"Because I myself, and my own presence, has its beginnings in my
mother": Utada Hikaru releases her much anticipated new album "Fantome"
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Music listeners all over Japan have been waiting. It’s fair to say that
this is not simply hyperbole. Finally ending her hiatus, her 6th
original Japanese album and first in 8.5 years, “Fantome” will be
released on September 28th. A French word meaning “ghost” or “shadow,”
the album is a dedication to her mother who passed away in 2013. It’s
her first step forward into a new chapter, and we talk with her and her
feelings.
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— This is you resuming activities after roughly 6 years…
When I announced my break, a lot of people were asking “Why?,” and I
didn’t really know how to answer. I wouldn’t really say inertia, but
once something starts moving it’s hard to stop, and when something’s
stopped it’s hard to move. There was such an immediate commotion around
my debut, and from there this identity of “Utada Hikaru” grew so much.
The bigger it got, like a big truck it got hard to steer, and I found
myself unable to choose my own direction. I thought, “This isn’t good,”
so I decided to take a break.
— And now after 8.5 years, this new album. Why the title “Fantome”?
I knew that I wanted this album to be a dedication to my deceased
mother, so I was thinking about this idea of Samsara (Buddhist idea of
the cycle of death and rebirth) and the word “shadow.” There was a point
where anything I laid my eyes on made me see my mother, and even seeing
my son’s smile made me sad. But through the process of making this
album, these jumbled feelings I was having became a bit more sorted.
This feeling of, “Well if I’m feeling my mother’s presence as a shadow,
that’s ok. Because I myself, and my own presence, has its beginnings in
my mother.” And so as I was thinking about the title, I didn’t like the
idea of using English like before, and the Japanese words that came to
mind were just way too heavy, so this thought of “French seems to fit”
came about. I began searching for French words, and I came across the
word “Fantome,” which means ghost or shadow, and I thought “This is it!”
— I heard that the reaction from listeners to the songs “Hanataba wo
Kimini” and “Manatsu no Tooriame” which were released digitally in
April, had a big impact on the final album?
There were a lot of listeners who heard these 2 songs and realized, “I
wonder if these are about her mother?” And it wasn’t sympathy, but more
empathy or this sense of the importation of feelings. I had never really
encountered with my own songs, where the reaction was so different from
my expectation. And both in a good and bad sense, I’d never allowed
that sort of reaction to influence my next material. But the reaction to
these 2 songs in particular felt so positive to me, that unlike any
other albums, I Iet the reactions influence the outcome. During the
final half of the recording process, it felt like I received the courage
to finish writing the remaining lyrics. The majority of the lyrics from
the album were written in the roughly 3 months after that. Definitely
the shortest recording up until now. With that being said, the theme for
“Hanataba wo Kimini” and “Manatsu no Tooriame” was very delicate so it
took a while, and 8.5 years is obviously a long time (lol). And, because
everyone knew this was “about my mother,” I had this strong sense of
responsibility to not make an album that would paint my mother’s face in
mud.
— “Hanataba wo Kimini” was a song that was written specifically for NHK’s Asadora “Toto-Neechan,” correct?
Because it’s such a national program, more than usual I wanted to make
the lyrical entry point as wide as possible. Like the (Japanese groups)
OFF COURSE and TULIP, and also Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer,” I imagined
something light and open, and that’s what I was aiming for. Something
that a lot of different listeners could apply to a lot of different
situations.
— On the other hand, “Manatsu no Tooriame” has very strong, literary
lyrics. I was really taken aback by the beauty of the Japanese language.
For this song, before I even got started, I had made the decision to
write the lyrics only in Japanese. I wanted to pursue the significance
of singing in Japanese, and the idea of singing a true Japanese “song.”
It didn’t seem like a song that had room for English, and it also felt
that for me at this moment, using English would just be an easy
“escape.” I didn’t want to feel the buzz of the Roman, but rather the
natural stain of the Japanese language. I wanted something that could
feel beautiful, now and ever.
— The album as a whole, other than a few words in English and French, are completely written in Japanese.
From the very early stages of production, I very consciously wanted to
go to battle with this album as “Japanese language Pop music.” The
English phrases in my lyrics up until were really used when I didn’t
want to directly sing about something, or I just wanted to add some
color. But this time, I only wanted to line up the most crucial Japanese
words, and only sing lyrics that I felt were beautiful.
— The album jacket, shot by French photographer Julien Mignot, is also very beautiful and artistic.
Thank you so much. I had actually known him before. When I had met him
he was just a fledgling photographer, but when I recently went to his
website, I saw he was so popular and his photos had gotten so good
(lol). With all of my album jackets up until now, one of my directors
would suggest photographers, but this was the first time that I
personally said, “I think this person is great, what do you think?” I
personally contacted him, and all of the scheduling and location
scouting was decided by the two of us, and we shot it in Paris. It was
the first time where I didn’t feel this sense of work or roles, but just
as a normal girl, meeting someone and having them take my photos. It
felt very natural, very human, and very freeing. That also ended up
tying into my confidence with this album.
— The album opens with the danceable track “Michi.” After going through
your mother’s death, your marriage, the birth of your son, the oath like
lyrics to the song feel like a frank condensation of all of your
current feelings.
Yes. Like, “I’m alright! Let’s go!” (lol). Through the process of
writing the lyrics to this song, I felt like I was able to grasp the
true subject of this album. I felt relieved being able to say what I
wanted to say.
— It’s been 8.5 years, and compared to your previous albums, your voice
and lyrics sound even stronger, gentler, and I get the sense that you’ve
really grown up.
Besides “Michi,” I made the arrangements of the tracks very minimal, to
make sure that my voice and words could be clearly heard. It was to the
point of saying, “If you can’t hear the words then there’s no point,”
and so my singing too is a bit more gentle and polite.
— I’d agree. The 2nd track, “Ore no Kanojo” is much more adult than anything you’ve done.
This is a song that I’d been messing around with since before my hiatus
began. At the demo stage, half of the lyrics were kind of a joke, but I
decided I wanted to keep the “Ore no Kanojo” line (lol). I think because
I debuted at such a young age, before my hiatus, the thought of
directly talking about sex felt taboo. When I would ever hint at
something erotic, I avoided expressing it in a direct way. But this
time, it kinda felt like going from PG13 to R (lol). I think I imposed
on myself a type of censorship, so this time I just really freely picked
words. Even simple words like “Dakiau (to embrace)” I felt free to use,
and coming to terms with “death” and “life,” I finally felt able to
utilize this idea of “sex,” which is such an integral part of “life.”
— On this track, similar to the album title, you use French.
Without any previous experience or any clear calculation, the French
words just kinda came to me and I was a little shocked. I think I maybe
wanted something very cool and also just very sensual sounding. Moreso
than English, French requires a very evocative vocalization method. And
also, right when I finished writing the lyrics to this song, I started
thinking through the album title.
— Well let me ask some questions about some other tracks. “Ningyo” is
very unusual for your songs in that it has a very rustic, acoustic
sound.
After my mother had passed away, at a point where I felt like “I don’t
know if I can make music anymore,” I picked up a guitar and this song
kinda just happened. This was another song that I really felt this urge
to write a “beautiful Japanese language song,” hence I struggled a lot
with the lyrics. I hemmed and hawed for about a year, and at a point
where I just didn’t think I’d be able to reach my goal and was about to
give up, all of a sudden these words started pouring out of me. I think
due to this sense of accomplishment, this is the song I’m most proud of.
Actually, in the original paper-cut MV for “Hanataba wo Kimini,”
there’s a scene where this woman who’s been living in this village as a
human, suddenly goes to the sea and jumps in and returns to her original
form as a mermaid, and when I saw the original storyboards, I felt as
if the artist was comforting me, warmly supporting me, and more than
anything, just truly understood and accepted “Hanataba wo Kimini,” and I
just couldn’t stop crying. And that’s where this mermaid motif took
over.
— On “Kayou no Ookami” my ears were really taken by the sighing sounds.
During the final stage of production, when I had run out of ideas, just
through sheer momentum this was quickly created (lol). When I was having
tea with a friend, we were discussing how we both liked Hermann Hesse,
and from there I remembered his novel “Steppenwolf,” and that’s where it
tied into the lyrics. I undertook it after the main vocals had been all
recorded, and the entire album recording session was ended with these
sighs (lol). With “Hanataba wo Kimini” as well, I felt something was
missing so I added in the sighs. Actually, using these “breaths” as
expression is a mini theme of the album.
— The album comes to a close with “Sakura Nagashi”
There really wasn’t anywhere but the end that this song could be placed.
Up until now, I’d take a tracklist proposal from the album production
team and we’d all work through it together, but this time I did it on my
own. So in that sense as well, with this album, in a lot of ways, as a
project leader I had to really take control. Due to my mother’s death
and also coming into my own as a mother, I had to suddenly become a
proper adult. Knowing that no one else could show me what road to
follow, and experiencing this frantic need to keep moving forward,
allowed me to grasp a sense of confidence that I’ve never had.
— The lyrics, whether direct or indirect, use the motif of your
“mother.” And yet, even though these songs are so personal, the quality
of these songs is so high that everyone is able to share in that music. I
just have so much admiration for that.
But don’t you think this theme of a “mother” is actually one of the most
“pop” motifs? I’d say that for most people, your mother or some kind of
presence similar to that, becomes the basis for your own nucleus, and
your world sort of forms around that. I’d say that is very very “pop.”
— Yeah when you put it that way it makes sense.
I actually think that’s why the reception to “Hanataba wo Kimini” was so
strong. And I think that’s why right now, more than anytime before, I
have a strong sense of trust with the listeners.
— Then finally, for you, what sort of album did “Fantome” turn out to be?
It’s an album that I was able to “accept,” and have “accepted.” I
wouldn’t call it self-therapy, but listening back to “Michi,” I’ve begun
to think “I’m not sad. I’m gonna be alright.” It also might be the
first time that I’ve felt this sense of, “listen to this!” so strongly
(lol). It’s an album that I really want people to hear. If some kind of
feeling can reach the listener, and be accepted, I’d be happy. I plan on
continuing to make music after this, but I really don’t think I’ll be
able to make an album like this again.
Original interview in Japanese:
http://trendnews.yahoo.co.jp/archives/450841/
