[English Translation]
Rurika Yokoyama - "Nanairo no Prism (meaning Seven Colors of the Prism)"
Interview & text by Peace! Kubota
The long-awaited new track perfectly attuned to her latest and present mindset!
Idoling!!!'s Rurika Yokoyama aka #9 (I guess we now have less than 6 months to call her that way since the mother group is scheduled to bring down the curtain at the end of this October) has released her new single, "Nanairo no Prism"! It’s been eleven months since her previous single, "Shunkan Prism (meaning Instant Prism)"... and here it is, finally!
"I was performing at Idoling!!!'s regular concerts and music events, so I was never far from music. Actually, I think it also helped me build my strength. "Nanairo no Prism" is in a surprisingly different touch from any other songs I've sung, I think it's nostalgic and fresh. I've had several rock tracks in a row, but I think this song is proper J-pop."
[I'm not going to define myself / there's a new me / I'm gonna find it]... string arrangements gives a clean and fresh impression, and combined with the mid-tempo tune, "Nanairo no Prism" is focused on captivating the listeners with "lyrics" more than ever. The lyrics have a positive vibe that'll resonate far and wide.
"We just made a public announcement that all the members of Idoling!!! are going to "graduate", and timing-wise, it’s a strange coincidence, but these lyrics really portray my current situation. I'm closing a chapter of my life that's lasted nine years to move on to a new stage, and these lyrics are like a "manifesto" of my determination, -a song that has helped me move forward."
Make sure to check out the coupling track of this single. "Ajisai (meaning Hydrangea)" is Rurika's third self-written song following "Hajimete no Koi (meaning First Love)" on her previous single "Nanairo no Prism".
"This song is about what happened after the love blossomed in "Hajimete no Koi." The lyrics in that song were written from the girl's perspective, but in this song I wrote from the boy's perspective. The boy fell head over heels for this girl and they became a couple. I've written it also in a way that reflects what feelings girls hope boys would have about them that would make them happy. I wanted the title of the song to express a sense of season, and when this CD was decided to be released in May, I thought to myself, what do we have in May? The cherry blossoms are already gone, so though it's a little early, what about hydrangea from our rainy season in June? The Chinese character of hydrangea is beautiful and the language of flowers for hydrangea means "flirtation" and "capricious". The petals change colors with different soil which express the whimsicality of young love."
The other song is "Ashita no Tameni (meaning For Tomorrow)." A melancholic R&B taste pop number.
"When I first heard it, it became a part of me right away. A breakup song usually gets everyone's compassion by singing about sadness and devastation. But I'm the type who wants to move on, so I interpreted the title "For Tomorrow" to mean "to meet someone new". Singing the song I thought to myself, “what a great song."
Since last fall, Rurika has been appearing as an assistant on the horse race prediction program, "Keiba Yoso TV!". Upon attending the audition for the role, Rurika studied the basics of horse racing thoroughly, showing her devoted and hardworking side. As for her musical career, she continues to thrive on as she passes hurdles set higher every time, steadily growing her potential as a singer. Let’s keep our eyes on her exciting future developments!
