Soup Stew

Nao-Rew is a Japan-born singer-songwriter who handles every aspect of her music herself-from lyric writing, composition, and arrangement to vocals and beat-making.

Her new single, "Soup Stew," features a hip-hop-based foundation with an impressive bassline that incorporates elements of R&B and city pop. Airy flute lines, synths, guitar, clavinet, organ, and Nao-Rew's distinctive high-register vocals layer delicately to create a warm and rich sonic texture.

The song's protagonist is a woman on her way home from work at dusk, carrying a grocery bag filled with ingredients for that night's "soup stew." As she walks, past memories briefly resurface.

Moments of failure, separation, challenge, and resignation-everything she has accumulated over time-settles on her quietly, echoing the weight of the bag in her hand.

She is by no means unhappy with her current life, nor does she intend to cast aside everything she once gave up. Yet somewhere within, she feels a faint fear of reaching for a greater happiness.

Having grown older and learned both how to be honest with herself and how to bounce back, she gathers her courage to choose one more step toward "happiness." What might await her beyond that choice?

Set in the heart of winter, when the nights feel slightly longer, "Soup Stew" is a track to savor slowly-inviting listeners to reflect not only on the protagonist's story, but perhaps on their own.