Cho Min Gyu visits Tokyo to record collaboration with Japanese artist Naomi Goro, fueled by 15 years of fandom

Artist Cho Min Gyu visited Tokyo, Japan, to record a new Bossa Nova song in collaboration with Japanese artist Naomi Goro, whom he has admired since 15 years ago.

Music encountered in a cafe 15 years ago leads to collaboration with Naomi Goro

In the released video, Cho Min Gyu revealed that the catalyst for this project was the song 'Day Up, main' by Naomi Goro, which he happened to hear in a cafe during his college years. Having felt an "ecstatic" sensation as soon as he heard the first verse back then, Cho Min Gyu subsequently came to love Naomi Goro's music, and he was aware that the artist has been connected with Stomp Music, their management, since 2018. Cho Min Gyu explained that he contacted Stomp Music, and the project was made possible after Naomi Goro readily accepted the role of producing and working on the song.

To express the "feeling of walking through sunlight filtering through leaves" felt during the song's intro, Cho Min Gyu used the Japanese word 'komorebi' (sunlight filtering through trees) as a key keyword for the lyrics. He expressed that it is an honor that Naomi Goro, while not writing the lyrics, has agreed to take charge of the producing.

Working with Naomi Goro at a local recording studio in Tokyo

This project was planned to be conducted by recording with instrumental sessions locally in Japan. The video captures the process of Cho Min Gyu checking into his accommodation in Tokyo and visiting a recording studio with a local interpreter. At the recording studio, Naomi Goro participated directly to monitor Cho Min Gyu's singing.

During the recording process, Cho Min Gyu made repeated attempts to bring out the atmosphere of the song. According to the subtitles and situations in the video, Cho Min Gyu adjusted the feel of the song to match the tone of the speakers. He attempted various versions to increase the song's perfection, such as singing the last bar with a "bouncy feeling" or singing with a "cloud-like, fluffy feeling." Naomi Goro expressed satisfaction with Cho Min Gyu's recording results and shared a musical connection.

Journey in Tokyo, a record of musical inspiration and daily life

After finishing the recording work, Cho Min Gyu continued his journey while enjoying the scenery and food of Tokyo. The video depicts him spending time at an accommodation with a view of Tokyo Tower and visiting dessert shops in the Roppongi area and a chocolate shop in Azabu-Juban. Cho Min Gyu recorded his experiences in Japan, mentioning the desserts and mochi he tasted locally.

In the latter half of the video, the result of the song recorded by Cho Min Gyu plays, showing the conclusion of the project in Japan. Through this project, Cho Min Gyu showed the process of manifesting long-standing fandom into a musical result.