Singer and voice actress Kaori Ishihara's second EP, "ASOVIVA!!!", will be released on March 25th. The colorful, lively, and poppy EP is packed with "fun." Approximately eight years after her solo artist debut, this marks a new frontier for Ishihara, who has continued to evolve. We asked Ishihara about "fun" and "evolution."
◇Pippapipa!?
"If a full album were filled with songs all themed around 'fun,' it might become tiring to listen to, and this EP with this number of tracks was something we could only do. It's a work unlike anything we've done before. We decided to do it this time because we thought it would be interesting to do something so consistent."
As Ishihara explains, "ASOVIVA!!!" is a bright, energetic, and fun album that will make your heart leap with joy. From the very first track, "ASOBO-YO Unmei-ron Jōsetsu," they go full throttle, expressing the joy of "fun."
"Lately, I've been releasing a lot of songs that are more relatable, reflect my age, and have a more mellow or melancholic feel, so it's been a really long time since I've released such an upbeat song. We knew it would all be fun songs, but in a good way, I was like, 'What is this song?!' It's been a while since I've sung with this much energy, so I was a little nervous. But when I actually started singing, there was something about the song that really pulled me up, and I could even picture myself performing it live. My energy naturally rose, and I felt like I was holding a microphone and singing at a live show."
It's undoubtedly fun to listen to, but it's also a complex song. It's busy with interjections, spoken lines, and mysterious lyrics like "pippapipa pipipo papopo." You definitely can't sing it with just energy alone.
"It's complex, so while I enjoyed it, I felt like it would fall apart if I just went with the flow, so I sang it with the image of keeping my head cool and my heart happy. When I asked Kodama Ameko, who wrote the lyrics for 'Pippapipa...', it seems she changed the 'bi' and 'ba' in 'VIVA' to 'pi' and 'pa', which is a play on the title. It's cute, but I kept losing track of the lyrics when I followed them with my eyes, so I memorized it by ear so I could sing it without looking. But I ended up getting the 'bi' and 'ba' reversed (laughs). I kept checking as I sang to see if it was correct. I think it would be fun if everyone sang along at a live show, so I'm looking forward to it. For the spoken parts, I imagined the two of us reminiscing and talking about playing in the park when we were kids."
The more you listen, the more you realize there are various hidden elements.
"It's a fun song, but the lyrics are also about perseverance. It shows that even amidst the effort of living life to the fullest, there are still joyful things to be found, and while it's fun, it also touches the heart. The more you listen to it, the more you discover."
◇Enjoy rap
テレビアニメ「Mao no Musume wa Yasashi Sugiru!!」のオープニング主題歌「We Can Do!!」やテレビアニメ「透明男と人間女」のエンディング主題歌「星眼鏡」も収録される。
"These two songs weren't originally intended to be included in the EP; they existed as independent tracks. However, they share a common theme: 'fun.' In a way, these two songs were the reason we decided to create a 'fun' EP."
It seems these tracks weren't originally intended to be included on the EP, but they have a great sense of unity. The new songs, "Yummy! Yummy!" and "Little Humming Love," are both packed with fun. In "Yummy! Yummy!", she even tries her hand at rapping.
"Yummy! Yummy!" is a cute song with a slightly dark edge, and I aimed to create an addictive song where the lyrics "Yummy Yummy" would get stuck in your head. I also tried my hand at rapping. I've rapped before, but this is the first time I've rapped with such a strong rhythm. I wondered what the right way to approach it was. I'm not an expert on rap, and I was worried I might do something grammatically wrong, but when I tried it while panicking, I was praised for it being 'good,' which gave me confidence and made it fun.
"Little Humming Love" reveals a variety of expressions within a single song.
"It felt like I was having a conversation with myself, and the lyrics made me feel like I was reading a shojo manga. I could see the fun and excitement of a girl on her way to school, and I was singing, but at times I tried to sing in a way that sounded a little sulky and dismissive."
In May, release events will be held in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya. But these won't be just any events; they'll be "talk and sticker exchange sessions."
"I wanted to make the theme a 'playground,' and since I'm really into stickers, I suggested a sticker exchange event. Fans can bring their stickers and exchange them for 'ASOVIVA!!!' logo stickers. As far as I've researched, I've never heard of a sticker exchange event being held at a release event (laughs). Sometimes people say, 'I'll bring a rare sticker,' but it's fine to bring any stickers you have lying around at home!"
◇A change in singing style
Since the concept is "fun," we also asked Ms. Ishihara about what "fun" means to her.
"On sunny days, I really enjoy going to cafes with terraces with friends and family. I also like taking my dog to cafes. I've recently come to appreciate the relaxed atmosphere. Before, my mood would be affected by the temperature, whether it was hot or cold, but since I got a dog, I've realized how wonderful nature is."
They said that their life and feelings changed after they started keeping a dog.
"I started keeping dogs eight years ago, and now I have two. My daily routine has changed, and even when I'm out for a walk, I wonder why they're so interested in the grass and sniffing it (laughs). My dogs love unfamiliar, new places. Even when I'm walking alone, my perspective has changed; I'll think, 'My dog would like this grass,' or 'This place would be nice.'"
Around eight years ago, when she started keeping a dog, Ishihara debuted as a solo artist with Pony Canyon in March 2018. She is now approaching her 10th anniversary as an artist.
"It's been 10 years, really... I can hardly believe it. My mindset has changed since my debut. I've become more relaxed, in a good way. I used to get so nervous during live performances that I'd lose track of what I was saying, but I've gotten better at handling that. As for singing, I used to focus too much on pitch and rhythm, and my vocal technique was different back then, so my throat would always tighten up when I hit high notes. I was afraid my voice might crack... But I've gotten to a point where I can control it to some extent."
There was a reason why my singing style changed.
"I used to think I needed to change my body so that I could freely express my voice and feelings, but what I learned from a vocal trainer I met around the time of my first live tour (2020) was a huge help. He told me that I should listen carefully to the background sound, and once I started listening with concentration, I began to hear a lot more information, and I found it fascinating. It might be a difference in awareness, but if what I was seeing before was a '1', it expanded to about a '10'. I came to love singing even more, and expressing myself became even more interesting. I began to feel the joy of music even more."
"ASOVIVA!!!" includes songs that I was able to sing thanks to my expanded expressive abilities.
"I've started to enjoy singing songs that I used to think were difficult, like 'Yummy! Yummy!' and 'Little Humming Love.' I've started to think, 'I can probably do this!' And when you have that kind of mindset, you make new discoveries."
Ishihara continues to evolve with "fun" at the heart of his work. (Mitsuru Anima/MANTANWEB)
