Nearly a year after withdrawing from girl group Keyakizaka46, former center Yurina Hirate surprised fans with a performance of her debut solo single on annual music broadcast FNS Kayosai. It was a show-stopping moment, befitting a song as bold and exciting as Reason For Dance (ダンスの理由). With her hard-hitting performance style and androgynous style, the prospect of a solo career is ridiculously exciting. And if Dance is any indication, we’re in for one hell of a ride.
There’s a satisfying blend of strength and pathos within this song, made even more thrilling given its grandiose arrangement. Reason For Dance uses a drumline approach to percussion as its base, imbuing the track with incredible energy right from the start. This production pulls back for some surprisingly funky moments, then slams in again with renewed fury during the bombastic chorus. The wordy verses move a mile a minute – an anguished stream of consciousness that blends surprisingly well with the dynamic drum beats. Hirate’s delivery is a mix of frustration and passion, and gives the song a messy quality that sets it apart for your traditional pop single.
After an extended, brass-filled breakdown, Reason For Dance reaches its impressive climax. The chorus reveals its full fervor here, building to a goosebump-inducing key change that brings the track to an overwhelming finish. There are moments that echo the Keyakizaka46 sound, but the fact that this is driven by a single voice gives it a personality all its own. It’s rare that a sonic spectacle like this feels so intimate and unguarded, but Reason For Dance manages to thread that needle perfectly.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 10 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 10 |
| RATING | 9.5 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Whoa, what just hit me?
The thing that instantly got me into this song is Hirate’s vocal performance, it sounds like nothing else this year. I am not sure if I like it or not, but it has gotten my attention. And then we have the ambitious, funky, instrumental, boy is it good! The key change is perhaps the song’s best moment.
It is going to take some time to unpackage the song, but I think I will do that.
And boy is that one solid MV…
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Wow. This is amazing. This is stunning and the most creative piece of music I’ve seen in 2020. Breathtakingly beautiful and empowering. The mixing in the last section was a problem but it is one of the best records in the year. I didn’t thought 2020 would be better, in December. For me, it is a classic, 9/10.
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https://108ent.blogspot.com/2020/12/review-yurina-hirate-techi-reason-for.html
Oh and here is my review, for all those interested.
I think J-Pop has made it a habit to release 9.25-9.5 singles in December over the last past few years, and this might be the most instant of all of them 🙂
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It is way way way to saturated this instrumental, and will only work with this “naturalistic” japanese pop singing style. A more polished voice from SK or any english speaking country would just disconnect with the background
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I really didn’t expect Techi’s single after withdrawing drama and she perform it on the same day with Sakurazaka46 lol
Typical song that hit your face so hard. Such a good and unexpected Christmas gift from Techi. Thanks for the review, Nick!
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hey just wondering are u gna review cry for me by twice? the audio came out last friday!
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I do not think he will, as it did not have an MV, and I am not sure he found it buried treasure worthy.
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Correct. Under my way of doing things, I’d have to consider this a “buried treasure.” I do like the song, but not enough to give it the 8.5+ rating that that feature requires.
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I don’t know who is this person before this article, ends up loving her song from the first second.
It feels like a war cry type of song which is perfect for getting attention from new people like me. Might have to check out her next releases
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Former center of a popular jp idol group who got overworked to death and ultimately left. She was such a big deal her former group changed their name after lol.
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