Japanese band THREE1989 – whose three members were each born in 1989 – have released their latest Song, ‘Utakata Dilemma feat. SUKISHA’. The group’s name is simply pronounced “Three”.

The song is a long-awaited collaboration between THREE1989 and cowriter SUKISHA. SUKISHA was originally a support member of THREE1989, leading to this special collaboration between two artists who share a strong history together.

The song’s title means “Bubble Dilemma”, and the song is about feelings kept in a bubble, or bottled up inside. It combines a groove-laden track by SUKISHA with the mellow vibe of keyboardist Shimo and DJ Datch, along with the humor-filled vocals of Shohei. The result is a song that could only be made by two artists who share an especially close relationship, both as individual artists and as onetime bandmates. It’s a tropical, exotic dance tune.

Comment from Shohei (vocals)

The first time I met SUKISHA, I thought he was a musical genius. That was the first ever time I’d had a friend who made me feel ‘jealous’ over music! (Laughs.) Through our live performances, we have spent many great late nights together. I’m so happy that after all these years we have finally had the chance to collaborate! I hope that this song will soundtrack a ‘great late night’ for you as well. Cheers!

– Shohei

Comment from SUKISHA

It’s been several years since we first met in Sapporo, spending countless nights drinking together as we traveled and performed music – and now I have been able to create this song together with my close friends! Because I know THREE1989’s sound well, I wanted to bring out a new side of them, so I consciously thought about the arrangement to create a sound that was not typical of their music. The song then changed once the band added their essence, resulting in an interesting song that sounds fresh even to me. I hope you’ll give it a listen.

– SUKISHA

Also, following on from THREE1989’s July single ‘Setogiwa Meets Girl’ and August’s ‘Senkou Loop’, this new single finally reveals the identity of the woman on the jacket photo, whose face had been mysteriously obscured until now. The model used in the jacket artwork for all three singles in this series is Asuka Kawatoko, a rising new-generation actress from Japan, and placing the three jackets side by side forms a cool triptych artwork.

From cowriting songs with music producers to releasing music in Dolby Atmos to hosting their own live project titled Mitsudomoe, THREE1989 will continue to take on new challenges in 2023. Don’t miss it.

Release information

Title: Utakata Dilemma feat. SUKISHA

Artist: THREE1989
Release date: Wednesday, September 6, 2023
Format: Download and streaming
three.lnk.to/utakata_dilemma

THREE1989 profile

THREE1989 (pronounced “Three”)
Shohei (vocals)
Datch (DJ)
Shimo (keyboard)

THREE1989 was formed by three members who were each born in 1989. Each of the three members write the music and lyrics together, uniquely blending 1970s, ’80s and ’90s sounds such as New Jack Swing, funk, disco and R&B, interwoven with dance music to create a sound that is both modern and what the band call “New Nostalgic”.

The band are set apart by vocalist Shohei’s incredible singing technique and stunning voice, DJ Datch’s play style that uses scratching and samplers to go beyond the usual framework of a DJ, and keyboardist Shimo’s impressive multi-instrumental abilities.

The band have already held headline shows at prestigious venues in Japan such as Liquidroom in Tokyo and appeared at multiple Japanese music festivals, as well as performing overseas in countries such as Taiwan, South Korea and Spain. They have also worked with several artists from around the world, releasing musical collaborations with Ink Waruntorn (Thailand), Midas Hutch (The Netherlands) and LINION (Taiwan) – placing THREE1989 firmly on the global stage.

THREE1989 links

Official website: https://www.three1989.tokyo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/three1989tokyo
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/three1989tokyo/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIkLs54EggGG69B1oZ8Jk7A

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