Aiming to be the delightful sister in everyone's neighborhood!　Interview with Yuka Iguchi about her album "az you like..." and new single "Lostorage

It has been a while since Hiroka Iguchi's second album "az you like... has been on sale for some time now. However, this is not a break at all, and with this album as a new starting point, Yuka Iguchi's musical activities will continue with a new single and a tour. We interviewed Ms. Iguchi at such an opportune moment. In addition to the album, we asked her about her thoughts and ideas on "Komucha," "Mikako Takahashi," "lyrics, characters, and distance from listeners," "the fastest BPM new single in Iguchi's history," and more.

I was able to take care of myself and everyone else's feelings

─ ─ The album "az you like... Congratulations on the release of your new album. I think the rush of radio and Nico Live appearances and release events before and after the release has settled down, but now that things have settled down, how do you feel about your own response and the reactions of those around you?

Yuka Iguchi (Yuka Iguchi): I have created an album filled with "Yuka Iguchi's AtoZ"!　Through this album, I was able to look at myself again, and I think that I was able to face "you" again, as I often use the word "you" in the lyrics. I am happy! Releasing this album, I was able to take in my own feelings and everyone else's feelings with a tight, straight, and precious grasp.

I'd like to pick up some of the songs from "az you like...". Let's talk about some of the songs from "az you like...". First of all, among the single songs, "Hey World", the OP theme song for the TV anime "Dungeon ni Meets Encounter wo Motomete o Motomeru wa Wrong", is a hit along with the anime and is known by many people, isn't it? Besides, it won the "Komuchato 2015 Annual No. 1" (*)!

(*) "A&G Media Station Komuchatte Countdown" is an anime and game music program broadcast on Bunka Hoso Saturdays at 23:00. (The original ranking "Komuchato" based on a questionnaire from listeners shows a different aspect of evaluation from the sales ranking)

Iguchi: I feel "really, really thank you," and... well, it's hard to know if this is the right way to put it, but I also feel "I'm sorry.

─ ─ I think that the recognition of "Komucha" was very emotional for both you and your fans, but now that you are the top of the year, do you feel "sorry" in some way?

Iguchi: I am an assistant personality on "Komucha," so to be ranked as an "artist" is something that I feel very sorry about. I am very, very happy about it, though!

───Has your experience as an assistant personality on "Komucha" influenced and empowered you as an artist?

Iguchi: Every week we have wonderful artists as guests, and when we hear their stories about the "music" they make, it makes me reflect on my own inexperience. The talk by the personality, Takahiro Sakurai, is also a weekly "aha! I am always impressed by the talk of the personality, Mr. Takahiro Sakurai!　It's a really exciting place to be, and I want to continue to learn a lot!

I can't wait to sing it live!

─ ─ While there are such strong single songs, I am also impressed by the wide range of songs on the album. For example, "Ame without Period" gave me a unique feeling of Akina Nakamori, Shizuka Kudo, and the songs of those days. The way Ms. Iguchi sings also has a strong nuance of acting out the story of the lyrics and the heroine of the song, rather than conveying the song as Yuka Iguchi herself. Do you approach or get into the song in different ways depending on the lyrics or the tone of the song?

Iguchi: Thank you very much!　If I sing with my emotions first, my feelings come out too strongly and the song becomes choppy, so when I sing as "Hiroka Iguchi," rather than as a character song, I try not to get too emotional and sing with the importance of "the feeling that accompanies the song.

─ ─ "Alf Laylah Party" has a strong impact in terms of its interesting sound. It is full of playfulness, with various sounds and phrases scattered throughout the song and a dizzying development. This one was produced by the music production team Q-MHz. Did you ask Q-MHz to create this kind of atmosphere for the music beforehand?

Iguchi: Q-MHz was a guest at "Komucha," which was mentioned earlier, and when I heard their music at that time, I was impressed and said, "What new and fun music they make! I was impressed by their new and fun music. So this time, I asked Q-MHz to create a song that expresses the "ear" in "AtoZ". This song has various voices of mine flowing from the left and right, which is something you don't hear in other songs on the album!　It is exciting to listen to with headphones, and I thought it was the perfect song for "ear!

The lyrics to the song "YOU! was written by voice actress Mikako Takahashi, right? It is a popular song, but I think it is also a very important song for you.

Iguchi: I have been indebted to Mikako-san both publicly and privately for a long time!　She is really, really my favorite senior and my ideal woman (*^^*).

───If you just read the lyrics as words, the content seems universal, but when you listen to the song as a song, you realize "This is a song for Yuka Iguchi! I can really feel it. I think Mikako really loves you and understands you well.

Iguchi: The lyrics written by Mikako, who has seen me laugh, cry, and do all sorts of things, are truly "YU-KACHI herself! I am very happy to be able to write lyrics for this album!　I am very happy to hear the lyrics of "Kimino Chikara" from her last album "Hafa Adai". I realized that what I think about everyday and what I want to convey to "you" will never change (*^^*).　When I sing this song in front of "Kimi" at a live concert, I get more power!　I want to sing this song live as soon as possible!