer Reminds Me〉

From the 2018 album Separation Fever. This song was my gateway into Nariaki Obukuro. In terms of tone, arrangement, and melody, he captured the trendy J-POP sound of 2018 within this eclectic album, but layered it with dense synths to keep the sound sophisticated and never "greasy."

〈Shiranami〉 (White Waves)

From the latest album ZATTO. A blend of R&B and Dub, perhaps with a touch of Jazz piano tucked in. The lyrics and vocals carry a nostalgia akin to Enka. The subtle references to war and the cycles of historical events in the lyrics reveal Obukuro's ambition to address current affairs in this album. If described as a dish, I’d call it Japanese cream stew paired with Jamaican jerk chicken. Half mellow, half spicy—they come together without any sense of dissonance. I believe that’s because the mixing on ZATTO is perfect, missing not a single detail!

〈Strides - Seiji Ono Remix〉

From the 2022 album Strides, which also had a remix version featuring artists Obukuro admires. This remix reflects his musical tastes and preferences more deeply, and one can see the influence of the UK Jazz sound from his years in Britain. My favorite is this remix by producer Seiji Ono; the keyboard work is absolutely beautiful!

• Summary Comment: Legend has it that London has the best Japanese supermarket in Europe, where Natto, Kagami-mochi, and Ramune are sometimes more varied than in Japan and are displayed on shelves with extraordinary care. My first impression of Obukuro’s music is like that London Japanese supermarket: well-prepared yet crisp and fresh.

Recommender 3: Ting (Model)

〈Rally〉

From the 2021 album Strides. This album shows a starkly different style from Separation Fever or Piercing, displaying more experimentation and playfulness with sound. Co-written with Hikaru Utada and featuring Aru-2 on composition. The steady heavy beats at the start, combined with the interplay of percussion, guitar, synth bass, and drums, make your body move instinctively. I especially love the sampling of the dialogue between French rally driver Michèle Mouton and Sue Baker at the end.

〈New Kids〉

From the 2019 second album Piercing, a collaboration with New York musician Kenn Igbi. It begins with light piano and Kenn Igbi singing lonely English lyrics, when suddenly a Japanese cry of "Matte" (Wait) pierces through the shell of the "West." As the conversation and humming interweave and you think it’s ending, a segment of Autotune vocal mixing enters, leaving the listener bewildered (meant as a compliment!).

〈HANAZAKARI〉 (In Full Bloom)

The final track of the latest album ZATTO. The thick Reggae rhythm at the start sings of the bloom and fading of life in a seemingly languid manner. Closing the album that opened with ZATTO with HANAZAKARI feels like a sigh and a lament in reality. It perfectly embodies the "Mono-no-aware" aesthetic. I believe such auditory conflict is precisely the charm of Nariaki Obukuro’s work!

• Summary Comment: A high-end musical prankster and a demon for details.

Recommender 4: Sogare (Visual Director)

〈Departure (門出) 〉

The end of a long, long summer of life is condensed into this song. "A drama of life that goes round and round, with everyone left unable to say anything." From pop to jazzy sounds, from Japan to London—what I learned from Obukuro, who flies between various places, is that "even so, there are many ways to express it." I want to stay in that slow flow over rapid hi-hats forever. This summer track will forever be etched in memory alongside the scenery of the summer sky.

〈Gaia〉

A collaboration with 5lack. If "Departure" is drinking the summer's end in one breath, "Gaia" is the lingering fever in the throat after that drink. The bass doesn't just ring; it changes your posture like gravity. "Naturally, the things I can't say are increasing / I only realized that about yesterday." Checking the ground through a dry snare and closing with a final rap—it's a track that leaves you with a "refreshing exhaustion" in a good way if you feel it too deeply.

〈New Kids〉

"Wait, isn't the sky blue today?" The melancholy and frustration that recalls 2019 Tokyo still resonates because we believe that "even now, something is being born somewhere." "Just wanting to stay silent and look toward the future more than those around me." Whether talking or not, or translating into track expressions, or having an album like this remain—as a listener, Piercing is an album deeply rooted in personal emotion from that pre-COVID era.

• Summary Comment: Living in the Heisei era, Obukuro places his expectations on "change" rather than despair. From his mainstream debut to London, and ending his "tireless run" through the Saitama mayoral election, what kind of sonic narrative will he show us in Taipei in early 2026? Or will it be "Let's dance from now on, all night long"? Whether it's ZATTO or Sribunha, every side is Nariaki Obukuro. Please experience it at Billboard Live TAIPEI, where you can feel him up close.