ゆず (YUZU) have surprise-released “心をとめないで” (“Kokoro wo Tomenaide”) on October 23, the day their three-night 30th-anniversary opening concerts begin at K Arena Yokohama. The new digital single gives the celebrations a present-tense starting point instead of revisiting an older song.
Yujin Kitagawa developed the track during a songwriting period in Los Angeles, working with producer Hiroism and guitarist Takayuki “Kojiro” Sasaki. According to YUZU’s official announcement, its central impulse connects with the inward-looking theme of the duo’s March album 心音 (Shinon). A video directed by Hideyuki Tanaka accompanies the release.
Formed in Yokohama in 1996 by Kitagawa and Koji Iwasawa, YUZU grew from street performances into a long-running fixture of Japanese acoustic pop, with the interplay of their voices at its centre. The song is available through the official release page as the anniversary concerts begin.