I’ve decided to translate Natalie.mu’s Power Push article on Hikasa Youko’s Collaboration Album. It will be divided into 16 sections based on the sub-titles in the article (purple text). Hopefully I’ll be able to do one section per week.
Some background to start you off with the interview:
Hikasa Youko’s solo project started off in May with the release of the ED Theme for Shingeki no Kyojin, Utsukushiki Zankoku na Sekai. Followed by HAL’s Theme song, Owaranai Uta, in the following month. In July, she released her collaboration album.
Since her Akiyama Mio character songs back in 2009, which attracted attention to Hikasa Youko as a vocalist, why didn’t she debut as a solo artiste until now? Why only debut after all these years? The interview will reveal.
The later half of the full length interview will feature a conversation between the director of the Glamorous Days PV and Hikasa Youko.
Hikasa Youko Interview
“You really won’t get anything even if you press me for it”
– Though your fans (from back in the K-ON days) seem like they’d say “What, now?!” After hearing the collaboration album “Glamorous Songs”, they’ll again agree “Hikasa sings well”.
Ehh!? Th-Thank you.
– So before we hear about “Glamorous Songs”, lets hear about your musical journey up till you became Hikasa Youko the vocalist.
Are we really going along with that!? I didn’t have any musical journey at all, you really won’t get anything even if you try to press me for it (lol).
– But surely you’ve been in the shoes of a listener right?
Actually, about that…. Compared to those who say “I like music”, I’m a really superficial listener of sorts….
–What was the first CD you’ve ever bought?
My memory of that period is already a little hazy…… If I’m not wrong it was SPEED’s “STEADY”? Was it during elementary school, or middle school…..
– What drew you to SPEED at that time?
Because it was popular? (lol) After that I started to like listening to T.M.Revolution. However, if you asked me if I listened to other artistes purely because I like their songs, then…… Coincidentally, my Middle/High school period coincided with the heyday of Karaoke Boxes. I remember something like listening to songs that were popular and memorising them to sing them at the karaoke box.
–So you liked singing?
The karaoke outlet nearby opens at 12 noon, so during my rest days I’d go with my friends when it opens and leave around 7 at night; that’s just about how long we sang. But I’m actually a shy and nervous person (lol). I really dislike going up the stage for school events and stuff. I won’t sing unless its in a closed space like a karaoke box with people I trust. So, if the past me saw my present self, my past self would probably think “This person is doing something unthinkable”.
– Ahahahaha (lol).
Even now I wouldn’t sing in front of family. That’s the same with acting. During events they usually say something like “Please say this line from that scene from that show!”, don’t they? Outside of events I’d reply “No I don’t want to!” (lol). “Its too embarrassing I can’t do it, can’t do it.” But for some reason once I’m in front of a mic, acting and singing flows naturally. Its a mystery to me as well.