/* Hide loading templates */ #js-listings:before, #js-listings:after, .loading-page:before, .loading-page, .loading-page:after, .loading-spinner:before, .loading-spinner:after, body:not(.ember-application):before, body:not(.ember-application):after, /* Hide ui that requires scripting */ #stream_launch_widget, .btn-group { display: none !important; } /* show hidden page elements */ body>#full-page-viewport-wrapper, body>#navigation-menu { display: inherit; } /* show images */ #main img, #series img, #related img { opacity: 1; } /* style warning message */ .noscript-warning { color: #003666; margin: 0 2rem 2rem 2rem; padding: 1.5rem; background: #EBC0B7; border-radius: 5px; } It looks like there's an issue with JavaScript in your browser. For a better experience, we recommend that you enable JavaScript. Go to https://www.whatismybrowser.com/guides/how-to-enable-javascript/ to learn more.

Donate

All Of It Segments

Published by

All Of It Segments by All Of It

Ikura of J-Pop Band YOASOBI Performs Live

Ikura joined Alison in our CR5 performance studio

Summary Transcript

The J-pop duo YOASOBI have earned fans around the world, sold out shows at Radio City Music Hall, and played at Lollapalooza and Coachella. The J-Pop duo's lead singer Ikura performs an exclusive set in our studio, featuring acoustic versions of their hit songs.

Alison Stewart: This is All Of It on WNYC. I'm Alison Stewart. The duo, Yoasobi are J-pop superstars. They've broken records on Billboard Japan's Hot 100 charts, and they've claimed the first Japanese language song to top Billboard's global charts. Here's that song titled Idol.

[MUSIC - Yoasobi: Idol]

Alison Stewart: In the US, the duo has played at Lollapalooza and Coachella, and in New York last year, they filled Radio City Music Hall. Ikura is the duo's vocalist, and she joined me in the WNYC studios for a rare acoustic performance of some of the group's songs. The interview will sound a little different than what you usually hear on this show because we conducted it through a translator named Miyoki Watanabe. So throughout the interview, you'll hear me ask Ikura a question, which Miyoki translated for Ikura. Then you'll hear Ikura begin to answer in Japanese with Miyoki's translation layered on top. Let's kick things off with some music. Here's Ikura of YOASOBI performing their hit song, Into The Night.

[MUSIC - Yoasobi: Into The Night]

Alison Stewart: That song, Into The Night, was your first single you released in 2019. It went to number one in Japan. What do you remember about that moment when it became a hit?

Miyoki Watanabe: [Japanese language]

Ikura: [Japanese language]

Miyoki Watanabe: We're a unit, Yoasobi. The composer is Ayase, and I'm the singer, Ikura. We didn't expect the first song to be that-- make a big hit. So it felt so surreal.

Alison Stewart: How did you and Ayase meet? He was a solo artist first. How did you all get together?

Ikura: [Japanese language]

Miyoki Watanabe: Yoasobi started from the project at Sony Music. The manager came up with the idea of turning novels into music, and then they started looking for a composer and the singer-songwriter, and that's how we met.

Alison Stewart: So in Yoasobi, Ayase is the composer and the production side of things, and you are the beautiful vocalist. How does that work between the two of you? Does he bring you a song? Do you perform it then? How does it work musically?

Ikura: [Japanese language]

Miyoki Watanabe: Like I said, Yoasobi of course has to have the novel, the story first. Ayase reads the story and then creates the music lyrics and then brings the song to Ikura, and Ikura put music to it, and they work together from that point.

Alison Stewart: Ikura, what do you bring to the project of yourself? What do you put into the songs? Once he's already developed what the song is, what do you bring to it?

Ikura: [Japanese language]

Miyoki Watanabe: My creative contribution to this band is that, of course, I read the original stories, the novels, really so much and get into the feelings in the world of the stories and the characters. Then whatever I feel, I bring it to the song and I just put it all together with Ayase's production.

Alison Stewart: I'm speaking to Ikura of the J-pop duo Yoasobi. She's here with me in studio performing live. She's also speaking through a translator, Miyoki-

Miyoki Watanabe: Yes.

Alison Stewart: -thank you, about their global success. You also put out a solo album in 2023. How do you find the time to balance working on your solo work and your work with Yoasobi?

Ikura: [Japanese language]

Miyoki Watanabe: Like I say, Yoasobi always has the original story that we base the songs, music from, but for Ikura, my own solo album, it's me, it's my world, it's my personal experiences that is the core of my music. That's the biggest difference. Also, for Yoasobi, I tend to channel whatever the personality of the main characters from the story, but for my own personal project, I can be myself.

Alison Stewart: What's the song we're going to hear next?

Ikura: [Japanese language]

Alison Stewart: All right, let's hear it.

[music]

Ikura: Next song is Tabun.

[MUSIC - Yoasobi: Tabun]

Alison Stewart: Ikura, what we're hearing is so much different than what's on the album. There's a lot more production on the album. This is more acoustic, it's more sort of comforting just to us sitting in the studio hearing that. How does it feel to change the way you perform a song versus what is on the album versus what we're hearing?

Ikura: [Japanese language]

Miyoki Watanabe: When I record the album, it's more, like I said earlier, I try to be true to the imagery of the stories, the original story, but at the acoustic and also at the concerts, I'm always trying to incorporate more live elements like my feelings, my emotions at that moment, or the reaction from the audience, that's the biggest difference.

Alison Stewart: You recorded some of these songs in English. Does the song feel different when you sing it in Japanese as when you can sing it in English?

Ikura: [Japanese language]

Miyoki Watanabe: There's a translator, Koni, and he translates Japanese lyrics into English, but always tries to capture the worldview of the original song, of course, and also even the sound of it. He's really good at finding the words that might sound like the original Japanese lyrics. That's what's great about working with Koni. When I sing in English, the pronunciation, and also, I'm not a fluent speaker, so the people always give me great direction. Koni gives me direction about the pronunciation also, but because of the fundamental differences in pronunciation between English and Japanese, that the nuance and also the mood of the music really differs. That's what's really interesting to me. English version feels so much faster and more up-tempo.

Alison Stewart: Ikura, your parents lived in Chicago for a little bit. Is that true?

Miyoki Watanabe: [Japanese language]

Ikura: [Japanese language]

Miyoki Watanabe: Up to when I was three years old.

Alison Stewart: What brought your family here?

Miyoki Watanabe: [Japanese language]

Ikura: [Japanese language]

Miyoki Watanabe: My father was expat in Chicago.

Alison Stewart: When did music enter your childhood? When did you become fascinated with music?

Miyoki Watanabe: [Japanese language]

Ikura: [Japanese language]

Miyoki Watanabe: I was always surrounded by music. My father is also acoustic guitarist and he would play the music while he plays the guitar, and then she became very into music because of the family influence. Also, when I was living in Chicago, I got hooked with Disney Channel.

Alison Stewart: Disney Channel.

Ikura: [Japanese language]

Miyoki Watanabe: Also after I came back to Japan, she was watching a lot of High School Musical and then got to know American artists through those Disney Channel/High School Musical. Number one artist that she got influenced by, American artist, is Taylor Swift.

Alison Stewart: You filled Radio City Music Hall. You played Coachella and Lollapalooza. Are American audiences different from Japanese audiences?

Ikura: [Japanese language]

Miyoki Watanabe: American audiences definitely let you know that they're having fun, dancing to the music and sing along and very expressive. It's great to see them from the stage.

Alison Stewart: You're going to play one more song for us. Tell us what you're going to play.

Miyoki Watanabe: [Japanese language]

Ikura: [Japanese language]

Alison Stewart: [unintelligible 00:19:39]

[MUSIC - Yoasobi: Blue]

Alison Stewart: That was Ikura of the J-pop duo, Yoasobi, performing the song Blue. Our translator was Miyoki Wantanabe. Ena Suzuki was on piano. That is All Of It for today. We'll see you back here tomorrow.