Finding solace and peace of mind in this day and age can be like finding a needle in a haystack. The continuous bombardment of important unimportance through news headlines and social media is enough to drive anyone crazy. Japanese pop singer Shihori is very aware of the times, but for her, these are mere distractions. The release of her single “Soul Trip,” produced by Killian Cruiser, is the much needed breath of fresh air in a world consumed by smoke signals.
Well-known within the Japanese Pop circuit, Shihori opts for the riskier path as she crosses the boundaries of genre limitations to marry pop with neo-soul and R&B. “Soul Trip” begins with a positive, harmonic sound that builds up to a crescendo entrance by the eclectic singer. The harmonious melody complements Shihori’s voice marvelously throughout the song as she effortlessly sings over the down-tempo electronica beats and synths.
Her lyrics entice the listener with extraterrestrial conversations about a concept she coined as “the stickiness.” She sings, “I don’t wanna drown in damned emotion,” which speaks to her not wanting to stay in a negative space. “Caught up in a bad trap,” Shihori continues. “Triggers my anomaly | The look of negative thoughts put me into misery.”
Shihori struggles not to normalize the negative thoughts, also known as the “bad trap,” out of fear of a sunken existence. The chase of these emotions coerces the singer to discover a resolution as the music transitions to survival mode. Somehow, she has to find a way to get away from the negativity. What better way to get away from the negative thoughts than for Shihori to go on a metaphorical trip to another universe that is filled with imagination, love and positivity?
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Shihori clarifies through her imagination what such a trip would be like when she sings, “My heart gets the wings, to fly to Saturn’s ring | Yes, I know the best way to ride on a sweet love-vibration | I’m so loving you…”
Left up to the imagination, “Soul Trip” evolves into a breathtaking, out of this world sci-fi adventure. It’s a healing journey of self-love with the added gratification of being meshed with soulful undertones, a much needed contribution in a COVID-19 world.
“I was pretty much stressed out at the beginning of the pandemic; all the gigs were canceled, I couldn’t have the studio sessions and photo shoots,” Shihori said. “But I told myself these beliefs everyday, I tried to find the light side of this hardship. I found this could be a great opportunity to invest in a better future while I can’t be out at all. I bought some equipment, made my bedroom into a recording and photoshoot studio, learned some new skills.”
Shihori made her unconventional music debut in Japan with the song “TSUBASA” for anime TV show Kishin Taiwan Gigantic Formula in 2007. She’s curated a portfolio of songs that have been used in films, TV commercials, anime shows and video games. To date, her discography includes 11 songs that have sold more than 10,000 copies and were certified as Gold Disc. An astronomical feat considering the adversity she faced in the past.
It could be that her multi-layer history pushed her into greatness. The independent popstar is one-of-a-kind, as she manages to make music while simultaneously dealing with dwarfism, Asperger syndrome, and partial deafness in her left ear. She’s even had to recover from being a kidnapping survivor.
Yet through it all, she still creates music that speaks to the empowerment of oneself and the longsuffering existence of true love.
“You are the person who you’ll be with the rest of your life; that’s your most important relationship, so you are the one you should care for the most, your true life partner,” she said.
Music listeners can expect her to continue to deviate from what is normal or expected of the typical pop singer. Now navigating New York, what she refers to as “the jungle,” Shihori is well on her way to making an impact in the U.S.
