UPDATE 2014-01-22: Fuyu Hanabi has been released!
I was wondering when she’d come out with new material. I’m very excited!
Yesterday, Oku Hanako posted about her upcoming single, Fuyu Hanabi / 冬花火 (“winter fireworks”). This will be her 13th single and it will be released on January 22, 2014 for ￥1,260 (tax included; in US dollars, that’s about $12.50, but of course, with shipping fees, it’ll come out to be much more).
The track list is as follows:
- Fuyu Hanabi / 冬花火 [“winter fireworks“]
- Anata to Denwa / あなたと電話 [“phone call with you”]
- Nukumori / ぬくもり [“warmth“]
- Fuyu Hanabi (Piano Hikigatari) / 冬花火（ピアノ弾き語り）
- Fuyu Hanabi (Instrumental) / 冬花火（Instrumental）
- Anata to Denwa (Instrumental) / あなたと電話（Instrumental）
From the track list, I gather that Fuyu Hanabi is arranged (something I would expect from one of her singles). Since it has a piano hikigatari version, it’s probably more heavily arranged, like Anata ni Suki to Iwaretai or Garasu no Hana (although Koi Tsubomi and Hanabi had a hikigatari version and weren’t that heavily arranged), or perhaps like Genki de Itene. If Fuyu Hanabi is heavy, Anata no Denwa will be lighter and more upbeat, further suggested by the inclusion of an instrumental version. Nukumori is probably going to be a slower hikigatari track to balance things out. (see the update about Nukumori)
Update 2013-11-30: She has just released the cover art:
Fuyu Hanabi cover art
The Generasia wiki page has also been updated.
According to her post, early purchasers and those with reservations to the premium live event will also receive a limited edition Oku Hanako-design mini clearfile (size A5; if anyone can enlighten me on what a clearfile is, please do so!). I misunderstood it. One of the things to be given out is “a special lottery application postcard to attend a premium live event” (generasia).
It’s only about two months until January 22. I can hardly wait!
Unfortunately, I won’t be able to post any of the material from this single for about a year because I have to let the YouTube videos stabilize (although if we’re lucky, Pony Canyon will post the music video for Fuyu Hanabi and I can post that). But don’t worry, she still has a lot more songs we can go through.
Sorry, I mention singles in this post as if you should know what I’m talking about. This is partly my fault because I haven’t gotten around to building the discography page. If anyone would like to help me, please contact me.
8 thoughts on “Fuyu Hanabi / 冬花火 : A new single to be released in January!”
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As for tracks on the album that will follow this single, which I expect to come late 2014 or early 2015, okuhanako.net lists titles for some “in progress” songs:
Transliterations are from the J-talk translator, so they may not necessarily be accurate.
Actually, I don’t think it’s valid to mention the arranged version of Hanabi because the hikigatari version came first; her producers just wanted to do an arranged version because they thought people wouldn’t catch on if it were just plain piano hikigatari.