Interview] Nao Higashiyama's ever-increasing power of expression. Nao Higashiyama's second album "Gunsei Infinity" is amazing!

About a year after her successful first live performance at Nippon Budokan, Nao Higashiyama is releasing her second album "Gunsei Infinity". Completed over the course of 2018, which was her breakthrough year as a singer, this album features 10 new songs out of a total of 11, making it a rewarding listen. She also wrote the lyrics and composed the music for two songs of different types, the uppery title track "Gunsei Infinity" and the ballad "Hajimari no Sora". Her talent as a songwriter is also on full display. In the summer, she will embark on her first live tour, which will take her to three cities throughout Japan. In line with this tour, this album features many songs that can be enjoyed at live performances.
Their second album "Gunsei Infinity," themed on the theme of "sky," is an expansive album that lives up to its name!

I wrote the lyrics and music with the hope of bringing energy and courage to everyone!

───The title of your 2nd album is "Gunsei Infinity," and the blue is the base color of the jacket and the artist photo, isn't it?

Higashiyama: I wanted to make the theme of this album bigger than the first album "Rainbow," so I first talked with the staff about making this album with the theme of "sky" in mind. That's why our image color is blue. When I made my debut as a singer, I had a survey conducted among my supporters to find out what color they wanted for my artist color, and blue was the second most popular choice after white. I felt that it was my other artist color, so I decided that blue would be good this time.

───Is that how you came up with the album title "Gunsei Infinity"?

Higashiyama: I was not conscious of including "blue" in the album title at first. First of all, the lead song "Gunsei-Infinity" was born, and it became the album title as it was.

─ ─ "Gunsei Infinity" is the first song on the album and is the very face of the album. Moreover, you wrote the lyrics and composed the music yourself, didn't you?

Higashiyama: Ever since I started my career as a singer, I have received warm support from everyone, which has cheered me up and given me courage, so my starting point was to write a "cheering song" as the lead song that would bring energy and courage to everyone, and we decided that the tune should be rock. I was asked, "Do you want to try writing it yourself? I wondered if I could do it. I wondered if I could do it, but West Ground created a chord progression and tempo to guide me, so I composed the music based on that, and then thought about the lyrics.

What kind of song do you think it turned out to be?

Higashiyama: As I initially imagined, it turned out to be the most rock-oriented song I have ever written. However, it is not a heavy rock song, but rather a song that I sing, so the melody line is more about stretching than strength.

─ How did you like the lyrics?

Higashiyama: The lyrics were more strongly worded than ever before, and in a good way, I think it became something that is not like me. The lyrics I have written in the past were words that I would use in my daily life, but this time they were words like "If you can't step out, let's be the tailwind," or "Don't let your dreams and pride fail you by your own hands! I was able to make lyrics that were more rock-oriented (laughs). (Laughs) I felt that I was able to create lyrics that were more rock-oriented.

─ ─ The combination of the idiom "Gunsei Infinity" and the English word "infinity" is also very rock-like.

Higashiyama: After thinking about it a lot, we came up with the title at the end, and I'm glad we came up with a strong word (laughs). I think it turned out to be a good title for the album.

─ ─ The vocals of "Gunsei Infinity" are very emotional, and I could feel Higashiyama-san as a rock singer.

Higashiyama: Recording this song was tough. There are a lot of high notes, and I wanted to make it sound powerful, so I was supposed to record it in one day, but I ran out of energy halfway through. But we ran out of energy in the middle of the song. We still managed to sing the whole song, but I knew we could do much more with this song. I asked the director, "Could you let me record one more day? I asked the director if I could record the song one more day. As expected, he was surprised, but I said, "If Higashiyama says so, I'll give it a try.

─ You must have been the most unsatisfied with it.

Higashiyama: It was a song to cheer everyone up, but I couldn't do it if I didn't feel good about myself! I thought. So I sang the song again on a new day, and the director said, "It's definitely better. I was confident that I could deliver this song to the audience.

─ That's how the power of this song was born, isn't it? Especially the climax at the end was amazing.

Higashiyama: The last chorus was even more emotional than the other choruses. I sang it in a slightly unusual way, so I wondered if I could handle it.　But I was happy to hear the band members say, "This phrase is so emo.

─ ─ No, it really is "very emo. I couldn't help but lean forward while listening to it.

Higashiyama That makes me happy! Thank you very much! (laughs).

─ ─ "Gunsei Infinity" is a music video (MV), and a short version is already available on the Internet. The scenes of singing with the band by the sea and the acting scenes were each worth watching.

Higashiyama: It was raining until the morning of the shooting day, but by the time we shot the performance scene, the sky turned a beautiful blue. Even though it was winter, the clouds were thick as if it was summer. God gave us the perfect location.


─ It was cool to see you jumping with the band.

Higashiyama: Thank you very much... It was the same with "Kimi to Boku no Symphony," the first song on the first album, but Higashiyama's upper songs tend to jump before the chorus (laughs). In this music video, I love how it slows down for a moment when they jump.

─ ─ I also liked the acting part. Like the scene in the cafe where she starts singing with a spoon in her hand.

Higashiyama: I was practicing making coffee at the café where I work part-time, and I said, "It's not going well, huh. Then, let's sing with a spoon in our hands! (laughs).

─ ─ Another scene that had an impact on me was the scene where he was in his room in his jersey and threw the script at me.

Higashiyama: That's not right, it was violent (laughs). The director told me, "Oh, you want me to slam it down? Yes! It's not in the music video, but there is a faint laugh in the making of the video that says, "It sounded amazing..." I hope you will watch it. Also, the camera I am holding has the "NAOCAM" logo on it. Did you notice it?

─ ─ No, I thought it was a retro and stylish camera, but I did not see the logo.

Higashiyama: A staff member made a sticker with the name of a fictitious manufacturer and put it on it. The necklace I am wearing is also a one-of-a-kind piece made from a solidified photograph of the sky, and the accessories were also made with great care.

It is a music video that I want to watch over and over again and savor every detail.