I grew as an artist because I tried my hand at voice acting in "LOST SONG! Interview with Konomi Suzuki "Sing and there you are" (Japanese only)

Konomi Suzuki's new single "Sing it and there you are" will be released on Wednesday, May 23, 2018, and we bring you an interview to commemorate the release.

The title song is the opening theme song for the TV anime "Lost Song," which will be available on Netflix from March 31 (Sat) and start airing on TV from April 7 (Sat). Mr. Suzuki also co-wrote the lyrics with Ms. Aki Hata. She also took on her first challenge as a voice actor, playing the role of the main character, Rin. This is truly a work and song that marks a new stage for Ms. Suzuki.

In addition, "Konomi Suzuki 4th Live Tour 2018 ~Magic Hour~" will be held in Osaka, Nagoya, and Tokyo from April 8 (Sun.). She will of course perform "Uta de Soko Kuni Kara Kara Kara (Because You're There When I Sing). We hope you will experience her stunning performance.

Lynn and I have "singing" in common.

--You are not only in charge of the opening theme song for "Lost Song," but you are also taking on the role of Lynn as a voice actor for the first time. How did you frankly feel when you heard about it?

Suzuki: The first time I heard about it was as a surprise from the staff at my 20th birthday concert. Suddenly, the announcement came on the screen, "We are going to produce an original TV animation starring Konomi Suzuki! and the announcement came on the screen. Frankly speaking, I can't find words to describe how surprised I was. For a while, I really thought, "What?　What? (laughs). (Laughs.) And since I was playing a double lead role with Yukari Tamura, the pressure was even greater.

--So you must have been under a lot of pressure to be a voice actor.

Suzuki: It was really unexpected. I had many opportunities to work with voice actors at events and watch live recording sessions, and I knew from close quarters that it was a very difficult job. So I felt that I had to be even more enthusiastic about it.

--It was also decided that you would be in charge of the opening theme song, and you wrote the lyrics yourself, in collaboration with Mr. Hata.

Suzuki: I started to try my hand at writing lyrics last year, and I've been taking lyric writing lessons and studying. But I never thought I would be asked to write an anime tie-in song so soon. Moreover, I was able to write the lyrics together with Aki Hata, who has been a great teacher to me since my debut, so I knew that this was the beginning of something great.

--Did you immediately decide what kind of content you were going to write?

Suzuki: When I thought that I wanted to write about both Lynn and my feelings, I found the theme surprisingly quickly. Partly because I play Lynn, and partly because I have spent the last year putting my own feelings into lyrics and music composition, I was able to start work on it smoothly.

--Please tell us about the theme of the song.

Suzuki: When I looked for similarities between Lynn and myself, I thought that "singing" would be the most important theme. The reason why Lynn and I both want to sing is because there is someone else who wants to sing. I asked myself over and over again what I wanted that someone to become, and I came up with a simple answer: "I want to sing because I want them to be happy. To put it more simply, I want to sing because I want to meet someone. I started writing this song because I thought this was the most important theme I wanted to convey to everyone right now.

--By the way, you said that you wrote this song first.

Suzuki: When I write lyrics myself, I also write the music, and I often put lyrics to the music I wrote first. I have not written lyrics first very often.

--I have also composed music for Yusuke Shirato, who has been a familiar face to me since my debut. What was your impression when you received the song?

Suzuki: The melody seemed to come up with words on its own as I listened to it, or rather, I felt as if the melody created the words. So I think I was able to write the song with the help of Mr. Shirato.

--Suzuki: So you were able to write the song quite easily after you received it?

Suzuki: I struggled with it, but I think I really enjoyed writing it.

--What part of the song did you struggle with the most?

Suzuki: The "Hey" part at the beginning of the A melody has only one note, so I wondered how to write the lyrics, and I even consulted with Mr. Hata about it. I wrote the lyrics the day after the "Anisama (Animelo Summer Live 2017)" show, and stayed in the film studio all day. Mr. Hata came to support me, and after narrowing it down, I came up with the word "hey.

--What kind of communication did you have with Mr. Hata as you worked on the film?

Suzuki: Basically, I wrote it first, and then sent it to Mr. Hatake, who corrected it by saying, "It would be easier to sing if you did it this way," or "It would be easier to convey the feeling if you did it this way," etc. Then I sent it back to him, and we completed the work.

--Is there anything that Mr. Hatake told you that made an impression on you?

Suzuki: As he said at the event (held in September last year), "People are troubled when they write lyrics" left a deep impression on me (laughs). (Laughs) When I contacted Mr. Hata before we started co-writing, he told me, "I will do my best to follow up with you, so don't be nervous now, just write what you think and try to relax. So I think I was able to do it in a very flat state.

--I think I was able to do it in a very flat state of mind.

Suzuki: The phrase in the chorus, "The singing voice is longing to overtake you," is very important to me personally. Both Lynn and I love singing, and we used to sing because when we sang, people would praise and approve of our singing, saying "You're good" or "That's great. I was singing for myself, but after making my debut and gaining various experiences and meeting many people, the target changed to other people (not myself). Singing had been a dream or a longing, but it suddenly changed to a feeling of "I have to sing for everyone" or "I want to cheer everyone up. I think I was able to express in this one line the moment when my longing changed to a sense of responsibility.

I sang my life-sized feelings in a natural way.

--What were you thinking when you actually sang the song during the recording?

Suzuki: I really wasn't conscious of anything when I sang. I had never done anything like this before. Perhaps I was able to record the song honestly because the words came from within me. I usually sing difficult songs.

--I think this song is also difficult. ......

Suzuki: This song was surprisingly easy to sing (laughs). It was easy to put my feelings into it. I think it is because I have been working with Mr. Shirato for a long time and he knows the melody line very well. So, I really sang in my natural way. This was almost the first time for me to experience this kind of thing, but when I performed the song for the first time, Lynn's feelings came out without conscious thought, and Konomi Suzuki's feelings also overflowed. I think it is a very special song that strangely fills my heart after I finish singing it.

--The other day, I performed it for the first time at ANIMAX MUSIX Osaka and Nico Nico Live Broadcast, and also sang it in front of the audience at the LOST SONG stage at AnimeJapan 2018 in March. Did you feel a little self-conscious in front of the audience?

Suzuki: Of course I was a bit nervous, but I sang very naturally on stage. I didn't think about what I should do for this part at all, and what came out at that moment was the right answer. The lyrics are also written straight from the heart of Konomi Suzuki's current feelings, so I think I can sing naturally.

--I think I can sing the song naturally. Please tell us about the highlights of the music video.

Suzuki: The music video is based on the tour's title, "Magic Hour. The music video was shot under the theme of "Magic Hour," a few dozen minutes of twilight just after sunset. This is because the image color of "LOST SONG" is "Blue Hour. The film was shot in 4K, so I think the beautiful colors of the sky will come through in the film. I think this is probably the most artistic music video I've ever made, and I hope people will pay attention to that.

--How was the actual shooting?

Suzuki: I had a clear idea of what I wanted to convey, "I want to sing for someone," so I kept thinking of their faces throughout the shoot. It was the faces of the people who supported me, or the faces of the fans who always cheer me on. I thought of all the people I had fought with and the things I had done with them.

--I can feel your growth from every word you say. Do you feel yourself growing up, including the way you approach your music?

Suzuki: It is a bit presumptuous of me to say this, but I think I am making a step up in my experience. The challenge of voice acting this time was also very significant. To play a character means that I have to open up my emotions at the right moment, and I think that (by challenging voice acting) I am now able to do that in my singing as well. Until now, I was worried about various things, such as "Maybe I will be misunderstood. Now I don't have to worry about that anymore, and I feel like I have become more graceful. This is me! Dawn! I think it's great that I can now go on stage and say, "This is me!

The challenge of voice acting has also opened the door to singing.

--I heard that you also grew as an artist by challenging voice acting, but I think it must have been difficult for you to perform as a voice actor.

Suzuki: I had a hard time with everything about acting (laughs). I went to acting lessons after I was announced, but if you ask me if I enjoyed going to the lessons at first, it wasn't necessarily so. ...... Of course, I had a great yearning to be a voice actor. But I also honestly felt that I had to do it because there were people who were looking forward to watching anime. ...... But as I continued to take lessons, I began to understand the core of what it means to express myself. I think the challenge of voice acting has opened the door to singing as well.

--So it has been a plus for you as an artist.

Suzuki: I especially enjoy performing live. It's more fun now that I'm being honest with myself. During live performances, I can go on stage with the feeling that there is nothing I shouldn't do. I think that is because of the trust between me and the audience, and I am very happy to be able to feel that way.

--How was the postrecording?　The cast is very impressive, including Yukari Tamura, isn't it?

Suzuki: During the first episode, even though we were in the same booth, I thought, "Wow! I was impressed. But when I was asked what was so great about it, I was still too inexperienced to understand. Gradually, I became able to look at them calmly and say, "Is this the way they do their voices when they are feeling this way? I think it is very important to imitate others.

--Did you receive advice from everyone?

Suzuki: Yes, I did. There were many times during the recording when the cast members helped me. For example, I am from Osaka, so my intonations tend to come out. Yukari Tamura told me to write it down in the script so that it would be easier to understand. Also, Lynn is a gourmand, so there are a lot of scenes where she eats, and I really struggled with that too. Ai Chino helped me practice using fu snacks, and Takeshi Koyama gave me a loaf of bread to practice with (laughs). (laughs) I really think I was able to do it because of everyone's help.

--I think the upcoming tour will be a chance to see how I have grown as a person. You will tour Osaka and Nagoya, and then Tokyo will be held at the Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall (Nogound).

Suzuki: It seems very special to have the Noge only in Tokyo, but I think Osaka and Nagoya will be one-time-only shows, so I hope you will come and enjoy them. We are planning to sing some songs for the first time at the live performances, and I have been taking lessons and training for this tour.

--I'm planning to sing a song for the first time at the concert, and I've been taking lessons and training for this tour. Is it a secret what you will be performing until the day of the tour?

Suzuki: I'm going to keep it a secret (laughs). Please look forward to it!

--You are not going to show something that you have already shown before, are you?

Suzuki: I think it is connected to what we have done so far. Maybe it is because of what I have done before that I decided to take on this challenge. I gained a lot from my first attempt at voice acting this time, so I am sure that I will be able to show what I have gained (from the experience) to the fullest on the tour.

--I am sure that you will be able to bring out the best of what you have gained on the tour. It is really overwhelming.

Suzuki: Thank you very much. Also, the set list is a challenge for me. In the past, there has been a standard pattern of "ora ora ora ora" in the second half of the show, but this time I wanted to try something different. That doesn't mean it's going to be very pop-oriented, though (laughs). (Laughs.) Since the concert was to be held in the field, I made the set list while making calculations such as, "If the lyrics say blue sky, I want to put it in the first half of the set.

--So, if you come to the show and anticipate the songs, I think you will enjoy the show even more. If the weather permits. ......

Suzuki: That's right. I'm going to ask you to make a teru teru bozu now (laughs). I'm a rainy girl, so that's my only worry. But if it rains, we will have fun together while getting drenched by the rain.

(laughs) -- If it rains, I hope it will be sunny. If it rains, I'm looking forward to seeing the changing colors of the sky.

Suzuki: We were particular about the lighting for the indoor Zepp concerts (Osaka and Nagoya), and I think the scenery is also a part of the production for the NONONE concert (Tokyo). Also, the coupling song for "Sing it and you'll be there" was written with the tour in mind, with the idea of "this is the kind of song I want to sing" and "this is the kind of feeling I want to convey," so I hope you look forward to that as well.

--The key to the story of "LOST SONG" is the power of the song. What do you think is the "power of song"?

Suzuki: I always try to deliver songs that inspire the hearts of the listeners, whether they are positive or sad. So I would be happy if the power of Konomi Suzuki's songs is "to inspire you" (laughs).

--Lastly, do you have a message for everyone?

Suzuki: I played the role of Lynn in "LOST SONG". I believe that my experience as a voice actor has helped me improve a lot as an artist. I would like to make use of this experience to create even more fun live performances and events with you all. We have prepared many special events for this tour, so please come and enjoy them with us!