Interview] Marika Takano debuts as a solo artist with her first single "Dreamy, but not a dream!

Marika Takano, who has appeared in numerous productions as a voice actress and as a member of the music unit "Earphones," makes her debut as a solo artist in full force. Her debut song, "Yumemetai, but it's not a dream," is a pure pop number that focuses on where she stands today and her bright future. On the other hand, the coupling song "I tie U" is a song with a dense world view. As a popular voice actress who already has a large fan base, we can expect great things from Ms. Takano's artist activities as well!

I'm the type of person who can't take a step forward unless I'm really satisfied with it.

─ ─ Mr. Takano is well known for his activities as a voice actor unit, such as the Earphones. Can you tell us first of all how you came to make your solo debut?

Takano: Actually, I was approached about making my debut many years ago. However, I always felt that it was still too early for me to be able to confidently say, "I am also an artist as well as a voice actor," and for my fans to recognize me. I thought that if I didn't have an image of voice work first and foremost, then one day I would be ruined. In the midst of all this, 2020 became the year I realized once again that my life as a voice actor is supported by many people, and I felt that now was the time for me to take a new step forward. I decided to make my solo debut partly because I wanted to express my gratitude to the many people who support me.

─ You are the type of person who thinks that if you are going to start something new, you should be satisfied with it. You are very serious.

Takano: Yes, I think I may be a bit hard-headed (laughs). (Laughs.) But in order not to regret the path I have taken, I want to think carefully before making a decision. My solo debut this time was not just my own decision, but I took the first step after receiving opinions from various people and thinking about what I wanted to do and what I didn't want to do. I feel that this kind of steady progress is the way of life for me.

─ So your solo debut was the result of a lot of thought and consideration. The title track of your debut single, "Dreamy, but not a dream," was completed in this way, and I got the impression that it was a royal road song.

Takano: I wanted my debut song to be a legitimate song that would allow me to take a bold first step as a solo artist. In addition, there have been many moments in my life when music has pushed me forward, so I also hoped that my song would do the same for someone else. I listened to about 30 demo songs of various types, and after much deliberation, I chose the songs that best expressed my feelings.

───The lyrics, music, and arrangements were written by Terukazu Tsurusaki. He has provided songs for the idol group 48 and voice actors such as Akari Kito and Yui Ogura.

Takano: Mr. Tsurusaki's song fit best with the image I had in my mind for my debut song, so I used the tentative lyrics as they were. So, the lyrics for the first verse are the same as in the demo, while the lyrics for the second and later verses were written after the song was selected.

─ ─ In the demo stage, there was only the first lyric.

Takano: The first verse expresses a bright and positive feeling toward the future. That alone is great, but from the second verse onward, there is a shadowy side to the song. The lyrics express the fact that it's not always bright when you are seriously pursuing your dreams, which makes me want to sing this song even more.

─ I thought the lyrics were pop, yet very honest.

Takano: I thought they were realistic. I have always been like that, and I am sure there will be moments in the future when I will not only be cheerful and happy, but I feel that because I am doing what I love, I can feel the suffering and love it. The lyrics overlap perfectly with these feelings of mine, and I feel like, "Thank you, Mr. Tsurusaki" (laughs).

───This song is light in tone and can be listened to with a cheerful feeling. What did you pay attention to in the recording?

Takano: The lyrics don't directly say "hang in there," but I wanted the song to push people's backs, so I aimed for strong vocals. In the last chorus, there is a line "If it's not a dream, then what shall we call it? I sang it with great care, thinking that this thought could be "courage", "energy", or "hope", depending on who is listening to it.

─ I feel that the lyrics of this part of the song give more depth to the title, "Like a dream, but not a dream. It is a song about feelings that cannot be fully expressed by the word "dream," isn't it?

Takano: If I say that a dream disappears when it comes true, it is not so. The word "dream" includes new expectations for oneself, and I thought that the song allows the listener to imagine the future after grasping the dream.