Singer-Songwriter DEON Collaborates With Terrace House’s Shohey Uemura On New Duet

Terrace House viewers will definitely recognise the face on the right (Credit: The Black East)

Terrace House, the Japanese reality TV phenomenon on Netflix, has become tarnished with a black mark following the bullying-spurred suicide of one of its former cast members, Hana Kimura. The show has since been shut down in light of the tragedy (what I deem a fit move), but I think viewers of the show can agree that its run wasn’t without its more joyful moments and standout characters who have gone on to impact the world one way or another; and now, even in the Singaporean music industry.

Hot off the press on home ground is the latest collaboration between ex-Terrace House member and soul singer, Shohey Uemura, and Singapore’s very own DEON. A commendable veteran figure in the local singer-songwriter community, DEON has been a crafter of indie-pop compositions for years, and has opened for the likes of Rachael Yamagata and Of Monsters and Men while clinching overseas tours of his own in Canada, Australia and the UK. His latest venture invites the Japanese frontman of THREE1989 for an acoustic rendition of “Fix”, a single that he released in 2019.

DEON has accomplished plenty in his career (Credit: The Black East)

This serendipitous team-up was made possible after DEON shared a stage with Shohey’s band in Tokyo’s solfa last year. A press statement reveals that Shohey was moved by DEON’s performance, which led to their eventual collaboration on the re-imagined song. Adding on to DEON’s cathartic lyrics about battling his personal demons, Shohey centred his – sung in Japanese – around personal experiences of his own surrounding family and loved ones. “Farewells can be sad, but they do make us stronger at times,” elaborated Shohey on his lyrical contribution.

Shohey with his band, THREE1989 (Credit: The Black East)

Viewers of Terrace House and fans of Shohey’s material will likely get goosebumps hearing his signature timbre landing smoothly on this number, and it complements the equally poignant delivery of DEON like a charm. We might not see these two perform live anytime soon, but this spine-tingling duet is the next best thing. “Fix (Acoustic)” will be part of DEON’s upcoming acoustic EP, prologue; eulogia, and it’s building up well-deserved hype for the singer-songwriter’s next chapter.