(Music) Underrated Artists Part 2: Shoko Suzuki, a "musician's musician" respected by many artists

The appeal of Shoko Suzuki is that she is a "singer-songwriter in whom intellect and emotion coexist at a high level." While she is not the type to churn out flashy hits, she is highly regarded by many musicians and respected as a "musician's musician." She has many delicate works centered on the piano, and there are many "masterpieces known only to those in the know."

GREAT3, PUFFY, Tamio Okuda, Masamune Kusano (Spitz), YUKI (formerly of JUDY AND MARY), Chikuzen Sato (SING LIKE TALKING), and Akiko Yano have all named Shoko Suzuki as their favorite artist.

Shoko Suzuki has a career spanning approximately 40 years, and her style has evolved from her early pop and delicate albums (VIRIDIAN, Mizu no Kanmuri, Kaze no Tobira, Long Long Way Home, Hourglass) to her mid-career American rock-style albums (Radio Genic, SNAPSHOTS, Candy Apple Red), and later to her highly personal, literary-style albums (Shishosetsu, Atarashii Ai no Uta, Love, painful love).

In addition to her own musical activities, she has been actively providing songs to other artists such as Seiko Matsuda, Wink, PUFFY, and Maaya Sakamoto. Among them, "Yasashii Ame," for which she provided the song and participated as a backing vocalist for Kyoko Koizumi, became a major hit.

The characteristics of her songs are...

1. Lyrics that depict the subtleties of the heart

Shoko Suzuki's lyrics depict themes such as love, loneliness, hope, and loss, not with common words, but with delicate descriptions of scenes.

Instead of saying "I'm sad" directly, she conveys emotions through landscapes, seasons, and changes in light, which is why it is easy for listeners to project their own experiences onto them. Also, many of her songs feature travel or trains.

2. Beautiful melodies and intricate chord progressions

While her songs are pop, they possess rich harmonies that show the influence of jazz, AOR, and singer-songwriter works. It is known that she was influenced by artists like Joni Mitchell and Carole King, and her music has a sophisticated sound not often found in Japanese J-POP.

3. Outstanding performance and arrangement skills

Shoko Suzuki is not only a singer-songwriter but also a highly skilled drummer and keyboardist. On some works, she plays and produces almost everything herself, including drums, guitar, bass, keyboards, and backing vocals, and the high level of musical perfection is noteworthy.

4. A singing voice that combines gentleness and strength

While her voice has a sense of transparency, it also conveys a core of strength during moments of heightened emotion. From whispering vocals to powerful, heart-wrenching singing, her music has a charm that makes you want to listen to it over and over again, even if it isn't flashy.

There are many recommendations for Shoko Suzuki, but I have chosen 14 songs based on my own preferences. By the way, many of her best songs are found on her albums rather than her singles...

"Natsu wa Doko e Itta" (Where Did Summer Go), her debut single.

"Baby It's You"

"Mizu no Kanmuri" (Crown of Water)

"Station Wagon," her fourth single.

"Yume no Niwa de" (In the Garden of Dreams)

"Hikari no Eki" (Station of Light)

"Mizu no Naka no Tsuki" (Moon in the Water)

"Aoi Sora no Onpu" (Notes of the Blue Sky)

"Yasashii Ame" (Gentle Rain) Piano Solo Live

"Angel"

"Kuyakusho e Ikou" (Let's Go to the Ward Office)

"Namae o Yonde ~ When you call my name"

"Tasukete! Kamisama. ~ So Help Me, GOD!"

"Tatta Hitori no Anata" (You, the Only One) *Unreleased song from the Radio Genic era

★Upcoming Lineup

Mari Iijima, the Indigo, GARNET CROW, ICE, Yumi Tanimura, Kirinji, Kukikodan, Yuko Ando, School Food Punishment, Tomoyo Harada, Akemi Kakihara, Jun Shibata, Shiho Nanba, Tomita Lab, Maaya Sakamoto, Mai Hoshimura, Daisuke Mori, Kazuhito Murata, Miki Nakatani