Yankee

Yankee

The making of the 2013 single “Santa Maria” changed the direction of Kenshi Yonezu’s music. The singer-songwriter had fallen into a creative rut after completing his debut album, Diorama, leading him to retreat inward from society and songwriting. Writing “Santa Maria” helped instil a newly positive outlook on his own life, motivating Yonezu to write lyrics that were not only upbeat but also accessible and simple to understand. That newfound optimism and pop ambition are built into his first major-label album, Yankee, opening up his music to let it resonate with a broader audience. Writing more straightforward, relatable pop music for Yankee didn’t compromise Yonezu’s shifty, math-rock-inspired sound; rather, it prompted him to channel a brighter set of feelings. The pop-punk riffs on “Wooden Doll” and “Living Dead Youth” exert an infectious exuberance, shaking off the unease that had tied down Yonezu’s past work. The breeziness of the music uplifts the songs’ choruses, with tender, soaring melodies and Yonezu singing ever-more emotionally vulnerable lyrics, as on “Hanani Arashi” (“Flower in a Storm”), where he waits for a lover in the rain. The open-arms feel of Yankee extends to the lyrics, their constant use of the second person reinforcing the idea of Yonezu directly calling upon his listeners. As he candidly shares his personal pain on “Eine Kleine”, he sounds at peace knowing that someone else is there to hear him out. Throughout Yankee, Yonezu grows more mindful of how his songs are received, but also how they can comfort and connect with listeners on the other side. The result is a heartfelt album that pushed him toward mainstream acceptance while allowing him to hold on to the personable closeness that made him a cult figure.

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