Determined to take the first step toward becoming a solo artist
Riho Sayashi, the former ace of Morning Musume, resumed her career last year after a 5 year hiatus, following her graduation from the group. Since her return, she has expanded her activities, appearing on stage, in dramas, and having her own radio show. This year, she is finally starting her solo music career, and on the 11th, she will perform her new song, which is the first song she has written herself, for the first time in a free online live performance. We asked her about her first song, her thoughts on her future musical activities, and her aspirations for 2021.
Becoming a solo artist, and her new approach
After announcing the resumption of her activities, she starred in the musical “Kuro Sekai” from September to October of last year, as well as “35 mm: A Musical Exhibition”.
She also appeared as the heroine of the 10th episode of the drama “Ano ko no yume wo mitan desu”, written by Ryota Yamasato of the Nankai Candies (TV Tokyo). In October, she opened her official fan club, Sayashiihitotachi. In December, she started her own radio program “Sayashi Riho to marumaru to” (MBS Radio, every Saturday at 11:30 pm). Despite only being active for approximately half a year, she has had tremendous momentum, which has only been increasing.
Looking back on the year of her restart, she says:
During my hiatus, I was living life at my own pace, but now that I am able to work again, I am amazed at how quickly things have progressed in 6 months. I can only be grateful that I was able to take on various challenges with the help of so many people.
When working in a group, she was often overwhelmed with the need to do everything perfectly, and had some negative experiences due to not being able to always express herself. Now, as a solo artist, she has a different approach:
Now, I am more concerned with expressing who I am.
Her first attempt at writing lyrics: Facing the difficulty of expressing her own thoughts
While Sayashi has restarted her acting career, both on stage and on tv, many of her fans have been eager to see her resume her singing career. This year, she will finally take the first step in that direction. She says:
After returning, I knew I wanted to sing and dance, and I received a lot of feedback from fans, that made me think of myself as a singer, and I am happy to finally be able to do it.
The song that will be performed live is her first since graduating from Morning Musume, and she has written the song lyrics. This is her first time doing so.
She began preparing for her music career in the fall, but she struggled putting her thoughts into lyrics. Looking back, she says:
I wrote the lyrics by repeatedly writing what came to mind in a notebook, either at home or at a cafe, and then typed them on a computer, once I had put everything together. Even when I was done, I felt I hadn’t conveyed my true feelings, and I had to re-write them again and again. There was a lot of trial and error.
Initially, when I told my staff I wanted to try writing lyrics, they thought it was a good idea, because I would be able to convey my thoughts properly. I look forward to seeing what the response will be. Up until now, I was expressing myself through my singing and dancing, but doing it with my own words, is a little embarrassing, and scary.
Despite this, she is excited about her online live performance:
I feel the fans will find it refreshing to hear me sing my own lyrics, and I hope this performance will give them an idea of what I want to do in the future.
2021 as a step forward, and an even more surprising year
On May 28, her 23rd birthday, Sayashi will hold her first solo live show since graduating from the group, at Toyosu PIT, in Tokyo. With a sparkle in her eyes, she says:
Given that there is a pandemic, there are of course issues with this event as well, but I feel a sense of security knowing that the fans will be there. I know that I will be nervous, but I trust that the fans will accept me. Performing is an essential part of expressing myself. On stage, I feel like absorbing the crowd’s energy, and returning it to them, and I can’t wait to experience that sense of unity.
Finally, we asked her about her goals in 2021, where she aims to take more steps forward. With a smile, she says:
Last year, when I resumed my activities, I was able to achieve what I wanted to do, and I was surprised myself, especially when it came to acting, where I wanted to do my best. So in 2021, I want to challenge myself to do even more amazing things. I hope that at the end of the year, I can tell myself “I never thought I could do this”.
Looking back, I feel last year can be described in one word: “Connect”. Even though I was absent for 5 years, there were connections that were not lost, and through the fan club, and SNS, I was able to communicate with the fans, in ways that made me feel connected to them. It is the power of these connections that allow me to do my work, and I want to continue my activities with this in mind: “I may be alone now, but I can’t do it all by myself”.
Interview: Shuhei Kaneko
Photos: Mami Matsubayashi https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ8MrYOAnPq/
No comments:
Post a Comment