This month’s O! recommendation is a fun one! WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA always puts me in a good mood, and they’ve recently changed singers, so today I’m going to share some of their new singles with you. As a long-time listener, it’s been a fun experience getting re-introduced to the band with a new singer, and I think it’s also a great time for newer listeners to get acquainted with the band as well! Please enjoy!
Years Active: 2012 – Present (2022)
Core Members: Utaha (vocals), Hidefumi Kenmochi (music, lyrics), Dir.F (director)
Past Members: KOM_I (vocals)
Point of Origin: Tokyo
Who is WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA?
WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA was created in 2012 by music manager Dir.F and writer and producer Kenmochi Hidefumi after meeting at the Design Festa Tokyo festival and convention. Dir.F wanted to create music with female members as the focus, and Kenmochi Hidefumi wanted to change his musical direction away from his predominantly instrumental focus after he was emboldened by the 3.11 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Ultimately they came together to create what is now WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA with their own blend of weird visuals and storytelling, lyrics that often introduce some sort of Japanese cultural topic or other historical topic with a lighthearted twist, and a distinct sound that incorporates their own blend of EDM, J-pop, and Hip Hop.
WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA went further with their personal style by contrasting their unique instrumentals with the light and airy pop-esque tone from KOM_I, who was the vocalist from 2012-2020. Joining at a young age, KOM_I joined the group solely as the vocalist until a little later on when she tried her hand at writing lyrics. She performed solo at WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA’s concerts in a high-energy karaoke style with lots of props included.
In 2021 KOM_I left the band in order to give creative control of WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA back to Kenmochi and Dir.F. If you’re interested in music by the band with KOM_I as the vocalist, I’d recommend checking out the music videos for Momotaro, Ikkyu-san, Shakushain, but in this article I’m going to be introducing my favorite songs by the band after they brought in their new singer, Utaha.
Utaha joined WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA at the end of 2021, and the band came back in full force with some solid tracks showcasing the new iteration of WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA. So far, I’ve really been impressed with Utaha’s vocals—personally I like her voice even more than KOM_I’s voice because it seems a little bit more solid at times while still expressing the light and airy vocals that contrast their signature sound. I’ve really been enjoying their comeback, so today I’m going to be recommending my favorite songs off of their latest album, “Neon.”
Edison
Out of the first few songs released by WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA in 2022, “Edison” is my favorite. The song is catchy from the start and unhesitantly integrates Utaha’s personal style into the familiar sound of “WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA.” I think Utaha’s vocals are a little bit more durable than KOM_I’s ephemeral vocals, but they both seamlessly personify the core of WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA’s sound.
Embracing Gen Z’s penchant for repetition, “Edison” is melodic from start to finish with enough deviation throughout to keep it interesting. I’m personally a fan of the short break-down around the 2 minute mark with Utaha speaking over the music in a harmonious way which is a style I’ve noticed ever since finding Zazen Boy’s song Asobi. This spoken-word style over music seems to be somewhat popular within Japanese music, and I love its subtle use within “Edison.” Moreover, in this song WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA plays within their tendency to write about topics with creative word-play by rhyming Edison with Jisonshin (self-esteem), which is a topic that is relatable to younger generations with room for the listener’s own interpretations.
Buckingham
“Buckingham” immediately starts us running with a forcible hip-hop intro that crescendos into a melodious EDM track—all the while being pulled along by an addictive percussive beat. While the song swings from style to style without taking a breath, the background textures impeccably stitch the whole song together in a way that is noticeably within WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA’s DNA. Even with one of the biggest changes a band can go through of changing their singer, this song makes it clear that they are capable of adapting while still being “WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA” at their core. Utaha’s vocals and fresh personal style also fit right in and add to the charm of the music video and song. I can see how “Buckingham” would be most people’s favorite from the first four single releases.
Maneki Neko
“Maneki Neko” is a cute and softer song with WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA’s signature percussive textures with a relaxed forward momentum that really showcases Utaha’s vocal abilities in a pop context. Utaha is a 20 year old who was already a model and a Japanese pop culture icon before joining the band. Although she was previously in a band in high school, she only started coming into her own vocal style in WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA through touring with the band.
WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA’s lyrics often reference Japanese cultural topics or traditional Japanese folktales in a fun, nonsensical way. “Maneki Neko” is in reference to the “Beckoning Cat,” a common Japanese cat figurine with a raised paw that is said to bring good luck to the owner. The video features Utaha in cute clothing surrounded by people dressed up like cats in a Japanese house. In this song, the narrator pleads, “I’m so busy I even want the help of a cat.”
In my opinion this is a great example of a song where the language clearly affects the whole feeling of a song. Even without understanding the Japanese language, the word-play is apparent and the cultural influence is front and center. “Maneki Neko” wouldn’t exist in any other language, and I love how language itself can seem to shape the music coming from a specific culture.
Overall I’m really impressed with the first four singles WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA has released with Utaha as the singer. I think they’re a great showcase of her vocals within their different musical styles, and they have great re-listen value. I’m really looking forward to seeing them keep up this momentum in their future releases.
Links
Artist Website: http://www.wed-camp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WednesdayCampanella/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wed_camp
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/utaha.89/
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wednesday_Campanella
A New Chapter of Wednesday Campanella Draws a New Era of Japanese Pop Music
Wednesday Campanella Maneki Neko 招き猫 Lyrics in Japanese and English
Re:Set Music Documentary:
This Broadcast was written by Erin; you can find them on instagram at @thekniterin.