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Hana Kuro talks about her debut single ‘Be Romantic’

Japanese and British pop artist Hana Kuro chatted about her debut single “Be Romantic,” which will be released via Handcraft Entertainment and Virgin Records.  

Hana Kuro
Hana Kuro. Photo Courtesy of Handcraft Entertainment.
Hana Kuro. Photo Courtesy of Handcraft Entertainment.

Japanese and British pop artist Hana Kuro chatted about her debut single “Be Romantic,” which will be released on February 7th via Handcraft Entertainment and Virgin Records.  

How did ‘Be Romantic come about?  

We were recording many different tracks, and my producer/manager came to me with a song he felt fit me, one that I would embrace and relate to. 

It was extremely catchy and a good first single, so we recorded it, and it ended up having that special magic sound to it. It felt right and so here we are. Proudly introducing it, me, and my sound.

What inspires your music and songwriting?  

Growing up my dad listened to bands such as Gorillaz, Radiohead and Gwen Stefani, so from a young age I’ve been exposed to some amazing artists.

I mostly listened to R&B and rap artists such as Frank Ocean, Summer Walker and Kodak Black growing up.

Now I listen to many genres of music and I’ve developed a huge liking for hip-hop music…

I am a big fan of J Dilla and others and  I’m constantly feeling inspired with the variety of artists that I listen to, drawing different ideas and concepts from all over the world, taking parts of the UK music scene as well as the ones from the U.S.

How does it feel to be an artist in the digital age? (Now with streaming, technology, and social media being so prevalent)

Having to promote your song on multiple platforms and constantly pushing out content can be quite overwhelming.

Having focused more previously on creating aesthetic content, it’s a transition period for me now that I’m promoting music and having to put myself out there more.

It can definitely be challenging at times and I’m focusing on interactivity more with my followers. It is also rewarding to see all the lovely comments and to have people supporting me along the journey.”  

What do your plans for the future include?

I’ve got an exciting song collab with somebody that I really admire and love so I’m looking forward to what we can create together. 

I am also planning to move to the states as my travel has gotten quit hectic juggling my full time music career while also trying to finish my last semester of University, which has had to shift a lot to online.

What is your advice for young and aspiring artists?

Keep putting yourself out there and grasp opportunities when they come your way. I would’ve never been able to pursue music if I didn’t have my social media platform. I was unsure of what I really wanted to do, but I always knew it would be something creative.

When I got scouted to do music, it seemed too good to be true since I always loved music but never really saw it as a possibility only being brought up in an academic centered education system.

My platform really opened up a new door for me and I’m extremely grateful for everything that is has provided me with.

Which artists would you like to do a dream duet with and why?

I would love to do a collaboration with a rapper at some point since I’m a huge hip hop and rap listener. Doing a song with one of my favorite rap artists such J Hus or Skepta would be a dream of mine as I just the sound of rapper designers in songs.

There’s also something unique about the flow of UK rap that I particularly love having grown up listening to it and I would love to embrace my UK side by doing collaborations with UK artists.

I’m also a huge fan of producers such as Knxwledge and the alchemist among many others. They are incredibly talented so it would be so special if I was able to ever work on a track together.” 

What does the word success mean to you? (My favorite question)

Success for me would be making music that I love and being able to make a living doing so.

I care immensely about reaching a point of fulfilment and happiness within myself, and that would be accomplished by making music that I feel really proud of and for other people to enjoy as well.

I think getting to a place where I feel like I can better translate my ideas into music and do that successfully is one place where I will feel extremely accomplished as I really value the art and creativity that goes into making great music.

As a Japanese artist it would be incredibly rewarding to fulfill my and my teams goal of spreading the incredible music and culture of Japan and to bring J-pop and its artists the attention on the global stage they deserve.

What would you like to tell our readers about ‘Be Romantic’? (What’s the one thing you want them to get out of it)

“Be Romantic” is a very cute and upbeat song  I want it to be empowering and something that you can have fun to.

I hope that listeners can resonate with the song especially as Valentines Day approaches and can think of someone special in their life that makes them feel giddy and happy.

If not, then that’s okay too and we can just imagine as I’m currently single as well.

To learn more about Hana Kuro, follow her on Instagram.

Markos Papadatos
Written By

Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News. Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 22,000 original articles over the past 18 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a 16-time "Best of Long Island" winner, where for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022), he was honored as the "Best Long Island Personality" in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.

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