Voice actress and artist Kaori Maeda's third EP "I'm ready!" was released on March 19th. It contains a total of six songs, including "Kyun Api," the ending theme for the TV anime "Medaka Kuroiwa Is Impervious to My Charms Tsukasanai," and "Progress," for which she tried her hand at writing lyrics. We spoke to Maeda, who values "playfulness" and says that she has been able to reveal more of herself through writing lyrics, about her third EP.
◇The cutest "Kyun Appeal" I've ever seen
Maeda is a popular voice actress who has appeared in "Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club," "Uma Musume Pretty Derby," "2.5-Dimensional Temptation," and other shows, and made her debut as an artist in March 2023. Her new EP, "I'm ready!", is said to be a piece that emphasizes "playfulness."
"Starting with 'Kyun Api', all the songs are filled with wordplay and playfulness. All the songs are addictive, and the melodies will run through your head. The lyrics of the chorus of 'Kyun Api' are really fun, with 'kyun' and 'api', and there are lots of cute lines in it. It was really fun."
Maeda appears as the voice actor for Shirahama Minami in "Medaka Kuroiwa Is Impervious to My Charms," but she sings "Kyun Api" not as a character song, but as an artist.
"If I make my voice too cute, it might sound like a character song. I sing from the perspective of the heroine, Mona Kawai chan, so I thought about how to make it cute enough. As an artist, Maeda Kaori, this is the cutest song I've ever written! It's bright, but also expresses Mona-chan's brave girlish heart, so I thought about how to convey that."
◇Feeling like you can see inside my head
She tried her hand at writing lyrics for "Progress." Maeda's first attempt at writing lyrics was in the collaborative song "Ai ga toman nai! feat. Kaori Maeda," with singer-songwriter Dai Tabe, but she only wrote the lyrics for the part she sang.
"This is the first time I've tried writing lyrics for a full song. I wanted to create a grand melody that would express the trajectory of my life. I wrote the lyrics thinking about myself before I debuted as a voice actress, and feeling the constant support and encouragement from my manager and all my fans."
While writing the lyrics, I faced myself.
"It was difficult. There were some phrases that just wouldn't come to me until the very end. It has many developments, the BPM changes, and the same part never appears twice. It's a dynamic song, just like life, so it's not something that can be written on impulse alone. I had a preconceived notion that I had to make it sound cool. I tried to say something clever, but it didn't work out... But as I faced the lyrics, the words 'I'll convey it as I am, even if I'm clumsy and bad at it' came to me. In the end, even if I try to make it sound cool, I'm still me, and I wanted people to see how I'm living my life now.
He wrote frankly about his thoughts.
"The first half of the song contains lyrics that express the time I was before I moved to Tokyo. I wanted to make my dreams come true, but I was anxious about what to do, so I saw planes flying and wondered if I was going to Tokyo. I was anxious to get to Tokyo as soon as possible, and that scene is burned into my memory. When I decided to write the lyrics myself, I wanted to express that scene. When you write lyrics, it can feel like someone is looking inside your head, and it can be scary and embarrassing. In the end, Tanaka Keita, who also wrote the music, put it all together so beautifully, and I'm very grateful to him!"
Although she had some difficulties finding the words, she said, "I'd definitely like to do it again!"
"Originally, I would write down any words that came to mind, but after I tried writing lyrics for 'Progress', the way I listen to music has changed. I've started thinking more than ever about what the song is trying to convey. My notebook is gradually filling up, so I'd like to take on the challenge again someday. It was difficult, but when I put it into shape, it was exhilarating and a new sensation. I might get addicted to it."
◇The concert was made possible thanks to everyone's cooperation.
On April 27th, her first solo concert "Maeda Kaori 1st LIVE 2025 'Are You Ready?'" will be held at LINE CUBE SHIBUYA (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo).
"For the past two years, I have valued a sense of fun in my work as an artist, and I want people to feel that they had a lot of fun and were surprised when they come to a Maeda Kaori concert. I want to make it a playful concert, and if you take the time to come, I hope you enjoy it! There are many songs that I will be performing for the first time, so it will definitely be a one-of-a-kind first solo concert! I feel fresh, and I want to create the concert together with everyone."
He says he has "carefully planned" the set list for his live performances, and has also prepared some tricks to entertain his fans.
"It's really fun to think up a setlist. I love thinking about live performances. I want to make it a live performance that can be completed with everyone's cooperation, and there may be some little performances that will get everyone having fun and working up a sweat. I want everyone to have a good time, 200%!"
Maeda is a born entertainer. I'm sure he will liven up the concert together with his fans. Finally, I asked him about his future goals as an artist.
Just like the fans who supported me when I didn't know what to do right after my debut, I feel that now it's my turn to repay them by leading them along, and I need to become more solid. I want to become a more reliable artist so that people will have a great time when they come to a Maeda Kaori concert. I also want to perform on stage in various places, including concerts outside of Tokyo. I'm so happy when I get letters saying, 'Please come next time!' and I want to share my singing voice with more people."
