Natsuori Ishihara makes a refreshing artist debut with "Blooming Flower!

Voice actress Natsuori Ishihara makes her long-awaited debut as an artist. Her debut single "Blooming Flower" is a fresh, spring-like song that further evolves the artist image she has built up to date. The coupling song, "Untitled Puzzle," presents a new worldview that has never been seen before.
In the music video that has already been released, she also shows off her signature dance moves. We interviewed her about the new door she has opened for herself!

I was more surprised than happy about my debut.

─ What did you think when your debut was decided?

Ishihara: I was happy and surprised. I had been vaguely hoping to make my debut someday, so when I heard about it earlier than I had imagined, I thought, "I can make my debut! I was more surprised than happy. I was more surprised than happy.

───But you seem to have a good singing career, don't you?

Ishihara Well, yes, I guess so (embarrassed laugh). But I am not the type of person who has self-confidence, so I was worried. But I also felt that if I actually tried it, I might be able to do it (laughs).

─ ─ Is there anything you wanted to do after your debut?

Ishihara: First of all, I wanted to sing songs that I had never sung before, and I also wanted to dance. I had been learning to dance since before my debut, and the sounds I was using at that time were something I had rarely done before in my music career, so I wondered if I could do that when I became a solo artist. I wanted to challenge myself if possible.

─ What genre of music were you familiar with?

Ishihara: I have sung and danced to cute idol-like songs, but I originally learned hip-hop and other cool dances, so I thought it would be nice to be able to make use of those genres as well. I think it is a bit difficult to sing hip-hop, but I hope to bring out some different elements.

─ ─ That's what you had in mind for your debut single. How did you choose the songs?

Ishihara: I participated in the competition and chose the songs together with the staff. At first, we didn't have a clear concept of which direction to take. We spent a lot of time choosing through trial and error, and finally decided on "Blooming Flower" as a good debut song to show the Natsuori Ishihara that fans are familiar with. This song was composed by Shunryu, who was also a member of Yui Kaori, but it was a competition, so it was really a coincidence.

─ ─ In a competition, do you choose the song without knowing who wrote it?

Ishihara Yes, that's right. We dared to withhold the name of the composer, and chose only based on the impression of the song. Moreover, we did not tell the audience that the composer's name was Naoori Ishihara, so the competition was conducted in a situation where neither I nor the composer could see anything about the other.

─ So you removed all ties and preconceptions, and selected songs from a variety of directions that were purely appropriate for a debut song, is that right?

Ishihara Yes. I was surprised that the result was Shunryu.

───What did you think of the melody of "Blooming Flower" yourself?

Ishihara I thought it was very refreshing. I didn't have such a fresh image of myself (laugh), but everyone around me said, "This is Natsuori-chan. It was a song that made me feel that people thought I was so refreshing.

──It is a song that is typical of you from the viewpoint of the people around you.

Ishihara: It seems so. It was a new discovery for me as well.

───It also feels just right for the season.

Ishihara I think the sense of the season comes out more strongly in the lyrics than in the melody. Since it is a debut song and released in early spring, the theme of the song is to push people to start a new life.

The lyrics are written by Nakamura Kanata.

Ishihara: I thought the song depicts the feelings of happiness mixed with a bit of anxiety when starting something new. It is not something that I am a stranger to, it fits exactly with my current situation, and even though Mr. Nakamura is an author whom I have never met before, I wondered "How does he know so much about my feelings? I thought to myself, "How does she know so much about my feelings?

─ You said that your own feelings were depicted in a realistic way.

Ishihara: Yes. Of course, I sang the song with the listeners in mind first, but I also felt that the lyrics pushed my own back, and I really like the lyrics.