Blog of Sound

The second part of the Luv(sic) Hexaology by Nujabes and Shing02

The song opens with a strong hiphop drum beat that punctuates each bar alongside varying piano chords that play down a scale, each teetering off with a single note similar to a rain drop falling into a puddle (weird imagery I know, but stay with me). This is overlaid with a piercing but subdued brass lead that whines at first and then bridges into the next, giving you a sense of progression. Together, they create a disassociated feeling of longing but with a tone of presence, as if you were reminiscing over something you lost but the pain of losing it is still there within you. This further culminates in Shing02’s lyrics that take us through the acceptance of moving on and taking each day as an opportunity to move forward with what life offers us.

The song is permeated with lyricism that touches on deeper entrenched ideas of god and religion, with an early part of the song talking about being tempted by sin to shatter yourself. But, ever hopeful, Shing02 brings the song back round into a hopeful tone, accepting the ‘devil’ within yourself and knowing that there is always a ‘part 2’ where things will improve and you learn to love all the different parts of yourself. It is very reminiscent of the famous line ‘this too will pass’ and I think it’s inevitably a very hopeful and reflective stance, though it may not initially seem that way. Shing02 has previously stated that this song was the result of a wave of emotions he felt post 9/11 and though the narrative that he raps about is hypothetical, the themes of moving forward from such huge tragedy still remain equally as important today.

I feel that a major draw for me to this song is its intimate relationship with discordance which is often used by Nujabes to create complex emotions. When I first listened to it, the lyrics seemed to juxtapose the vibe of the backing track, creating a bit of a confusing takeaway. However, letting the song wash over me and trying to do away with any previous bias I might have had allowed me to understand the song in a more appreciative light. The backing track primarily gave me a sense of that sad longing and perhaps encouraged a smidge of depressive disassociation, helped along by that leading brass. But with Nujabes’ use of piano chords to pump in occasional hopeful notes he keeps the song measured, allowing the space for Shing02’s lyrics to paint a journey of growth and appreciation. If Shing02 had come out swinging around incredibly sunny and hopeful lyrics, or similarly really depressing lyricism, I think the song would be at odds with itself. It just goes to show the subtle brilliance of Nujabes and Shing02’s partnership and that tells you exactly why so many people really love these songs. Stay tuned for the next part!