Getting Intoxicated by JUJU's Singing Voice: 'The Water' Live Report Vol. 1

I had wanted to go for a long time.
To a JUJU concert featuring her original songs.
Her recent work has mainly been cover songs, but I prefer her original music.
I especially love her older albums, and to be honest, I haven't been listening to her recent stuff much.

It was then that she appeared on a TV program, and I learned about her new original album and the upcoming concert.

I immediately searched on my smartphone...
To my surprise, she was coming to a place near me!
I applied for tickets and was lucky enough to win.

My seat was in the front row of the middle section on the second floor.
It was a position that made me feel like she was singing just for me.

Before the show started, a sheer curtain was lowered on stage, and pale green visuals were projected onto it.
The atmosphere was just like a Monet painting.

The showtime arrived and the lights went down.
The venue was filled with cheers and applause.
The first song of the album,'The Water-Prelude', began to play, and JUJU's narration echoed through the hall.
At the same time, the lyrics were projected onto the curtain.

Next was'Kotae'.
The curtain gradually rose, and JUJU appeared from a gently curved staircase.
She wore a blue miniskirt outfit and her signature high heels. I couldn't help but sigh at her dignified stance.

She then sang'Mirai' and 'Kotaeawase'before moving on to the MC.

Apparently, JUJU's concerts always start with greetings.
She greeted the audience from the third floor down to the first, saying 'Good evening!' in turn, which created a sense of unity.

Then, she spoke about the theme of the new album, 'The Water'.

'We are in water while in the womb, we shed tears, and we break into cold sweats; various kinds of water are involved in our lives.'

After the MC, she performed'Haru no Arashi'
and then'Sakura Ame'
from an older album. A large cherry blossom tree was projected on the screen behind her, with petals fluttering down. It was very magical.

Next, she sang'Sora'from another old album, followed by another MC.

'I want you to relax at my concerts. Stand when you want to stand, dance when you want to dance. You don't have to stand if you don't want to. Enjoy it however you like.'

Then, the intro to that song,'Yasashisa ni Afureru You ni', began to play. The audience on the first floor stood up all at once, and I found myself standing up too. During the chorus, we all raised our hands and swayed them from side to side, and the venue became one. I was truly moved to hear this song live.

※To be continued in Vol. 2.