hsjhoshi | Yaotome Hikaru - PULL-UP Pamphlet (English Translation)

About your merchandise
I've been thinking of the idea for a 'Light Ring' since around the release of 'DEAR MY LOVER.' During concerts, fans often hold all kinds of things, and sometimes both hands get full, right? So, I thought it would be nice to have something that glows on your finger at that time.
I also thought it might be fun if my fingers would sparkle when I'm playing bass (laughs).

When it came to the material, I had the option to choose a higher quality, but I really wanted to keep the cuteness that's typical of merch. Also, if the ring part is too soft, it would come off too easily, but on the other hand, if it's too hard, there would be a limit to the sizes it would fit, so I paid close attention to the material and design.

Actually, the jewels in the members' colours inside were originally designed not to move. But then I thought it might be fun to shake the jewels and move them around so that the colours of your favourite members could be next to each other. So, I made the dome part bigger so they could move. The shaking sound is also a little secret feature. Be sure to shake it and have fun!

About your new album, "PULL UP!"

The song "Ano Hi no Yume wo Misasete Yo" written by Uru-san was something I practised a lot before recording. I took Uru-san's delicacy into account, thought about what I wanted to convey, and envisioned where to add vibrato to my voice and where to add dynamics as I sang.
Even just the first two lines took a lot of time (laughs).

We recorded our parts separately, but our years together mean we have a natural understanding of each other. When I listened to the completed version with everyone's voices, I felt it turned out really well. Also, SO-SO-san appeared in the 'Ready to Jump' MV, and it was interesting that I got to learn about vocal percussion and beatboxing from him on set. Rather than having a natural singing style for this album, we had a lot of songs where we first established the concept before singing, and that process was really fun. After I developed sudden sensorineural hearing loss, my first thought was always, "How should I sing?" For high-key songs, there are some voices that can sound too loud to me, but by just slightly changing the way I sing, the way I hear it changes.

For that reason, I've been taking vocal training and discovering unique ways to express myself, and the approach that feels right to me is "singing in a way that sounds pleasant to me when I listen to it." It's not that I'm completely done with my old way of singing, but more about expanding on it. Now, I can think of many ways to sing even one line, which has made singing a lot more enjoyable for me.

What do you want to "PULL UP"?

When it comes to the bass, I'm always trying to PULL UP and always brainstorming. There are endless ways to play it, and it's interesting how the sound can change depending on the thickness of my fingers or the way you adjust the dynamics. For example, I challenge myself to express any sound or even adjectives through the pace of my playing, or I try to recreate the sound of a helicopter flying through trial and error. I end up playing so much that I get shoulder aches from it every day (laughs).
Even though I challenge myself in this way, in the end, just because I can play something in a difficult way doesn't mean it resonates deeply in my heart. Musical instruments have a lot of depth, right?

I've recently been teaching my nephew how to play guitar, and he shows me YouTube videos like, "I want to play like this person."
When I teach him the arrangement of how to play, it's refreshing to watch him be surprised and say, "Wow!" Seeing him makes me realise the joy of playing an instrument and the happiness of being able to play something that was once difficult after practising are still very much a part of me.

Message for fans

Just being able to meet everyone directly at the live shows makes me happy, but with the current circumstances, I also strongly want to give everyone a sense of reassurance. This is my second concert since returning for last year's 15th-anniversary tour, so I know there will be
challenges for me. Anyway, we will make sure to deliver a concert that can only happen now, one that we can all look back on and say, 'That was an amazing time.' So for those who will come to the venue, please come with your minds empty so you can fill it with memories. For me, the value of the 'present' has really increased. That's why I'll stand on stage with the intention to enjoy that moment without worrying about tomorrow or the day after.