Kaoru Kurosawa: 'These lyrics resonate now. Actually, they resonated with me too' Aruno Nakanishi: 'The timing to sing a song I wanted to sing is very precious' Recording Report & MC Interview for 'Spicy Sessions' featuring guest Airi Suzuki!
A recording report for the CS program 'Spicy Sessions' (airing April 25) hosted by Kaoru Kurosawa and Aruno Nakanishi, featuring guest Airi Suzuki, highlights their live performances and a surprise birthday celebration.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 24, 2026 at 21:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 24, 2026 at 12:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 25, 2026 at 01:31 (12h 59m after Collected)
Broadcasting monthly on CS broadcast 'TBS Channel 1 Latest Dramas, Music, Movies' operated by TBS Television, Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director and President: Masamine Ryuho)! 'Spicy Sessions' is a music program hosted by Kaoru Kurosawa of the Gospellers and Aruno Nakanishi of Nogizaka46. Music writer Aki Ito, who has known the Gospellers well since their debut and serves as an official writer for numerous artists, covered the recording of 'Spicy Sessions with Airi Suzuki' to be broadcast on Saturday, April 25, 2026. Here is the 14th installment of the report introducing the charm of the program, along with an interview with the MCs.
(From left) Kaoru Kurosawa, Airi Suzuki, Aruno Nakanishi
■ Recording Report
The stimulating music program 'Spicy Sessions'. Hosted by Kaoru Kurosawa (Gospellers) and Aruno Nakanishi (Nogizaka46), this program delivers conversations through music between guests, MCs, and the Spicy Sessions band. Rather than showcasing music as a 'completed product', it shows the process of music taking shape and transforming on the spot. The appeal of this program lies not only in the vocal prowess and the variety of session song genres, but also in the unique presentation that only a session can provide, and the open space it creates for receiving innovative interpretations. The excitement of this has continued to spread, primarily on social media, and the number of applications for audience viewing is said to be increasing with every episode.
The opening ad-lib session by the Spicy Sessions band begins. Welcomed by cheers, Kurosawa and Nakanishi take the stage. After greeting the audience, Kurosawa asks, 'What song makes you want to listen to it in spring?' Nakanishi, who answered 'Uroko' (Motohiro Hata), asks Kurosawa the same question. Kurosawa made the audience laugh by saying, 'Naotaro Moriyama's "Sakura (Dokusho)". I realized falsetto could be used this way. I imitated it for a while (laughs).' Suddenly, the band starts playing 'Happy Birthday to You'. The stage lighting turns colorful to match the song. It was a surprise for Kurosawa (April 3) and Nakanishi (March 17), who both celebrated their birthdays. The audience sang along, celebrating the two MCs' birthdays. A special cake is brought onto the stage. 'I never imagined a surprise would come here,' Kurosawa remarked. Seeing the cake decorated with a two-shot photo of the MCs, Nakanishi looked delighted. When the staff tried to take a commemorative photo, Kurosawa and Nakanishi said in unison, 'Here!?' This was the third birthday surprise. Seeing how perfectly in sync they were, even down to their reactions to the surprise, the time the program has woven together was palpable.
The guest for the 26th episode broadcasting in April is Airi Suzuki. Passionate about singing and dancing since childhood, she passed the 'Hello! Project Kids' audition and has progressed through °C-ute, Buono!, and into her solo career. Known for her vocal ability since her group days, her recent collaborations with various artists have also been a hot topic. Introducing it by saying 'I'll be singing this for the first time in a recording,' Suzuki performed her original song 'Uso da yo' (It's a Lie). She subtly changed her expressions even during the interlude, expressing the world of the lyrics. After the performance, Nakanishi excitedly commented, 'It was a climax right from the start.' Kurosawa expressed his feelings, saying, 'I've always wanted to invite her as a guest.' Regarding performing with Suzuki, Nakanishi said, 'I'm so happy. She's a legendary idol, so she's dazzling! Since the light is strong, the shadows will be dark too...' Comparing herself to a shadow, Suzuki immediately denied it, saying, 'What are you talking about!' Suzuki mentioned she often watches Nakanishi sing and described Nakanishi singing Hikaru Utada as her 'favorite dish,' before adding a comment: '...Isn't there a gap (between her and her singing)?' Kurosawa countered, 'In this program, we pretend Aruno-san's gap doesn't exist.' The audience laughed. The entire venue settled into a relaxed atmosphere. This flat state is one of the keys to fully enjoying the sessions. Precisely because it is a flat state, listeners have room to breathe, widening the space to receive the fun and novelty unique to sessions, as well as interpretations of the songs. Especially over the past six months, I feel Kurosawa has been steering the conversation to relax the audience. His stance was clearly evident in the opening talk this time, and even during set changes, he was constantly calling out to the audience, asking 'Are you having fun?' or 'Are you okay? We haven't left the audience behind, have we?' There were many moments where Kurosawa's words softly softened the mood of the audience.
The guest for the April broadcast is Airi Suzuki 'Uso da yo' Airi Suzuki
The song Suzuki chose from her roots to perform in a session with Nakanishi was BoA's 'NO.1'. Nakanishi showed enthusiasm, saying, 'It's a difficult song with a unique rhythm. I want to keep up with that Hello! Project-bred sense of beat.' Suzuki and Nakanishi started discussing how to divide the vocal parts. Meanwhile, Kurosawa was with the band members...
(From left) Kaoru Kurosawa, Airi Suzuki, Aruno Nakanishi
■ Recording Report
The stimulating music program 'Spicy Sessions'. Hosted by Kaoru Kurosawa (Gospellers) and Aruno Nakanishi (Nogizaka46), this program delivers conversations through music between guests, MCs, and the Spicy Sessions band. Rather than showcasing music as a 'completed product', it shows the process of music taking shape and transforming on the spot. The appeal of this program lies not only in the vocal prowess and the variety of session song genres, but also in the unique presentation that only a session can provide, and the open space it creates for receiving innovative interpretations. The excitement of this has continued to spread, primarily on social media, and the number of applications for audience viewing is said to be increasing with every episode.
The opening ad-lib session by the Spicy Sessions band begins. Welcomed by cheers, Kurosawa and Nakanishi take the stage. After greeting the audience, Kurosawa asks, 'What song makes you want to listen to it in spring?' Nakanishi, who answered 'Uroko' (Motohiro Hata), asks Kurosawa the same question. Kurosawa made the audience laugh by saying, 'Naotaro Moriyama's "Sakura (Dokusho)". I realized falsetto could be used this way. I imitated it for a while (laughs).' Suddenly, the band starts playing 'Happy Birthday to You'. The stage lighting turns colorful to match the song. It was a surprise for Kurosawa (April 3) and Nakanishi (March 17), who both celebrated their birthdays. The audience sang along, celebrating the two MCs' birthdays. A special cake is brought onto the stage. 'I never imagined a surprise would come here,' Kurosawa remarked. Seeing the cake decorated with a two-shot photo of the MCs, Nakanishi looked delighted. When the staff tried to take a commemorative photo, Kurosawa and Nakanishi said in unison, 'Here!?' This was the third birthday surprise. Seeing how perfectly in sync they were, even down to their reactions to the surprise, the time the program has woven together was palpable.
The guest for the 26th episode broadcasting in April is Airi Suzuki. Passionate about singing and dancing since childhood, she passed the 'Hello! Project Kids' audition and has progressed through °C-ute, Buono!, and into her solo career. Known for her vocal ability since her group days, her recent collaborations with various artists have also been a hot topic. Introducing it by saying 'I'll be singing this for the first time in a recording,' Suzuki performed her original song 'Uso da yo' (It's a Lie). She subtly changed her expressions even during the interlude, expressing the world of the lyrics. After the performance, Nakanishi excitedly commented, 'It was a climax right from the start.' Kurosawa expressed his feelings, saying, 'I've always wanted to invite her as a guest.' Regarding performing with Suzuki, Nakanishi said, 'I'm so happy. She's a legendary idol, so she's dazzling! Since the light is strong, the shadows will be dark too...' Comparing herself to a shadow, Suzuki immediately denied it, saying, 'What are you talking about!' Suzuki mentioned she often watches Nakanishi sing and described Nakanishi singing Hikaru Utada as her 'favorite dish,' before adding a comment: '...Isn't there a gap (between her and her singing)?' Kurosawa countered, 'In this program, we pretend Aruno-san's gap doesn't exist.' The audience laughed. The entire venue settled into a relaxed atmosphere. This flat state is one of the keys to fully enjoying the sessions. Precisely because it is a flat state, listeners have room to breathe, widening the space to receive the fun and novelty unique to sessions, as well as interpretations of the songs. Especially over the past six months, I feel Kurosawa has been steering the conversation to relax the audience. His stance was clearly evident in the opening talk this time, and even during set changes, he was constantly calling out to the audience, asking 'Are you having fun?' or 'Are you okay? We haven't left the audience behind, have we?' There were many moments where Kurosawa's words softly softened the mood of the audience.
The guest for the April broadcast is Airi Suzuki 'Uso da yo' Airi Suzuki
The song Suzuki chose from her roots to perform in a session with Nakanishi was BoA's 'NO.1'. Nakanishi showed enthusiasm, saying, 'It's a difficult song with a unique rhythm. I want to keep up with that Hello! Project-bred sense of beat.' Suzuki and Nakanishi started discussing how to divide the vocal parts. Meanwhile, Kurosawa was with the band members...