Ado leads a new era with her strong voice and stance
Though most people might not know of this singer, Ado has been a rising star ever since her debut release of “Usseewa” in 2022. Her strong words and voice packed into this song shook the whole society of Japan, enraging many of the older generations for her audacity to go against the society’s norm.
Ado’s first ever song, “Usseewa,” sings from the perspective of a social worker in Japan, criticizing people in their thoughts while describing themself as a model student that knows better than most people. The bored frustration Ado sings into her voice when describing the unspoken rules, and the confusing aimlessness while trying to navigate social life is very impactful.
I have been listening to her songs ever since her second sudden boost in popularity after her collaboration
voicing Uta — a character in the movie “One Piece: Film Red” — a troubled young woman with the power to literally make her imaginary world into reality by singing to her audience and dragging their souls into her dimension.
The songs “New Genesis,” “I’m Invincible,” “Backlight,” “Fleeting Lullaby,” “Tot Musica,” “The World’s Continuation,” and “Where the Wind blows,” are the turmoils Uta is going though made into a song; “Fleeting Lullaby” going as far as to say “This era screamed for help asking for salvation, but because no one noticed, I have to do it, so don’t get in my way please, I/we can’t go back now, that’s why let’s all sing together.” Even without the movie, the songs explain enough to understand the anguish Uta was going through with just Ado’s voice.
Out of all the details, considering that Ado was only 17, it was surprising how fast she had risen to the top 10 in Japan. With how strong the ideals embedded in her music are, there has been a lot of backlash, but that might be why her songs are liked; many of the newer generation, and a lot of people who wish to defy social norms, being her supporters.
“Take Me to the Beach” is a song by Imagine Dragons featuring Ado as of 2024. The lyrics describe typical life, repeating phrases like “I owe nothing, not a penny” several times in the song to get their point across. This music, though written by another artist group, is similar to Ado’s usual music style, fitting into her usual rebellious image.
“Show” had trended on many social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram and Youtube, and reels of people dancing took over my For You page for a while. The song’s lyrics address the audience directly, making it have a party atmosphere to it.
The only issue I have with Ado’s singing would be the way she sings on her world tours. Her impactful style of singing turned into a lung full of yelling, most likely from needing to sing for hours on end, making me feel a bit disappointed.
But even then, Ado as a singer is definitely one of the best that I’ve heard. Her vocal range and expression is wide, being able to convey the melancholy like in “Aitakute,” “Elf,” “Bouquet for Me” and “All Night Radio”; the desperation in “Motherland,” “Shoka,” “I’m a controversy” and “Ibara”; the upbeat feeling in “Kura Kura,” “Ready Made” and “Odo.” Her music has a catchy melody, each one unique to itself, the only difference being how Ado herself communicates the emotion of the piece with her voice.
For all that, regardless of if you understand Japanese or not, I would recommend you tune-in to Ado if listening to genres of J-pop or Vocaloid (Utaite) with amazing vocal range is your thing.
