By the time HOPE / WISH came out in 2022, HIRAIDAI’s impact on modern J-pop had become undeniable. A new generation of hitmakers such as YOASOBI and Eito cited the artist’s sentimental songcraft as a major influence on their work and the Japanese music landscape was brimming with a new generation of stripped-down acoustic guitarists singing about love and commitment. HIRAIDAI continues crafting minimal guitar and ukulele-based songs on his 10th full-length release but supplements them with rattling hip-hop-indebted beats and funky dance numbers. Whatever musical direction he explores on the record, the emotional heart of his music remains the same. The lyrics on HOPE / WISH center around good times with close friends and the positivity that love brings. “Anniversary” celebrates commitment over guitar strums and string swells, while the whistle-backed “honey, don’t you worry” offers a pick-me-up to a partner after a tough day. The singer-songwriter also demonstrates why he’s become J-pop’s go-to wedding-song artist with “I’ll be by your side,” featuring uplifting piano melodies, joyous bells, and a soaring hook about always being there for that special someone. HIRAIDAI flirts with hip-hop production across HOPE / WISH. “Hero” is bolstered by a bouncy rap beat and features splashes of Auto-Tune. The artist imagines what The-Dream might sound like as a J-pop performer on the triumphant R&B number “King & Queen.” He dabbles in speedy rock sounds on the sunny “Malibu Girl” and introduces talk box into his sonic toolbox on the throwback funk-pop of “Good One.” HIRAIDAI proves that even 10 albums into a successful recording career, he’s not afraid to keep trying new things.