Saori Hayami makes her long-awaited artist debut. Single "Yasashii kibou" is a song with a fresh breeze

She has a gentle and clear voice. Saori Hayami, who has demonstrated her ability in numerous character songs, is finally making her debut as an artist. On August 12, she will release "Yasashii kibou", the opening theme song for the TV anime "Aka Kami no Shirayuki Hime", in which she plays the heroine, Shirayuki. There was a surprising episode in the recording of this song!

We listened to more than 100 candidate songs and chose the best one.

─ ─ First of all, what was your first thought when you decided to debut as an artist?

Hayami: First of all, I was happy to have the opportunity to make my debut because I love to sing. I have sung many character songs in the past, but no matter how close I am to a character, singing a character song is different from singing as myself. When I thought about how to make a new start as an artist, I thought it would be good to be able to show my own identity step by step. I hope that with each song I sing, I will be able to grasp my own unique way of singing, my own way of expression, and my own way of thinking about the song.

───How did you start working on "Yasashii kibou"?

Hayami: The first step was to choose the music. I listened to more than 100 candidate songs and chose the ones I wanted to sing without worrying about the tune, etc. I discussed this with the staff, and four songs remained as the final candidates for the opening.

Hayami──What criteria did you use to select the songs?

Hayami: First of all, it was my feeling, but when I listened to the four songs that remained in the end, I naturally thought of the opening image of "Snow White with Red Hair," with the rustling green trees and Snow White and her friends running with smiles on their faces.

Hayami──That's how you decided on the melody for "Yasashii kibou" (Easy Hope), wasn't it?

Hayami: I made the final decision after actually singing two songs that I narrowed down from the four I had chosen. I thought it was refreshing to sing and the atmosphere of the songs was pleasant.

Snow White with Red Hair" is a piece with a pleasant wind blowing through it.

─ ─ Once you have decided on the song, the next step is the lyrics. You wrote the lyrics to "Yasashii kibou" yourself.

Hayami: It was my first attempt. I read the original story many times and wrote the lyrics while imagining the world of "Snow White with Red Hair. I wrote the lyrics based on the image and sympathy I got from the work. The characters in this work are all kind people, so I wanted to make a warm song.

─ ─ What did you pay attention to when writing the lyrics?

Hayami: I wanted to make the lyrics straightforward and easy to understand, but the words themselves should be soft. It took me a long time to change ambiguous or indirect expressions into clear words that could be easily understood.

Hayami: What was your impression of "Snow White with Red Hair"?

Hayami: When I read the original, I thought it was an exhilarating work. It was like a gentle and pleasant breeze was blowing through the story of Snow White as she navigates her way through difficulties.

I thought it was like a gentle and pleasant breeze was blowing through the work.

Hayami: She says what she wants to say. She is more of a hero than a heroine. I played her freely as I felt, valuing the emotional ups and downs of each scene. The sound director often directs me to broaden my range of expression, telling me to "be more dignified and determined in this scene," or "have more fun playing here.

─ I think you wrote the lyrics before the recording, but since you were playing Shirayuki, it must have been easy for you to grasp the worldview of the piece?

Hayami: Yes, it was. I was conscious of the fact that it was the opening of "Snow White with Red Hair," and I tried to write lyrics that people could relate to even when listening to the song alone. While keeping close to the world of the work, the lyrics also include my own experiences and what I have felt in my life.

Hayami──This is your debut song as an artist, isn't it?

Hayami: Yes, I also valued my own personality (laughs).