Ex-AKB48 Star Vows to Continue as Idol

Jan 28, 2024 | News On Japan

Embracing Life After AKB48

TOKYO - Yuki Kashiwagi held the final performance of her live tour "Yuki Kashiwagi 3rd Tour: Yuki-rin World in Dreams and Reality ~10th Anniversary of Solo Debut, Let's Get Lost in Passion♡~" today, January 27, at Zepp DiverCity (TOKYO) in Tokyo. The tour, commemorating the 10th anniversary of Kashiwagi's solo debut, featured a variety of numbers from her solo songs to AKB48 tracks and cover songs, accompanied by her band members, leading the audience into the enchanting "Yuki-rin World."

Kashiwagi, who will graduate from AKB48 this April after more than 17 years of membership, expressed her enthusiasm, "This will be my last solo concert before graduation, so I want to sing both my solo and AKB48 songs. Let's all enjoy it to the end!" She performed "Yuki Kashiwagi's version of GO TO THE BEDS-TRUE SONG," a collaboration with the WACK-affiliated group GO TO THE BEDS, showcasing a strong vocal presence against the hard band sound. Kashiwagi then seamlessly transitioned to singing her signature song "Kuchibiru ni Be My Baby" with sensual appeal.

After temporarily leaving the stage, the band members performed French Kiss's "Rainy day" with full emotion. Kashiwagi returned in a white dress, softly singing her solo debut song "Shortcake" from 2013. She followed with "Birthday wedding" and "Sokkenai Kimi," sharing her thoughts with the audience, "You might know, I've had a rather peculiar solo career, with 'Shortcake' at the start of 2013, 'Birthday wedding' in the latter half of 2013, and 'CAN YOU WALK WITH ME??' in 2021. Thanks to all of you, I'm celebrating my 10th anniversary, and I want to express my gratitude anew."

She then delivered solo ballads such as "Yokaze no Shiwaza," "Chinmoku," and "Kazanbai," showcasing the transparent beauty of her voice that has been praised since her solo debut announcement. Kashiwagi also performed cover songs, including Fujifabric's "Wakamono no Subete" and Sukima Switch's "Kanade," each selected specifically for the Tokyo performance.

During the encore, Kashiwagi sang her WACK-produced solo single "CAN YOU WALK WITH ME??" emotionally, with lyrics that resonate with her idol life. A large shortcake was brought on stage to celebrate her 10th solo debut anniversary, to which she joyfully exclaimed, "I want to continue working hard so we can celebrate the 15th, 20th, 30th anniversaries together with everyone in good spirits!"

As the concert came to a close, Kashiwagi shared her heartfelt thoughts, "Every time I stand on stage, singing and dancing in front of you all, I truly feel that this is what I live for. Although I will graduate from the idol group AKB48, I want to continue singing for as long as possible. Idol is a job you can claim by calling yourself one, but I can do this thanks to all of you, and I hope to deliver more songs to everyone in the future."

With the passionate "Yuki-rin call" beckoning her back, Kashiwagi returned to the stage for one last song, Team B's "Shonichi," singing and dancing vibrantly. "Thanks to everyone, I've had a wonderful 10th anniversary. Seeing your smiles is truly the source of my energy and happiness. I want to continue being someone who brings cheer and happiness whenever you see me," she said with a radiant smile, concluding her last solo performance before graduating from AKB48.

Source: Natalie

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