Hello everyone!

To celebrate another song release, I wanted to share a bit about the process behind creating it!

This song was heavily inspired by images. I knew I wanted to create a song that felt like seeing through strobe lights, lights reflecting off of jewelry, blues, purples and pinks, and had the energy of an isolated connection with muffled sounds of a party. Writing an upbeat, sort of dance song like this is not in my nature, so it took a bit of time to finalize concepts, lyrics, and the title - it was a long process, but I'm so thankful for it as it led to the beautiful final version of ‘Tonight’ you all know! This song required many different things within the writing process - some songs need to be typed, others need to be journaled, but this song needed me to turn my room lights to blue and pink, and use a highlighter to highlight all lyrics I wanted to keep. I finished writing the song like this, and ended up with a page full of highlighted lyrics. I can’t really explain why it needed to be that way, perhaps it was the atmosphere or visuals in my room that matched the song.

Before the writing process was really finished, I had sent a version to my producer, Kevin McNoldy, and it sat in the cue for a bit waiting to be recorded. Within that time, that’s when I realized it really wasn’t finished, and I made some adjustments a couple weeks before recording. I’m grateful that there was time to let it sit, and I could come back to it objectively. After those final edits were made, we began working on it in the studio. Kevin created the incredible track based off of the chords, and some inspiration for what I wanted the song to sound like - as soon as he sent back the beat, I was freaking out. It was perfect, and exactly the feel I wanted for ‘Tonight’. From there, we recorded vocals and went through the track to make any edits or additions. Kevin and I really were on one brain wave during the creation of this song, as we bounced ideas back and forth that just worked - it felt like it all made sense, and was coming together perfectly.

And now, the song is completed, and out for you all to listen to! I hope it can bring some light and joy to your day, and I hope you love it as much as I do. Thank you for joining me as I explain some of the process behind ‘Tonight’, and thank you for your love and support always!!!

Tags: tonight

Kira's fourth single, Tonight, is out now! You can hear it on all major streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music, and there is a Hyperfollow page that links to all. You can also download the full-resolution version of the song for free by signing up for Kira's newsletter.


Tonight
Rings on my neck, my arms, my back
Your breath on my ear, it blooms blue and black

Shining eyes, flashing wrists, pieces of faces, and bruised lips
Diamond eyed, state of mind

Lose myself, tonight with you
Lights capture blinks of new
The taste of your voice, sweet honeydew
I breathe in all the ways you move

Tell me tell me you know
I want to take this real slow
Let me breathe, don’t let me go
I know I know I owe
All the things I denied
So I could lose myself, with you tonight

Your aftertaste, stains my head
Your shape on my sheets, words unsaid

Shining eyes, flashing wrists, pieces of faces, and bruised lips
Diamond eyed, state of mind

Lose myself, tonight with you
Lights capture blinks of new
The taste of your voice, sweet honeydew
I breathe in all the ways you move

Tell me tell me you know
I want to take this real slow
Let me breathe, don’t let me go
I know I know I owe
All the things I denied
So I could lose myself, with you tonight




Song Credits
Written by Kira Takei
Produced, engineered, mixed, and mastered by Kevin McNoldy
All vocals performed by Kira Takei
All instruments performed by Kevin McNoldy

©2023 Kira Takei / Cphonic Records. All rights reserved.

Tags: tonight

Hey everyone! In today’s post, I will be walking you through what a day in my life looks like! Of course, my schedule will vary based on the day, but here is a typical Monday, and I will explain some of the things I will prepare for the upcoming week!

When I wake up (around 7), the first thing I do is water my plants and give them a light mist. Then, after I get my coffee and light my candle, I'll sit down at my desk and start on some work. ‘Work’ means schoolwork first (I do online school), then I work through any music/dance work. Music work can range from writing a new blog post, figuring out a song artwork cover, writing up new concepts, listening to mixes, or figuring out scheduling. Dance work can mean scheduling, going over rehearsal schedules for the week, going over choreography for competitions or shows, choreographing combos, or sometimes choreographing pieces. As I come off of being creative with dance, I'll take a minute to let everything sit as I clean my room, wash my face, and make my bed. Once my favorite space to write is clean and clear (my room), I'll sit down on my bed and start working on the creative side of music. I’ll begin my creative process (which has its own blog post, if you want to check that out) and work through any other final touches to my music. Then I eat lunch and if i’m lucky watch an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race with my little sister while we eat. After lunch, I’ll do activities based on the day such as cleaning my car, deep cleaning my room, laundry, reading, journaling, any extra work, or helping around the house before I get ready for dance. I dance Mon-Wed, then Fri-Sun. Mon-Wed are company classes, typically from about 6-9pm, then every other Friday I assist/sometimes teach combos and phrases for PrePro Apprentice (a program at CC&CO Dance Complex). On Fridays I also go to the music studio, from about 11am-1pm, where my producer (Kevin McNoldy) and I track vocals, work on mixes, and work on anything we need to while together. Saturday and Sunday are blocked off for almost full day dance rehearsals, with PrePro (a program at CC&CO Dance Complex) every Saturday from 11am-3pm(ish). After coming home from dance, I'll take a shower, wash my face, eat some dinner, and head to bed.

And that’s a day in my life, with a little bit of what my week looks like!... I hope it made sense! Being a graduating senior, my schoolwork load is much lighter this year which allows for more time to be creative and work on what I love to do. I’m so excited for next year when all I do is be creative! I’ll be sure to write an updated day in my life so you can see what my gap year looks like!

Thank you for reading!

Tags: general

As February comes to an end, I wanted to share some of my ‘favorites’ from this month! Ranging everywhere from choreographers to scents, here are some things I’ve been finding inspiration and joy from!

TV Show - Steven Universe: focused on a young boy living in ‘Beach City’ who is half human half ‘gem’, you follow his journey as he fights alongside the ‘Crystal Gems’ to protect the Earth from harm. This show does an amazing job in world building, and has such deep and personal characters each with their own complex history. While it is a children’s show, there are many lessons that can be learned from the themes throughout the program. My favorite character is a gem named ‘Peridot’, as she undergoes deep character development and questions everything she knows and everything she ‘should’ be. I’m re-watching this show now for about the 3rd time, and each time I understand it more and more.

Scent - Coffee: my mom recently gifted me a coffee-scented candle, and I must say It has helped me greatly in staying focused. Maybe it’s because it reminds me of a coffee shop where I study and get work done, or maybe because it encourages me to finish so I can get another cup of coffee. Coffee has been my favorite scent this month, but nothing will top my all-time favorite: lavender.

Book - ‘The Second Nature of Indigo’ by Aubin Elise: I have a degree of dyslexia, so reading can sometimes become very frustrating and take long periods of time, pushing me away from reading books. However, when my wonderful, talented, and kind friend I met years ago in Driver’s Ed published a mystery novel, I knew I had to read it. I find her process fascinating, and I can see all the years of work that have gone into creating her book - I LOVE learning, seeing, and experiencing ‘the process’. I am so happy (and proud) to say although it’s taken me a couple months, I am now on Chapter 6 of this wonderful book, and cannot wait to see where it takes me! I am already so hooked, and I am excited to see how the story evolves. Thank you Aubin for sharing your beautiful work to the world. Here is a link to her website with more information on her book, as well as the author herself! https://aubinelise.com/

Choreographer - Emiliano Jimenez: CLI Conservatory alumni, Emiliano is pushing the boundary between modern art and dance. His pieces of work are so unique to his mind, and it is captivating to think of his process. His vocabulary for dance is so vast, and it is pure magic to see it being used so precisely. Here are a couple Instagram links to different pieces:

‘Base.’ - https://www.instagram.com/p/CbVj_CHjJD4/
‘abcdEfg’ - https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn8BzwLj3oO/

Mind = Blown

All Time Favorite thing this month: I have been so, so, so obsessed with the Ocean. Most of my artistic inspiration from this month has been drawn from the Ocean, and I have learned many lessons in letting go but not forgetting. From the tides to the deep sea creatures, my heart has resonated with the water. I recently made a day trip to an Aquarium and beach with my boyfriend, and as we walked on the sand and heard the subtle waves crash, my heart felt so full. There’s a healing property to the Ocean, and all it has to offer. I’m beyond thankful to live on this planet with our waters, and the life it inhabits. Here are some ‘sub’ favorites relating to our Oceans:

Movie - Children Of The Sea: girl this movie will mess you up… in the best way. Not only is it visually stunning, but the story of purpose is one I’m still processing. There are many words spoken in that film that I am still dissecting, but I know resonate. I highly suggest watching this movie at some point - I also suggest watching with an open mind, with no expectations. It is stunning, existential, beautiful, and crazy.

Animal - Female Fanfin Sea Devil: I was watching a deep-sea documentary with my Mom one day, and this strange, powerful, and intricate animal was highlighted. How is it that these rare animals exist on this Earth? The Biology and Anatomy of this Fish astounds me. And, her movements inspire me. Here are a couple links to Youtube videos exploring the Female Fanfin Sea Devil!

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zBHMRl0Xjd4

https://youtu.be/QqAPGWLvpmY

The Facts - Check out this video to fully understand how deep and vast our oceans are… INCREDIBLE!!

https://youtu.be/GE-lAftuQgc


These are my favorites from this month! Thank you for reading, and thank you for your ongoing love and support! I cannot wait to share my favorites from the upcoming months! :)

Tags: favorite things