Jenga

* Cover

## Audio

**Jenga** (ジェンガ) is a song by Novel Core and the lead track of his first major EP iCoN. It was pre-released digitally on January 11, 2023.

## Background and Release

"Jenga" is a gem of a collaboration between Ryosuke "Dr.R" Sakai, a producer who has worked on a wide range of music genres both domestically and internationally, and Novel Core, who has roots in a wide variety of genres and cultures other than Hip-Hop. Novel Core's expressive voice resonates with a large scale track that echoes with a wide range of strings. The chorus features Yuho and Kayo, both members of SKY-HI's house band THE SUPER FLYERS.

The emotional lyrics express the fleeting beauty of life that will surely come to an end one day, just like the "Jenga" piled up high.

The song was chosen as the power play song for J-WAVE's "SONAR TRAX" (January 2023), FM FUJI's "SOUND FOREST" (January 1~15 2023) and Bunka Hoso's "Nishikawa Aya no Creativity-bu" (January 23~27 2023).

The music video was released January 18. He supervised the entire process from scriptwriting to direction making "Jenga" his directorial debut.

## Credits

### Song

* Lyrics: Novel Core
* Music: Novel Core
* Producer: Ryosuke “Dr.R” Sakai
* Chorus: Yuho Yoshioka, Kayo
* Strings Arrangement & Programming: Natsumi Osawa
* Recording & Mixing Engineer: Ryosuke “Dr.R” Sakai @ STUDIO726 TOKYO
* Mastering Engineer: Stuart Hawkes (Metropolis Studio)

### Music Video

* Starring: Nonoka Kubo, Soma Hirahara, Iina Nagoshi

* Cast: Takanobu Kaneko, Yuki Yamamoto, Yu Okada, Daiki Uyou, Manato Tada,
Hideki Nakayama, Chikae Oono, Hinata Haruki, Mariko Iwata, Ryuusei Fujiwara,
Motoaki Ushio, Chie Matsumoto, Hikari Hanyu, Anna Egami, Midori Ouzono,
Kohei Kobayashi, Shuto Chino, Mina Kawabata, Karen Numabe

* Special Thanks: United Performers’ Studio, Inc.

* Director: Novel Core
* Cinematographer: ill

* Producer: Shigemaru Nagai (GLAM), Takanobu Nishimori (GLAM)
* Production Manager: Takaya Sekigami, Akihiro Marume（GLAM)
* Production Assistant: Ryo Minekawa
* Assistant Director: Chie Maruoka

* 1st Camera Assistant: Kenichi Yamada
* Camera Assistant: Sena Okamoto, Yuya Kimura
* Lighting Director: Seigo Hirao (SHUHEI Inc.)
* Lighting Assistant: Chizuru Koga (SHUHEI Inc.), Yota Kinoshita, Sota Sugiyama
* Props Stylist: Shoko Nishida (CINQ-ART Inc.)
* Props Assistant: Kotoe Kawamura, Shota Kume, Tatsuya Hirata, Takumi Furuya

* Stylist: Natsuki Takase
* Stylist Assistant: Tomoaki Yokoichi
* Cast Hair & Make-up: Maiko Nitta
* Cast Hair & Make-up Assistant: Rina Iino
* Novel Core Hair & Make-up: Asami Harano

* Making: Tetsuhito Udagawa

## Performances

* [2023.01.21] Novel Core ONEMAN LIVE -Untitled-
* [2023.02.12] SOUND CONNECTION - NO LIMIT -
* [2023.03.03] MEET YOUR ART FAIR 2023 "RE:FACTORY"
* [2023.03.11] Chou Onpa VIVIVI SONIC
* [2023.09.03] Rolling Stone Japan LIVE 2023
* [2024.01.17] ONEMAN LIVE -I AM THE HERO- at BUDOKAN

## Lyrics

***This page contains differently colored text. For the best viewing experience, please use the desktop website.***

**Featured Members**Novel Core

**Lyrics**
* Side-by-Side View
* Japanese
* Romaji
* English

**Romaji Lyrics + Color Code**
Iki wo fukaku suikonde koraeta namida

Mabataki mo kowaku naru kurai no keshiki dakara

Konna ni mo tebanashitakunai itooshisa mo

Itsu no hi ka bokura wa wasurete shimau no ka na

Ushinau koto ni narete iku koto sae mo

“Tsuyoku naru” to yobu no nara

Sore demo sa

Mada koko ni itai

Daiji na mono bakari fuete iku bokura wa

Yokoku mo naku otozureru owari ni obieteiru

Kyakuhon mo nai suujuu oku byou no eiga no saigo

Koko ni itai dake endo rooru ga owaru made

Sekaijuu tabi shite mita wake demo nai no ni

Koko dake ga boku no ibasho nan da to omotta

Kanpeki ni wa wakariaenai no ni bokura wa

Shiritagaru hito no kokoro no sono uchigawa wo

Kizutsuku koto ni narete iku koto sae mo

“Ikite iku” to yobu no nara

Da to shitara

Arigatou ga iitai

Tsumiageta jenga ga kuzureru you ni

Bokura ni mo kanarazu wo wakare ga kuru kedo sore demo

Deaeta kiseki wa shinanai eikyuu ni

Boku no naka de ima bokura no naka de

Oh yeah Oh yeah

Oh yeah Oh yeah

Oh yeah Oh yeah

I know it, We know it, be ok (Hey)

Oh yeah Oh yeah

Oh yeah Oh yeah

Oh yeah Oh yeah

I know it, We know it, be ok (Hey)

Feel alright, and life is a journey

Be alright, ‘cause life is a movie

Feel alright, and life is a journey

Be alright, ‘cause life is a movie

Many tears, many pains, now shining!

Nothing is wasted, now shining!

Everything in my life is part of me

**English Translation**
I take a deep breath while enduring my tears

Because this view makes me afraid to even blink

I wonder if someday we'll someday end up forgettting

This love I don't want to let go of?

As long as what they call "getting stronger"

even means getting used to losing things,

I still

want to be right here

The things precious to us just keep increasing

And we start being afraid of an unexpected ending

At the end of billions of seconds of unscripted movies,

I just want to be here, until the credits are over

It's not like I've traveled the whole world or anything, but

I thought that this place is where I belong

Even though we can't understand each other perfectly,

We want to know what's inside each other's hearts

If what they call "living"

even means getting used to getting hurt,

If that's the case...

Then I want to say thank you

Just like when a stacked Jenga tower comes tumbling down,

The day we part will definitely come for us too, but even then

The miracle that we met will never die, forever

It's in me, now, and it's in us

Oh yeah Oh yeah

Oh yeah Oh yeah

Oh yeah Oh yeah

I know it, We know it, be ok (Hey)

Oh yeah Oh yeah

Oh yeah Oh yeah

Oh yeah Oh yeah

I know it, We know it, be ok (Hey)

Feel alright, and life is a journey

Be alright, ’cause life is a movie

Feel alright, and life is a journey

Be alright, ’cause life is a movie

Many tears, many pains, now shining!

Nothing is wasted, now shining!

Everything in my life is part of me

**Japanese Lyrics**
息を深く吸い込んで堪えた涙

瞬きも怖くなるくらいの景色だから

こんなにも手放したくない愛おしさも

いつの日か僕らは忘れてしまうのかな

失う事に慣れていくことさえも

「強くなる」と呼ぶのなら

それでもさ

まだここにいたい

大事なものばかり増えていく　僕らは

予告もなく訪れる　終わりに怯えている

脚本もない数十億秒の映画の最後

ここにいたいだけ　エンドロールが終わるまで

世界中　旅してみた訳でもないのに

ここだけが僕の居場所なんだと思った

完璧には分かり合えないのに僕らは

知りたがる　人の心のその内側を

傷付く事に慣れていくことさえも

「生きていく」と呼ぶのなら

だとしたら

ありがとうが言いたい

積み　上げたジェンガが崩れるように

僕らにも必ずお別れが来るけど　それでも

出会えた奇跡は死なない　永久に

僕の中で　今　僕らの中で

Oh yeah Oh yeah

Oh yeah Oh yeah

Oh yeah Oh yeah

I know it, We know it, be ok (Hey)

Oh yeah Oh yeah

Oh yeah Oh yeah

Oh yeah Oh yeah

I know it, We know it, be ok (Hey)

Feel alright, and life is a journey

Be alright, ’cause life is a movie

Feel alright, and life is a journey

Be alright, ’cause life is a movie

Many tears, many pains, now shining!

Nothing is wasted, now shining!

Everything in my life is part of me

**Romaji Lyrics + Color Code**
Iki wo fukaku suikonde koraeta namida

Mabataki mo kowaku naru kurai no keshiki dakara

Konna ni mo tebanashitakunai itooshisa mo

Itsu no hi ka bokura wa wasurete shimau no ka na

Ushinau koto ni narete iku koto sae mo

“Tsuyoku naru” to yobu no nara

Sore demo sa

Mada koko ni itai

Daiji na mono bakari fuete iku bokura wa

Yokoku mo naku otozureru owari ni obieteiru

Kyakuhon mo nai suujuu oku byou no eiga no saigo

Koko ni itai dake endo rooru ga owaru made

Sekaijuu tabi shite mita wake demo nai no ni

Koko dake ga boku no ibasho nan da to omotta

Kanpeki ni wa wakariaenai no ni bokura wa

Shiritagaru hito no kokoro no sono uchigawa wo

Kizutsuku koto ni narete iku koto sae mo

“Ikite iku” to yobu no nara

Da to shitara

Arigatou ga iitai

Tsumiageta jenga ga kuzureru you ni

Bokura ni mo kanarazu wo wakare ga kuru kedo sore demo

Deaeta kiseki wa shinanai eikyuu ni

Boku no naka de ima bokura no naka de

Oh yeah Oh yeah

Oh yeah Oh yeah

Oh yeah Oh yeah

I know it, We know it, be ok (Hey)

Oh yeah Oh yeah

Oh yeah Oh yeah

Oh yeah Oh yeah

I know it, We know it, be ok (Hey)

Feel alright, and life is a journey

Be alright, ‘cause life is a movie

Feel alright, and life is a journey

Be alright, ‘cause life is a movie

Many tears, many pains, now shining!

Nothing is wasted, now shining!

Everything in my life is part of me

**English Translation**
I take a deep breath while enduring my tears

Because this view makes me afraid to even blink

I wonder if someday we'll someday end up forgettting

This love I don't want to let go of?

As long as what they call "getting stronger"

even means getting used to losing things,

I still

want to be right here

The things precious to us just keep increasing

And we start being afraid of an unexpected ending

At the end of billions of seconds of unscripted movies,

I just want to be here, until the credits are over

It's not like I've traveled the whole world or anything, but

I thought that this place is where I belong

Even though we can't understand each other perfectly,

We want to know what's inside each other's hearts

If what they call "living"

even means getting used to getting hurt,

If that's the case...

Then I want to say thank you

Just like when a stacked Jenga tower comes tumbling down,

The day we part will definitely come for us too, but even then

The miracle that we met will never die, forever

It's in me, now, and it's in us

Oh yeah Oh yeah

Oh yeah Oh yeah

Oh yeah Oh yeah

I know it, We know it, be ok (Hey)

Oh yeah Oh yeah

Oh yeah Oh yeah

Oh yeah Oh yeah

I know it, We know it, be ok (Hey)

Feel alright, and life is a journey

Be alright, ’cause life is a movie

Feel alright, and life is a journey

Be alright, ’cause life is a movie

Many tears, many pains, now shining!

Nothing is wasted, now shining!

Everything in my life is part of me

**Credits**
**Japanese:** Lyrical Nonsense
**Romaji:** Lyrical Nonsense

**English:** Shoceted

## Videos

* Novel Core / Behind The Scenes of Jenga

## References

1. ↑ Release announcement
2. ↑ Power Play Announcement
3. ↑ *Novel Core Official Twitter*
4. ↑ [https://twitter.com/tokio\_hot100/status/1619594240719458305 J-WAVE TOKIO HOT 100 Twitter