Masatoshi Ono is a singer with an appealing high-pitched voice. He debuted in 1992 and his ballad "You're the Only...", the theme song for the drama "What I Can Do for You" (Fuji TV), starring Eisaku Yoshida, Yuriko Ishida, and Yoko Minamino, became a million-seller. That same year, he won the Japan Record Award for Best New Artist and made his debut at the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen. Currently, while continuing his solo career, he is also active as the vocalist for the heavy metal band GALNERYUS. This year, GALNERYUS released a commemorative album to mark the 20th anniversary of their major label debut and are currently on a national tour. We spoke to Ono about how he felt when he made his breakthrough in 1992 and his thoughts on "You're the Only..." (Part 1 of a two-part series)
◇ Million-seller hit within three months of debut: "I wanted to sell more gradually"
Ono was born in Tokyo on January 29, 1967. After performing in an amateur band, he made his solo debut with "Pure ni Nare" in May 1992. His third single, "You're the Only...", which became a million-seller, was released in August of the same year.
"I was performing as an amateur, and my initial goal was to make my debut. Then, by chance, I was able to make my solo debut. My next thought was, of course, to become famous. Even so, I hadn't been writing my own songs as a solo artist up until that point, so I was just about to start working hard, little by little, when, I don't know how it came about, I heard that I was going to sing the theme song for a TV drama."
It was a time when many drama theme songs became million-sellers. "You're the Only..." became an instant hit when it started airing.
"The person in charge at the record company at the time was also surprised. He was shouting that they were receiving tens of thousands of orders every day from CD shops all over the country. The person in charge had never experienced sales like that before, so he said, 'So this is what it means to sell a million copies.' Of course, it was my first time, so I didn't know either, but I thought it was amazing. We were all excited."
However, I had a slight feeling of unease.
"I thought I might be able to achieve success, but I was worried that even if I became popular, it would just be a one-off hit, since I hadn't yet established a solid foundation. When I had a hit, I was 80% happy and 20% anxious. I was popular with ballads and was known as a ballad singer, so maybe I should just push through with ballads. That's what I was thinking at the age of 25."
Perhaps these anxieties were reflected in his words and actions, as at the time, even when he was interviewed or appeared on television, he was not completely happy, as he said, "For example, when I appeared on 'Waratte Iitomo!' and Tamori asked me, 'Hey, aren't you happy, Ono-kun?' and I replied, 'No, I'm happy, but...'"
"Mr.Children, who debuted in the same year, gradually became popular, so I thought it would have been nice if I could have been like them. Of course, it's hard to say for sure because they all have their own natural talent, but there was a time when I was envious of them. Also, Hirose Kohmi debuted in the same year, and later became the "Queen of Winter" and continued to release hit songs every year. I'm sure that was tough, but a million-selling hit is certainly wonderful, and although it's not something you can experience very often, I thought at the time that it would have been better if she had sold 100,000 copies for 10 years."
◇ First appeared on the Red and White Song Battle in 1992. A rare experience interacting with some of the most famous singers.
With the huge success of "You're the Only...", they won various awards including the Best New Artist Award at the Japan Record Awards, and also had the rare experience of appearing on the Red and White Song Battle for the first time.
"I wasn't doing any pop solo work when I was an amateur, so I was barely aware of the existence of things like the Record Awards or the Red and White Song Battle. So when I was on the bullet train on my way home from work, my manager at the time told me, 'You've been selected to appear on the Red and White Song Battle,' I replied, 'Really?' I was like, 'There's the Red and White Song Battle, right? Are you going to appear?' I had no idea what that meant."
Because he was in a band, he had vaguely thought about doing a live show at the end of the year, but when it was decided that he would be appearing on Kohaku, "the excitement among all my relatives was incredible."
"I gained more relatives and classmates (laughs). I thought this was a good thing for me to show my filial piety. At the time, only my paternal grandmother from Akita was still alive among my grandparents. I thought it was fine if it made her happy. On the day of the Red and White Song Battle, Kenichi Mikawa asked me, "Who would you most like to be seen by?" and I answered something like, "My grandmother from Akita." But then I got heavily criticized by my maternal relatives (laughs). They said, "Masatoshi only talks about Akita." That's how my relatives got excited."
"I was nervous during the actual event, knowing that so many people would be watching," she said, but added, "There were so many impressive contestants, so I was happy to get to meet the real thing."
"When I greeted Mr. Mori Shinichi, he was a very kind person and said to me, 'Mr. Ono, I always watch you on TV. You have a beautiful voice,' which made me feel very grateful. My mother likes Mr. Mori, so I boasted to her about him. Also, Mr. Kobayashi Akira was on the show, and since it was 32 years ago, he was probably younger than I am now (54 years old at the time), but he had an incredible presence."
Also, at that year's Kohaku Uta Gassen, there was a segment where YOSHIKI from X wrote the theme song for the event, "TEARS," and all the participating singers sang it.
"NHK decided on the allocation of parts, and had me and Toshi, the vocalist of X, sing side by side in a part together. Then, after the rehearsal, Toshi said to me, 'Ono-san, you have a high voice, so please sing the part above me,' and I said, 'What are you talking about? Let's sing together in unison (the same pitch)' (laughs)," he revealed, revealing a behind-the-scenes story from the Red and White Song Battle 32 years ago.
There has been a revival boom recently, and there has been an increase in special TV programs looking back on the 1990s through hit songs, but Ono says that he is often asked to perform because he has been active for 32 years.
"It's amazing that even 32 years after my debut, I'm still being called to sing that song ('You're the Only...'). It's definitely my signature song, so I'm really grateful. I'm glad I have a signature song," she said with a sigh.
In the second part, she talks about her thoughts on her distinctive high-pitched voice and her current activities, which have earned her acclaim overseas.
