TokyoNoise keeps on presenting artists that may not be well known to the wide public, but that are as much as important: we talk about indie artists, singers and songwriters.
Today we talk about R&B singer aimi from Tokyo BLU Nation. We have talked of her before through articles about her new releases.
We want to thank her for her time and the interesting answers to this interview!
aimi: official site, Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, Youtube
TN: You debuted in 2020. It’s been only 3 years, yet your music and your projects have already influenced the Japanese music scene. What’s the secret to your confidence in music and how did you come up with your distinctive style?
I’ve been working with one of the best R&B producers in Japan, Shingo.S. He has produced many Japanese artists like Shota Shimizu, Miliyah Kato, Crystal Kay, SIRUP, iri, Taichi Mukai – just to name a few. From day one, he’s been my main producer and a true friend. He’s been a big support for me both musically and spiritually. He introduced me to new R&B music like H.E.R., Jhene Aiko, Summer Walker, Ari Lennox, UMI and more. I fell in love with it! I used to listen to a lot of 90’s and 2000’s R&B when I was younger, so as aimi I started mixing the old and the new R&B with some influences of Japanese music. Our goal is to deliver made-in Japan R&B to the world so that’s why our projects are mostly bilingual or all English.
TN: Your bilingual skills are part of your style. What language do you use to write the first draft of your lyrics? Do you mix both?
It depends on what I’m writing about.I tend to write in English when I write about something personal – something that I can’t really say to people. Writing in English helps me open up, be honest and be vulnerable. When I have more specific ideas and messages that I wanna express to the Japanese audience, I tend to start writing in Japanese. Now I want to mix Japanese and English lyrics more so that I can show my identity as a Japanese artist even for the worldwide audience.
TN: You write the lyrics of your songs but you also compose your own music. What’s the process behind the creation of your songs? Do you use a specific instrument to choose the melodies?
Through conversations with Shingo.S, I get inspirations and ideas for a song theme and then he sends me some beats. I write a bunch of melodies to start with and the lyrics usually come after the melody. When I have strong feelings and stories that I wanna talk about, they come more naturally. I don’t use any instruments when I write melodies, it’s just me and my microphone!
TN: You have published 3 EPs: “Water Me” in 2020, “Changed 4 Good” in 2021 and “Chosen One” in 2022. Can you talk about creating “Water Me” and what it means to you?
‘Water Me’ was exactly what I was feeling at the moment. During the pandemic, I was in a much better place writing my music. I couldn’t do much but stay home or go to Shingo’s studio. No nomikai, no parties, no shows whatsoever. That’s when I found my joy again to feel inspired by my life and write music that I truly enjoy listening to. I wrote ‘Sorry’ in less than 30 mins, ‘Water Me’ in less than an hour, I think. Everything about that EP was natural and authentic to who I was.
TN: What about “Changed 4 Good”?
‘Changed 4 Good’ was about leaving the past behind and changing myself for the better. It was more of a statement that I won’t go back to who I used to be and accept the change in every aspect of myself. I think everyone was going through some kind of change during the pandemic, so maybe this project was more relatable. Like ‘Fight No More’, ‘KMHH’ and ‘The Wave’ became fan’s favorites, and ‘On You’ was featured in the Apple Music playlist worldwide. At the time, I was trying really hard to better my vocals and lyrics so musically it was a challenging project.
TN: All your music is intense but “Chosen One” seemed really deeply emotional. Can you talk about your drive to write those 7 songs?
‘Chosen One’ might be the most personal project for me. I was writing about my feelings that I had for my parents who broke up in the previous year. I might have not said this before but ‘Baby’ ,’Way Too Much’ and ‘The Fool, The Lovers’ are about them. I was deeply hurt and sad to be honest, but I’ve always known that they weren’t happy together so I was actually relieved that they found their own paths. At the same time I felt like I was finally able to focus on my own happiness for the first time. ‘Best Of Me’ and ‘Lovesick’ are the songs about myself finally being ready to ‘grow’ in love. ‘Good Without You’ is my first Afrobeat track which I’ve always wanted to try. To find my own peace, I needed to let go of some toxic relationships I had with people. So that song is about being freed from the trauma and living my own life.
‘Chosen One’ is the only track that I wrote verses (mostly) in Japanese on the project. The song is about a celebration of life. Due to the Covid, many people lost their lives and their loved ones. It’s truly a miracle that we have a life with people that we love. I think that’s the most beautiful thing in life. This song reminds me of how fortunate and grateful I am for what I have.
TN: You have collaborated with a lot of Japanese artists, like Furui Riho, EMI MARIA and JASMINE. How is it to create music with someone else and be a part of a duo?
I would love to collaborate with artists overseas but if I were to collaborate with Japanese artists, I would say SIRUP. A long time ago, I was a backing vocalist at his show and I’ve always been a fan of his music. Another dream collaboration will be with AI and Awich. That would be super cool!
TN: What did you learn from these collaboration projects?
Having worked with JASMINE on my latest project, I learned a lot about writing powerful Japanese lyrics. She’s such a lyricist so she gave me some advice on how to make the words more powerful and stand up while writing ‘Risk It All’.
Collaborating with EMI MARIA on ‘How’s The Weather?’, I was amazed by how talented she is at writing her melodies and harmonies. She can go forever! I worked with her on the lyrics and concept so we really complemented each other on that project.
TN: Can we expect a new EP later this year?
I would love to make an EP but maybe not this year. I’ve been experimenting with different sounds and writing more in Japanese so please follow me on Instagram @aimimusicofficial and wait for the updates!
TN: Finally, can you give a shout out to your international fans?
Thank you all so much for discovering my music and sending me messages and comments! Your support really means a lot to me and you give me reasons to keep going. I hope I can come to your city in the near future 🙂 I’d love to see you in person! Sending you my love 💕
