Voice actress and artist Kiyono Yasuno's fifth single, "Algorithm," was released on November 19th. The title song is the opening theme for the second season of the TV anime "The Ghost of Grief Wants to Retire," which began airing in October. It was composed and arranged by Shohei Koga of the four-member rock band YOURNESS, and was also performed by YOURNESS. We spoke to Yasuno about her new song and her activities as a voice actress and artist.
◇Become one with YOURNESS's performance
"Algorithm" is an uplifting rock song that combines Yasuno's vocals with the musical performance of "YOURNESS."
"It's refreshing and fast-paced, and it's in top gear from the very beginning. In my previous songs, I often placed importance on the harmony between vocals and instrumental music, but this time the music was completed first, and I felt like I was taking on this song! The sense of unity in YOURNESS's performance is incredible. I was nervous at first, as I was joining everyone I've been playing with as a band member for many years, and saying 'Nice to meet you.' I tried my best to become one with the instrumental music as a singer in the song."
Yasuno said she had the opportunity to observe the recording of "YOURNESS," and after seeing the passionate performance, she tried to become one with the performance.
"The band members were like longtime comrades in arms, and the atmosphere was very harmonious. They were calling out to each other as they recorded, and their breathing and playing were in sync. It was my first time seeing a band recording, and I learned a lot from it. They have such cool rhythms that I wanted to make them sound more powerful, and I think the experience of actually seeing them perform was a great help."
When recording the song, I also tried to express the sense of speed that is unique to this song.
"Actually, there were many twists and turns... The part that is now the chorus was originally the main vocal line. When we thought about where to take breaths and things like that, we hit a wall, and our music producer, Fukuda (Masao), suggested changing it to a call and response style, so we rearranged it and arrived at the current form. There were some parts in the chorus that were high in key, so we lowered the key to a pitch that could be produced powerfully, including those parts. After various adjustments, it became a song that can be sung powerfully."
The live tour "Kiyono Yasuno 5th LIVE Tour 2025 ~Until Our Rain Stops~" will kick off on December 6th at Yokohama Bay Hall (Naka-ku, Yokohama), and will visit Yokohama, Fukuoka, Tokyo, Sendai, and Osaka.
"This will be my first time performing in Fukuoka for a solo concert on this tour, which is the largest number of shows to date. I would be happy if I could raise the flag of Kiyono Yasuno as a singer in Fukuoka as well. Live performances are once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and the atmosphere of the venue varies depending on the location, so I want to cherish the communication with everyone that can only be had in that place. I also want to eat delicious food (laughs). Of course, I want everyone to feel energized by coming to the concert. I want to make this a tour where we can move our bodies a lot and sing loudly. There are chorus points in 'Algorithm' as well, so I would like to become one with everyone."
◇ Deciphering the emotions while listening to the music
Yasuno, who debuted as a voice actress in 2017, is known for her excellent singing ability and expressiveness. We asked her about her thoughts on singing.
"I don't always sing as 'my songs.' I think of each song I sing as a story and consider what kind of person the protagonist is. I create the characters for each song just as I would a character, thinking about their emotions, their age, and at what point in their life would they sing this song? Perhaps this is something that only voice actress artists can do. I don't sing as Kiyono Yasuno's feelings or Kiyono Yasuno's story, but rather as if I am speaking for someone else's feelings or acting out their story. I'm not a singer-songwriter, and I'm in charge of the stories that are the songs that composers and lyricists have created for me, so as a vocal performer, I expand on my imagination when I sing."
Yasuno's approach to singing, which he says brings a character into the song, is similar to his approach as an actor.
"The recording process between music producer Fukuda and I may be unique. We approach the songs by trying to understand the emotions, asking ourselves questions like, What is the situation right now? How are you feeling at this time? We exchange opinions, interpret the emotions, and sometimes we even argue, saying, 'Isn't this different?' (laughs)"
What kind of story and characters did you imagine for "Algorithm"?
"Actually, I had no idea at first. I was struggling to keep up with the cool performance. As it was the theme song for 'The Grieving Ghost Wants to Retire,' I was thinking maybe it was the feelings of the main character, Cry. However, as soon as I started singing, Fukuda told me, 'You're trying a little too hard, aren't you?' He explained to me, 'The main character has no motivation. He wants to run away from the problems in front of him,' but it's difficult to express that. He said, 'Sing with a bit of relaxation. The main character isn't someone who is overly motivated. He gets dragged into things,' and I was able to sing with a relaxed attitude, in a good way."
It's a complex sound that's relaxed, fast-paced, and energetic, but it was only possible thanks to Anno's outstanding expressiveness. Finally, we asked her about what she would like to challenge herself with in the future as a voice actor and artist.
"I would like to collaborate with other artists as Kiyono Yasuno. I have been involved with Walküre and Pokapoka Ion in the past, but not in the sense of forming a unit like that. I would like to collaborate on a duet song or something like that, like Kiyono Yasuno x XX. It's actually been a dream of mine for a long time! I also long for a female x male collaboration. I would like to try an even bolder collaboration."
Anima Mitsuru/MANTANWEB
