Kalafina is full of energy! Release of new song "blaze" and first arena tour in September!

On August 10, 2016, Kalafina released a new single, "blaze," the ending theme song for the TV anime "Arslan Senki: Wind Dust Ranbu," a powerful and magnificent song that depicts the hero Arslan's unstoppable thoughts. And in September, Kalafina Arena LIVE 2016, an arena live concert in Kobe and Tokyo, will be held. What kind of performance will they give at these large venues? We spoke with the three members who are all fired up for the live performance!

blaze" is a song with Hikaru's lead vocal.

─ Your new song "blaze" is the ending theme song for the TV anime "Arslan Senki: Fujinranbu," following "One Light" in the previous series.

Keiko: Yes. One year has passed since "One Light" and I was able to come back to "Arslan Senki" again. The song "blaze" has the same worldview and message as "One Light," but it is a powerful song that just keeps on running. I think the lyrics, vocals, and sound are graceful.


Hikaru: Our song is not a slow and steady one, but rather a song that keeps going at full force. It is very difficult to keep singing with the same tension and not take a break even for a moment. But we sang the song believing that it was because we did that that the message would be conveyed to the audience.

Wakana The lyrics of "blaze" change my impression every time I listen to it or sing it, and I realized that there are many parts that can be compared to Kalafina of today. We always want to keep running, and our goal is to keep singing. That is why I was so inspired by the expression of a flame that will always be lit in our hearts.

Keiko: Hikaru took the lead on "blaze" and was in charge of the whole song, and his unique straightforwardness worked well for both the work "Arslan Senki" and the song "blaze. The recording process started with Hikaru, so Wakana and I sang the song with Hikaru's feeling, in line with how he wanted to sing it.

Hikaru: The producer, Yuki Kajiura, did not give us detailed instructions on how to sing this part, and I was glad that I could feel the song from the same perspective as Mr. Kajiura. I was happy to think that I could feel the song from the same perspective as Mr. Kasoura. I sang the song with an honest feeling, recalling the scene in each lyric.

─ ─ Unlike when you recorded "One Light," you sang the song after watching two episodes of the anime "Arslan Senki," wasn't that also significant?

Hikaru Yes, it was. I loved "Arslan Senki" so much that I even read the original novel far in advance, so I was able to imagine the story of "Fubin Ranbu" and it was easy for me to match the lyrics with the story of the work.

─ Arslan has grown up mentally compared to the beginning of the previous series, but there are more difficulties awaiting him in "Fubin Ranbu", aren't there?

Hikaru That's right. The previous series was a story of Arslan becoming a vessel for the king with the help of those around him, and "One Light" was about how he could be strong and become a light because everyone was there for him. Rather than going into Arslan's feelings, I had the impression that the song depicted Arslan and the people around him from a broad perspective. In comparison, "blaze" is a song that confronts Arslan's inner self, as he continues to walk resolutely away from his country, fighting and reexamining himself. I felt that the fire inside me became the theme of the lyrics and the sound.

─ The title "blaze" is an image of an intensely burning fire in your heart, isn't it?

Hikaru Yes. It is a very serious song about lighting a flame in your heart and keeping going.

After Keiko Hikaru sings the A melody, Wakana becomes the main singer for a moment in the B melody. Here, the image is a little softer, and I think I was able to change the scene well by taking over the vocals. Then, in the chorus, it is back to Hikaru, and the message of walking forward without extinguishing the light in your heart is strongly emphasized.

Wakana: I expressed the feeling of wanting to move forward, but being pulled back a little. I sang the song with that kind of feeling, and then I put my strength back into it as if to fight back.

Keiko: And Keiko's bass guitar supports both of you well.

Keiko Thank you very much. My role in "blaze" was to give momentum to the song, and I sang it with the image of stirring up Hikaru's vocals from below. It is a part with a lot of freedom, and if I sang with the same tension as the main part, it would not have enough power, so I sang with all my might, as if I was going all out. Mr. Kasoura said, "That's so cool! He told me to do more, so I was able to sing without hesitation.

─ ─ At the end of "blaze," each member takes a main part in one verse, and then the vocals are connected and the song ends. This ending is also cool.

Keiko The most hopeful part of "blaze" is the chorus part of the coined word, but this time, the chorus of the coined word was sung by someone other than us. The part where you can see hope in the vocals of the three of us is the last part of the song. The main character, who has been running for the entire song, lets out a long, whooshy breath, and although he does not stand still, he feels a light shining on his future.

─ I also felt a sense of grace in the way the song ended without dragging the outro too much.