Sakurazaka46's Matsuda Rina & Morita Hikaru x Giga x TeddyLoid x DECO*27 (RealSound 241025)
Q 9Lana’s “Let me battle” that was composed and arranged by Giga-san and TeddyLoid-san received a huge response. What were your thoughts going into this new work, “Pikkaan!”?
TeddyLoid: ”Let me battle” that I created with 9Lana-san showed a new side to Pokemon songs that has never been seen before, and I think it has become a song that surprised everyone. Pokemon is a work that we are all familiar with, so when the offer came, I was like “It’s finally here”. Giga-chan and I talked about sublimating the maximum performance we have in our music as we took this on
Giga: I was really happy to receive another offer, and it was both challenging and fun in trying to set it apart from our previous work
Q In addition to the two of you, DECO*27-san is also credited as the songwriter for this song. This is the first time the three of you worked together after Ado’s “Odo”
TeddyLoid: In the first place, I wanted to ask DECO*27-san, who I thought to be the best lyricist and music producer, to help us write this song. So, I contacted DECO*27-san directly
DECO*27: And I immediately said OK (laughs)
Q This combination sure feels special, doesn’t it?
DECO*27: The songs made by the three of us really have great power. The sound sources the two of them sent me were so wonderful that it made me feel just like another fan of theirs, but in reality, I have to write lyrics that are as good as the tracks they make. I feel like I'm on fire as a creator, and the song this time was quite inspiring as well.
Q Made you feel like “Let’s give this a go!”?
DECO*27: That’s right, I thought of beating the two of them (laughs). We may look like we’re working together in the credits, but I actually have a burning desire within me to fight them, and it was with this strong desire that I took on the challenge of making the lyrics
Q What kind of presence is Pokemon for you?
TeddyLoid: I played through the games, but music-wise, the song “Pokemon ieru kana?” (by Imakuni?, CM for Pokemon’s TGC) left a shocking impression on me. I was only two years old then, but when I look back to it now it’s really interesting how everyone learned to remember the name of Pokemons through a rap song. “Mezase, Pokemon Master” was very impactful too, music-wise
DECO*27: My first Pokemon game was “Pokemon Blue”. So I was a bit late into the game. Everyone around me was already playing Red and Green, playing against each other with the game link cable, but I was able to join right away. So for me, Pokemon is truly a communication tool. Pokemon allowed me to become friends with classmates I don’t usually hang out with, or people I don’t usually speak to. That still hasn’t changed. When I played Pokemon because I felt like it, my friends would say “Oh, you’re playing Pokemon!” as they gathered around and had a lively conversation with me
Giga: I only played the games from “Pokemon Pikachu” until “Pokemon Diamond / Pearl”. My parents didn’t really buy me games, so I remember playing them over and over. Nowadays there are many videos on YT that explains the details of the game, and recently I found videos that summarizes the difference in the pixel art in each version of Pokemon Red, Green, Blue, and Pikachu so I’ve been watching them
DECO*27: What a maniac (laughs)!
TeddyLoid: Speaking of which, Giga-chan gave me a game boy the other day. He asked me if I’d like to play old games together with him, so we hooked up with the game link cable and played together
Q As for the two Sakurazaka46 members, how did you feel when you learned that you will be singing the ED theme for Pokemon’s anime series?
Matsuda Rina (From here on Matsuda): To be honest, I was so shocked that I couldn’t believe it. I had always wanted to sing a theme song for an anime, so I was both happy and honored that it could come true
Morita Hikaru (From here on Morita): I really love Pokemon, so it felt like a dream. I couldn’t believe it when I first heard about it, and it only started to feel real when the recording process started
Q This is Sakurazaka46’s first time filling in for a theme song, right?
Matsuda: That’s right
DECO*27: Eh, is that so?
Morita: Yes. That’s why as soon as I learned about it, I was so happy I immediately contacted my family (laughs). My family also loves Pokemon, so they said, “We will watch it for sure”
Q Morita-san has a close relationship with Pokemon, having previously appeared in Pokemon’s TV show and also making a TikTok collaboration with Piplup
Morita: When I look at my pictures as a baby, I could see a lot of Pokemon stuffed dolls in it, Pokemon has been such a part of my daily life to the point I don’t remember when I actually became a fan. I really grew into liking Pokemon without even realizing it. When I was in elementary school I turned on the TV as soon as I got home to watch Pokemon’s anime, and then played the game after it finished airing, so all my life, Pokemon was always by my side. Pokemon has always been a natural part of my life
Q What about Matsuda-san?
Matsuda: I am different from everyone, a Pokemon newbie. As I have been selected to sing the ED theme of the anime series, I watched it starting from the 1st episode, but the Pokemons are so cute in every episode that it hurts to watch. I’m still not familiar with them yet, but I hope to find a favorite one day and to fall deeper into the Pokemon rabbit hole
DECO*27: Welcome to the Pokemon rabbit hole!
Matsuda: Thank you very much (laughs)
Q Then, please allow me to ask questions regarding “Pikkaan!”. How did you progress with the song creation?
TeddyLoid: We used the same production style Giga-chan and I recently started using when working together; First, I make various parts that will become pieces of the song, then give them to Giga-chan in their entirety, who then adds melody and complete the song
Q So the parts were already fragmented from the start?
TeddyLoid: That’s right. I made various patterns of the intro, verse, pre-chorus, and chorus. I created a lot of project files on DTM as I fiddled, and then handed it over to Giga-chan. From there he added melody and developed the entire song
Giga: We talked beforehand about making it completely different from the previous song, “Let me battle”. That song has an emotional feel with a story in the flow of the melody, but this time it is the complete opposite. We put more parts that could be memorized immediately after listening to the song and put more emphasis on catchiness and how easy it is to remember the song
TeddyLoid: We then handed the work, that has been created with the emphasis on making an impact, to DECO*27-san
DECO*27: Do you know how much trouble you gave me when you sent me such a fire track?
Q Right (laughs)
DECO*27: When the two of them sent me the sound file, they already included a tentative song that Giga-chan was singing, and the demo really conveyed the image that Giga-chan wanted to express, such as “I want the vowel ‘a’ on this sound”. I call it “Giga-speak”, and I wrote the lyrics while trying not to lose that image and thinking about how many easy-to-understand words I could cram in that would be memorable to everyone's ears
Q So it was lyrics that could only be born out of this track that was created by Giga-san and TeddyLoid-san
DECO*27: Actually the title “Pikkaan!” was not the original one, but Giga-chan said that he liked “Pikkaan!”, and I agreed that this might be the one that will leave the most impression and changed the title to that. And since it’s the ED theme for an anime series, I tried to balance in the message of the anime into the lyrics as I wrote it
TeddyLoid: When DECO*27-san sent me the “Rise up, Pikkaan” part, I got really excited with Giga-chan on how amazing it was. Actually, there are a lot of other words that fit this part. But most of it are also words that are used in other Pokemon songs, so they overlap
Q So they’ve been used too many times
TeddyLoid: That’s right, and it's amazing how Deco-san could come up with this word despite that. That’s why there wasn’t much discussion about the lyrics, and it was decided on pretty much one go.
DECO*27: Right, there were only minor adjustments
Q Then, how did you feel when you first listened to this song, Matsuda-san, Morita-san?
Matsuda: At first, I was like, “Will I be able to sing this song?”...
TeddyLoid: We thought the same thing (laughs)
Matsuda: But I was happy to take on the challenge of singing a kind of song that we have never sung before. The melody and the lyrics of this song makes you feel like doing your best when you listen to it, so I was happy to have had the opportunity to sing it
Morita: The melody is completely different from the genre we usually sing with the group, so the way I use my voice has to be different. Even though I was singing in a way to make it sound cheerful, when I listened to it, it wasn’t like that at all. That’s why I frantically practiced to raise the corner of my lips, I even wrote “raise the corner of your lips” and smiley face on the lyrics card, I just did everything I could so that I could sing it in a cheerful way
TeddyLoid: The two of them practiced a lot so the recording proceeded smoothly, and to be honest I was surprised at how good you two were
Giga: Before the recording, we received their practice video, and the two of us were like, “Will they be fine?”. But on the actual recording, they were really good, it was as if they were different people altogether (laughs). The two of them have good vocal qualities, Matsuda-san’s sounds bright, and Morita-san’s sounds calm. That difference adds a good spice to the song. The only vocal direction we gave them was pretty much just, “Let’s make it sound more cheerful”
TeddyLoid: As expected, the two of them have a wonderful attitude towards singing. I have been involved with many different recordings, but the two of them are serious about it. They think about it up until the very last minute. I really felt that way, and I am sure that they are always conscious of the way they put emotions into the lyrics. That is put into good use in this song
DECO*27: I didn’t go to the recording studio, but they did everything that I wished they would do. The opening line of “Rise up, Pikkaan” is the part that introduces the vibe of the whole song, and the tension in their voices was perfect, a suitable beginning for the story that continues from there. Speaking of my personal preferences, I like the part that starts with “Hanpa jyanai, moeteru omoi wa joushou-chu” which isn’t used in the anime version, just listening to the two of them really cheers me up
Q Matsuda-san, Morita-san, how did you feel when you actually sang it?
Matsuda: Singing the “Kaete ikou, yaresou, dekasou” part was really fun. I also recorded a version where I sung it differently, I think that the direction and the image of how they want me to sing it was really precise and easy to visualize
Q Just listening to the song, I could already imagine how fun the recording must have been
Morita: I was so stiff from nervousness when I first entered the studio (laughs), but once I entered the booth and started the recording, I started to enjoy it and in the end we both talked about how much fun it was
TeddyLoid: To be honest, it was unusual for two people to record a song at the same time, as it is usually one at the time. However, it seems that their group usually records several members at the same time to synchronize their breathing and create a sense of unity. Giga-chan who was present in studio was shocked, as it was the first time he did something like that
Giga: Yeah
Matsuda: On the other hand, we almost never record alone. That’s why I was feeling nervous about entering the booth
DECO*27: Is that so!
TeddyLoid: Even for a group song, you record each member individually, right?
DECO*27: That’s right
Matsuda: For that reason, I was happy to receive more time to practice one-on-one, and I was able to concentrate more on the song
Morita: For our group’s songs, the singing parts had been decided in advance and we only needed to sing ours. But this time we sang the whole song and then had our singing parts decided later. It was the first time for us to sing the whole song
Matsuda: Yeah
DECO*27: I’d like to hear their solo versions. Can you send it to me?
All: (Laughs)
Q DECO-san, TeddyLoid-san, Giga-san, what impression did you have on the groupSakurazaka46?
DECO*27: I'm embarrassed to say that I don't know that much about them. Perhaps that is one of the reasons I wasn’t really influenced [by the group’s image] as I wrote the lyrics. I was pretty much keeping my focus on the theme of Pokemon, listening to the singer's voice and thinking, “With this kind of voice, this kind of lyrics would fit”. On the other hand, if I had been a big fan of them, the lyrics would have turned into a big deal (laughs). But this is a good opportunity for me to start listening to what songs they have
TeddyLoid: I think that they are a group that is rich in emotions, and I thought that as we are having them try rapping in this song, Deco-san’s lyrics would be a good fit. In fact, it was truly a perfect match
Giga: I had the impression that they are cool and aloof. But Sakurazaka46’s songs are almost always sung in unison, so that makes “Pikkaan!” a complete opposite of them, and I think that we were able to see some really interesting things there. The parts where they sing out loud and the pre-chorus are something that you don’t really get to hear from Sakurazaka46’s songs. That’s why I was surprised at how good they were
Q As for Matsuda-san, Morita-san, what are your impressions of the three of them?
Matsuda: I’m not that knowledgeable about music, but my impression of them are people who could make cool songs that you won’t forget once you listened to it. I especially enjoy singing “Odo” every time I go to karaoke
Giga・TeddyLoid・DECO*27: Ehhh!!
Matsuda: I sing it very seriously (laughs). When I go to karaoke with the other members, I would always sing “Odo” at the very end. So, it’s truly an honor to be able to work with you three through this opportunity
Morita: It’s truly an honor to be able to work with the three of you, and I often listened to your Vocaloid songs in my student days. I especially love “Vampire”
DECO*27: I look forward to hearing voice messages of you both singing to those songs!
All: (laughs)
Q If the three of you were to compose a song for Sakurazaka46, what kind of song would it be?
DECO*27: It would be very interesting if we could make it happen
Matsuda: We would love to! I think it would show a different side of Sakurazaka46 that has never been seen before
Giga: It would be interesting to see how the personalities of members will come out by switching the solo parts with one another
TeddyLoid: I would love the opportunity!
DECO*27: But does that mean I could write the lyrics?
Matsuda: I’m not sure about the lyrics… (laughs)
DECO*27: Then I’ll join the song composing side!
All: (laughs)
Morita: We’re looking forward to it
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Translation: TMI
QC: meg
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