A lot of artists in recent memory have tried to sound uneasy as a way to stand out from the often-clean sound of mainstream Japanese music, but Utae’s “Supersonic” really makes the wobbly touches worth it. It starts with twinkles and a heavily filtered voice, before letting in a slightly more inviting set of vocals and a piano line. But it doesn’t last long, dissolving in favor of skittery electronics and hushed singing fogged in digi noise. Utae easily could have stuck with this atmosphere and come out with an unsettling song, but instead she lets “Supersonic” gain steam and, in its back half, shoot forward. The stranger touches remain, but they form into something more ecstatic down that final stretch. It’s an earned release. Listen above.
