INDEX
Creating Songs That Become Part of the Listener’s Everyday Life — Serena
As you put together your first full-length album, MELT, was there a particular concept you had in mind?
Etsu: The title MELT came naturally partly because our previous EPs were called ripple and murmur both inspired by fluid imagery—ripples and streams. MELT, meaning “to melt,” doesn’t just capture a single moment; it feels like it captures the process of change between points, the in-between. It’s not just 0 or 100 — it’s about freezing the passage of time, something even a photograph can’t do. I feel like MELT expresses that and I find it fascinating.
Etsu: Even in songs that didn’t make it onto the album I’ve often used “melt” in my lyrics. It’s always been a word with special meaning for me. Using it as the title of our first full-length album felt like a natural, bold choice. This album reflects the past three years of our band’s growth and in a way all of our time together up to now has been melted into this record.
So this album also reflects the band’s own flow and journey.
Etsu: The songs were written at different times and in different styles, but looking at the album as a whole, its progression feels very curved. You can sense all the twists and turns; it’s far from linear. And that’s what makes it satisfying. By the end, everything blends together and finishes lightly, which I really like.
The final track, “Yoru wa Melt,” captures that perfectly, right?
Etsu:I didn’t want a dramatic farewell. I wanted the album to end on something light, so we placed “Yoru wa Melt” at the end. It reflects the fear and sadness of loss, but I also didn’t want it to suggest permanence in material things. The ending comes naturally and passes lightly. No matter how intense the emotions are, they vanish in an instant. I wanted to capture that fleeting sense within the album’s flow. It’s a feeling that might be similar to the awe or unpredictability of weather or nature. That’s what I wanted to express.
What you just said explains why rubens’ music, even when it paints such decadent and poetic worlds, still fits so naturally with the simple realities of everyday life and the feeling of actually being alive.
Etsu: Eternity only exists in the past. Trying to find it in the “now” feels like a kind of prettiness or idealization. So I make sure never to write that way.
A song like “Fragile,” with its distinctly poppy, melodious, almost kayōkyoku-style sound, feels like a fresh direction. Do you think you’ll be exploring more songs in this style going forward?
Selena: Even so, “Fragile” was actually written about two years ago.
Serena: I think every Japanese person has grown up with kayōkyoku in some way, so this sense of melody didn’t suddenly appear in us—it’s something that naturally seeped in. We don’t feel the need to define our band by labels like “pop” or “alternative.” But I do think our intention to truly reach listeners has grown stronger as a band. To me, the word “pop” means creating something that sticks in people’s hearts. I want to make songs that become a part of someone’s life, songs that people find themselves singing quietly to themselves. Songs that can really resonate with each listener.
“MELT”
Digital Release: 2025/10/29
CD Release (TOWER RECORDS Exclusive): 2025/11/5
https://ssfuga.lnk.to/MELT
Track List
1. Ai wa Yuge
2. Kaze wo Tomenaide
3. Thirsty Days
4. Warui Ame
5. Fragile
6. Tenshi-san
7. Iki Shiroshi
8. Tsukinami-chan
9. Hidamari no Naka de
10. Heart no Ohire
11. Yoru wa Melt
NiEW presents “exPoP!!!!! vol.180”
January 30 Friday
Spotify O-nest
OPEN 18:30 / START 19:00
Free Admission (must purchase 2 drinks)
Free Live Stream Available
Lineup: Suiheisen, Tadequi, rubens, and more!
Ticket Reservations
*Please note that entry may not be allowed without a reservation
https://expop.jp/news/uucqvgv9t7y2
