Lawson Ticket 2008.04 (Interview)

LAWSON TICKET Interview (about namidairo)

Translator unknown

A love song that illustrates the concern for our lovers

A song from YUI that brings out the strong, undying determination. The long-awaited song is based on acoustic style, a style that YUI originated from. And the song describes a girl who, in order not to cause worry to her lover, suppresses her feelings and say "I'm fine". A heart-felt, heart-breaking love song.

I like both Acoustic and Rock. I'd like you to listen to both genres evenly.

- At the end of last year, you had your first Budokan concert. How was it?
YUI: It was a historical hall, and a place where many people treasure. So before the concert, I felt much pressure. But now that the concert has ended well, I feel that I've accomplished something. I've become more confident about live performances now. And I'm getting more excited about my upcoming concert tour.

- That's great to hear. We'll be looking forward to it! Talking about your new single next, it's a different kind of love song from 'Love & Truth', isn't it?
YUI: Both of them are of different kinds, but if you listen to them closely, both of them have deep meanings, don't they? This new song is based on a new drama. I was requested to make the theme 'love', but I had the freedom with regards to the sound of the song.
As the drama is a mystery one, with the use of strings, I thought I could bring out the mysterious mood. I made the song using my own image of the drama.

- The use of acoustic, which was how you started, combined with strings, was really impactful.
YUI: Actually, the melody of this song was recorded in the demo tape which I used during my 2nd single. When I listened to it, it brought back the memories of the past.

- Especially because most of your songs last year were 'rock' style, many listeners were really looking forward to this upcoming single.
YUI: I'm happy to hear that. Of course I do like rock songs, but acoustic is a style that I've treasured since I started. So if listeners could listen to the two different genres evenly, I'll be extremely happy.

- With regards to the lyrics, compared to the previous songs, the lyrics of this song brought us closer to you. Is there any change in the way you wrote the lyrics?
YUI: Not that I realized, but when I was writing the lyrics, I thought to myself, "I'll just write out whatever I'm feeling now." "Even if it feels so real that it hurts, I want to feel close to what I write."

The intricate things, that we don't normally realize, can be seen.

- A girl's intention of not causing unnecessary worry to her lover is illustrated in this song, isn't it?
YUI: In order not to cause worry to our lovers, we tend to say "I'm fine (daijyoubu)", even though we're actually not. I think it's something all of us have experiened at least once before. Even though we feel like crying, for the sake of our lovers, we put on a smile and say "I'm fine".
Under such circumstances, our hearts become very delicate, and as we walk on the streets, we tend to take note of little things that we don't normally realize.
The puddles of water on the ground, the lights of the houses high up.. These little things just enter our eyes, unknowingly, when our hearts become delicate.
And I translated all these pure and raw feelings into words, and lyrics of the song.

- The title 'Namidairo' is a straightforward one too, isn't it?
YUI: The title that I used during the making of this song wasn't this, but as I continued working on it, the word just appeared in my mind. There are times where our heart turns 'namidairo'.

- It's a feeling where we feel our hearts sink, isn't it?
YUI: Yes, it's that heart-sinking feeling. Yet we insist that 'we are fine'.

- But even as we say that ('we are fine'), we don't really want to be ignored (and be taken for real), right?
YUI: Yes that's right! I'll feel like screaming into his face "I'm trying to say I'm not fine!". But I can't just say that to him. As we continue to act tought, deep in our hearts, we become more confused and troubled. It's really contradicting, isn't it? Love isn't easy at all.
In the year 2008, I hope to become a strong girl who can confidently say "I'm fine", and mean it.

No matter how much I worry, the conclusion that I always arrive at, is that I want to carry on singing.

- And in the second song, we get to hear the impactful song 'I wanna be'.
YUI: Yes, Namidairo was a sad and serious song, so I decided to make a light-hearted 2nd song at the end of last year.

- In your lyrics, you mentioned 'the schedule book that I just bought', is it something that really happened?
YUI: Yes, when I bought my schedule book for 2008, I inevitably think of the upcoming stuff in the year... and that makes me worry about things.

- Can you tell us exactly what things (you're worrying about)?
YUI: I just start to worry unknowingly. But no matter how much I worry, the conclusion that I always arrive at, is that I want to carry on singing. So whenever I start to worry, I just pick up my guitar and start strumming, or starting making new songs, to allay these worries.

- And also in your lyrics, you mentioned "you cannot think too much".
YUI: Right now here, I have pressure to do certain things (that are expected of me), and also things that I want to do, and that's how worrying comes about. It's not just about me singing, I'm sure everyone has their own unique experiences of this.
So I made this common feeling that everyone has, into lyrics.

- I can understand that very well. In order to allay your worries, you start to make new songs, and that's how many of your songs come about, isn't it?
YUI: Yes, that's right.

- And from the lyrics of "I wanna be", you mentioned "My star, whom I want idolize/ look up to". Who's your star right now?
YUI: There's no particular person right now, but I guess it's just someone who shines. I like people who do things that they enjoy. I also look up to those people who shine, yet not self-complacent.

- Thank you very much. And your concert tour this year has been confirmed. How do you feel about it?
YUI: Actually, I'm feeling less stress compared to previous concerts. Whenever I feel worried or stressed, I'll think about new ways to do things, in order to assuage those stress.
Also, I wouldn't compare 2008 with the previous year, but I just hope to think of new styles and make the live concerts something that everyone can enjoy. And this applies to my products too. I hope to produce better CDs everytime, and bring them to the next level.

Recent events that almost made you cry

As her new single is named 'namidairo', we asked YUI about the recent events that made her almost cry.

1) Yamazaki Masayoshi's concert
Music is something that his aura produces. He has the aura that tells everyone he's enjoying making music, and I'm really impressed and inspired by him. I want to make a live concert that can connect to everyone, like his.

2) 'Premonition Dream' (A novel)
It's the first time I read a detective story. It was a long story, but easy and enjoyable to read! If I have the time, I'd like to read more.

3) A second-hand Guitar
When I first saw it that day, I did not buy. But when I got back, I kept thinking about it. In the end, I couldn't stand it and called up to buy it. Now it's a treasure to me.