Voice actress and singer-songwriter Tomori Kusunoki's second album, "LANDERBLUE," will be released on November 26th. Kusunoki has said that she wants people to "pick up the CD" rather than download it digitally. She said that she put her wish into the album, "May it become your lucky charm." We spoke to Kusunoki about the album.
◇Feel like wearing jewels
The album title "LANDERBLUE" is a type of turquoise, which is also Kusunoki's birthstone, as he was born on December 22nd.
"Digital distribution is popular, but I always tell people to pick up the CD. When it comes to adding value to a CD, I wanted to create an album that would cheer people up and give them strength, something that would act as a talisman. Turquoise is my birthstone, born in December, and its positive meanings are success, prosperity, and safety. It is also used as a talisman for travel. I wanted to create an album that people could listen to with the same feeling as wearing a jewel."
The album title is not "Turquoise."
"We also considered turquoise, but for Lander Blue, the veins have already been mined, and people are trading while assigning value to what is currently available. It is a valuable item, but we wanted to convey the idea that the desire to acquire it is important. Lander also represents a lander that lands on the surface of a celestial body, so we wanted to convey the nuance of a spirit of adventure and pursuit."
Digital distribution is convenient, but CDs still have value as physical objects, and there's also the joy of holding them in your hands.
"If what you get from digital is, say, 100, then I think that with CDs it's about 120. The concept and visuals are one thing, but the experience you get from actually holding it in your hands is also huge. Of course, I'm not opposed to digital, but if I were to create a work of art, I would have a strong desire to leave it as a physical object. I personally remember very well the first CD I bought, and I want people to feel something from it. There's also the elation you feel when you hold it in your hands, and the joy of having something in front of you. A radio listener once told me, 'The first CD I ever heard was by Kusunoki,' and that made me really happy. I can't stop releasing it as a CD."
◇The troubles of a “good student”
LANDERBLUE is a conceptual album. It has a clear flow and allows you to immerse yourself in the worldview.
"I decided the track order, but as the album includes songs that weren't originally written for the album, I considered the balance. I thought about connections based on the instruments used, the messages, etc. The concept is quite clear, so I think it will be more enjoyable if you immerse yourself fully in the worldview rather than just listening casually. I started writing the first track, 'twelve', with the idea that it would be the first track on the album, and I was conscious of creating a song that clearly conveys the worldview and evokes images."
He lives up to his title as a "singer-songwriter." Of the 11 songs, Kusunoki composed 9 himself. He also wrote the lyrics for all the songs.
"I worked hard in a short amount of time, so I'd like to receive a bit more praise (laughs). I'm surprised even at myself. I call myself a singer-songwriter, and there are definitely things I want to write, so I tried to write as much as I could. This time it wasn't too difficult, and it went quickly once the concept was decided. I write the lyrics first, so I imagine the image of the song while I'm writing the lyrics, and then I compose the music. I don't know if that's good or bad, but I'm able to do it faster than before. However, this time I had a hard time getting started, so I set a deadline for each song and worked on it while thinking about how to pace myself.
The songs were created smoothly, but the track "Soredemo" did not come out so smoothly.
"There was an incident that prompted me to write a song, but I couldn't quite put it into words... I could think of the words, but the melody wouldn't come, and I was restless, so I finally finished this song. It's no exaggeration to say that I wrote it for myself. I often write about what's inside me, hoping to convey what I have to someone, and to create something that they can relate to, but it's rare for me to write for myself. With regards to 'Soredemo,' I wrote it just for myself, with the feeling that I didn't need to release it... I think it's a special song."
When the track list was announced, the title "Hontosei" also became a hot topic.
"Until about middle school, I considered myself an honor student. I felt a strong need to live up to the expectations of those around me, to produce results. I wasn't who I really was, but I struggled with having to keep up with those expectations. Looking back on my past, I felt like the struggles of trying to be an honor student weren't really sympathetic. People who had been doing bad things are praised when they reform, but honor students aren't appreciated. It was always difficult. My worries about being an honor student were not perceived by those around me as a problem, and they thought, are you bragging? Do you really think of yourself as an honor student? They didn't see it as such, and there was no opportunity to talk about it. When I thought about delivering this song to a specific person, I wanted to empathize with feelings that not many people have shared. I hadn't come across many songs that resonated with these feelings, so I decided to write one myself."
Writing songs forces you to delve deeper into yourself. Isn't that painful?
"There are tough parts (laughs). I realize things I don't want to realize, and I put that difficulty directly into the song. I believe that there is individuality in the things I've been carrying around without realizing it until now, and by depicting emotions that are unique to me, the resolution increases, the depth comes out, and it should hit me harder, so I'm struggling to make it. It's not something that anyone can do, and I want to find my own unique style. It's more self-centered than acting, and I feel like I'm digging deep into myself."
◇I want you to find each blue
"LANDERBLUE" is an album inspired by the color blue. What thoughts did Kusunoki-san put into the color blue?
"Blue is a color that evokes many different images. It can be refreshing, the blue of youth, or conversely, the blue of sad times, or the blue of the sky or the sea. Overall, I think it's a beautiful and special color. With this album, I'm not trying to convey a specific message, but rather I want people to broaden their impression of blue. This is particularly evident in the last song, "Turquoise Blue." In this song, blue is described as something to be grasped and something that blooms in full glory. I think it's an ambiguous color in that sense. The title "Turquoise Blue" and the blue in the lyrics are not equal; I want this song to be like a talisman, like turquoise. I wrote it with the hope that everyone would find their own unique blue. Many of the other songs are straightforward and definitive, but with this main theme song, I tried to give it a broader meaning."
On December 22nd, Kusunoki's birthday, a birthday live concert, "TOMORI KUSUNOKI BIRTHDAY LIVE 2025 "LAPIDARIES"," will be held at EX THEATER ROPPONGI (Minato-ku, Tokyo).
"This will be my first solo standing concert. I put my heart and soul into "LAPIDARIES," hoping that those who listen to the music will be able to look into themselves and find their own brilliance. I want to make this a concert where everyone can find something new."
Kusunoki is a highly successful voice actress and singer-songwriter. She captivates fans with her powerful performances at live shows. We're curious to know where she gets her powers from.
"I have absolutely no stamina... Until recently, I didn't do anything on my days off, but recently I've been making an effort to hang out with friends and relax my mind. Even when I don't have a day off, I'll find something delicious to eat and something fun to do. I've started to pay more attention to my health by eating, playing, sleeping, and taking long baths."
At his birthday live concert, he will surely sing powerful songs with many emotions in his heart. (Anima Mitsuru/MANTANWEB)
