[VIDEO]【YUGEN PODCAST】REIKO[BMSG] on Being a Third Culture Kid in J-Pop

From Asia to the World — A New Era of Soundアジアのシーンを牽引するアーティストたちとの対話を通して、“アジアミュージック”という未定義のカルチャーに輪郭を与えていく。 **■ REIKO BMSG on Being a Third Culture Kid in J-Pop** REIKO is a Filipino-Japanese R&B singer signed to BMSG, the Tokyo label founded by SKY-HI, discovered through the 2021 audition series THE FIRST with no formal training in singing or dance. A self-described "third culture kid" who writes across Japanese, English, and Tagalog, he has become one of the most distinctive new voices in Japanese pop — and one of the very few carrying Tagalog into it.His catalogue moves freely between the two countries that made him: "LOVE DEEPER," built on a sample of Toshinobu Kubota, a founding figure of Japanese R&B, and "Folklore Vol.1 – Tadhana / Multo," his Tagalog covers of Up Dharma Down and Cup of Joe — two of the most beloved names in modern Filipino music.In 2024 he played his first show outside Japan in Manila, his first time back in the country since he was seven. Bridging Tokyo and Manila, REIKO carries both sounds to the world. \*\*マニラ生まれ、日本育ち。タガログ語をJ-POPのど真ん中へと運び込むシンガー。\*\*SKY-HIが設立した東京のレーベルBMSG所属。2021年、歌もダンスも未経験のままオーディション「THE FIRST」に参加し、その成長速度と音楽的ポテンシャルからトレーニー契約を勝ち取った。日本語・英語・タガログ語を行き来しながら曲を書く彼は、自らを「第三文化の子（Third Culture Kid）」と呼ぶ。その作品は、彼をつくった二つの国のあいだを自在に往復する。日本のR&Bの礎を築いた久保田利伸をサンプリングした「LOVE DEEPER」。そして、フィリピンの現代音楽を代表するUp Dharma DownとCup of Joeの2曲をタガログ語でカバーした「Folklore Vol.1 – Tadhana / Multo」。2024年、初めての日本国外公演をマニラで行った。7歳のとき以来の、故郷への帰還だった。東京とマニラを双方向に結びながら、その両方の響きを世界へ届けている。 ■ FOLLOW REIKO Official Website: https://reiko-bmsg.tokyo/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reiko\\official/ X: https://x.com/reiko\\official TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@reiko\_bmsg.official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/REIKOBMSG REIKO Official YouTube: @reiko\_bmsg Streaming: https://reiko.lnk.to/artist Official Fan Club "R&ME": https://bmsg.shop/pages/reiko-fc-members ■ YUGEN OFFICIAL Web Site: http://ygen.net/ 【Time Stamps】 00:00 - Intro & Welcome REIKO to the YUGEN Podcast 00:30 - Born in Manila, Singing in Japan 01:14 - The School Lunch He Couldn't Eat 02:31 - The Eldest of Eight: Learning Japanese On His Own 04:48 - "What Are You?" — Half, Quarter, and Identity 05:42 - Finding the Words: Third Culture Kid 07:37 - The Message Behind the Music: Be Yourself 09:54 - The Moment He Realized He Was Different 12:52 - Japanese Schools, Order, and Holding On to Your Identity 15:03 - The Day He Started Singing: A Second Grade Music Class 17:08 - Ariana Grande's "Break Free" Changed Everything 17:54 - Self-Taught: Karaoke, YouTube, and a Perfect Score 21:31 - Auditioning for THE FIRST During Covid 22:41 - His First Dance Lesson Ever — Next to BE:FIRST's SOTA 23:53 - What Dancing Saved Him From, and What SKY-HI Saw 25:11 - The Three Rounds: Creativity, Quality, Artistry 28:56 - Two Years as a BMSG Trainee 30:19 - MAZZEL, the Spotlight, and the Decision to Go Solo 33:33 - Rebuilding Himself as a Solo Artist 35:11 - Facing His Own Insecurities 37:13 - Perfectionism and the Lyric That Freed Him 38:18 - What "Be Myself" Means to Him 41:09 - The Story Behind His Debut Single "Butterfly" 43:02 - Why He Writes in English, Japanese, and Tagalog 46:02 - How Each Language Changes What He Writes 48:35 - Singing Tagalog Covers for His Parents 49:11 - Performing in Manila in 2024 51:01 - Two Live Cultures: Listening vs. Joining In 54:41 - Releasing a Fully Tagalog Song in Japan 56:59 - "Let the Song Do the Work" 57:32 - What Asian Music Could Be 59:45 - His Role: Connecting Cultures 1:01:49 - Folklore Vol.1 and What's Next CREDITS YUGEN Production Committee ― MC: Isaac Y. Takeu Guest: REIKO Creative Producer: Yamato Miyake Creative Direction: GOLDNRUSH Co., Ltd. Art Department: ONSA Inc. Art Director: sami Art Department Coordinator: Riku Matsuse Production: OASIZ Inc.