Interview] Collaboration with Yuki Kajiura, again!　Aimer talks about her new song "I beg you

Fate/stay night [Heaven's Feel] II.lost butterfly" will be released in theaters on January 12, 2019, and Aimer's latest single, which includes the theme song "I beg you," will be released on January 9, prior to the release of the film. The lyrics, music, and arrangement of "I beg you" were written by Yuki Kajiura. Following "Hana no Uta," the theme song for the movie "Fate/stay night [Heaven's Feel]" I.presage flower, Aimer and Yuki Kajiura have collaborated on a new single, but the tone of the song has changed drastically from the previous one. We asked them to talk about the appeal of this collaboration!

It was the first time for me to sing a song like "I beg you.

─ I had the feeling that "I beg you" was more intense than "Hana no Uta". What was your first impression of the song?

Aimer I was shocked by the drastic change in musical direction. There are many different directions to express intensity, but "I beg you" had an exotic flavor, and I thought, "This is the way to go! I thought.

─ ─ The oriental atmosphere is one of your specialties, isn't it, Mr. Kajiura?

Aimer I thought it was amazing that you were able to create such a bold song for the world of "Fate/stay night [Heaven's Feel]". I had never sung a song like this before, and the A melody was especially difficult for me. But I was really happy to be able to sing it, because I knew that he had faith in me. I was the most excited I have ever been about how I was going to sing it (laughs).

(laughs) ──How did you think about singing it?

Aimer There were so many vocal choices for this song that I couldn't narrow it down to just one in a positive way. So I asked Mr. Kasoura at the recording studio, "How should I sing it? I asked Mr. Kajiura at the recording studio, "How would you like me to sing it? The song itself has a lot of power, so we both decided to keep the vocals flat, and went into the booth.

─ I felt that the vocals were powerful and dramatic.

Aimer I feel that I was guided by Mr. Kajiura and "Fate/stay night [Heaven's Feel]". I felt a kind of female emotion in both the lyrics and the music. It was an interesting experience for me to hear her voice, which is filled with emotion, being drawn out from within me in a new way this time.


─ ─ You used feminine endings in the lyrics, such as "I don't care if you roll me over with the tip of your shoe," and "Everyone wants to go to a kinder world.

Aimer That's right. I have never used them when writing my own lyrics, so it was a new experience for me. Perhaps it is because of the strong presence of Sakura Magiri, but I personally have the impression that "Fate/stay night [Heaven's Feel]" is a story about women rather than about Shiro Emiya. I like that atmosphere, so I was happy to have the opportunity to sing the theme song continuously.

─ What was your impression of the lyrics as a whole?

Aimer: As I felt with "Hana no Uta," your lyrics are unique in the way they connect words, and they seem to hit you where you least expect them. It's crazy in a good way (laughs). Each word in this song is so heavy that if you read just the lyrics, you might imagine a completely different tune. I also changed the way I sang in each block to match the lyrics and melody, so the song seems to have multiple personalities. There is a sad block before the last chorus, isn't there?

─ That block begins with the lyrics "Shinshin to kanashimi dake kanashimi wo furu ni furu ni" (Only the hearts are filled with sadness). I felt a Japanese sentiment in that block.

Aimer This is the block where I drastically changed the way I sang. Mr. Kajiura told me to come up from a deeper place here, and I felt the same way, so I was able to sing it easily. The last chorus is also interesting. It sounds as if the same melody is repeated all the time, but the melody changes slightly. The structure of the entire song is dramatic, and I thought only Mr. Kajiura could have written such a song.

─ ─ As the theme song for the movie version, you must have calculated that the full-size version would be used.

Aimer I think so. I am happy that you can listen to it in full at the theater.

───What was your impression of the arrangement?

Aimer The worldview was already created from the demo stage, so even with the addition of the band and orchestra, the impression didn't change much. However, the guitar solo was quite emotional.

─ I was also surprised by the guitar solo, which suddenly took on a more rock-like feel.

Aimer I think it is also typical of Mr. Kajiura to stick to the band sound. Vocally, I was impressed by the effect of the delay in the A melody of the first chorus, where the singer's voice seems to flow into the background. I think it creates a very nice atmosphere. And then there is the beginning. I am looking forward to seeing how the audience in the theater will feel about it.