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Official Interview

The dual role of singer-songwriter and author
The drama theme song "Let the night" further accelerates AIMYON whirlwind

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AIMYON whirlwind is unstoppable. This summer, she has appeared at many major rock festivals such as "ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL" and "SWEET LOVE SHOWER", causing repeated admission restrictions in various places. The movie "Turn up the volume, octopus! I don't know what you're singing at all!!", for which she provided the theme song "Body's still burning from the core" sung by Riho Yoshioka, was released, and she modeled for the glasses brand "Zoff's "SUNGLASSES COLLECTION 2018", and produced "GOOD NIGHT BABY" in collaboration with the sports brand "Reebok CLASSIC", the casual line of the sports brand "Reebok", and is fully demonstrating her presence as a new generation icon of youth culture.

AIMYON: "I was invited to a lot of festivals this year, and when I started to sing and said the title of a song and saw the buzz, it made me think that the song itself had caught on more than just the name AIMYON. Of course, I'd like my name to spread, but I'm the type of person who doesn't mind a song taking on a life of its own, and right now I'm in an environment where everyone is listening to my songs, and that's what I felt most at the festivals."

Not only "Marigold" released in August, but also last year's songs such as "Kimi Wa Rock Wo Kikanai" and "I Want to Tell You Love" are still ranked high on the Apple Music charts, proving AIMYON 's "musical talent". In October, the new theme song "Present" for "Mezamashi Doyoubi" began airing, and in November, the theme song "Let the night" for the popular drama "Kemono ni Narenai Watashitachi" starring Yui Aragaki and Ryuhei Matsuda was released, and AIMYON whirlwind is finally spreading to living rooms across the nation.

AIMYON: "The last six months have been the most intensive I've ever been in writing songs, so while I was working on it I thought, 'I don't want to do this anymore' (laughs), but when it starts to take shape I'm glad that I had that period, and I think 2018 has been a really intense year. One thing I don't want people to misunderstand is that I'm really making the music I want to make, and although I think this is a time when people will say I've "changed," I want to make it clear that I'm "doing what I want to do."

"Let the night" is a song in AIMYON 's style that combines a folk/pop melody with a groovy beat, riding on light acoustic guitar strokes. It is a song worthy of being called a new standard, combining the modernity of "Only Under the Full Moon Yorunara" and the universality of "Marigold." The arrangement, which includes claps at key points, foreshadows the birth of a new live staple.

AIMYON: "When I was rehearsing the song with my band members, I came across a chord progression that I played that sounded good, so we recorded it right there. I want to cherish that kind of impulse. I created the arrangement together with (Yusuke) Tanaka, going back and forth between us. We can only really communicate through our senses, so when we hear a soft sound, we'll say things like, 'This sounds like bubbles,' or 'I can see Gakki feeling depressed,' (laughs). It's really a matter of our senses, and I think it's easier to get the message across that way. Personally, I think it has a nostalgic element to it, and, as it has always been, it doesn't feel strange at all when I sing it, and I can say, 'This is my music.'"

The impressive opening line, "The bitter yet sweet feelings that flow through these bubbles burst," perfectly links with the drama's content, which depicts a love story that is sometimes comedic and sometimes sad, about a man and woman who meet at a craft beer bar, clash with each other honestly, and take a step forward. On the other hand, the lyrics of the chorus, which arouse the listener's imagination, "Lightly light up these feelings that won't fade, let them fly, and look forward to something that will begin at your fingertips," are very AIMYON.

AIMYON: "They told me to 'do whatever you want,' so I did it freely, but thought it'd be nice to link it to the drama in some parts too. I mixed the lyrics with beer, and the rest came easily. As it was my first drama theme song, I thought it'd be best to write something that was 'very AIMYON like,' but when providing a song, it's important not to show too much of yourself. That's something I thought when I wrote the lyrics for Johnny's WEST's 'Time goes by' at the age of 19, so I may have been quite conscious of that. I thought it'd be nice to fit in with the drama properly, while also showing some of myself to spice it up, so the slightly sensual elements that are so typical of me naturally came in."

As this statement makes clear, AIMYON is a singer-songwriter with a strong personality, but she also has the face of a writer who finds joy in creating things above all else. The single's B-sides include two live tracks from the event "Acting and Singing -330-" held at Ueno Suijo Ongakudo in October, one of which is a self-cover of "Neko" (Cat), which she provided to DISH// last year. Her dual role as both singer-songwriter and writer makes her songs even more appealing, and her creative power has drawn many people in, giving birth to the current AIMYON whirlwind.

AIMYON: "I've never been in a slump when it comes to songwriting, and I feel like I can write lyrics forever in particular (laughs). Ultimately, I think I love creating things, so I want to keep writing lyrics and songs until the day I die. There are many ways of expression, and I like drawing and writing, but I've come to think that expressing myself through music is what suits me best. I used to think that movies were a composite art form, but recently I've been thinking that maybe music is that too, and it really feels like 'music every day' (laughs)."

In November, she will begin her biggest tour to date, "AIMYON TOUR 2018 -HONEY LADY BABY-". By the time the tour finale at Zepp Tokyo on December 17th comes to an end, people may be naturally starting to say things like, "2018 was AIMYON 's year."

AIMYON: "I'm not worried about the songs, but for the live performances I want to show the people who come to see me with high expectations something even better, I want to amaze them, so I feel like I have to take it more seriously. People also say 'Why not do it at a bigger venue?' but I want to stand firmly on my feet with the live performances, and be able to adapt to any size. A lot of people listen to our recordings, so I want the live performances to be more than just the recordings."

Interview & Text / Atsushi Kaneko

It has been decided that this will be the theme song for the Nippon Television drama "We Can't Become Beasts"!

Co-starring Aragaki Yui and Matsuda Ryuhei!
"We Can't Become Beasts"

Starring: Yui Aragaki, Ryuhei Matsuda and others
Start time: Wednesday, October 10th, 10:00pm
(First episode extended by 10 minutes)

https://www.ntv.co.jp/kemonare/

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