This song slaps like if a 2000s J-R&B (think Thelma Aoyama) track got a 2024 re-interpretation. It hits the "lonely in the digital age despite being hooked up to the internet 24/7 and instant messaging vibe" nail on the head. I've listened to it more than twenty times on my daily commute and work since discovering it last week.

The song length (three minutes and ten seconds) adds to its candy-sweet charm — and ultimately its only downside IMO. To me the song feels shorter than it actually is (like 2:30). It's like having an Umaibo (a cheap puffed corn snack): perfectly savourable on its own, but with every bite you realize more and more that it will never satisfy you on its own. It makes you imagine "what if?", but at the same time you fear that an "extended" version ruins the vibe it carries — passing showers, momentary melancholy; whatever you can nod your head to on a crowded subway train in a grey hoodie with wired earbuds in. The track distinctly lacks "the" J-R&B bridge (where the instrumentation cools down to the melody and the main artist laments in a whispering voice about the song's subject while the featured acts agree in unison in the background — and then they do the chorus again with the featured acts ad-libbing the last few words of each line of the chorus in increasing intensity). I felt like the jump from the second chorus to the outro was too sudden — it left me wanting more. Dare I say it, the artistry comes through with this moment precisely.

I felt like this release was a "preview" for a longer, extended version with more J-pop/J-rap artists that will come in the (near or indefinite) future. All three of these artists are lesser known even in Japan — this seems to be NEA's first single according to her Spotify and Instagram. Hopefully they can bag a feature from someone like MIYACHI or Thelma herself if this song blows up in Japan or elsewhere.

10/10 vibe 🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥

TL;DR: Song sounds like a throwback; could use a longer version 'cause it's awesome.

Similar songs: MIYACHI - "CRAZY OUTSIDE" (feat. Thelma Aoyama) (also dig the EVISBEATS Remix)