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Kyu-Kurarin

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"Kyu-Kurarin"
Single by Iyowa
from the album Watashi no Heritage
LanguageJapanese
ReleasedSeptember 4, 2021 (2021-09-04)
Genre
Length
  • 3:37 (single version)
  • 3:34 (album version)
LabelSelf-released
Songwriter(s)Iyowa
Producer(s)Iyowa
Iyowa singles chronology
"Adipocere"
(2021) 		"Kyu-Kurarin"
(2021) 		"We Are Special"
(2021)
Music video
"Kyu-kurarin" on YouTube

"Kyu-Kurarin" (Japanese: きゅうくらりん; styled as Kyu-kurarin) is a song by Japanese Vocaloid producer Iyowa. The song was first released on both YouTube and Nico Nico Douga on August 29, 2021, and released as a single on September 4, 2021. On December 22, it was included in the album Watashi no Heritage [ja].

An AI voicebank "Kafu" performed vocals, and Iyowa wrote the lyrics and created the illustrations for the music video. The composition contains experimental sounds, described as "chaotic" despite its "simple" and "powerful" chord progression, and "pop" and "catchy" melody. The lyrics, which main theme is described as a broken heart or one-sided love, are characterized as uneasy in its visual representation. The song is considered one of Iyowa's signature songs, or one of his biggest hits. Several fan works have been inspired by this song, and it is included on soundtracks for a number of music games.

Production and release

[edit]

The song "Kyu-Kurarin" incorporates a synthetic voice package named "Kafu", which was released on July 7, 2021,[1] and based on the virtual singer Kaf.[2] Shortly after the launch of the package, Japanese producer Iyowa released "Kyu-Kurarin". In a 2024 interview, he stated, "It's like the feeling of a child who has just received a new toy, wanting to get hold of it as soon as possible", and he tried to capture the fresh impression he got from the voice while it was still vivid.[3] He also stated that the song was influenced by "Sotsu Omeshiki (そつおめしき)", a soundtrack for the video game Taiko no Tatsujin.[4]

On 29 August 2021, Iyowa released the song on both YouTube and Nico Nico Douga,[5][6][7] and on 4 September released it on the music streaming service.[8] On December 22, it was included on the album Watashi no Heritage [ja].[9]

Composition

[edit]

"Kyu-Kurarin" is categorized as J-pop or vocaloid music.[8] Its chord progression is described as "simple"[10] and "powerful",[11] while the melody is characterized as "pop music",[12] and "catchy".[11] Jin Sugiyama from Real Sound [ja] states that the atmosphere of this song is created to take advantage of Kafu's voice, "which has a natural fluctuation."[2] Additionally, the song's sound is richly layered,[11] and the rhythm is not quantized.[11] As a first impression, Genko from Eureka [ja] highlights the song's "grainy sound quality, like a meme image that has been incessantly reposted, as if it had been irreversibly degraded to a 64kbps.mp3."[10]

The writer Flat of Eureka argues that the synthesizer featured in the intro, which "probably uses a chorus-like effect to excessively bend the pitch", is one of the characteristic elements of Iyowa's music.[13] Tadahiko Yokogawa [ja], in addition to the synthesizer, points out prominent elements such as the live piano, frequent use of reversed audio, and modulation, concluding that the song "is packed with the characteristics of Iyowa".[14] Satoru Wono [ja] draws attention towards the continuously playing, intricate xylophone-like sounds, which he thinks can "only achievable through programming", and also highlights the excessive amount of information per unit of time, which is one of Iyowa's characteristics.[15] Shiori Ni Fit Suru Kado from Eureka feels that the reversed audio both marimba and the wavering synthesizer chords create an effect that "evokes a sense of unease amidst cheerfulness". He praises the song as "a zenith of Iyowa's songwriting, where catchiness and weirdness coexist".[12] Regarding the dissonance used in the song, the musician Toidora points out that the song's chords "deliberately play notes that should not be played together."[16]

Shiori Ni Fit Suru Kado assesses that the drums have a light timbre maintaining drum-and-bass-like rhythm, and argues that they emphasize "the eerie atmosphere of the kicks, played in sixteenth-note clusters, implying a sense of unease amidst the briskness."[12] Namahoge from Eureka thinks the drums imitate the sound of an alarm clock. He argues that the sound skilfully resets the "half-time progression with a sudden single beat of silence", concluding that these elements depicting "the moment when one is forcibly torn from a dream" intervene in the narrative time of the song.[16] According to Genko, its "collapsed, but not entirely" tonality and rhythm add a complex flavor to what would otherwise be a simple chord progression. This structure, they argue, evokes a sense of "irretrievably falling apart with each alarm ring".[10]

Music video and lyrics

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A frame from the music video of "Kyu-Kurarin", where a girl named "Kurari-chan" falls from above and slides to the left, overlapping and forming a chain.

Iyowa also wrote the lyrics and created the illustrations for the music video.[5] Before the lyrics start, "a girl dressed like a schoolgirl and an alarm clock appear".[17] The lyrics refer to the girl as "I (わたし, watashi)",[18] but the character sheet named her "Kurari-chan (くらりちゃん)". Her hairstyle is inwardly curled with a slightly messy bedhead, wearing three pink ribbons-like hair clips placed on the right side and three flower-shaped ones on the left.[19] According to the aesthetician Yuki Namba, Kurari-chan is portrayed as "a character who sings about her restless and wandering mind that goes back and forth between hope and despair in a one-sided love", and she acts in a way that embodies the qualities of the song's sound, characterized by its "displacement, delay, and muddiness".[20]

Many fan works quote and pay homage to the scene where multiple versions of the girl drop from above and slide to the left, overlapping and making a chain.[20] Shoma Yonehara from Eureka describes it as "the most memorable scene in the video".[21] She is featured across seven illustrations—depicted eating a slice of bread, checking the time, running, and wiping sweat from her forehead. However, since there is a certain time interval between each pose, hardly any continuity in her actions can be observed.[22] According to Yonehara, this sequence draws the viewer's attention not so much to the character's poses themselves but to "the easing and spring effect of the fall." He argues that this technical simplicity encourages the creation of fan works.[23] Namba states that this scene emphasizes not only "the persona of the character in a hurry" but also "the persona of the chaotic song".[20] Furthermore, a similar sequence in the chorus, "perfectly synchronizes with the rhythm of the song, expressing the hurried and arrhythmic emotions of a character in love."[20]

Moreover, Namba thinks that in the video, the "interaction between the voice, animation, sound, direction, images and editing" expresses the emotional instability of "Kurari-chan". This kind of direction has the effect of making the viewer want to know more about the character's feelings and encouraging them to "interpretation" of the situation.[20] The singer Kokoa Ando highlighted the narrative quality that rewards the deeper analysis of the lyrics.[24] Some fans believe that Iyowa wrote this song while inspired by Sayori from the visual novel Doki Doki Literature Club!.[25][26]

Sakiko Kawano [ja] argues that the song initially gives an impression of being a heartwarming love song, with the mimetic word "kyu-kurarin (きゅうくらりん)" mentioned in the lyrics seeming to imply the girl's passion for "you (あなた, anata)".[18] However, as the song progresses, the word gradually shifts to other forms such as gyu-gurarin (ぎゅうぐらりん), and "by the song's conclusion, this word, while retaining a similar sound, transforms into one suggesting hanging (chu-burarin)."[18] She notes that its lyrics, much of which are camouflaged by a cheerful singing style, eventually reveal themselves to be about the emptiness plaguing the girl, which in turn creates a sense of emptiness in the gaze of the listener when noticing the irony between the two opposites.[27]

The Japanese word chu-burarin (宙ぶらりん) itself refers to "hanging in mid-air" or "being in a halfway or incomplete state".[28] Yutorina from UtaTen argues that the song as a whole is about her broken heart, and that the word chu-burarin expresses the girl's feelings of hanging on to the person she loves.[25]

Reception

[edit]

"Kyu-Kurarin" received critical acclaim from a number of music critics. It is considered one of Iyowa's signature songs[16][11] or one of his biggest hits.[12] Namahoge described the song as "Iyowa's glitch magnum opus", and praised the way the it expresses time through music, including the sound of the alarm clock and its divergence from dreams.[16] Flat also evaluates the song positively, highlighting how these "dissonant ornaments" are unified by "the catchy melody and powerful chord progression," maintaining "a sense of order as pop music."[11] Sugiyama appreciates the experimental sounds used in the song, such as the "hurly xylophone, dissonances, spacey synth, and reverse-audio-like effects," noting that they harmonize well with the lyrics.[2] According to Kawano, the song has become "the most popular track" on the album Watashi no Heritage [ja].[29]

On September 5, 2021, it surpassed 100,000 views on Nico Nico Douga.[30] On YouTube, it had over 1,000,000 views by January 19, 2024,[31] has exceeded the 80,000,000 views by May 2025.[5] It was ranked at the top of Billboard Japan Nico Nico Vocaloid Songs Top 20 [ja] chart, which was released on 23 August 2023.[7] Since this chart launched on 7 December 2022, the song has appeared in the chart for most weeks in 2021–24.[32] It also reached on number 7 of the Billboard JAPAN Heatseekers Songs.[33]

Cover songs

[edit]

A number of the "Kyu-Kurarin" cover versions (utattemita) have been released,[34] including a cover by Chogakusei [ja], which was digitally released on August 17, 2022.[35] The song has been covered by a number of VTubers.[34] The Vtuber Makaino Ririmu has mentioned "Kyu-Kurarin" as a song she often listens when feeling down.[34]

Games

[edit]

On January 12, 2023, the song was added to Chunithm, an arcade game developed by Sega,[36] and on July 3 it was included in Sega's rhythm game Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage!.[37] On March 21, 2024, a full-size "2D music video" of "Kyu-Kurarin / MORE MORE JUMP! × MEIKO" was released on the game's official YouTube channel, created by Iyowa himself.[38][39] On March 13, 2024, the song was added to Bandai Namco Amusement's arcade game Taiko no Tatsujin alongside Ado's song "Show" and "Halo" from Pokémon Horizons: The Series.[40]

Charts

[edit]
Weekly chart performance for "Kyu-Kurarin"
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Heatseekers Songs (Billboard Japan)[33] 7

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "【音楽的同位体 可不(KAFU) 】7/7(水) 発売情報 | NEWS" [Musical Isotope KAFU: Release Information for Wednesday, July 7]. KAMITSUBAKI STUDIO (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 13, 2024. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "syudou、Chinozo、雄之助ら気鋭ボカロPも続々制作 花譜から生まれた音声合成ソフトウェア"音楽的同位体 可不"の魅力" [Up-and-Coming Vocaloid Producers such as Syudou, Chinozo, and Yunosuke Take Up the Challenge: The Appeal of “Musical Isotope Kafu,” a Synthetic Voice Born from Kaf]. Real Sound (in Japanese). 2021-10-18. Archived from the original on 2024-10-08. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  3. ^ Flat 2024a, p. 42.
  4. ^ Iyowa [@igusuri_please] (September 21, 2021). "言われて気づいたけどきゅうくらりん結構そつおめしきの影響受けてんな ナムコオリジナルを浴びて育ったのが滲み出てるかもしれん" [I only realized it after someone pointed it out, but Kyu-Kurarin is quite influenced by Sotsu Omeshiki. maybe because I grew up immersed in Namco originals.] (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved October 29, 2024 – via Twitter.
  5. ^ a b c Iyowa (August 29, 2021). "きゅうくらりん / いよわ feat.可不" [Kyu-kurarin / Iyowa feat.Kafu]. YouTube (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 13, 2025.
  6. ^ Iyowa (August 29, 2021). "きゅうくらりん / いよわ feat.可不" [Kyu-kurarin / Iyowa feat.Kafu]. Nico Nico Douga (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 10, 2024. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "【ビルボード】"ニコニコ VOCALOID SONGS TOP20"いよわ『きゅうくらりん』が首位、「カゲロウデイズの日」の影響で じん『カゲロウデイズ』が2位に" [Billboard "Nico Nico Vocaloid Songs Top 20": Iyowa’s “Kyu-Kurarin” Tops the Chart, Jin’s “Kagerou Daze” Rises to No. 2 Amid 'Kagerou Daze Day' Influence]. Billboard Japan. August 23, 2023. Archived from the original on October 1, 2024. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  8. ^ a b "いよわ、「きゅうくらりん」を配信開始｜THE MAGAZINE" [Iyowa releases “Kyu-Kurarin” for Streaming]. THE MAGAZINE (in Japanese). September 5, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  9. ^ "いよわ_わたしのヘリテージ". TOWER RECORDS (in Japanese). December 22, 2021. Archived from the original on April 2, 2025. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Genko 2024, p. 99.
  11. ^ a b c d e f Flat 2023, p. 211.
  12. ^ a b c d Shiori Ni Fit Suru Kado 2024, p. 243.
  13. ^ Flat 2024b, pp. 181–182.
  14. ^ Yokogawa 2024, p. 61.
  15. ^ Wono 2024, p. 219.
  16. ^ a b c d Namahoge 2024, p. 73.
  17. ^ Kawano 2024, pp. 108–109.
  18. ^ a b c Kawano 2024, p. 109.
  19. ^ Iyowa [@igusuri_please] (August 30, 2021). "かわいいね" [She's cute.] (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved October 29, 2024 – via Twitter.
  20. ^ a b c d e Namba 2024, p. 156.
  21. ^ Yonehara 2024, p. 169.
  22. ^ Yonehara 2024, pp. 169–170.
  23. ^ Yonehara 2024, p. 170.
  24. ^ "SUMMER SONIC出演 DAiZY・杏藤心娃（ここぴょん）の"推し活"！ 「きゅうくらりん」「寝起きヤシの木」など推しボカロ曲＆オタ活をとことん語る" [SUMMER SONIC Performer DAiZY’s Kokoa Ando Talks “Oshi” Life: Her Favorite Vocaloid Songs Like “Kyu-Kurarin” and “Neoki Yashi no Ki,” and Her Otaku Lifestyle]. Niconico News (in Japanese). October 10, 2023. Archived from the original on October 14, 2024. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  25. ^ a b Yutorina (January 27, 2023). "いよわfeat.可不「きゅうくらりん」の歌詞の意味を考察！複雑な恋心を徹底解剖！ | 歌詞検索サイト【UtaTen】ふりがな付" [Interpreting the Lyrics of Iyowa feat. Kafu’s “Kyu-Kurarin”: A Deep Dive into the Complex Emotions of Love]. UtaTen (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  26. ^ "#ババババンビ・小鳥遊るいの"かわいい"エネルギーを補充！「バスルームガーデン」から「きゅうくらりん」まで、新旧多彩なお気に入りボカロ曲" [#BABABABAMBI’s Rui Takanashi Recharges Her Kawaii Energy with Favorite Vocaloid Songs: From “Bathroom Garden” to “Kyu-Kurarin,” a Colorful Mix of New and Classic Songs]. Nico Nico News (in Japanese). Jun 26, 2023. Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  27. ^ Kawano 2024, p. 108-109.
  28. ^ "宙ぶらりん（読み）チュウブラリン デジタル大辞泉 「宙ぶらりん」の意味・読み・例文・類語" [Chuburarin - Digital Daijisen dictionary]. Kotobank (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 14, 2024. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  29. ^ Kawano 2024, p. 108.
  30. ^ Iyowa [@igusuri_please] (September 5, 2021). "きゅうくらりん、殿堂入りした（はっや…⁉️）ありがとうございます これからもたくさん聴いてもらえたら嬉しい！" [“Kyu-Kurarin” just hit 1 million views (That was so fast...⁉️) Thank you so much, I’d be so happy if you keep listening!] (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved October 29, 2024 – via Twitter.
  31. ^ Iyowa [@igusuri_please] (June 19, 2022). "きゅうくらりんYouTube1000万再生ありがとうございます！https://youtu.be/2b1IexhKPz4 嬉しい通り越してビックリ… これからも大切に聴いてあげてください" [Thank you for 10 million views on “Kyu-Kurarin” for YouTube! https://youtu.be/2b1IexhKPz4 I'm amazed beyond happy... I'd be happy if you keep listening and cherishing the song!] (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved October 29, 2024 – via Twitter.
  32. ^ "【ビルボード】"ニコニコ VOCALOID SONGS TOP20"、原口沙輔「人マニア」15連覇" [Billboard: “Nico Nico VOCALOID SONGS TOP 20”: Sasuke Haraguchi’s “Hito Mania” Tops for 15 Weeks]. GetNews (in Japanese). 2023-12-27. Retrieved 2025-05-16.
  33. ^ a b "【Heatseekers Songs】チョーキューメイ「貴方の恋人になりたい」2週連続首位獲得 tonun／703号室がトップ10入り | Daily News" [Heatseekers Songs: ChoQMay's “Anata no Koibito ni Naritai” Holds No. 1 for Second Week; Tonun's “703 Goushitsu” Break Into Top 10]. Billboard Japan (in Japanese). July 12, 2023. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  34. ^ a b c Kizawa 2024, p. 149.
  35. ^ "超学生、ファンによる人気楽曲投票で選ばれた3曲を配信リリース 「さらにバリエーション豊かで幅広いセレクトになりました」" [Chogakusei Releases Three Fan-Voted Songs: “An Even More Varied and Wide-Ranging Selection”]. Spice (in Japanese). August 17, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  36. ^ Chunithm Official [@chunithm] (January 11, 2023). "1月12日(木)より、niconicoに2曲の人気楽曲「きゅうくらりん」「生きる」がチュウニズムに登場！" [Starting Thursday, January 12, two popular tracks—“Kyu-Kurarin” and “Ikiru” will be available in Chunithm under the Niconico genre!] (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved December 10, 2023 – via Twitter.
  37. ^ "【プロセカ】新リズムゲーム楽曲『きゅうくらりん』（作詞・作曲:いよわ）実装！" [Project Sekai: New Rhythm Game Track “Kyu-Kurarin” (Written & Composed by Iyowa) Now Available!]. Famitsu App (in Japanese). July 3, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  38. ^ Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage! (March 21, 2024). "きゅうくらりん / MORE MORE JUMP! × MEIKO". YouTube (in Japanese). Archived from the original on March 31, 2024. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  39. ^ "「プロセカ」，きゅうくらりん セカイver.のフルサイズ2DMVを公開" [Project Sekai Releases Full 2D Music Video for “Kyu-Kurarin” (Sekai Version)]. 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). Aetas, Inc. March 31, 2024. Archived from the original on March 31, 2024. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  40. ^ "アーケード版「太鼓の達人」に「唱」「きゅうくらりん」「ハロ」など新曲5曲が追加！「FOCUS ON（にじさんじ）コラボ」も" [Five New Songs Added to the Arcade Version of “Taiko no Tatsujin,” Including “Shou,” “Kyukurarin,” and “Hello”! Plus, New Content in the “FOCUS ON (Nijisanji)” Collaboration]. Gamer (in Japanese). ixll Co., Ltd. March 13, 2024. Retrieved March 31, 2024.

Bibliography

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  • "ユリイカ 2023年12月号 特集＝長谷川白紙 ―幻と混沌の音世界へ" [Special Issue: Hakushi Hasegawa—Into a Sound World of Illusion and Chaos]. ユリイカ = Eureka (in Japanese). 55 (1). 青土社: 17. 2024-12-01. ISBN 978-4791704415. ISSN 1342-5641.
    • Flat. 混沌と速度、落差と歌 : 長谷川白紙といくつかのボカロ曲について [Chaos and Speed, Disparity and Song: On Hakushi Hasegawa and Several Vocaloid Songs] (in Japanese). pp. 207–213.
  • "特集＊いよわ 「1000年生きてる」「きゅうくらりん」から「熱異常」、そして「一千光年」先…ボーカロイド文化の臨界点へ" [Special Feature: Iyowa—From "1000-nen Ikiteru" and "Kyu-kurarin" to "Netsuijou", and Beyond "Issen Kounen"... Toward the Critical Point of Vocaloid Culture]. ユリイカ = Eureka (in Japanese). 56 (12). 青土社. 2024-10-01. ISBN 978-4791704538. ISSN 1342-5641.
    • Flat. インタビュー 止められない時間の感触 ／ いよわ 聞き手＝flat [Interview: The Unstoppable Sensation of Time / Iyowa Interviewer: Flat] (in Japanese). pp. 34–47.
    • Tadahiko, Yokogawa. ＤＴＭ観点から「いよわ」を分析する [Analyzing “Iyowa” from a DTM perspective] (in Japanese). pp. 56–67.
    • Namahoge. いよわと、いよわたちの世界を裂くもの――ＤＴＭ、グリッチ、インターネット [Iyowa and the Forces that Tear Apart the Worlds of the Iyowas—DTM, Glitch, and the Internet] (in Japanese). pp. 68–79.
    • Genko. 腐りかけ、ピンクノイズ、already――いよわについてのダイジェスト [Decaying, Pink Noise, already—A Digest on Iyowa] (in Japanese). pp. 98–101.
    • Sakiko, Kawano. 潜む声、屍としての少女――『わたしのヘリテージ』の（メタ）フィクションを読む [Hidden Voice, the Girl as Corpse—Reading the (Meta)Fiction of “Watashi no Heritage”] (in Japanese). pp. 108–117.
    • Satoshi, Kizawa. ボカロ、暗号、いよわ――考察・歌ってみた・寄り添い [Vocaloid, Cryptography, and Iyowa—Analysis, Covers, and Empathy] (in Japanese). pp. 140–150.
    • Yuki, Namba. いよわと考察の美学――〈明らかに行方不明なペルソナ〉といよわ化する考察者たち [Iyowa and the Aesthetics of Interpretation—The “Clearly Missing Persona” and Interpreters Becoming Iyowa] (in Japanese). pp. 151–161.
    • Shoma, Yonehara. レイヤーとキャラクター――いよわのアニメーションについて [Layers and Characters—On Iyowa’s Animation] (in Japanese). pp. 162–173.
    • Flat. 多様なボカロ曲――いよわを通して見るシーンのバラエティ [Diverse Vocaloid Songs—The Scene’s Variety as Seen through Iyowa] (in Japanese). pp. 180–186.
    • Satoru, Wono. 合成音声と「声の民主化」 [Synthetic Voice and the “Democratization of the Voice”] (in Japanese). pp. 215–220.
    • Shiori Ni Fit Suru Kado. いよわディスコグラフィ [Discography of Iyowa] (in Japanese). pp. 240–247.
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