Billboard Japan

Billboard Japan has been interviewing various women who have established themselves in the Japanese music industry for its Women in Music initiative since its inception last year. In the same spirit of Billboard’s annual Women in Music event that began in 2007, Billboard Japan also aims to celebrate women who continue to break new ground in the country’s music business through various contents including interviews, live performances, and panel discussions.

YouTube’s Mai Sasaki, who oversees Artist Relations in Japan at the video sharing giant, is the next featured guest in the interview series. Sasaki helps artists in Japan expand the scope of their musical activities by providing a platform and operational support, a major example being the official Fuji Rock Festival YouTube channel that began in 2018 featuring livestreams and archives from Japan’s pioneering summer music festival. Having been involved in the music business in her home country and abroad before assuming her current post, how does Sasaki view the Japanese music scene today?

You currently work in Artists Relations at YouTube. What specifically does this section do?

Our job is to make various proposals and provide operational support for artists to utilize YouTube as a platform. The things our music team can propose to our clients are increasing in multifaceted ways on a daily basis, such as how to actively operate official channels, or hosting livestreams.

I see, so it’s not just about opening up your platform. The pandemic has changed the way music is made available online, so it feels like more and more artists are utilizing YouTube now.

It goes without saying that the shock of the pandemic has been immense for the music industry, from not being able to hold in-person events like live concerts and music festivals to having to postpone releases because the recording and promotion process became harder to carry out. In the midst of all this, YouTube has been holding online seminars for artists, record companies, and other music professionals on how to make the most of our platform. This initiative was more about wanting to work together towards a common goal rather than trying to sell our services. As a result, our platform has been used as a place for artists and fans to connect — through livestreaming shows without in-person audiences, or streaming performances from the artists’ private spaces — and even now that movement restrictions have been lifted, such developments on the platform continue to expand.

Could you tell us a bit about your career before taking up your current position?

I’ve loved music for as long as I can remember, and after graduating college, I landed a job at a record company in Japan. After that, I moved to San Francisco. I didn’t have any connections; I did my own research, got connected to a company that I wanted to work for, set up an appointment for an interview, and got the job at a digital music distribution start-up.

Having experienced working in the music industry both in Japan and the U.S., have you felt any differences between the two?

After returning to Japan, I really noticed the large percentage of men in the industry as a whole. At the company I worked for in San Francisco, there were many women in key positions such as the heads of the production and marketing departments, so the fact that such key positions in Japan are usually filled by men in dark suits became glaringly apparent to me after coming back.

What do you think are some of the reasons that have led to this current situation?

This isn’t just about the music industry, but I feel that there’s still a strong sense of gender roles in Japan, that women are supposed to take care of children and do housework. Of course there are regional differences in other countries as well, but San Francisco is a very liberal-leaning city, so I think the difference I felt when I came back to Japan was significant.

What’s the current situation like at Google?

Google has a corporate philosophy that emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusiveness. In fact, we have as many women as men. This is subjective, but my impression is that the right people are placed in the right places with more emphasis on individual careers and working styles than on gender. Working remotely was also allowed before the pandemic, and support is in place for women to continue their careers while going through childbirth and childcare. In order to promote women’s leadership, we also offer a training program called the “Women Will Leadership Program” for both management and individuals who aspire to become leaders, and it’s been very effective.

It’s encouraging to see a global company like Google leading the way in the advancement of women in society with an extensive support system. Moving on to the topic of artists, on Billboard Japan’s year-end Japan Hot 100 for 2022, only two female artists broke into the top 10 (Aimer and Ado). The result for the entire list was 58 male artists, 27 female artists, and 15 mixed acts. Men consistently outnumber women on the tally, even though there are many great female artists in Japan. Could you share your views on this result?

I’m not an artist, so I can’t speak for them, but as a listener, I sometimes feel that Japanese society isn’t ready to accept the views of female artists when they try to send out strong messages. Many female artists who are setting records globally, such as Taylor Swift, Beyonce, and Lizzo, send out strong messages to society. The fact that these women have loyal followings is proof that their messages are touching people. In Japan, that aspect still seems to be a hurdle to overcome.

In Japan, there has even been a controversy about whether or not to bring politics into music, and I get the impression that there are a certain number of people who can’t tolerate women having a voice.

That might not be the only reason, but we once received feedback from the global team that they couldn’t think of any artists in Japan with outstanding individuality or assertiveness among other global artists. They said that when considering the global music market as a whole, J-pop artists don’t stand out.      

In reality, though, there are outstanding artists like Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, who presents Japan’s unique culture to the world and has successfully performed at major events including Coachella, and Haru Nemuri, whose reputation abroad is even greater than in Japan. Boosting these and other great domestic talents further toward global audiences is one of the challenges that a global platform like YouTube should address.

That’s rather shocking to hear. What kind of artists were you into in the past?

It’s not just because she’s a woman, but Madonna has left a big impact on me. I first heard “Erotica” on a local radio station, J-WAVE when I was in junior high school and was blown away. Not only her music, but her fashion and makeup were also so exciting, and she made me feel that I didn’t have to be too concerned about what people think of me, which still influences how I think today. Her speech at the 2016 Billboard Women in Music event was also fascinating.

More than 40 years have passed since Madonna’s sensational debut in 1982, and the circumstances surrounding women have changed. Do you personally feel any of these changes?

When I started out, it was a given that we (women) had to work harder than men if we wanted to make it in the music industry. But nowadays, the concept of men working hard without regard for their families is outdated and pushing yourself too hard while ignoring the physical differences between men and women isn’t a virtue, either. We should also be aware of the potential for harassment that stems from the authority gained from advancing in one’s career, regardless of gender. I believe that having room to breathe both mentally and physically will lead to better performances for both myself and team members.

Watch the exclusive playlist curated by Mai Sasaki below.

—This interview by Rio Hirai (SOW SOWEET PUBLISHING) first appeared on Billboard Japan

Veteran J-pop singer-songwriter Chara chatted with Billboard Japan for its Women in Music interview series celebrating women in the Japanese music industry. The initiative launched this year in the same spirit of Billboard’s annual Women in Music event that launched in 2007. Billboard Japan aims to elevate women who continue to break new ground in Japan’s music business through interviews, live performances and panel discussions.

On top of her long-standing music career, Chara returned to acting this fall for the first time in 26 years in the Disney+ series Subete wasurete shimaukara (“Because I’ll Forget Everything”) starring Hiroshi Abe, and has been working more often with her two children — daughter Sumire and son Himi — who are also carving out their own paths in show business. When asked what she values as an artist and mother, she emphasized the importance of words and communication. The 54-year-old artist, whose songs depict the delicate subtleties of love, spoke about the power of words in this latest interview.

When you were little, what kind of woman did you look up to?

My earliest recollection of a grown woman would be my kindergarten teacher, and I adored my teacher who could play the piano. So I wanted a piano, but my parents didn’t get me one at that time. When I became a teenager, I remember seeing (Japanese singer-songwriter) Akiko Kosaka leading an orchestra and singing the song “Anata” (“You”) while playing a grand piano, and I thought that was cool. I guess I was impressed by a young woman leading a large group of people.

From there you also became a singer and have led bands yourself. How did you find your way there?

I never did very well in school, but I absorbed a lot from other fun things and exercised my mental muscles that way. Now there’s a term for women who record music at home, “takuroku joshi” (bedroom producer girl), and I was probably one of the first to do that. I met my band mates while playing instruments for fun and started making music. There was no music software you could get cheaply like you can now so everything was analog, and I bought equipment with loans.

I also started learning to play the piano but got tired of it along the way. Playing the practice pieces over and over was never fun and I also wasn’t interested in learning the skill to play fast. I liked music, but didn’t feel like studying it in college because I figured, “If I go to music school, I’ll have to practice like this all the time.” So I quit playing the piano and got a synthesizer and began fooling around on that instead.

Were there any indications of your signature style back in those days?

I think I was a little different everyone else from around the sixth grade. I had the sense that “my parents don’t own me” from around then. I didn’t know that studying abroad was a path that existed, and didn’t know how to get out of my small world, so I ended up at roller discos. Discos were popular when I was in high school, and I also used to cheerlead, so I liked roller discos where you could dance and listen to music while wearing roller skates. I’ve probably been influenced by the people I met at the places where I hung out.

Does that mean you didn’t have an ideal of the kind of person you wanted to be?

There were lots of people I admired. Cyndi Lauper appealed to me, both her music and the way she looks. When I was in school, fashion (in Japan) wasn’t as free as it is today, and it was rare to see a woman with her hair half buzzed or spiked up like hers. I remember being scolded for wearing an outfit that showed my belly button and large hoop earrings to driving school. Even so, I did my best to be creative.

Do the women you admire have anything in common?

I think it’s about appearing to be in a good mood. I’m sure there are times when people in a bad mood or in bad shape, but instead of giving up, they give out power that makes them appear to be in a good mood.

That sounds exactly like who you are now.

It’s not that I’ve been able to be like that since I was young. Even now, I’m not perfect at all. When I was young, I couldn’t speak up honestly because people would say I was being a smart aleck and there were lots of times I caused trouble for those around me. But especially after I had children of my own, I began to think that I have to take responsibility for my words. Words are scary because once you put them out there, you can’t take them back. I’ve experienced many failures in my life, but since having kids, I’ve come to appreciate both the scary and fun aspects of words more. Children are very observant of their surroundings. They ask lots of questions, and you have to respond to what they ask with words. But thanks to that, I’ve come to think that even ordinary words are interesting. When I was younger, I was more arrogant and didn’t want to use the same ordinary words as everyone else. I wanted to find an expression that no one else was using no matter what. But through conversations with my kids, I came to realize that wonderful words can be found anywhere. Because children start talking using really simple words.

Looking back to the days when you made your debut, if you were to give yourself some advice, what would you say?

When I made my debut, I didn’t know anything about the rules of the industry, so I held back and sort of waited to see how things would go. I figured, “I don’t know anything, so I’ll leave it up to the pros,” but there was this one time I was so unhappy with the finished product that I cried because I was shocked that it was completely different from what I’d had in mind. But maybe I didn’t communicate those feelings properly to the people around me at the time. Now I think, “Why didn’t I just try it myself?” but I feel that way now because I made mistakes and learned from them.

One thing I can say though is that it’s important to communicate properly with words. And to make sure the other person understands you. In order to make something go in the right direction, I think it’s all right for both parties to confirm what they’re thinking. And if you can’t align your viewpoints, then so be it. Because if you feel like you disagree, the other person usually feels the same way too.

What do you think is needed to make the world a place where more women can flourish?

I think maybe the world isn’t going to change much unless something happens like a woman becoming the president (of the U.S.). When I first started out, it was common for men (in Japan) to say things like, “Women should shut up” directly to us, so I suppose things have improved a bit since then. One thing we can do now is to raise boys so that a better future will come. For example, parents building a balanced relationship between each other first, since kids observe and sense the relationship between their mother and fathers at home.

You’ve raised a boy yourself. Was there anything you took care in doing or was important to you when he was little?

I’m sure there were a lot of things, but I’ve forgotten a lot of them. [Laughs] But I loved a translated picture book called The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf and used to read it to him a lot. The main character is a bull named Ferdinand who’s brought to a bull ring. He’s a gentle soul who loves flowers. His mother thinks it’s fine for him to be just the way he is, and says it’s OK if he doesn’t live like a typical fighting bull. I never thought that boys should act like boys, and my son probably sensed that I felt that way.

—This interview by Rio Hirai (SOW SWEET PUBLISHING) first appeared on Billboard Japan.

In recent years, you’ve doubtlessly felt some major shifts in the Western pop music scene. Of course, there has been the rise of reggaeton, fresh takes on pop-punk, edgy new grooves from London, and hit trends that originated on TikTok. While these are all fascinating movements, there’s another in the air — the meteoric rise of Asian artists.

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Since the late 2010s, listeners around the world have been reappraising music from Asia, and the development of streaming platforms has provided Asian music with an even greater presence. Special note should be taken of the presence of musician Hikaru Utada, who uses they/them pronouns and has drawn a great deal of interest for their rich catalog of songs, including “Somewhere Near Marseilles,” a club-like tune that deftly evokes the precarious emotional states people have been thrust into by the pandemic. In 2022, they released their latest album, BAD MODE, to the acclaim of music lovers everywhere.

Hikaru Utada is now known for their intriguing style, drawing the listener into a maze of fine, spiraling rhythms, working with producers such as Floating Points, A. G. Cook and Nariaki Obukuro on their new album. It’s important to remember, however, that long before they released songs like “Face My Fears” and “Simple and Clean,” which became well-known in the West due to their use in the Kingdom Hearts games, they had already created universally loved hits.

One of those was “First Love,” the topic of this column. “First Love” has become a hit song in many countries throughout Asia, taking the No. 1 and No. 2 spots on the Apple Music Daily Top 100 and Spotify Daily Rankings Hong Kong and Taiwan. It’s also rising rapidly through the charts in Korea and Indonesia, enjoying a passionate revival not only in Japan but across national borders. This rediscovery was sparked by the November release of the Netflix series First Love. The Netflix series was inspired by the interaction generated from the Hikaru Utada songs “First Love” and “Hatsukoi” and their maddening sense of heartache. The show has become a hit throughout Asia.

“First Love” was revealed to most of the world from the main stage at the Coachella Festival in 2022, but it first captivated Japanese listeners back in 1999. Even though Hikaru Utada was just 16 years old at the time, the song has been a continuing inspiration throughout the years. In that way, as well, the fate of the song resonates with the series First Love, whose story winds back and forth through the past and the present.

What has influenced the path of “First Love”? As is clear from the fact that the song has become a hit again throughout Asia, 23 years after its initial release, it’s clear that “First Love” possesses a certain kind of universality. 

Its structure is extremely simple — just piano, bass, drums, and acoustic guitar. This format brings out Utada’s vocals to their fullest. Their vocal performance, which demonstrated a highly refined expressive sensibility despite the song being one of their debut-era releases, can be enjoyed to its fullest on “First Love (A Cappella Mix),” included on the exclusive limited-edition 7-inch single. Their vocals, like a tightrope walker that sways with the music but never falls, are nothing less than breathtaking.

Special attention should be paid to their use of breath. Throughout the song, they use an unusual breath approach, but only for the verse. The floating opening of the song begins, “Saigo no kiss wa, tobacco no flavor ga shita, nigakute setsunai kaori” (“Our last kiss was the flavor of cigarettes, A bitter taste”). They take a breath between “sa” and “igo,” and then again before “kiss,” expressing the fluttering, flustered feelings of love. However, although they pause midway through the word “tobacco,” they don’t take a breath. There’s a momentary silence, one in which even their breathing is stopped, deftly expressing time coming to a halt during a kiss. In the second verse, “Tachidomaru jikan ga ugokidaso to shiteru, wasurerarenai koto bakari” (“Time, standing still, is about to start moving, So many things I don’t want to forget”), the lyrics are accompanied by surprising, bold breath usage. Time, which was stopped for a moment by a kiss, starts up again, along with their breath. Utada uses an “a-i-o” rhyme pattern in both verses (“saigo” and “tachido”), but there’s a crucial difference between them. This deliberate use of breath is also reflected in the newly released Dolby Atmos version, “First Love (2022 Mix).”

A lot has been said about how “First Love” demonstrates unique vocal timing, with pauses where they would not normally be found in Japanese, along with novel uses of breath as an instrument. However, what’s truly notable, more than the methods themselves, are the way that Utada interwove their use of breath with the lyrics to create a sensation of time coming to a standstill during a kiss tinged with a hint of the smell of a cigarette, or the sadness that comes with time starting again when you realize that love has ended. It is because these feelings are shared by people throughout time, we have — unforgettable experiences that are hard to put into words. “First Love” uses breath to breathe new life into emotions that have had an indelible impact on us but have dissipated with time. This is bound to become a universal, or perhaps invariable, artistic technique that will become part of the common language of music, transcending time and borders.

—This article by Tsuya-chan first appeared on Billboard Japan