(Part One) Kayo Aiko's Ninth Single
...was released on January 25, 2006. The title is 'Hold on to love' [capitalization intentional], and the c/w is 'Callin'～ぼくを呼ぶ声～', the Japanese portion is pronounced 'Boku wo Yobu Koe', and can be translated as 'The Voice that Calls Me'.
This song came out about a month before I started listening to Aiko's music, and was the first Japanese song I ever learned, therefore it contains the first Japanese words I knew (besides 'ohayo', 'domo', and 'yume'). It also is slated to hold the distinction of 'the song I sang to Tsunku'. (It's payback for breaking my girl's heart, you big, ingeniously talented meanie!)
I'll just start by discussing the song itself, as the video will take some time to talk about, and I wanna make sure I do it justice. I'm fairly sure that there are some religious implications in that video, you'll see what I'm talking about, next time.
One of the stipulations for choosing a song to sing to Tsunku is that the song has to be from either an anime or a video game. Well, I'm in luck... 'Hold on to love' was in fact featured as the image song for Emil Chronicle Online, or ECO, a role-playing game of sorts which I don't know much about. I did some prodding around a while back and discovered (via a Spanish-language source) that somehow in the game, you can unlock Aiko's hat from the video, an 'I (heart) Aiko' t-shirt, and what looks to be a special move with Aiko connections (see, the energy coming off the character's hand is heart-shaped). They also give an honor to Aiko's dachshund Cocoa, the dog she holds atop her current blog.
Aiko and I will probably have another thing in common after the Anime Expo is said and done: we'd both have been overlooked by Tsunku in some capacity. (I've got REAL talent Simon, I mean... Tsunku; you don't know what you're talking about! I'm gonna get a record deal and be bigger than all these people! My mom says I'm a star!) Other things that I have in common with Aiko is that we are both humans, we both sing but don't dance very well, and we've both been depressed at some point simply because we can't join Morning Musume. I mean, seriously, it really got me down.*
Anyway, the song is a moody but upbeat rock ballad that doesn't exactly fit Aiko's genre, if she has one. If you consider Aiko's genre to be 'Jpop', a word with an intentionally wide meaning, then it's equivalent to admitting that her songs span quite a spectrum and there's not a 'typical' Aiko sound except that all her songs sound good. Typical...
It's almost as if Weezer did the backing track for this song, so melodic and power-chordy; if Rivers Cuomo did a vocal track over the instrumental it wouldn't sound out of place. For a time I even wondered if Rivers and Aiko were romantically involved, as he does have a thing for Japanese girls and in truth married a gal named Kyoko Ito just a few months after this was released. I don't think that Aiko's main lyricist Kenn Kato (more info about this guy, please...) is a pseudonym for Mr. Cuomo, but this song does sound a lot like old-school Weezer.
So where am I going with this? I don't know, really. There's so much in the video to talk about, so I might have a few more cohesive thoughts at that time. Until then, do some research and find this song and we'll discuss it in just a little while.
The c/w, a bit more upbeat -- a bit more 'typical' of Ms. Kayo's musical library -- shouldn't be forgotten. Rock-y, with plenty of synth sound, and marking the return of the really-into-it backup singers (last appearance: 'ring!Ring!!RING!!!'). In my opinion, not the best Aiko song ever, but adds a nice 5 minutes to her catalog. Typical...
[Original post date: 2009-Jun-14]
Postscript: I never got the chance to sing to Tsunku as he was not one of the judges in the initial round. I wrote a post about this event so I won't go into great detail here.
*Really, I mean it. For like a month I was beside myself with a bout of depression that this would never happen.
(Part Two) Kayo Aiko's Ninth Single
Begin the video with, appropriately enough, some cloud art with the name of our star. Although the correct romanization of her name is either Kayou or Kayō, I've always preferred the 4x4 'Aiko Kayo'. It's really a matter of opinion, I suppose, but then again, Avex never used anything different.
Aiko comes out from behind a tree and a man in a stuffed bear costume (arm visible here) onto the waiting stage.
Aiko proceeds to rock you house, while the timid bear hides in the background.
Closeup of Aiko, where she mostly stares into the camera, except for one moment (shown above) where something distracts her. Maybe the caterer had just arrived, I don't know. Far from being disappointed with the fact that the editors left this 'error' in the final version, I just think it's awful cute, for whatever reason.
Aiko runs back to the bear and says, 'hey, we're filming a video, stop being shy and get your happy ass out here!'
Inexplicably, out come the cheerleaders (I mean, thanks, but why?) and the first one actually knocks the 'Kayo Aiko' sign about with her pom-poms. I don't think that was supposed to happen, but they left it in the video, nonetheless. If you think of the sign as the 'real' Aiko Kayo, then in reality, Aiko is being assaulted by a cheerleading squad, and now (understandably) your psychiatrist is seeing dollar signs.
Two characters sit on a bench which wasn't there just a minute ago. For some reason she begins to assault him, going so far as to beat on him with his own hat. My research indicates that these two have a radio show in real life, but their names and the show are as yet unknown to me. But if you lived in Japan, you might have heard of them.
Aiko catches wind of the situation after singing for another minute while the beating goes on (thank goodness that lady doesn't have a knife) and runs over to chastise them in song.
Aiko is successful in getting the two to put aside their differences, and the hat resumes its use as a hat. Aiko looks more than a little proud of herself as she thinks about enrolling in a police program for abuse intervention.
Pure pandemonium as the cheerleaders, the bench couple, the dancing bear, and Aiko continue with the song.
Then, the bench guy reaches down to grab his hat which had been absent since the start of the chorus. Another thing that they probably just left in for no reason, but we never see why it fell off. Last we knew it was back on his head, but as he's reaching for it we're thinking 'that's right, he *was* wearing a hat...' Shows you the power of the hat lobbyists; they made sure it got adequate screen time. Kudos to Aiko's outfit, btw.
Night falls and Aiko is alone as the song winds down for the bridge. This is where the youTube videos cut to instead of showing the second verse.
Although they haven't yet become important to the video as of yet, here's the first appearance of a set-wrangler without his veil, and they dress in all-black, cover their faces, move the set around, and generally look like beekeepers. They will play on this similarity in just a moment. For now, my advice: whatever this guy says, do *not* go behind the tree with him. Your life will never be the same.
The 'beekeepers' come out and start moving every part of the stage around, even going so far as moving the bench while the couple still sits on it.
Yes, they may be set-wranglers but they look like beekeepers, and they know it. One of them does a single clap along with the beat, pretending to kill a fly (or perhaps a rabid bee).
So again, a scene of pandemonium. The cheerleaders, the beekeepers, the couple on the bench, the dancing bear, and Aiko, who's a-beboppin' and scattin' out the song's chorus.
High kicks and twirls from the cheerleaders, so we can get a few panty shots in this video. You're welcome, boys and girls.
As the song comes to a close, all of us, as brothers and sisters, dance together... the bench couple, the cheerleaders, Aiko, the dancing bear, and the 'beekeepers'.
Not usually shown in the youTube versions, Aiko mouths a distinctive 'arigatou gozaimashita' at the end. You're welcome, Ms. Kayo... I should say, 'de nada' so she can understand me in her native tongue.
And for whatever reason, this shot of the set as a whole to conclude the video, for about a second. Now go play Emil Chronicle Online (often shortened to ECO), ya jerks...
[Original post date: 2009-Jun-23]
