Third Time's the Charm? Tomggg and ena mori Think Otherwise

Apparently, "not enough" is exactly enough to make a great pop song.

In Japanese, “mono tarinai” describes the feeling that something is missing, that nagging sense of wanting just a little more.

For Tomggg and ena mori, it also describes their creative partnership. Following the Apple App Store campaign favourite "いちごミルク Ichigo Milk" and the Pocari Sweat commercial song "なんてね nantene", the Japanese producer and Filipino Japanese art-pop artist reunite for a third time on "MONO TARINAI !", turning restlessness into something irresistibly fun.

Tomggg, celebrated for his colourful, genre-blurring productions, once again brings his signature sense of playful unpredictability to the track. Meanwhile, ena mori, whose critically acclaimed debut album “DON'T BLAME THE WILD ONE!” topped NME Asia's Best Albums of 2022 and earned Album of the Year at the Philippines' prestigious Awit Awards, lends her distinctive voice and art-pop sensibility to the mix.

If their previous collaborations thrived on surprise, "MONO TARINAI !" feels like the moment they fully lean into it.

Gliding over Tomggg's kaleidoscopic beats, ena mori slips effortlessly between Japanese and English, balancing whimsy with a quiet sense of restlessness. Bright and playful yet never saccharine, "MONO TARINAI !" transforms the feeling of wanting more into a vibrant piece of modern pop that's impossible to leave unfinished.

The song's visual world is equally captivating. Both the music video and cover artwork were created by visual designer Nana Murata, whose colourful, psychedelic yet unmistakably kawaii aesthetic amplifies the track's surreal charm and childlike sense of fun.

They say the third time's the charm. But "MONO TARINAI !" suggests something even better: sometimes, when you've found the right creative partner, two times simply isn't enough.