If you went to karaoke. #MieharuKaraokeLateSummerVersion

The other day, I received a fun baton pass from Hanami-san.

It's a very simple project: "Just choose and introduce your favorite songs!" but since there are no restrictions, it's actually quite difficult to choose when you have too much freedom.

If I were really going to karaoke, I could easily sing for two hours just sticking to one artist, but since this is an introduction, I decided to choose one song each from different artists this time.

So, please imagine you've gone to karaoke with Shima!

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1. Remioromen - "Starting Over"

The intro, which has a "THE beginning" sense of excitement, instantly livens up the room. It was once used as a commercial song, so perhaps some of you have heard the chorus phrase?

"Let's be ourselves"
"A life to find the number one thing you want to do"

It never forces you. It gently holds your hand and encourages you to go at your own pace and be yourself. This is a song that makes me feel that is the "kindness" of Remioromen.

2. Chicago Poodle - "Natsumero"

The single word "kakenukeru" (running through) at the beginning passes by in an instant, yet it hits hard; it's the one song that makes me feel summer the most.

Chicago Poodle is a band active mainly in the Kansai region, and I learned about them when I was in high school because my mother told me, "I heard a really great song on the radio."

It's a song where the brilliance of summer and the loneliness of it coming to an end intersect, and I always think about how good it would feel if I could sing like the vocalist, Hanazawa-san.

3. MAN WITH A MISSION - "PANORAMA RADIO"

When people think of Man With A Mission, they often think they have many English lyrics and songs like overseas rock bands, but among them, this song, which has a pop and cute impression, is quite popular with fans.

It's standard to clap along to "clap your hands," and at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium concert I attended in June, the moment the clapping was perfectly in sync, it felt absolutely amazing!

Keep dreaming, isn't it fine to be young forever?
It's a song that makes you think that, and it's sure to liven up any karaoke session.

4. Naniwa Danshi - "Poppin' Hoppin' Lovin'"

Sparkling idols who are the polar opposite of wolves✨. This was the opening song of the first concert I ever attended, which is a milestone for me. I was actually there in the venue for this live performance...!

I had watched them on DVD many times, but the light emitted by the real thing is many times more intense than I imagined. And what is this feeling of euphoria? There is a kind of nourishment you can only get from Naniwa Danshi.

The highlight is my favorite Nagao-kun's part: "I know how hard you've been working." If you go to karaoke with me, I will sing it while looking at your face😆🎤

5. Spitz - "Daikoubutsu"

This song, which is the theme for the movie version of "What Did You Eat Yesterday?", would create the perfect sense of unity to end the session if we all held our mics and swayed together.

"If it's something you love, I'll probably love it by tomorrow too."
When you're young, love tends to be a full-throttle, headlong rush where you want to love everything about the other person, but this song is about protecting your own space while gradually letting your worlds blend together.

Every time I listen to this song, I feel it perfectly captures the relationship between Shiro-san and Kenji—living together while still being adults on their own. It uses such simple words, yet it can express so much; are they wizards?🪄

***

Well, if we sang karaoke from the afternoon until evening and finished with this song, I'm sure we'd want to go home and eat a delicious meal.

That's how I imagined going to karaoke with a friend while selecting these songs.

To the organizers, Chainner-san and Mieharu-san,
thank you for this wonderful project🎤✨

As for who to pass the baton to, this time I will return it to the organizer, Chainner-san.

I suspect others have received the baton in the same way, so please feel free to participate only if it's not too much trouble💦

Only a few days left until the deadline!
I'm looking forward to enjoying everyone else's karaoke choices too♪