[TeamAyu] 'Secret' SPECIAL INTERVIEW

Okay, here are the first 5 tracks. I will try to keep up with each song as the interview gets updated, and then I'll get to the big introductory blurb at the top. I think we'd rather hear all the song-specific info first, anway.

01. Not yet
words: ayumi hamasaki
music & arrangement: CMJK

まさにアルバムのオープニング！ズバリな問いかけというか、このアルバム全体の中に私が散りばめた秘密や誰 かの秘密．．．。私がこのアルバムに込めたいろんな種類のいろんな意味を持つ秘密。

あとは、ここに至るまでの奇跡。ココで言う奇跡は、想いに近いんだけど・・・。このアルバムを完成させた事 、そのものが奇跡であって＝想い。その奇跡は私が起こした訳ではなくて、私以外の人たち＝このアルバムに関 わったスタッフや関係した全ての人たちがいた事によって起きたと思ってる。その２つがこのアルバムのベース になっている。オープニングのこの曲は、“秘密”や“奇跡”を聞いてくれるみんながこのアルバムの中に見つ けてくれるだろうか？というみんなへのの問いかけそのものだね。

01. Not yet
words: ayumi hamasaki
music & arrangement: CMJK

Pretty much the album opening! I guess it's a flat-out question. I've encrusted the entire album with secrets... secrets of people... secrets which have various meanings of various assortments.

And also, the miracle leading up to here. The term "miracle" is close to my heart... Finishing this album -- that has been a miracle = my heart. I didn't make this miracle happen, but I feel like it has happened because of various people other myself = the staff involved and everyone else related. Those 2 have been the base of this album. This opening song is really a question to everyone listening to these "secrets" and "miracles", asking if they will find them in the album.

02. until that Day...
words: ayumi hamasaki
music & arrangement: CMJK

ａｙｕ：これはもともとＣＭＪＫさんがインすと用につくってきた曲で、スゴイ短い曲だったんだけど、ギター の感じやＢメロの感じがスゴイ好きでで、是非フルの（１曲の）曲としてつくって欲しいってお願いした。書き たい事は当初曲を聴いた時から浮かんでて、伝えたいって詞は頭の中にあるから、ＣＭＪＫさんの曲を待ってた 。で、待ってたんだけど、いざあがってきたら、言葉をのせるのがすっごい難しくて（苦笑）。

ミスターkaz：ちょっとした早口状態だもんね。

ａｙｕ：そう。あの音符の連打のところに言葉をのせるのがスゴイ難しい。伝えたい事はあるんだけど、音符に 合う言葉、ブレス（呼吸）もするから良きところで切ったりもしなきゃいけない、それが難しくて。言葉のパズ ルみたいなのを家でやってた。

ミスターkaz：伝えたい言葉の持つ意味と似たような意味を持つ類義語を書き出して組み合わせる作業をした って事？

ａｙｕ：そう！床に置いた紙に書きたい言葉やその言葉の類義語をたくさん書いて、で、その紙を並べて、順番 を変えたりしながら、組み合わせていった。いつも書くやり方とは全然つくり方が違ったね。

ミスターkaz：コレは５文字だからダメとか・・・。

ａｙｕ：そうそう！“楽しい”という言葉を３つの音＝他の３文字の言葉で言うと何とかとかね。で、試行錯誤 頑張って一応当てはめられたけど、今度は本当に伝えたい意味が伝わらなくなってしまったりして・・・。言い たい事（伝えたい事）を言う（書く）のが１番だから、そこを守りながら、で、言葉数を合わせなきゃならない のはホントに難しかったよ（苦笑）。

ミスターkaz：テンポもかなり早いしね！

ａｙｕ：あんなに早くてほぼ同じような音をキープしてという曲はなかったなぁ。詞の世界は、私はスゴク前向 きなつもり、でもスタッフなんかに感想を聞いたら、切ないとかスゴク悲しくて泣いた、なんて人もいたんだよ ね！

02. until that Day...
words: ayumi hamasaki
music & arrangement: CMJK

ayu: This was originally a song made by CMJK to be used as an instrumental. It was really short, but I really loved the feel of the guitar and the B-melody, so told him I'd love it if he could make it a full-length song. Ever since I first heard the song, I had in mind what I wanted to write about. The lyrics I wanted to express were in my head, so I was just waiting for CMJK's song. So I waited, but once it came, it was so hard to fit the words to it! (wry laugh)

mister kaz: It's rattled off pretty fast, huh?

ayu: Yeah. It was so hard to make the words hit right on the notes. I had something I wanted to say, but fitting the words to the notes, as well as having to always cut at a good spot for breaths, it was difficult. I made a kind of word puzzle at home.

mister kaz: Like... you wrote down and combined synonyms with the same meaning as those of the words you wanted to express?

ayu: Yeah! On pieces of paper, I would put down words I wanted to write, as well as synonyms for those words. Then, I'd line up the papers, and combine them as I changed around the order. I made this song very differently from the way I usually write.

mister kaz: Like "This won't work because it has 5 characters..."?

Ayu: Right, right! Like, saying "tanoshii" as 3 sounds = how would it be if I said a different 3 character word? So at first it was a lot of trial-and-error, but this time it got to be so that I just had to express what I wanted to express. It's most important to say what you want to say, but it's really hard to stick to that and still make the word-count match up.

mister kaz: And the tempo is pretty fast, too!

ayu: I hadn't had such a fast song that really kept more or less the same sound. In the world of lyrics, I really try to be positive, but when I heard the impressions of my staff, there were some who got really heartbroken or sad and cried!

03. Startin'
words: ayumi hamasaki
music: Kazuhiro Hara
arrangement: CMJK

ａｙｕ：この曲はニューヨークでレコーディングしたんだけど、スタジオの音がメチャクチャ良くて、スゴイ歌 いやすかった。「Ｓｔａｒｔｉｎ’」のイメージってツアーやa-nationでダンサーと踊ったから、そういうイメージを持ってる人が多いと思うんだけど、これはもともと はバンドのみでもいけるようにつくった曲。「ＧＡＭＥ」とか「ｉｓ　ｔｈｉｓ　ＬＯＶＥ」とかロックな曲も やってきたけど、「Ｓｔａｒｔｉｎ’」みたいなヴォーカル・スタイルに挑戦したのはこの曲が初めて！歌いな がら“こういう歌い方も出来るんだ”って感じてた。その新しいヴォーカルスタイルを引き出してくれたのはニ ューヨークのスタジオでのレコーディングであり、そこの音の良さやいい環境だったんだよね。

ミスターkaz：ＰＶもＣＧ（コンピューター･グラフィック）バリバリで今までにない新しい感じだったよね ？

ａｙｕ：そうだね。「Ｓｔａｒｔｉｎ’」を撮ってくれた石井監督（石井ちゃん）は高校くらいの時からの知り 合いで、だから、石井ちゃんが監督をしてたのも知ってたんだけど、一緒に仕事をした事はなくて。どういう態 度で接すればいいか、ちょっと戸惑ったりもした（苦笑）。昔からの知り合いすぎて、仕事だからいつものノリ でいってもいけないし・・・。

ミスターkaz：その場の関係は、アーティストの監督だしね！

ａｙｕ：そう。だからと言って、かしこまり過ぎるのも・・・ねぇ。だから、ちょっと照れくさいというか、身 内が仕事場に来たみたいな、そんな感じだった。

ミスターkaz：ａｙｕにとって石井監督はどういう人？

ａｙｕ：言葉にしなくても分かってくれる。だからやりやすいし、いい物が出来るって自信が持ってる！ＣＧが ほとんどだったから、撮影中は（合成用の）グリーンバックの前で演技する事が多かったんだけど、石井ちゃん だから出来る！信じてるから出来る！って思ってた。

03. Startin'
words: ayumi hamasaki
music: Kazuhiro Hara
arrangement: CMJK

ayu: We did the recording for this song in New York, but the sound in the studio was so good it was so easy to sing. There are a lot of people who have an image of "Startin'" being from dancing with the dancers during a tour or a-nation, but it was originally made to be a band-only song. I've done rock songs like "GAME" or "is this LOVE?", but this is the first time I've challenged myself with a vocal style like "Startin'"! While I was singing, I felt "You can sing like this too". What really brought out that new vocal style was doing the recording in the New York studio with such good sound and nice atmosphere.

mister kaz: The PV, too, has a strong, new CG feel like never before, doesn't it?

ayu: Yeah it does. I've known Director Ishii (Ishii-chan), who did "Startin'", since around high school, but even though I knew he was a director, we had never worked together. I was a little at odds as to how he would go about it (wry laugh). And even after knowing eachother so well from long ago, because it's work, you can't just go with it the way you normally would.

mister kaz: And like, your relationship in that case is that of artist-director!

ayu: Right. So that made it kind of... too... humble? So I guess it was a little awkward; it felt like a relative had come to work.

mister kaz: What sort of person is Director Ishii to you?

ayu: He gets it without me having to say it. So it was really easy to do, and I have confidence that we were able to make something really good. It was almost entirely CG, so there was a lot of performing in front of a green screen (to combine the images), but I felt like because it was Ishii-chan, we could do it! Because he believes in it, we could do it!

04. 1 LOVE
words: ayumi hamasaki
music: Yoji Noi
arrangement: HΛL

ａｙｕ：これもまた新しいヴォーカルスタイル。ここまで強いヴォーカルは今までなかったと思う。叫んでると いうか・・・。意識的にそうした訳じゃなくて、オケ（＝メロディー）や詞に引っ張れて、自然とそういうヴォ ーカルスタイルになったんだけど、それも私的にはこういう引き出しもあるんだな、って新しい発見になった。 歌詞もイケイケだし、尖ってるし、スゴク強い。だけど、紙一重なところに繊細で切なくて悲しさがあるみたい な。

ミスターkaz：この曲のロックなアレンジがHΛLさんだったのにはビックリ！あと、ＰＶの監督が須永さん だったのも・・・。なんかさ、自分の中の須永さんは、「Ｇｒｅａｔｆｕｌ　Ｄａｙｓ」のように、明るく楽し く、でもどこかシュールなところがあるみたいな作品をつくるイメージがあったから。

ａｙｕ：そうかもね。意外な感じがした？？突拍子もない事を須永さんなら言い出してくれるだろうという気持 ちもありつつお願いしたんだよね。で、出来上がってみたら、ものすごいカッコイイＰＶになってた！しかし！ ポールダンスは痛かった（涙）。翌日はもうアザだらけだったからね！（笑）

ミスターkaz：ホント？？撮影中は全然平気そうにしてたよね？

ａｙｕ：ライヴの時もそうなんだけど、本番中とか何かに集中してる時は平気なんだよね！痛みも感じないし・ ・・。でも、翌日は痛かったなぁ（笑）。もう、起きあがるのが大変だった。起きようとしても、首と背中が痛 くて、全然身体が働かないし（笑）。ライヴでもあそこまで頭を振ったり、身体を反ったりはしな いからね。

ミスターkaz：１番痛かったのは首？背中？

ａｙｕ：いや、ポールを持っていた右手の手のひら！撮影日の朝から次の朝まで右手だけでポールを持って、身 体を支えてたから・・・もう真っ赤になってたよ。ポールダンサーってスゴイ！って改めて思った ね。

04. 1 LOVE
words: ayumi hamasaki
music: Yoji Noi
arrangement: HΛL

ayu: This is another new vocal style. I don't think I've had such strong vocals until now, like yelling... I didn't make a conscious effort to, but the music (=melody) and words pulled that kind of vocal style out of me. I made the new discovery that I had that in me. The lyrics are really driving, edgy, and really powerful. But I think that up close it's got a subtle heartbroken sadness to it.

mister kaz: The rock arrangement for the song was HAL, but it was a surprising! Also that Mr. Sunaga did the PV direction... Kind of like your inner Mr. Sunaga imagined making something that had a bright and fun side to it, like "Greatful days", but also a surreal side.

ayu: Yeah, maybe. You felt surprised?? I had a feeling that Mr. Sunaga would come up with something, so I asked for something extraordinary. Then, after we finished, it turned out to be a really awesome PV! But! The pole dancing hurt (tear). The next day I was covered in bruises! (laugh)

mister kaz: Really?? You seemed totally fine during the filming!

ayu: When I was actually doing it, I was, but during the filming I was fine because I was concentrating on something. I didn't feel the pain... But the next day it hurt (laugh)! Oh man, it was so hard to get out of bed. I'd try to get up, but my neck and back hurt, and I couldn't move my body at all (laugh). Even at the time, I had never really done so much tossing of my head and bending of my body.

mister kaz: What hurt the most? Your neck or your back?

ayu: No, it was the palm of my right hand, which was holding on to the pole! From the morning of the filming to the next morning, I was holding the pole only with my right hand to support my body... oh, it got bright red! I reconsidered how amazing pole dancers are!

05. It was
words: ayumi hamasaki
music: Naruya Ihashi
arrangement: tasuku

ａｙｕ：これは、（ｍｉｓｓ）ｕｎｄｅｒｓｔｏｏｄのアルバムをつくっている時に集めた中にあった曲。その 時は使わなかったんだけど、それでもやっぱり好きでｔａｓｕｋｕにアレンジしてもらった。詞は、ハッキリし ない終わりっていうか、迷ったまま終わっていく詞にしたいなって思って。いろんな事があったけど、今はこう 思う、ではなくて、いろいろあって（一応の）結論は出したけど、今でもまだ迷ってるみたいな。人って引きず ってしまう時や間違いだったかな？って思う事、後悔してしまう事ってあるじゃん。そういうリアルな人間臭さ みたいな世界を書きたかった。そういう気持ちってみんな持ってるハズだから、そこの感情を分かち合いたいと 思ったし。

ミスターkaz：人生なんてある意味後悔の連続というか･･･でも、人は生きていかなければならないみたい なところあるもんね。ところで、この曲は同じ終わり方でも「Ｏｖｅｒ」とは違う終わり方だよね 。

ａｙｕ：アレはちゃんと“終わらせてる”からね。

ミスターkaz：でも、生きていく上では、「Ｏｖｅｒ」よりも「Ｉｔ　ｗａｓ」のように迷ってたり、後悔し てる事の方が多いよね。

ａｙｕ：そんなにキレイ事ばかりじゃないし、そんなにカッコつけてばかりもいられないじゃない。カッコ悪く たって、情けなくったって生きていかなきゃならないし、そっちの方が多いよね。でもね、「Ｉｔ　ｗａｓ」は ただただ後悔しているんじゃなくて、それでも何とか前を向こうと頑張ってる姿がある!生きていく上では、後 悔したとかしないとか、カッコいいとか悪いとかよりも、その前を向こうと頑張ってる姿が大事だと思うんだよ ね！

05. It was
words: ayumi hamasaki
music: Naruya Ihashi
arrangement: tasuku

ayu: This was one of the songs we had gathered up for the (miss)understood album. I didn't use it then, but of course I really liked it and had tasuku arrange it. I felt like I wanted the lyrics to not end very clearly, or like I wanted to make lyrics which ended on a confused note. There were lots of different ones, but now I feel like... no, we went through several before getting out a (rough) ending, but it seems like it's still confused. Sometimes people people drag around certain times and mistakes, and sometimes there are things that people regret, aren't there? I wanted to write of a world that seemed to smell of real people. Everyone's got to have those kind of feelings, so I felt I wanted to share that emotion.

mister kaz: In a sense... life is a string of regrets, but people have to go on living. By the way, this song has a similar, but different ending from "Over".

ayu: That would be because it properly "puts and end" to it.

mister kaz: But as far as life is concerned, there is more confusion and regret like in "It was", rather than as in "Over".

ayu: But it's not always going to be pretty, and you can't always just suck it up, can you? There are more times when, no matter how bad it looks, no matter how pitiful it is, you have to go on with your life. But "It was" isn't just about regret, but it has a "do your best to be positive" side to it! As far as life is concerned, rather than worrying whether to regret or not to regret, or worrying about being cool or uncool, I think it's more important to try to be positive!

[ayuayu]

thank you for the 2nd half!! I'm so excited for this <3

[immel]

Thanks Sean.

A little sad she didn't talk so much about the Startin' video, only the director of it.

Originally Posted by Ayumi Hamasaki

This is another new vocal style. I don't think I've had such strong vocals until now, like yelling...

That's interesting, it will probably be something very fresh, I found Startin' fresh, but again we get something new.

Originally Posted by Ayumi Hamasaki

The pole dancing hurt (tear).

Haha, we'll actually get to see her pole dancing, that'll be... interesting.

Very interesting that It was was supposed to be featured on (m)u.

[makie_7]

Thanks a lot!!!! I can't wait to watch the pole dancing! I've seen girls on tv and it's really difficult.

[ayuayu]

Originally Posted by makie_7

Thanks a lot!!!! I can't wait to watch the pole dancing! I've seen girls on tv and it's really difficult.

very true... they seem to just slide around very smooth but i've tried and it's really hard to be graceful. your hand gets very sore and bruises are so common... T-T poor ayu!

i think the like yelling part is pretty interesting... i wonder how that will be like. either way its cool how ayu experiments with different styles^^

[etheruraura]

Someone on the A!L!A! BBS said "It was" reminded them of "monochrome" while Until that day... reminded them of "evolution". BIG EXPECTATIONS, especially for "It was"

[truehappiness]

I bet there were other songs on Secret that were meant to be on (m)u, but GEO smacked them off..

OMG EXCITEMENT.

[truehappiness]

Mmm. :]

Again, translated by SunshineSlayer, the ALA 'comments' of the mu-mo downloadable Secret:

Not yet - Reminds them of RAINBOW(not sure whether they mean the song or the album), Starts out feeling like "Everlasting Dream" on the RAINBOW album - very gentle and affectionate, but then turns more like Catcher in the Light from My Story and becomes rockish.

until that Day... - "this is very ayu. Reminds me of Evolution and has a rock feel." , "This is fast isn't it?? Extremely cool and very strong rock music

1love - "SO COOL! THE BEST!", Hard rock-style

It was - "Reminds me of Monochrome and leaves the impression of the past Ayu." , a rock ballad with a nostalgic kind of feel looking back on the olden days. The melody reminds him a bit of Winding Road.

LABYRINTH - An instrumental track that feels like the RAINBOW instrumentals, reminiscent of Kaleidoscope

Momentum - is a "medium up tempo song and has a winter feel." ,a Winter song, but not a ballad. Has an uptempo rock feel.

taskinst - a rock interlude!

kiss o' kill - "VERY ROCK and SUPER COOL!" ,A very powerful and cool rock song

Secret - The only other ballad besides Jewel. , a gentle moving ballad.

[SheFliesHigher]

Whoa, this is exciting.

[Coelacanth]

I'm very excited. Are the other song interviews available or are we just going to get these five? I really want to see them.

[Kikaru]

SO EXCITED!

I want an album leak already...from what I'm hearing, it's sounding like a great album. Although for some reason I had foresaw that she was going to have some of the stuff from the original (M)U album put on this album and I was right

[truehappiness]

We're gonna get the next batch of five songs on the 22nd.

Then on the 29th, we get the last four.

[immel]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

We're gonna get the next batch of five songs on the 22nd.

Then on the 29th, we get the last four.

That's such a long wait, especially for the last 4 ones... haha. I want them now, before the release <3.

[Coelacanth]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

We're gonna get the next batch of five songs on the 22nd.

Then on the 29th, we get the last four.

Oh really? Phew.

Hopefully someone will post them.

[nodoka]

ooo thank you for posting the info.!

[Yukitora]

Is there any translation on the first part of the interview (The intro)?

[truehappiness]

I think that evolusean was still working on that when the board died.. :<

[Qt Mashi]

omg thanks for the translation evolusean!

and wow so many fast songs in the album! i relli like Ayu's "kool" fast songs but i get tired of them quickly xD

[immel]

Yeah, maybe it's posted over at AYUNITE, but I don't think so. I didn't check through the entire thread there.

We should get it by tomorrow anyway .

[explodingbird]

Originally Posted by immel

Yeah, maybe it's posted over at AYUNITE, but I don't think so. I didn't check through the entire thread there.

We should get it by tomorrow anyway .

I thought you meant the album but then realize "it" = interview.

But the album would be nice too.

And hey, I loved the GEO compositions, especially once Ayu helped work her magic on them (I assume she handled a lot of the touch-ups). Thing is thought, I rarely pay mind to who composes her songs. Long as I love the end result.