Welcome to Friday Fortissimo, our semi-recurring column about video game bangers. After a long hiatus, we’re back with a new bop to help you cruise into the weekend in style.
2006’s Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 was a seminal release in the now ubiquitous Persona franchise. The first 3D entry in the series, Persona 3 transitioned away from the first-person dungeon-crawling and top-down isometric combat that SMT was known for, ushering in a more intimate focus on characters and world-building.
Persona 3 introduced a gorgeous cityscape, punctuated with the stories of interesting people. The social link system—now a Persona staple—allowed players to forge bonds with various NPCs to further their street smarts, improve the strength of their personas, and make it easier to scale the bloodstained floors of Tartarus.
At the heart of the action was the SEES squad: a bunch of high school students who masqueraded as a school club but secretly banded together to battle the city’s demons. Their story captivated players not just in Japan, but abroad, allowing the franchise to solidify a foothold in the West. Today, Persona is an everyday part of gaming culture, with cameos in everything from Super Smash Bros. to Astro Bot.
So, as you put together that Futaba cosplay or count down the days until Persona 6, let’s just be clear on why we’re here at all.
“Color Your Night” Celebrates the Past, Present, and Future of Persona
It’s easy to view February’s Persona 3 Reload as a distant memory. Atlus and parent company Sega have released a staggering number of terrific games in 2024, including Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Unicorn Overlord, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, and surprise Game of the Year candidate Metaphor: ReFantazio.
Yet, doing so would be a disservice to one of gaming’s greatest names. Not only is Reload an excellent remake of the 2006 classic, but it also features a wealth of new music that pays homage to the original game while pulling inspiration from the games that preceded it.
“Color Your Night,” which accompanies players when exploring Tatsumi Port Island after hours, is peak Persona. It opens with a familiar motif: the melody from “Joy,” which often plays during your morning walk to school. Whereas the day theme is punctuated with the sound of horns, however, “Color Your Night” uses the soothing groove of an organ—Persona 5′s instrument of choice.
A few seconds later, we see another Persona callback with the sounds of Lotus Juice, the rapper featured on a bulk of original Persona 3 tracks. As the rapper settles into the groove, he lays down some bars.
Time to shine and I’m down to ride
I’m gonna drive until the break of dawn, wilding out
I’m on a mission grinding out
Whatever it is I gotta do
Riding out until the day I meet you
I’m riding outI look up in the sky (Sky)
Asking lotta, “Why?” (Why?)
But never let it phase me, I’m keeping good vibes
When I’m on the road, I watch out for all surprises
What it provides us
Good and bad but nothing unties us
What exactly does the road “provide us”? Who knows—and frankly, who cares? As Lotus Juice says, it’s all about the vibes. (Hey, the song is catchy. I never said the guy was Busta Rhymes.)
Soon, we transition from Lotus Juice to the voice of Azumi Takahashi, a newcomer to the Persona franchise. Each game in the series has a dedicated singer who provides a unique color to the experience, and Takahashi is no exception. Her crisp vocals punctuate the night air, providing a nice contrast to Lotus’s punchy verses.
Then, we arrive at a post-chorus. “Hey!” a crowd chants, followed by pumped-up words of affirmation from Lotus Juice. (“For all the days ahead of us put your hands up / Wave ’em side to side for good luck, ah”) (“You always got my back, and of course I got your back / Don’t you worry about that now”) (“It’s been a good day, good night / It’s gonna be a good day, good night”)
Then, once the pep talk hits a fever pitch, we’re graced with a brief interlude and the dulcet sounds of Juice himself. Yes! The man trades in the pen for a fedora and a glass of scotch. He croons, then we repeat the cycle with new verses.
If each game in the series was a mood, Persona 3 would be “somber,” Persona 4 would be “lively,” and Persona 5 would be “chill.” It’d be a monumental task to replicate those moods in one cohesive whole, yet, somehow, “Color Your Night” hits all the right notes. Cool, laid-back, and jovial, it’s the perfect listen when you’re reflecting on the past and looking forward to what’s ahead.
Check Out More Punished Backlog Music Recs
Thanks for reading! For more music recommendations, check out our Friday Fortissimo archives.
Or, if you’d just prefer to listen, you can work and chill to our Friday Fortissimo playlist.
