A very long interview, but with a lot of interesting information
In 2011, at the age of 12, Riho Sayashi joined Morning Musume, as a member of the group's 9th generation, and led the group with her outstanding performance skills. She graduated from the group in December 2015, and after a few years away from the industry, she resumed her activities in 2020. On August 4th of 2021, the 3rd year of the Reiwa era (384 or Sayashi day) she released her 1st ep "Daybreak", which has 5 songs, on her own label Savo-r. She is re-starting her career as a music artist 5 and a half years after her graduation from Morning Musume '15.
To celebrate the release of "Daybreak", Ongaku (Music) Natalie is running a feature in 2 parts. Part 1 includes a long interview with Sayashi where she talks about her journey, from her graduation from Morning Musume to the present, and how she reveals herself in this album.
Finding myself away from the stage
- First of all, I would like to say, from the bottom of my heart: Welcome back.
- Thank you. I really appreciate it.
- You must have experienced a lot in the 5 and a half years after graduating from Morning Musume at the age of 17. Can you tell us again why you graduated?
- What made me graduate was a strong desire to "start from scratch". I was in a bit of a crisis, thinking that if I didn't change my environment before turning 20, I wouldn't be able to figure out what I wanted to do in my life.
- You have said that you wanted to do a reset after debuting at the age of 12. At the time, it was a shock to the fans because you graduated only 2 months after you made the announcement (Note: Riho Sayashi graduated from Morning Musume '15 at the end of that year)
- I thought about it a lot, and also consulted with the office before making the decision. At the time, Morning Musume was going through a transition, after Sayumi Michishige graduated, and we, the 9th generation, had to lead the group. Due to this situation, I knew that some people would think my decision was not the right one, but I still felt strongly that I had to change my environment. Because I had that sense of responsibility about the group, I wasn't in the mood to have a long celebration period. I think 2 months was an appropriate amount of time for me to express my gratitude, and for both me and the fans to accept that this was going to be the end. I'm sure my decision caused a lot of problems to a lot of people, but it was something I had to do.
- That sounds very much like what I would expect Sayashi-san to say. When you graduated you said in many interviews that you would continue performing after graduating. Did you have a concrete plan of what you wanted to do?
- I had an idea of where and when I would study abroad. I left Japan 3 months after graduating.
- That's really fast.
- Is it? (laughs) At the time, I rarely had 3 days off, so I was actually wondering "Is it ok to take a break for 3 months?"
- You wanted to study abroad as soon as possible?
- No, I just felt this strange internal pressure. I felt that, since I had said I was going to study abroad, I had to do it as soon as possible, otherwise I would look bad. I still had the Morning Musume Riho Sayashi mentality.
- You were thinking "This is what Riho Sayashi of Morning Musume would do".
- Yes. I was aware of the fact that people would be following what I am doing. So it was a little difficult for me, but at some point I realized "What's the point of leaving if I keep thinking about that!" After that, I began thinking about who I wanted Riho Sayashi to be as a person. Before graduating, I barely had any time for my family, and it felt at times that everything in my life was about Morning Musume, so I'm glad I was able to change my way of thinking.
- You studied abroad for 2 years, right?
- After studying English, I began studying dance. At first, I couldn't speak any English at all, but by the time I began my dance lessons, I was able to communicate in English without any problems. I remember talking to this old guy for about an hour at the park in New York (laughs). People there talk a lot, so I was talking a lot too, I guess.
- In New York, you spent most of your time at the dance school, right?
- Yep. I was taking street jazz classes, and went to school every day. Every instructor had their own style, and I had made my own schedule, studying at 4 different "schools" (note: it is not clear if Riho means 4 different locations or 4 different styles, but she uses the English word school).
- So you learned various styles. On your radio show, "Sayashi Riho to marumaru to", when Ryo Asai was your guest, you said "I used to like Japanese dance, which is very organized, but after studying abroad, I realized the appeal of other styles as well". What did you mean by this?
- Honestly, before going abroad, I used to think that foreign dancers would be cooler if they were a bit more disciplined. But when I went abroad and saw the dancers' originality and passion, I was impressed because they radiated something different. I learned a lot by being there in person. When I thought about what style of dance would suit me the most, I didn't simply say "I will dance passionately". On one hand I thought about the precise dancing I had been taught in Japan, and I thought perfecting that would suit me, on the other hand, I had the chance to reconsider a lot of what I believed before I went abroad.
So by expanding your horizons, you were able to develop your own personality too. By the way, did you know how long you were going to stay abroad? You had the option of staying in the U.S. too...
- I thought about it. It had been years since I graduated, and I thought people in Japan would have forgotten me, and if I didn't have a clear vision of what I wanted to do, it would have been meaningless to return. It's not easy to work in the entertainment industry, and I was being realistic, thinking I should pursue different kind of jobs too.
- So what made you return to Japan and resume your career?
- While thinking about the various possibilities I had, I realized that I felt most alive when singing and dancing. So I wasn't sure if I should quit. Then, while I was staying with my parents after returning from the U.S., I was asked to participate in the 20th anniversary of Hello! Project.
- Hina Fes 2019, which was held in March of that year (which also included Tsuji Nozomi, Kago Ai, Nigaki Risa, and Michishige Sayumi as guests).
- I was worried, thinking "eh... what should I do?". If I had been asked a few months earlier, I would have said "I can't do it, I'm sorry" without hesitation, as I felt uncertain about performing. I thought "I can't go out there while the current members are doing their best. I should probably refuse". But my generation mate, Mizuki Fukumura (leader of Morning Musume '21) told me "I want to perform with you". When I think about it now, I really feel like saying "Thank you Fuku-chan".
- So you appeared at Hina Fes, which was a big hit, right? It is said among Hello! Project fans, that the moment you appeared, the venue was shaking from the cheers. What do you remember?
- I could tell there was excitement, and I could hear the cheers, but not very well because I was wearing IEMs (in-ear monitors). Because of that I was able to remain calm during my performance.
- (laughs)
- I was really nervous, so if I could hear the cheers, I think I would have panicked (laughs). But it was fun. I was able to meet old friends, and see new faces too. The atmosphere in the crowd was different from when I was a member, and I felt that the current members had become accepted by the fans over the years through their hard work.
- Did the experience of Hina Fes solidify your desire to continue your career as a performer?
- I would say so. Hina Fes made me more optimistic about resuming my performing career. It took a lot of courage for me to return because I had been away from the industry up to that point. In my heart, I knew I wanted to do it, but didn't know how, but after Hina Fes, more opportunities arose.
What it means to be on the stage
- Then, you opened an instagram account in May 2020, and in July it was announced you would appear in the musical "Kuro Sekai". Then in September your affiliation with JME was announced. Did you make all these decisions at the same time?
- No, when I opened my instagram account, or when my appearance in the musical was announced, I was a free agent, and had no contact with my current office.
- So you started instagram only to interact with fans?
- Yes, we were in the middle of the covid lockdown, I was living alone, and felt lonely. I was wondering what could I do, and began thinking I should form connections. It was a time when a lot of people were worried, and I thought we could all help each other. It helped me a lot, personally.
- I thought so. Then, in "Kuro Sekai", you played the character of Lily, who you also played in Lilium (2014). Did Kenichi Suemitsu directly offer you the role? (interviewer's note: the play is written by Suemitsu and 6 other writers, and Riho Sayashi plays a girl that travels through a "black world" in an "eternal journey")
- Yes, it was a very important role for me, and I had no reason to decline. I couldn't let anyone else play her.
- The office you joined is JME. They have many actors such as Ryoko Shinohara, Yudai Chiba, and Kyoko Yoshine, so I think many fans wondered if you would be mainly active as an actress.
- I knew I wanted to act, so I told my agency that, but I also told them I want to be a singer, and they gave me the ok. I was certain that I wanted to do both.
- Sayashi-san is a great actress, but I think a lot of people were waiting for you to sing and dance. You are going to announce the start of your music career and the release of your first cd later today (note: the interview was conducted on July 13th)
- I'm already really excited (doki doki). I have barely slept the last few days. Let's continue the interview because this is the only thing that keeps me from being too nervous (laughs).
- (laughs) Resuming your music career can mean a lot of things, and there were endless possibilities as a new artist. You could be an idol, a singer-songwriter playing instruments, or someone who focuses on dancing. How do you imagine yourself as an artist?
- When it's all said and done, I want to sing and dance. This is something I have wanted to do for a long time. And I wanted to give it my own meaning.
- What do you mean by that?
- I think that I try to perform by showing what is in my heart. If my heart's not in it, I don't see the point in dancing. I also knew there were people waiting for me, and I wanted to deliver my own words to them.
- And that led you to writing lyrics. I think artists, on one hand, want to please their fans, and on the other hand, want to express themselves. Which desire is stronger for you at the moment?
- Hmm... I want to be honest, and show something new, I think. I don't think I've ever pretended to be someone while performing, so I won't force myself to fit into what someone else may want to see. I believe that if I can show my own vision as an artist, the fans will accept it, even if it is different than what I used to do.
- You trust your fans, don't you?
- Some will probably think "That's not the Sayashi I knew", but I want to express myself, and communicate exactly what I'm feeling.
Let your intuition guide you
- What was the initial idea behind your first mini-album "Daybreak"?
- First, I was going to have a live concert in May, and we began writing songs for the concert. The concert was postponed, but we were not planning to perform many new songs at the time anyway. We had planned it mostly as a dance performance, plus there was going to be a surprise to celebrate my birthday. I didn't have that many songs, or any plans to record original songs. But since the schedule changed, we decided to prepare songs and release them.
- So the postponement of the live led to the songs being recorded. So you didn't have a stock of songs? All of them were new?
- Yes, we made it all from scratch for the recording. There were songs where the lyrics came first, and songs where I received the music and wrote the lyrics afterwards, but in all cases, I worked with the composers closely.
- Let's talk about each song please. In "Find me out", which was released in July, you worked with composer/arranger Gento Miyano, who is known for his work with Philosophy no Dance. (Note: Riho Sayashi resumed her music career with her label Savo-r, and the songs written with Gento Miyano are now available)
- I wrote the lyrics first, and then we added the music. I think it falls under the genre of city pop. At first, Miyano-san didn't want to do it like that, but after reading the lyrics, he thought that would be the best genre for the song.
- So the lyrics determined the genre.
- Yes. And I think that's great. There was something that I wanted to convey, and I am impressed by what a great song it turned out to be. It's nostalgic, but fresh, and when I first heard it, I thought it was really cool.
- In the lyrics, you sing about your feelings of conflict in the city. You wrote "I am now lost in the big city of Tokyo". That's when I realized you are now an adult.
- hahaha! I am an adult (laughs). I didn't have a theme for this song, and didn't think about it too much. My lyrics were then adjusted to fit the music, and we finished the song together.
- This is true for the other 4 songs as well, but I got the impression you were expressing your feelings very frankly in the lyrics. To what extent do you actually project yourself in the lyrics?
- It's all about my feelings. Each song tells a different story, and I want to tell the listeners that each song expressed different feelings (laughs).
- It's natural to feel different things. Was there a moment where Sayashi-san thought I should let the city take over?
- I think the lyrics are about my life so far. I think about stuff from various perspectives. I want to do something but think "what will that person think? Or my parents? Or the fans?" And so on. But I don't think that's what I should be doing. I wrote about my feelings when I was in the mode of "Let your intuition guide you" and compared it to the crowds of Tokyo.
- The sound of a car engine in the interlude is also impressive. It emphasizes that urban feeling.
- Miyano-san added it because it was the image he got from the lyrics. An image of driving on the highway at night.
Is it ok to be this honest?
- The 2nd and 3rd song are dance songs composed by Akira Sunset and APAZZI, and they immediately made me think of Sayashi dancing. As the title suggests, "BUTAI", which was released after "Find me out", is about the determination and thrill of being on the stage (butai). (Note: BUTAI, in which Riho Sayashi sings about the struggles she goes through due to her love for the stage can be found in the mini-album)
- BUTAI is a song I had been thinking about early on, and was planning to play it at the concert in May. I wanted to make a song about restarting and standing on the stage. When I received the music, I was asked to add lyrics, and then with my co-writers' help, we worked on them to turn them into something meaningful for me.
- Since Sayashi-san has such a star aura, I was surprised you would be so nervous you would say "I hate me" or that you would want to run away as you say in the lyrics.
- When I was in the group I hated myself for being nervous when we performed on tv or at Budokan. But when we went on tours, I was more excited than nervous.
- The bridge sounds like a dance break.
- Yes, I already have the choreography. It was prepared by my dance instructor in New York. She sent it to me by email, and I added my own ideas to it. I'm still trying to balance singing and dancing live, but in the end, my plan is to create a dance I will feel comfortable with, and I am sure I will show everyone something good.
- The 3rd song, "Simply me", is a dance song with horns, percussion, and a tribal feeling.
- First, I wanted this to be a song I would dance to, but the crowd could also join, and that's the kind of music I asked for.
- It's a song that seems to bring together the stage and the audience. Your voice was deep and powerful, and the part where you sang "Keep on, on and on, and on..." was cool.
- That phrase was only temporarily in the first version of the song, but I felt it fit well, and I kept it. It's good, right? I wanted the dance to be something simple that anyone could do, but it turned out more intense than I expected. It's also by my New York teacher, and it's quite different than what you would imagine for this type of song.
- I look forward to seeing it live. By the way, even this song has a line such as "that me, is still incomplete".
- There are a lot of lines like that. I noticed it myself after writing them. I tend to ask myself questions (laughs). I guess I want to challenge and understand myself better.
- Sayashi-san has the image of a positive person on SNS who never says anything negative. I found the contrast with the world of your lyrics interesting.
- Indeed. At first I thought, is it ok to be this honest? I was afraid to show the lyrics to my manager. I was embarrassed thinking of what was in my head. I canceled sending emails many times (laughs).
- (laughs) You were revealing what's in your heart. How does it feel to express your inner self by singing your own lyrics?
- I haven't completely grasped it yet, but I'm not good at revealing my inner self, and it feels like I'm gradually learning to do so.
The moment I overcame my insecurities
- The 4th song, "Puzzle", gives the impression of a "shiraSayashi" (white, bright Sayashi). It's a refreshing pop song.
- I chose this song out of the many that were sent to me. I was attracted to the fact that it had a cute and nostalgic feel, with a danceable beat, and I thought it would be nice to feel the story, just by listening to it. I began writing lyrics based on the image I got from the music, but at first, I lost my mind and wrote romantic lyrics...
- You lost your mind (laughs).
- I wrote the lyrics, and we even began recording, but after I was done singing, everyone said "... this is different" (laughs). So I had to re-write the whole thing.
- But even in the final version, I thought the lyrics could be depicting a romantic relationship.
- I was thinking of a friendship, but I left it open-ended, so you can easily think it's about a romantic relationship. It's about a relationship with another person, rather than with people in general. Its original title was "Missing", but the day before the recording I changed it to "Puzzle". I added the word puzzle at the beginning of the chorus, and it just clicked, so I kept changing the lyrics. I kept re-writing until the day of the recording.
- By the way, what is that English phrase you sing at the beginning of the song that is not in the lyrics booklet?
- "I just realized that I can't imagine my life without you. You are so special to myself". I didn't include it in the lyrics booklet because I wanted listeners to feel the nuance of the phrase, and I worked with a sound engineer from England to make the sentence sound more natural.
- And then, there's LAZER, the last song with its bright lyrics and music and a futuristic tone.
- In this song, I sing about the feelings I want to directly convey to the fans. Kami Kaoru, who wrote the lyrics, Takarot, who wrote the music, and myself, talked about it thoroughly to create the song. I first wanted them to know what I wanted to convey, and the kind of person I am, so I spoke to them about my past, and how I feel about my fans (note: I think Riho may have been describing this process in Rihokora #21 where she mentioned a conversation she had with someone and realized that she needs to talk more calmly).
- You made it with great care. What does the title LAZER mean?
- When I perform on stage, I have always felt really powerful, as if a laser beam is coming out of my fingers. We came up with that word during the conversation with Kami Kaoru and Takarot.
- The line "a ray of light, dancing, LAZER" describes Sayashi-san on stage.
- Yes. I've always been afraid of loneliness, but the more I tried to get close to people, the more I struggled to fit in. But when I was myself, I thought how great it would be to create something with the people I met, and that's what I told Kami-san. The lyrics at the song's bridge, "we can't mix, but the moment we get together..." came from that conversation. I do my best when performing, and every fan receives it in a different way, depending on their sensibilities. During the performance, my life force is released in the air, and intersects with that of the audience, like a laser beam. Kami-san helped me a lot with the lyrics of this song. She wrote lines that I couldn't have written myself. "I've always wanted to meet you" is something that I have thought, but would be too embarrassed to write myself. I feel grateful to her for bringing that out.
- In terms of singing, this song is at a higher key than the other ones, right?
- Yes. In fact, it's a key I have had trouble with in the past, and therefore avoided. When I first got the song, I thought it was quite dangerous to do. I may love singing, but I can be insecure about it too. I have been doing this since I was little, and I have been told a lot about singing, but one thing that I remember is "you can't sing high notes". I have always been scared of doing it, because I didn't know if it would come out right. But this time, while recording, the staff gave me time to prepare. It took a while, but came out with a BANG! Only then did I feel I could sing high notes in public without fear. I felt like entering new singing territory. After that, I thought "I can sing high notes! I'm not that bad", and I felt like I had won a battle (laughs).
- The moment you broke out of your shell was left in the recording, wasn't it? It was very pleasant and relaxing to listen to.
We discussed changing the melody, but I didn't want to do that. I wasn't very good at singing, but even after graduating from the group, I have practiced more than just dancing. I have thought a lot about singing, and I have found some methods to produce high notes. It feels that I tried it a lot while recording LAZER.
- This is an episode that shows the stoicism of Riho Sayashi. When you look at the 5 songs from a distance, what do you feel?
- I am not a very confident person, but I feel I can deliver these 5 songs with confidence, and I mean that. I gave a lot of thought to the words and melodies and how they convey my intentions, and I feel I am there, in the songs. I only made 5 songs, but they are songs I will be able to sing for a long time, since they can represent different emotions at different times.
Welcome to a new morning
- DAYBREAK means dawn. Did you come up with the title after all the songs were recorded?
- No, before. I was in Morning Musume, and I wanted to pay tribute to the group, while also expressing the feeling that I am starting a new morning. I also thought that the word dawn can describe a fresh start. I didn't want something too complicated.
- I see. It's a wonderful title that expresses your determination, as well as your gratitude for the past.
- I still struggle with self-acceptance, but through this album, I feel more positive about myself. That's why I think these 5 songs reflect who I am now, and I couldn't have made them a year from now.
- The postponed live performance will finally be held on August 9th. Now that you have a record, it will probably be different than what you initially planned, right?
- Yes, the plan is to perform the songs. We are still working on the details of the performance, but I hope you will be looking forward to it.
- Right now, I don't want to plan too far ahead, or to think of my abilities, such as speaking English, as weapons I can use. After making this album, I realized I want to express myself through the songs, as I am this moment. To do that, I need to broaden my range of expression. I want to continue writing songs about who I am now.
No comments:
Post a Comment