(April 28, 2026) Singer/songwriter Nao Yoshioka looked deep within herself when writing “Shadow,” her new single. The Japanese R&B artist said that she confronted some insecurity after completing her previous album. Instead of fighting those feelings by denying them, Yoshioka said that decided to love them.
“My emotions strangely began to feel free. During that process, I encountered Carl Jung’s concept of the ‘Shadow.’ When it truly sank in that even the parts of myself, I didn’t want to see were still part of who I am, I felt a deep sense of clarity and decided to write a song around the themes of ‘Shadow’ and ‘Self.’”
A short explanation of Jung’s shadow theory is that the shadow is the part of our persona that we keep hidden from public view because it contains instincts and desires that are deemed unacceptable or shameful. The haunting song “Shadow” finds Yoshioka pairing with neo-soul legend Bilal. “Shadow” is about embracing and understanding those repressed thoughts and urges.
Yoshioka’s willingness to ‘love’ the parts of her personality that her respectable self wants to keep hidden has given music fans a gem. Yoshioka and Bilal trade verses on a song that about self-awareness, vulnerability and fearlessness. Check it out here.
By Howard Dukes
