Artist Aya Uchida's true spirit was seen!　Second album "Blooming!" finally completed!

Love Live! In November 2014, her debut solo album "Apple Mint" was released, offering a glimpse of her potential beyond the boundaries of voice acting. And now her second album "Blooming! We asked her to tell us a lot about what kind of work it turned out to be!

It is an album in which various flowers are in full bloom!

─ The jacket photo surrounded by flowers is very cute, isn't it?

Uchida: Just like the album title, the flowers are in full bloom!　The previous album, "Apple Mint," was my solo debut, and I think that some things blossomed within me, while others blossomed as a new Aya Uchida in the eyes of my fans. I talked with the staff about how I wanted my second album to be an album that would show the many faces of me, with flowers of various colors blooming, and we came up with the title "Blooming!

─ How do you feel now that the album is completed?

Uchida: I feel that I have grown as an artist because there are so many different types of songs on the album that I think people will be surprised when they listen to it. As a voice actor, I often sang character songs that highlighted the cuteness of the character, so I was worried at first about how people would feel if I showed a different side when I went solo. But with this album, I was able to break out of that shell, or rather, I was able to sing in a way that made me feel that it was okay to be me.

─ You mean you can feel a more natural Aya Uchida in this album?

Uchida: Yes, that's right. In character songs, I often act and sing as a teenage girl, so I tend to sing in that age-appropriate manner, but this time I feel like I was able to approach the songs as if I were a life-sized person.

─ Now, please comment on the songs on the album: The first song, "Blooming!

Uchida: The first song, "Blooming!" is the title track of the album. It is a more powerful version of the pop band sound that was included in "Apple Mint". The song has a more mature feel to it while still being energetic.

─ The Blu-ray and DVD of the first pressing includes a music video for this song, doesn't it?

Uchida: We had a girly video shot surrounded by flowers. We filmed on location in Okinawa, but it was pouring when we got there (laughs). We were all saying to each other, "Why! but somehow the weather held out during the shoot. Everyone said to me, "She's a sunny girl! I was so excited that I was in the mood for it (laughs).

Hahahaha (laughs). I think it turned out to be a beautiful film.

Uchida: The director did a wonderful job of taking the abstract images I gave him, such as the flowers and the seaside set, and turning them into images.

My first attempt at serious rock music

─ The second song, "Sneakers Future Girl," is also a lighthearted song.

Uchida: As the word "sneakers" is in the title, this song is about ordinary everyday life. When I first heard this song, I had a fresh and new impression of it. I also like the connection with the first song, "Blooming!

─ ─ The song seems to accelerate the momentum of the first song, doesn't it?

Uchida: There are two songs on this album that I suggested that I would like to sing, and three songs that were chosen as part of the "Uchi competition. In that sense, I think I was able to work even harder on this album than I did on "Apple Mint.

─ The third song is "Like a Bird.

Uchida: This is one of the songs I suggested that you write. I asked for a "serious rock" song. Apple Mint" had a lot of positive, upbeat songs, so I wanted to sing harder, more serious songs on the upcoming album. I think you will hear a new side of me in this album.

─ ─ In this song, the first person in the lyrics is "I", right?

Uchida: Yes. That's why the way I sing is naturally powerful. As a voice actor, I have never played such a boyish role, so I was surprised that I could do such a thing (laughs). (Laughs) I am taking on challenges that only a solo act can take on.

─ The next song, "Last Fireworks," is a dramatic love song, isn't it?

Uchida: This song was chosen in a competition. The moment I heard it, I decided, "Yes, I want to sing this! I decided to sing it. The melody is very sad, and the lyrics depict parting with someone you love. I was wondering how I could sing it to convey not only sadness but also a refreshing aftertaste. I could have sung it in a more cute voice, but I sang it in a place where I felt comfortable and my voice naturally became more mature.