Mina Okabe is ready to stop worrying about how she should sound.
The singer is releasing “It’s a New Day” on Friday, which will become the lead single of her upcoming third album. The new track marks another milestone in the artist’s career as Okabe moves away from her signature dreamy pop and storytelling style.
Since her debut in 2020, the artist has built a global fanbase with her understated, personal songs. Her first album, “Better Days,” was four-time platinum in South Korea. Spotify listed her as a Radar artist, while Apple Music named her “One to Watch.”
In 2024, Okabe received the title of “New Artist of the Year” at the Japan Gold Disc Awards, emphasizing her growing presence in Asia.
She has performed at various festivals around the world, including Roskilde in Denmark, Seoul Jazz Festival in South Korea, and Summer Sonic in Japan. Her second album, “Papaya,” continued her journey across the globe, being created in Copenhagen, London, and Los Angeles in collaboration with multi-platinum producer Leroy Clampitt.
However, after creating two albums based on her own vision of musical identity, Okabe decided to move away from her expectations.
“After making and releasing my first two albums, I felt ready to experiment,” Okabe said. “I started asking myself what would happen if I let go of how I think I should sound. I knew from the very beginning of this process that I wanted to try using my voice in different ways, and I found myself being drawn to new ways of describing situations and emotions.”
Okabe has described her previous songs as diary entries. Now, the new material is becoming more of the conversations with her friends – embarrassing stories of her nights out and open talks about life and the future.
New influences have started to appear in her music. Okabe is now listening to rock, folk, and indie pop artists like Joni Mitchell, Haim, Alvvays, and Velvet Underground.
“It’s a New Day” becomes the first single that reflects that change. The song sounds bright and catchy at first, but it hides the bittersweetness underneath. While its cheerful melodies represent the attempt to find your way out of the tough headspace, the lyrics talk about trying everything to escape and realizing that sometimes there is nothing else to do but to give yourself time.
“It’s a New Day” becomes the story of many attempts to get rid of the negative headspace, though success cannot be achieved. I think the song’s main message is to practice patience and treat yourself with care. The song may sound positive, but you can also find sadness in its lyrics. However, the end is encouraging.
The contrast between the light and dark sides of the song, with its cheerful melodies and complex emotions, becomes the first hint at the world that Okabe is creating for her third album.
“I’m so happy to have this song be the first single from the coming album, because I think the sarcasm in the lyrics and the playfulness in the melodies and production give a good introduction to what’s to come,” she said.
Okabe co-wrote “It’s a New Day” with Nick Madsen and Mads Koch, reuniting with the two musicians who worked on several tracks on her first album, “Better Days.” The three reunited after some time apart, with fresh visions.
The song came about through a slightly different approach on Okabe’s side. Instead of building the song around a guitar or piano in one session, they spent several days tearing it down and rebuilding it, creating multiple versions.
“It felt like a puzzle we were trying to solve,” Okabe said. “It has been really fun to challenge myself with different ways of writing and to be okay with the process taking time.”
The experimental nature of the single hints at the evolution that is coming with the upcoming album. While “Better Days” and “Papaya” reflect Okabe’s experience in her early twenties, the next chapter of her life will be completely different.
Honesty, the core of Okabe’s music, is still present, but this time she can be more playful with it.
In her own words, the new chapter is playful, honest, and emotional.
