Tapimiru Interview! Tapimiru tackles a new frontier with "You're Not Popular (Translated)," the ending theme for "High School DxD HERO." Welcome, newcomers! Part 6]

With more and more anime songs being released every day, newcomers who sing anime songs are also appearing on the scene one after another. Akiba Research Institute is pleased to present a series of in-depth interviews with these newcomers!　That is "Newcomers, welcome! The newcomers are all newcomers to Akiba Research Institute.

This time, we will be featuring Tapimiru-san, who made their major debut in April 2017 and released their second single "You're Not Popular (Translated)" on May 9, just before the first anniversary of their debut!

The song is also the ending theme for the spring anime "High School DxD HERO," which is already airing. It is a punkish song full of energy that does not lose to the extreme images.

We asked Tapimiru, who has released such an exciting new single, about what to listen to in the song, secret stories about the song's production, and what she has been up to and since her debut.

Before I knew it, I had made my major label debut.

─ ─ Since this is your first appearance on "Akiba Research Institute," please begin by introducing yourself.

Tapimiru: I like tapioca milk tea, so my name is Tapimiru. I think my name gives an image of being a bit cute, but I would like to be an artist with a bit of venom .......

─ What made you decide to become a singer?

Tapimiru: I have been interested in working in the media since I was in kindergarten. It wasn't until I was in high school that it really took shape. I joined a light music club, and when I formed a band and performed live, I thought, "This is fun! I thought to myself, "I'm not going to college anymore! I decided to go to college!

At the time, Vocaloid was very popular, so I was copying Vocaloid songs and supercell songs.

─ What did you enjoy about singing?

Tapimiru: Hmmm. For example, when I want to put the most emotion into a phrase or a phrase that is important to me, it feels great to be able to sing it! It is a great feeling when you get it right. And singing alone at karaoke is fun, but when you sing at a live concert, you can share it with someone else. I felt so comfortable in that space that I became obsessed with singing. After graduating from high school, I began to work on my own activities and eventually made my debut.

───What kind of activities were you involved in before your debut?

Tapimir: After graduating from high school, I was doing things like streaming live on Nico Live. I didn't have any original songs at the time, so I would sing cover songs, and I also had a part-time job, so late at night after work, I would do a "lullaby distribution" where I would sing quiet songs that people who were tired from work would be able to listen to.

I also like to play games, so I used to stream "Splatoon," which was a hot topic at the time.

─ ─ I wonder how that led to your major label debut (laughs).

Tapimiru: That's right (laughs). One day, I noticed that my artist account had turned into a regular account for my family, and I thought, "If I don't do something about it, I'll end up like that," or "Oh no! I thought, "If I don't do this, I'll end up like that," and "I'm in trouble!" So I finally decided that it was no good just doing videos or live-streaming at home. I thought, "Let's go out to auditions, and get out of the house for now (laughs). (Laughs.) When you are a singer, you are sometimes asked to perform live, but you don't know if you can actually draw an audience, so you are afraid to turn them all down until then! I'll get it! I started patting myself on the back and saying, "I'll get it!

I see.

Tapimiru: While I was waiting for an audition, I met someone who later contacted me and asked if I wanted to work together on a live game show. I was contacted by a person I had met while waiting for an audition. So I said, "Let's do it, let's do it," and "Let's talk a bit and decide what we're going to do," and we decided to start playing games together in a flat relationship.

This girl was an active girl who picked up a lot of girls, and when she thought, "I like this girl! I would pull her in right away. I thought she was just a normal, pretty girl, but before I knew it, she was doing live game shows with other girls from various genres, including a model she brought with her, and we started having live game shows together. Eventually, the members decided to form an office, and before we knew it, the group had become an office, and before we knew it, our debut was confirmed by Lantis, which is something like ...... (laughs).

─ ─ That's amazing (laughs). (laughs). I gathered up my courage, took a step outside, and before I knew it, I had made my debut.

Tapimir Yes. So I made my debut less than a year after I started performing live. So I should have gotten out earlier (laughs).

─ That was just about a year ago. Did the world or your environment change before or after your debut?

Tapimiru: I had always wanted to be a singer and sing anime tie-in songs, but I realized for the first time at the time of my debut that I had never really thought about how I would be perceived.

I hadn't really thought about what kind of artist I wanted to be, how I wanted to be seen by fans and customers, or what kind of people I wanted to reach. I thought everything was just going to happen as it happened.

I didn't think that far ahead with the blank mind of a high school student, so even there I thought, "Oh no! I thought. That was the first time I realized that what I wanted to be and what I was doing were all mixed up, and what kind of person I was was all jumbled up. I am still in the process of self-discovery, but I have started to think about my strengths.

I didn't have a manager before, so I was doing everything myself, but when a manager told me, "That's the way you look," I realized for the first time, "Oh, really? I was busy both physically and mentally. The past year was a battle with myself, or rather, a year of constant self-analysis, and it was really depressing. I wondered if this was what it meant to make a living from music.

─ ─ Do you feel that you have grown?

Tapimir: Yes, I think so. I think my way of thinking has changed a lot since before my debut. I think I have become a little more objective, but I still need more. Human beings tend to beg for what they don't have, and they usually want what they don't have. I am in that pattern. Also, I didn't realize until I was told that an artist name with "P" in it makes it look pop, so I wish I had thought about it more before my debut (laughs).

I wish I had thought about it more before my debut. With such tension, I took on the challenge of writing lyrics for an anime song for the first time!

───That's how you created this single, "You're Not Popular (Translated)," a punkish song with a faster tempo than your previous work.

Tapimiru: Yes, it is. The number of words in the lyrics has also shrunk.

───How did you start the production?

Tapimiru: First, I was told that the "High School DxD" tie-up had been decided, so I decided to watch the first three seasons of the anime at once to get a feel for the theme song and the temperature of the anime. I was also told that I could write the lyrics this time, so I got the music first and wrote the lyrics as I watched the anime in one sitting. I was like, "Tits! That's how I felt when I wrote the lyrics (laughs).

─ ─ This is your first time writing lyrics for an anime song, isn't it?

Tapimiru: Yes, it was my first attempt. This time it was an anime tie-in, so I was conscious of making sure the lyrics were in line with the content of the song so that anime fans would be excited. I had never written in that way before, so it was difficult.

The previous ED songs were very cute, but when I thought about my own song, I was reluctant to go all the way to cuteness, so I wondered what to do. I thought it would be better to make the lyrics more anime-oriented, and at first they were a little more gentle and cute, but Lantis said, "You don't have to go that far, you can show a little bit of yourself," and so the lyrics were mixed with a little bit of a bad-tempered tone. So, the lyrics are now mixed in with a little bit of bad-mouth lyrics. At first it was difficult to decide how close to the work I wanted to be, how much of myself I wanted to show, and how far I wanted to push the meter.

─ ─ What kind of image did you have in mind when you wrote the lyrics?

Tapimiru: I wrote the lyrics by comparing myself to an anime character. There are a lot of girls in "High School DxD. If I were to be summoned as a new demon, I would probably fall in love with the main character. I wrote these lyrics thinking about what I would do if I were in that situation. I thought that I would definitely not be honest, so I made the lyrics a bit harsh.

─ By the way, is your actual style of love like the lyrics?

Tapimiru: I know that I have a troublesome personality (laughs). (Laughs.) You are stubborn, or not honest, or stubborn for better or worse. Yes, I am.

───How did you feel when the song you wrote the lyrics for was played on TV along with the pictures of the anime?

Tapimiru: The first time, the ED picture was so amazing that I couldn't get into the song at all (laughs). I wonder if everyone is listening to the song. I did an ego search and found that there were a lot of tweets about butts and boobs, so I thought, "Everyone listens to the songs, too! I put a lot of thought into it! (laughs).

Usually, the pictures are created after the music is finished, but this time, the image of the picture was already created before the song was sung. My manager had heard the details, but I couldn't tell him because I thought it would affect the lyrics. Well, I didn't think they were washing cars in swimsuits (laughs). If I had known, I would have included "scrubbing" in the lyrics.

─ ─ Wahaha (laughs). (laughs) It is true that the pictures are extreme, and it became quite a topic of conversation.

Tapimiru: When I first saw the ED video, I was also attracted to the pictures (laughs). I was also concerned about the title "You're not popular, but the song goes with the picture," but I had no time to worry about that and was shocked. The main character is running naked! (laughs).

───How was the reaction to the music?

Tapimir: One person said, "I didn't have a good impression of the song because of the punchy title, but when I saw the lyrics, I realized that the line is just a line of strength, so it's good! I was surprised to hear someone say, "Yes, that's right! You understood! I was so happy.

─ Do you watch anime on a regular basis?

Tapimiru: I watch a lot of anime. I like time-looping and magic-related anime, and lately I tend to watch more serious or moving series. I also like gags. I watch a variety of things. This is the first time I've seen a "boob anime" like this one, and I'm glad I live alone (laughs). The first season was especially shocking. The enemies exposed their boobs, and I thought, "What the heck! I was like, "What is this? Since I am a woman, I didn't know how to look at them. I know that boobs are wonderful, but I didn't know what kind of face to make.

The boobs were so amazing that I couldn't get the story out of my head, so I had to watch it on repeat several times, but I'm used to it now, so I'm fine (laughs). (Laughs.) I've been trained a lot. One year after my debut, I have been trained in many ways.

───The music video is also comical, isn't it?

Tapimiru: Yes, it is. It is quite pop and has anime elements. I thought "High School DxD" was supposed to be serious, but it has a boob factor, which kind of ruins the mood, but it also has that element. A boy and a girl are not in a relationship, and I, a fairy or an angel, come and cast a spell on them and they almost fall in love, but then a cute teacher with big boobs comes along and the boy is attracted to her. I think I achieved a good balance between being funny without being too cute.

Roller-coaster coupling songs

─ The coupling song "I like what I like, I like what I like" is a cute and pop song, isn't it?

Tapimiru: Yes, it is. I don't remember who said it, but I call this single a roller coaster single, and it has a structure that gets more and more gradual from the first song. This song is one of those songs that just slips right in, and I had a lot of trouble with the way I sang it.

I modified the lyrics a little bit, and the rest of the song is based on what everyone thinks of "Tapimiru". I like the rhythm of the song, which is soft, yet has a pleasant feeling of skipping.

─ I heard that you struggled with how to sing the song.

Tapimiru: I struggled to sing in a way that was fresh and suited to the song, but also to express my own personality. Before my debut, I used to sing only ballads, so I knew it would never fit this song, but I sang it coolly at first, thinking of Aimer and other artists who sing in a high voice, and trying to show them that I also sing this way. Then, as expected, I was told, "That's not what I meant" (laughs).

─ ─ In that sense, the third song "Lonely Call" was in the direction you wanted to sing, wasn't it?

Tapimiru: Yes, it was. I sang "Lonely Call" very honestly. This song was the first song we co-wrote together, so Hiroki and I worked together on it. I sent Hiroki two or three patterns of what I wanted the story of the song to be like. Hiroki wrote the lyrics to some extent, and I changed them as I liked.

This was the first time I met Hiroki-san, and at first I didn't even know what kind of person he was. I myself am quite stubborn, and some people don't like it when someone changes something they thought was good. So, I made several drafts of revisions and brought them to him, and he said, "All of them are fine.

───The lyrics "My side was no good. I still can't love myself today," etc., are quite piercing, aren't they?

Tapimiru: The previous single and this one, "You're not popular, but you're not a good singer," are both lyrics about love, so I thought it would be better to use lyrics that are not about love this time around. Lantis told me that I could make a ballad-type song, so I wanted to sing a song about being stuck in life. I used to be more hopeful and sparkling in my life, but now I often wonder how things are going. I'm a menkhera. It's not that I'm having a bad day or anything, but there are times when I suddenly think, "I'm tired of living" (laughs). (Laughs.) I thought it would be nice if I could write lyrics about that. That's why this song is darker, and I think I was able to express the deepest part of my heart.

─ ─ If you can sing this kind of song, does it expand your range of expression as an artist?

Tapimiru: That's right. I have been singing a lot of upbeat songs, so I am glad to have this kind of song to add to my repertoire.

─ ─ I hear that you are particular about the design of the lyric cards.

Tapimiru: Yes. I would like you to take a look at the lyric card. The cover is a cute anime picture. The page for "You're Not Popular (Translated by: ω; ´)" is like having me as a character in an anime.

The rest of the pages are more artist-like. In particular, I would like you to listen to "Lonely Call" carefully on your own, compare the song with yourself, and then look at the lyrics card to see if you can find the answer.

─ ─ This single is a collection of songs with different personalities, isn't it?

Tapimiru: Yes. I think you can enjoy each of them. I hope you will find your favorite song among them.

─ I heard that you have already performed all the songs live.

Tapimiru: "You're Not Popular (Translated)" has an anime song feel to it, and anime song fans have said, "This song is really good. Those who knew us before our debut and those who know our lullaby distribution were quite pleased with "Lonely Call. I am glad that each demographic was pleased with the song.

I think this single has a yin and a yang to it, and it's a very human one. I'm a bit pungent here, and a fresh and positive there, living the way I like to live. But then I got tired of living. I think it's good that it's not too sparkly.

─ By the way, are you the type of person who thinks deeply?

Tapimiru: Yes. I am the type that thinks a lot, and before I go to bed, I am mysteriously lost.

───How do you revive yourself in such cases?

Tapimiru: I don't revive myself (laughs). (Laughs.) Even if there is a question in my mind as to what I am living for now, the answer is never given. The question comes up in a flash, I worry about it in a flash, it disappears in a flash, and then it comes up again in a flash. I am always emotionally unstable because I keep repeating that kind of thing.

─ I see (laughs). What do you think is your unique characteristic?

Tapimiru: I have been self-analyzing that for a long time. But I think it would be nice if I could make "not too sparkly" my theme. Artists have the image of being sparkling all the time, but I hope I can create just the right temperature. It's hard to put it well, but it's like life-size. I hope I can show my humanness, that there are times when I am like this and times when I am like that, and I hope I can show people as they really are.

───What kind of activities do you want to do in the future?

Tapimiru: We are currently doing one-man shows once a month, and in April we expanded the venue. I would like to do activities so that I can fill the venue again, and I would like to show what it is like to be an artist. I think people expect me to be cute, but I also hope to show a slightly more mature and cool side.

─ ─ Finally, do you have any comments for our readers?

Tapimiru: Please buy the CD! (Laughs)

─ ─ Thank you very much! (Laughs)