In case you missed it over the weekend, NCT idol and icon RenJun recently blessed us with an ethereal cover of the song ‘Nandemonaiya’ (‘なんでもないや’ in Japanese, ‘아무것도 아니야’ in Korean) on YouTube. For those of you who may not know, ‘Nandemonaiya’ is the immensely popular OST of the cult classic Japanese anime film “Your Name”, written and directed by the legend Makoto Shinkai. Both the film and the song are celebrated around the world to this day, despite being first released in 2016. So when fans saw RenJun cover this song, worlds collided in the best possible way.
Film “Your Name”
originally by RADWIMPS, ‘Nandemonaiya’ is a song known for its soulful lyrics and incomparable melody that instantly captures the film’s raw essence. Instead of the rock ballad vibe of the original, RenJun opts for an acoustic version. This allows his resonant voice to take center stage and make a strong impact on the listener.
While it’s no surprise that RenJun’s vocals are top notch, this cover makes it all the more evident. The emotional depth and dimension that RenJun adds to her impeccable vocals takes the cover to a whole new level. From the airy tones at the beginning to the emphatic statements that characterize the song’s core strength, RenJun does an excellent job of using a blended voice (alternating between head voice and chest voice) to add richness and clarity to the cover.
Plus, we also have a minimalist music video featuring this cover that has us daydreaming about RenJun as Tachibana Taki in a live-action adaptation of “Your Name”! Everybody says, “thank you RenJun!“.
What’s more, the creator of “Your Name”, Makoto Shinkai himself, watched the cover, loved it, and even tweeted about it!
So beautiful. I love that!
Cover｜RENJUN – Nothing (아무것도 아니야) (RADWIMPS) https://t.co/2TU944F3Ex @YouTubeWhat
— Makoto Shinkai (@shinkaimakoto) March 4, 2023
If you’re a fan of RenJun and “Your Name”, you know it doesn’t get any cooler than this! We hope to see even more amazing projects from RenJun in the future!
