Nao Yoshioka / Flow [CD]

Collaborations with a New Generation of Artists Leading Scenes Around the World

 - A story of rebirth beginning in post-pandemic Tokyo, breaking a five-year silence -

An open sound of unity and rebirth born beyond the pandemic: resonating with artists representing scenes from around the world

Nao Yoshioka's latest album "Flow," which has overcome the trials of the pandemic and found light again, is a collaborative work that brings together artists representing scenes from various countries, reconnecting a divided world with a musical bridge. Collaborations with artists representing scenes from the US, UK, Netherlands, Australia, and Japan, including Devin Morrison, Takuya Kuroda, Reuben James, MXXWLL, Jarreau Vandal, and JAEL, highlight her musical identity. The album also features an elite team of engineers, including Qmillion, who mixed Robert Glasper's representative works, and Sam Brawner, who worked with Anderson .Paak. With the theme of a journey of self-discovery and self-expression after difficult times, this album, guided by Nao Yoshioka's deep creativity drawn out in a state of flow, leads to an expansive sound that will move listeners' hearts and bodies and invite them into their own immersion. Fusing soul, R&B, jazz, and funk, this work becomes a symbol of hope and rebirth that Nao Yoshioka delivers to the world, resonating as a timeless musical baton.

The Road to "Flow": A Story of Self-Deconstruction to Rediscovery

In 2019, Nao Yoshioka released her previous work "Undeniable" and was based in New York. Soon after, the pandemic hit, forcing her to return to Japan. The next five years were a continuous struggle. Her dreams were shattered by the pandemic. Subsequently, suffering from autonomic dysfunction and panic disorder, she was forced to fundamentally re-examine her way of life. The self-deconstruction that occurred here was a moment of breaking away from "the person she wanted to be." However, behind this, she met her clumsy true self and was led to genuine self-discovery. She accepted "herself as no one in particular," temporarily forgot her career, and by pursuing what moved her heart without regard for work or personal growth, she discovered a brighter self than ever before. This process is connected to the album's theme of "flow." This fifth work can be called her re-debut with this new self. A new world was beyond the door opened by a forced reset. "Flow" features Nao Yoshioka's honest and mature music, which has built her career without being bound by the past or denying it.

TRACK LIST

1. Free as a Bird feat. Jarreau Vandal
2. My Love feat. Jarreau Vandal
3. Nobody Chase Me feat. Devin Morrison
4. Love Is What We Find feat. JAEL
5. Knock on Your Door feat. Big State 
6. You Never Know
7. Feeling So Bright feat. MXXWLL
8. Unapologetically Me feat. Takuya Kuroda
9. Anywhere Anytime feat. Nappy Nina
10. Selfish feat. Reuben James
11. Note to Self feat. Devin Morrison
12. Let It Flow