Kame and n
OMG I just watched SCP (part of it, at least). And The Kamenashi confirmed something that I had been suspecting for a loooong time.
you might not believe me but I wrote this entry back in November 2010... it was a huuuge essay and I know I'm super wordy, hahahha.
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I’m not trying to say that he’s definitely N. But there’s a lot of hints? Maybe we can learn a little about him in the process.
Well, it’s been talked about to death before but here it is again. Kamenashi Kazuya has his name credited on the lyrics to 2 of his (many) solos. One from 2004, “Kizuna” and one from 2009 “Aishiteiru Kara” (though this was not solely by him, I believe?). His other songs have been written by ‘people’ under various pen-names, including the duet with Junno, “Special Happiness” which is written under K2 and his solos, “w/o notice”, “1582”, and “Sweet” which were written under someone named n. I don’t know that he has ever admitted to writing any of the lyrics until “Sweet”, but now he has. And n hasn’t written any other songs other than Kamenashi’s solos. So who is it? Kamenashi’s personal lyricist? Why don’t we just believe what the guy says.
Let’s talk about “Sweet”. Kamenashi says that “Sweet” was written pretty spontaneously, and therefore maybe it was the “true” him. But at the same time, he said that it made him think of drama characters. I don’t know but this sounded really contradictory to me. I know that he likes acting in dramas a lot, and he likes it when songs “stir up the imagination”, but how can a song written about a drama character show the “true” him? So I think that maybe… “Sweet” is like his fantasy or something that he came up with in his imagination. It reflects him in the sense that it shows his nature, his desires, and romantic thoughts very well, but I also think it might not be a thing that he can say is from firsthand experience. Especially since there were “parts of the lyrics written on the day of the recording” and he changed things around because the wording didn’t match. He says the song is “simple” so maybe it is just that. Simply a song, simply a story that he wanted to tell us.
The same thing I think can be said for “1582” and “w/o notice”. They’re really imaginative pieces and you can see in the performances that he’s not singing them as himself, but as a character of a story. It’s not that I don’t think he enjoys it. I have no doubt that he becomes engrossed in the whole performance aspect of it. He noted that this time, “Sweet” was created with consideration that it would be part of an album as if it were unusual; I’d infer that this means his previous solos were written with the intent to perform. So many of the songs written by n might have been really good songs with some strong imagery and feelings behind it, yet I never felt that any of them were very personal.
Let’s contrast this to “Kizuna.” He says, in a recent interview (as of 2010), that up until now his best and most confident work is still “Kizuna”, and that only the him from that time could have written it. (First of all, saying that implies a comparison, right? So that’s saying he has written other songs). Sorry I don’t really know much about “Aishiteiru Kara”, haven’t come across him talking about it. But when I look at the lyrics and style of these 2 songs, I find them to be very similar in theme, they are slow ballads, and simple verses. But they are the songs of his that have touched my heart the greatest. I also find them to be kind of abstract in nature, the theme being that “no matter what happens in the future, the feelings will not change” and that the past cannot be denied or forgotten. Sound about right? Furthermore, I’ve noticed that it’s just about the only 2 songs of his that do not in fact have any form of choreo/performance to it, he might have a small dancing/guitar prelude, but for the most part he just sits/stands there and sings. There’s nothing to really “dress up” the performance, it's all him.
Okay tangents aside, I think that the existence of “Kizuna” and his comments about it sort of reveal the reasons why he would credit his name to the lyrics. He’s not afraid to put his name on something that means a lot to him. I think that it’s precisely because the song is so close to him that he puts his name to it, even when he’s had help writing it (like with “Aishiteiru Kara”).
So what does this say about “Sweet”? Well, despite the nice and detailed imagery and setting/song, in the end it’s just a song. It doesn’t have anything to do with him! Despite the mention of memories, kissing happily under the starry skies on Mt. Fuji. Too bad, I guess.
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The Kame and n thing is old news, probably. But yeah, he said he doesn't like to put his name on songs that he doesn't really strongly associate with. Anyways, I'm still like 99.99999% sure that he wrote 1582. XDDD
Further expanding on that, he mentioned in the last Maquia article, that he likes to keep "secrets" about his life. As in, he will reveal his romantic views but keep the details secret. It would make sense that the songs he does credit seem really - vague in terms of anything concrete, like details/places/setting. I think it's because they really are 'personal' to him.
you might not believe me but I wrote this entry back in November 2010... it was a huuuge essay and I know I'm super wordy, hahahha.
-->
I’m not trying to say that he’s definitely N. But there’s a lot of hints? Maybe we can learn a little about him in the process.
Well, it’s been talked about to death before but here it is again. Kamenashi Kazuya has his name credited on the lyrics to 2 of his (many) solos. One from 2004, “Kizuna” and one from 2009 “Aishiteiru Kara” (though this was not solely by him, I believe?). His other songs have been written by ‘people’ under various pen-names, including the duet with Junno, “Special Happiness” which is written under K2 and his solos, “w/o notice”, “1582”, and “Sweet” which were written under someone named n. I don’t know that he has ever admitted to writing any of the lyrics until “Sweet”, but now he has. And n hasn’t written any other songs other than Kamenashi’s solos. So who is it? Kamenashi’s personal lyricist? Why don’t we just believe what the guy says.
Let’s talk about “Sweet”. Kamenashi says that “Sweet” was written pretty spontaneously, and therefore maybe it was the “true” him. But at the same time, he said that it made him think of drama characters. I don’t know but this sounded really contradictory to me. I know that he likes acting in dramas a lot, and he likes it when songs “stir up the imagination”, but how can a song written about a drama character show the “true” him? So I think that maybe… “Sweet” is like his fantasy or something that he came up with in his imagination. It reflects him in the sense that it shows his nature, his desires, and romantic thoughts very well, but I also think it might not be a thing that he can say is from firsthand experience. Especially since there were “parts of the lyrics written on the day of the recording” and he changed things around because the wording didn’t match. He says the song is “simple” so maybe it is just that. Simply a song, simply a story that he wanted to tell us.
The same thing I think can be said for “1582” and “w/o notice”. They’re really imaginative pieces and you can see in the performances that he’s not singing them as himself, but as a character of a story. It’s not that I don’t think he enjoys it. I have no doubt that he becomes engrossed in the whole performance aspect of it. He noted that this time, “Sweet” was created with consideration that it would be part of an album as if it were unusual; I’d infer that this means his previous solos were written with the intent to perform. So many of the songs written by n might have been really good songs with some strong imagery and feelings behind it, yet I never felt that any of them were very personal.
Let’s contrast this to “Kizuna.” He says, in a recent interview (as of 2010), that up until now his best and most confident work is still “Kizuna”, and that only the him from that time could have written it. (First of all, saying that implies a comparison, right? So that’s saying he has written other songs). Sorry I don’t really know much about “Aishiteiru Kara”, haven’t come across him talking about it. But when I look at the lyrics and style of these 2 songs, I find them to be very similar in theme, they are slow ballads, and simple verses. But they are the songs of his that have touched my heart the greatest. I also find them to be kind of abstract in nature, the theme being that “no matter what happens in the future, the feelings will not change” and that the past cannot be denied or forgotten. Sound about right? Furthermore, I’ve noticed that it’s just about the only 2 songs of his that do not in fact have any form of choreo/performance to it, he might have a small dancing/guitar prelude, but for the most part he just sits/stands there and sings. There’s nothing to really “dress up” the performance, it's all him.
Okay tangents aside, I think that the existence of “Kizuna” and his comments about it sort of reveal the reasons why he would credit his name to the lyrics. He’s not afraid to put his name on something that means a lot to him. I think that it’s precisely because the song is so close to him that he puts his name to it, even when he’s had help writing it (like with “Aishiteiru Kara”).
So what does this say about “Sweet”? Well, despite the nice and detailed imagery and setting/song, in the end it’s just a song. It doesn’t have anything to do with him! Despite the mention of memories, kissing happily under the starry skies on Mt. Fuji. Too bad, I guess.
------
The Kame and n thing is old news, probably. But yeah, he said he doesn't like to put his name on songs that he doesn't really strongly associate with. Anyways, I'm still like 99.99999% sure that he wrote 1582. XDDD
Further expanding on that, he mentioned in the last Maquia article, that he likes to keep "secrets" about his life. As in, he will reveal his romantic views but keep the details secret. It would make sense that the songs he does credit seem really - vague in terms of anything concrete, like details/places/setting. I think it's because they really are 'personal' to him.