NUROJUNK KAGURA Takes On Kitani Tatsuya's 'Cute Aggression' and Leans All the Way Into the Bite

NUROJUNK KAGURA has dropped a cover of Kitani Tatsuya (キタニタツヤ)‘s Cute Aggression (キュートアグレッション), and honestly, the song choice says a lot. This is a track that lives on a razor’s edge between affection and danger — the original opens with the line “君の首筋に / 少し跡が残ったって、構わないでしょう？” (“If it left a little mark on the side of your neck, you wouldn’t mind, would you?”) — and KAGURA doesn’t soften a single thing about it.

What This Cute Aggression Cover Does Differently

The smartest thing about this release is that it doesn’t fight the source material. Cute Aggression (キュートアグレッション) is a song built on contradiction — sweetness with teeth — and KAGURA plays the whole thing straight down the middle, letting that tension do the heavy lifting. It’s the kind of vocal read that understands the assignment: this song isn’t about being cute or aggressive. It’s about the exact moment those two things stop being opposites.

Kitani Tatsuya’s writing rewards singers who commit, and commitment is the one thing this cover never runs short of. There’s a confidence here that some covers of technically demanding originals lose the second the red light goes on.

Who Is NUROJUNK KAGURA?

NUROJUNK operates as a unit with KAGURA and SAKUYA both carrying their own accounts and their own vocal drops, which makes this release feel like one half of a duo staking a claim. For a unit cover cycle, choosing a Kitani Tatsuya song — one of the most recognisable writer-performers in the current Japanese music scene — is a statement of intent. You don’t pick a song this demanding unless you’re sure your vocalist can carry it.

The Visual Side: Itsuki and Isodaku Behind the MV

The release pairs the vocal with new illustration from Itsuki (イツキ) and video work from isodaku, which means this isn’t a static-upload-and-go cover — there’s actual production weight behind it. That attention to presentation matters for a song this theatrical. The mix, handled by 二十七 (Nitona), keeps the vocal sitting right at the front where a performance-driven cover like this belongs.

Why This Cover Release Matters for NUROJUNK

Covers are where a unit like NUROJUNK gets to audition its identity before the audience — every song choice is a self-portrait. Picking Cute Aggression and delivering it this assured tells you exactly how KAGURA wants to be read: sharp, a little dangerous, zero apologies. The numbers are still early (the video is fresh as of October 27), but the likes-to-views ratio on day-one releases like this tends to tell the real story — and this one is strong.

If you’ve been sleeping on NUROJUNK, this is a good place to start. Then go listen to the original back to back. That contrast is half the fun.