Singer-songwriter Salasa has released her second album Golden Child, approximately 1 year and 8 months after her previous work Inner Ocean. With the theme of “living with a bluesy spirit,” Salasa once again explores raw emotions like sorrow and pain in this album. However, she extends beyond personal experiences, connecting with the vast, uncontrollable rhythms of nature—such as the sun, moon, stars, drifting clouds, and rain. At the same time, the album’s sound has expanded, blending urban, dry pop elements with her own artistic touch in the artwork. Together, these layers create the unique soundscape of Golden Child.
Salasa is known for her modern sensibility towards fashion and art, extending her vision into everything from stage design to merchandise. Her approach combines a producer’s meticulous attention to detail with a heightened sensitivity to the mystical and transcendent. How was this worldview shaped, and what led to the creation of this new album, especially after a period where she struggled to write songs? Salasa shares her journey.
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Shift in Songwriting Mindset Since First Album Inner Ocean
This is your second album, how was the experience of making it?
Salasa: Compared to my first album Inner Ocean, where I had no idea what I was doing, this time I worked with a healthy amount of pressure, in a good way. That said, it’s still only my second album, so there was a lot of trial and error involved.
In what areas did you feel you were exploring the most?
Salasa: For me, music feels very close to nature, like grasping at things that naturally well up from within me. So, there are times when I can’t create songs, as if it’s part of a cosmic flow beyond my control. Since it’s my job, I have to keep making music, so I was really focused on finding that balance and capturing the right feeling.
A singer-songwriter from Shonan, Salasa is not limited to music; she also works as a visual artist, apparel brand buyer, photographer, and hula dancer. Embracing a diverse and free-ranging career, she draws on her self-coined theme, “Live Bluesy,” inspired by the blues genre born from sorrow and depression, to transform negative emotions and experiences into her art.
The release of your previous album, Inner Ocean, was at the end of 2022, right?
Salasa: My feelings about songwriting have changed a lot since then. Initially, I loved singing and had a strong desire for everyone to see me performing on stage. Since covers don’t allow for that visibility, I started creating my own songs. I didn’t actually enjoy songwriting at all in the beginning.
The initial drive was to sing, and everything else followed.
Salasa: Yes, so I had this obsessive thought that I needed to learn to enjoy songwriting to stand on stage, but I also felt that approach wouldn’t sustain me. However, in 2024, suddenly, I started feeling really inspired. It seems like the past year was just a phase I needed to go through (laughs). I didn’t manage to write much in 2023, but perhaps that time was necessary. This year, I’ve started enjoying songwriting and genuinely wanting to create great music. So, this album is the result of a changed mindset toward songwriting.
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Fondness for Late 1990s Japanese Pop with R&B Elements
How were the tracks on the album created in order?
Salasa: Although I released “f e e l d o w n” in October last year, the first track created after deciding to make the album was “Shukufuku” (Blessing). The staff around me liked it, and I felt that if we developed this song, we might be able to see the next steps more clearly.
“Shukufuku” plays a pivotal role in the album.
Salasa: Most of my previous songs were created with Kota Matsukawa from w.a.u, but for this album, I wanted to explore new elements beyond the R&B sound we’ve worked with before. For “Shukufuku,” I invited Shuhei Nishida, whom I had been following for a while, to arrange the track. Originally, I planned to collaborate with various people on each song, but when I met Nishida for the first time, we hit it off so well. I felt like we had a special connection, and the director suggested, “Why not have Nishida handle everything?” So, we started from there, and in that sense, I think it really became the core of the album.
What aspects were you particularly interested in exploring this time?
Salasa: I wanted to create great pop music. Although many of the tracks ended up having a similar feel to my previous work, this was the significant difference.
What made you feel that way?
Salasa： I’m a huge fan of the Japanese pop scene from the late 1990s, with its R&B influences from artists like UA, CHARAS, and BONNIE PINK. I think the creativity in their music was truly exceptional. It might have been the unique energy and power of that era, but I’ve been thinking strongly since the beginning of this year about how to recreate that feeling in the Reiwa era.
Did you originally listen to pop music from that era?
Salasa： My mother listened to artists like UA and CHARAS. After becoming a musician myself, I grew even more inspired by them. I love music, but I also have a passion for art and fashion. From the beginning, I wanted to be seen not just as a musician but as someone who engages with culture as a whole. I find the blend of catchiness and edge in their music, along with their established creative identities and unique styles, ideal for me as a singer-songwriter.
When I arrived at the interview location, you introduced the two people who did your hair and makeup and styling. It’s actually the first time I’ve been introduced to staff by an artist during an interview.
Salasa: Really? Not everyone does that?
That made me think you must be someone who pays attention to all aspects of creativity, and hearing you talk about it confirms that. You’re involved in your own artwork, stage decorations, and even carefully select materials for your merchandise.
Salasa: I always want to work with people I admire, and I believe that I need to be responsible for the choices I make. When it comes to merchandise, I want people to feel that they’re paying for something with integrity, just as I do when I shop. I enjoy thinking about materials and decorations, so it’s something I genuinely enjoy doing.
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Finding Joy in Providing Comfort Through Music
Back to the music, what was the inspiration behind the song “Shukufuku”?
Salasa: Over the past year and the year before, I experienced the loss of close family members and my beloved dog, and went through a breakup. Of course, I felt sadness, but I also realized that life encompasses such experiences. Even within sorrow, I find moments of happiness and see colors in the sky that seem more profound, which makes me feel moved and like I don’t want to miss those moments. This sense of finding meaning in the midst of sadness became the theme.
When it rains during my solo concerts, I often say, “It’s a blessing rain for those who came.” So, “Shukufuku” (blessing) is a familiar term for me. Connecting it to everyday farewells or the death of someone feels very natural to me.
The song captures the sense of various farewells in life.
Salasa: I wrote the lyrics “Forgive our deaths here,” and a breakup with a partner feels like a small death in the sense of them disappearing from our lives. It’s puzzling why losing someone close to us is so painful, but I think that’s okay. Knowing that life will eventually end gives me solace. No matter how many mistakes I make or how sad I get, just believing that it will all end eventually helps me not to feel overwhelmed.
In this song, the subject shifts between “I,” “we,” and “you.” It seems that there’s not a strong sense of ego in your songs overall. How do you position the presence of “I” in your music?
Salasa: I often write songs with the sense of a different self or a larger presence that saves, forgives, and accepts me. I rarely write from the perspective of my true, personal self. In that sense, the subjects and perspectives in my songs might be quite multifaceted.
Sadness and pain are often seen as things to be overcome, forgotten, or removed, but it seems that Salasa’s music, with its theme of “Live Bluely,” acknowledges these emotions as simply being there. How did this perspective develop?
Salasa: Looking back, there were people who reached out to me during times when I couldn’t see the way forward, and that changed my life. The thoughts I had during difficult times have shaped my current beliefs. I also resonate with the idea that, like in Hawaiian indigenous culture or the Taiji symbol, both negative and positive aspects have equal mass, maintaining balance.
Salasa: Those who advise forgetting or avoiding negative feelings might actually be overemphasizing their importance. Since everyone encounters negativity, I hope my music communicates that it’s not something to be overly weighed down by. I also create songs as a personal reminder to maintain this viewpoint.
In the song “Yokan,” there’s a lyric that says, “This path continues; it happens to everyone.” Throughout the album, it feels like the focus is not on “I am uniquely hurt right now,” but rather on the idea that “everyone experiences pain as a normal part of life.”
Salasa: Yes, everyone experiences pain. My songs aren’t meant to be a reminder when you’re feeling upbeat, but if they can bring comfort when you’re feeling down, that would make me happy.
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Delighting in the Quest for Truth Inspired by Personal Insights
In “Kumo ga Warau Toki,” there are lyrics that reflect on the state of having hurt someone, such as “Deeply wounded, overflowing with lamenting songs, yet I have caused harm. There are no songs about repeatedly standing still.”
Salasa: I find that songs that comfort you when you’ve hurt someone or made a mistake are quite rare. For lyrics, I usually prioritize maintaining the integrity of the melody. However, with this album, including “Kumo ga Warau Toki,” I decided to experiment with breaking that pattern and using somewhat discordant words.
Why did you decide to experiment with breaking that pattern?
Salasa: My admiration for Hikaru Utada grew with her “BAD mode.” I was captivated by how her songs often incorporate slightly unconventional phrasing that still forms a cohesive whole. This unique style intrigued me and influenced my own approach.
Which song did you feel was essential to include, leading to the delay in the release?
Salasa: That would be “Rhythm.” From the early stages of production, we had a demo of just the chorus, but the song never quite came together. However, when Nishida-san provided his arrangement, it was fantastic. Despite this, I was struggling with the melody and lyrics and considered leaving it out. But the director said, “We have to include this track on ‘Golden Child,’ so let’s push back the release.” I was really grateful for his support.
What’s the meaning behind the title “Golden Child”? The term seems to imply “a child deemed special,” correct?
Salasa: It’s a term I’ve been familiar with for a while. Before I was born, my mother consulted a fortune-teller who predicted that a “golden child” would be born to help heal the sadness from her past life.
That’s quite an extraordinary story.
Salasa: It was often a bit of a running joke in my family growing up—my parents would say things like, “You’re the golden child, so you’ll be fine” (laughs). While I don’t fully believe in it, I wanted a title as catchy and personally meaningful as “Inner Ocean” from my previous album. “Golden Child” felt right because it reflects how I view the tracks on this album as my “pride and joy,” and like my mother was told, these songs might someday help me in some way.
The album seems to start from personal experiences and feelings, but it also connects to something larger. You mentioned creating music within a flow that you can’t control—was this sense of connection to something bigger something you had even before making music?
Salasa: I think it’s something that’s always been there but has become stronger over time. As you mentioned, I enjoy exploring larger meanings, fundamental truths, and what feels close to the essence of things based on my experiences. That’s probably why both elements are present in my music.
Nature often appears as a motif in your songs, and nature is also something beyond human control.
Salasa: When living in Tokyo, it’s easy to forget, but nature is something we can’t really compete with. So, I try to keep a sense of nature within myself as much as possible. My mother is a hula dance teacher, so I’ve been practicing hula since childhood. Originally, hula was meant as an offering to the gods of all things. Since my hometown is close to the sea, and considering that menstruation was once called “the moon’s thing,” I’ve had many opportunities to experience nature as a part of everyday life.
