Interview] JUNNA's second album "20×20" is now complete, marking the moment when JUNNA turned 20!

JUNNA, who captivates fans with her powerful vocals, will release her second album "20×20" (read: Twenty by Twenty), her first in about two years.
A wide variety of creators participated in the album, including Tomoaki Ishikawa, who wrote the lyrics to the lead song "Waga wa shosetsu yori ni kakunari" (My Life is Stranger than a Novel). The album contains a total of 11 songs, ranging from aggressive songs with a JUNNA feel to songs that show a more mature side of JUNNA than ever before. The ballad "Now," written and composed by JUNNA herself, will be the last song on the album. We hope you can feel the present of JUNNA, who continues to challenge herself at any time!

When I sing, I always want to be the best and the strongest.

─ ─ What did you want this album to be like?

JUNNA This is my first album after turning 20, so I wanted to make it a life-size album that I can sing now. Besides, there was the situation of the Corona disaster this year, so I think that many of the songs were written for the year 2020.

─ I had the impression that the artists who contributed songs to the album were even more diverse than in JUNNA's previous works. Did you choose the songs for the album from among many candidates?

JUNNA I chose two songs, "Wagamama wa shosetsu yori ni yakuinari" and "Sleepless," which are songs that I have never sung before, and songs that I honestly feel like singing now. The pitch of "Waga wa shosetsu y yori ni kakunari" does not change much between the A-melody, B-melody, and chorus, but there is a sense of running and getting stronger and stronger, and that is the song I wanted to sing. After the decision was made, I learned that Yusuke Shirato composed the music. For the other songs, we asked the writers.

─ Mr. Shirato has written many of JUNNA's songs, including "Here" and "Konoyubitomare. And Tomoaki Ishikawa wrote the lyrics. This was our first meeting.

JUNNA I asked him to write the lyrics because I thought it would be wonderful if the passion of the lyrics written by Mr. Ishikawa and the passion of Mr. Shirato's music were combined. I thought I would sing strongly with the lyrics that you wrote with strength by cutting out my present self.

───The lyrics are lined with cool words and are very moving, but they are quite difficult to understand, aren't they?

JUNNA I think it is very philosophical. I am still not sure if I fully understand it, but I really like the part of the chorus, "My soul, be the strongest. I always want to be the best and the strongest when I sing, so I thought this was it.

─ ─ There is also the phrase "Shine in the front row," and I thought it was a message from Mr. Ishikawa to be a top runner.

JUNNA I felt that the lyrics were like a push to the audience, telling them that it is okay to be more forward and expose themselves more. I sang the song with the thought that everyone who listens to it can be themselves.

─ I think the vocals were full of power and worthy of the top spot on the album.

JUNNA Thank you. It was difficult to write the score, but the lyrics are very beautiful, so I sang them carefully so that I could deliver the words to everyone.


─ The second song "FREEDOM~Never End~" is also an aggressive song.

JUNNA I wanted to sing a straight rock song, so I had this song written for me. I love this song so much, and I could immediately imagine the band members strumming their guitars at a live performance.

─ What is your impression of the lyrics?

JUNNA The A melody expresses the dissatisfaction and frustration of life, and there is a feeling that I don't like myself very much, but after questioning myself in the B melody, I got the impression that the song swings in a very positive direction in the chorus. I could tell that the main character was trying his best to move himself. Like "Waga wa shosetsu yori ni kakunari" (My life is stranger than a novel), this song also pushes the listener's back, and I thought it had enough momentum to make them want to run along with the song.

─ ─ The chorus repeats the word "freedom" and is really powerful.

JUNNA Yes, I want you to feel the freedom.

───The first two songs come in strong and the flow changes from the third song, "Sleepless". This song was also one of the songs you chose from among many candidates. What was it about this song that caught your attention?

JUNNA Basically, it is a song with a low sound. I think I can express my best when I go through with high notes, so I wanted to challenge myself with a song that attracts people with low notes. But I didn't know it when I chose it, but it is a very difficult song to sing because it has a lot of notes and the words are packed in there. I think it was the most difficult song on the album.

I felt like I had to keep my voice down, but at the same time be cool and passionate. The backing track also has a heavy bass sound, making it a mature song.

JUNNA The first and second songs were my usual style, and I think I was able to show JUNNA that I have never seen before in this song.

JUNNA──The lyrics depict a situation where various thoughts come into your mind at night and you can't sleep.

JUNNA Before going to sleep, we tend to think about many things. Regrets and bad memories may come back to your mind, and I think this song is about the situation where you can see through your mind. I can relate to the song because I have been in that situation myself.