Songs 09.2008 Arashi Talk Translation

I haven't posted anything here for a really long time, so I just decided to copy and paste this translation from my LJ.

Hello!

I'm not sure if anyone has translated this yet. I found a Chinese translation of this article, so I decided to translate it into English. Sorry, I'm not (re)posting any scans. I only know that yuckie-chan has them...And also, since this is a translation of a translation, please forgive any mistakes that I may have made. Plus, I'm sorry for sounding really awkward sometimes, and I tried my best to translate this thoroughly. Just to make sure my translation isn't too far off, I also read the original Japanese text in the scans. When I get stuck with the Japanese, I read the Chinese translation to help me finish translating all this into English. Note that the words in a darker kind of gray in [ ] are my notes/comments/thoughts etc. I'm basically doing this just to improve or keep my Japanese and Chinese language skills.

In this article, Arashi basically talks about their singles Truth and Kaze no Mukou e and their concert tours.
The talk is actually MUCH longer than I expected...=__=

Enjoy the translation~

Starting their Asia Tour at Tokyo's Kokuritsu in September, Arashi has released their 23rd/double A-side single Truth/Kaze no Mukou e! They recorded the theme song for the drama Maou where Riida Ohno Satoshi acted as the lead role for his first time. They also recorded the Olympic theme song for NTV in which Sakurai Sho was the maincaster. These contrasting and appealing songs will really stir up this summer!

Sho: I think trying various things is Arashi's style.
Jun: I hope everyone can understand the messages conveyed in these 2 songs.
Aiba: Through this song, I hope everyone will be more excited/enthusiastic about the Olympics.
Nino: Truth is a very refreshing song for Arashi.
Ohno: I hope these 2 songs will be able to become the memory of summer.

This time is double-A side. When you first heard of Truth and Kaze no Mukou e, what were your impressions?

Aiba: First off is Truth. Its style is really different from Arashi's previously released singles. I think it's our first time singing this kind of song. When I first heard it, I felt a bit scared, feeling more nervous as I listened to it more. This song is the theme song for the drama Maou.
Sho: How was it...? The drama...
Aiba: Drama, right. The drama...
Sho: Of course you're watching it right?
Aiba: Ah, I really want to watch it, but...
Nino: So, if you're saying that you want to watch it, then please do so. (laugh)
Aiba: Ummmm....(laugh) I'm really looking forward to it. I think I want to watch the first 3 episodes all at one go. That's why I recorded them all. (laugh) I want to watch it in high quality. Also, I think the other song Kaze no Mukou e really carries out Arashi's good side.
Sho: What is Arashi's good side?
Aiba: I'm being bullied today ne. (laugh)
[unsure about what ツッコミ means...]
All: Ha ha ha.
Aiba: Arashi's good side...what is it? Maa...because this is a theme song for the Olympics, so I hope that people will be more excited about the Olympics through this song.
Nino: Ooo, you said it pretty well. (laugh)
Aiba: Although we can only participate through the song, but it shows how much hard work we've put in. I think I'll support the athletes by watching TV. It seems like Sakurai-san is going to Beijing. Are you looking forward to it?
Sho: I'm looking forward to it ne.
Aiba: What are you looking forward to the most?
Sho: The opening ceremony ne.
Nino: About the opening ceremony, there are different rumors now. (laugh) Stuff like a UFO flying in the sky.
Aiba: Right, right.
Sho: But you can't believe the rumors! (laugh) By the way, I felt a bit scared too when I first heard Truth.
Nino: Your comment is a repeat!
Sho: Then, let me say it in other words. (laugh) Recently, we sing songs that are more upbeat and pop-like. We haven't sung this kind of song in a while. [as in like the style of Truth] In the Truth PV, we're dancing and singing at the same time; recently, you only get the chance to see that at concerts. Because of that, wouldn't a dancing Arashi be refreshing? I wrote the rap lyrics in Kaze no Mukou e. However, about the lyrics being my own feelings on the Beijing Olympics, I think they're more about my thoughts on the athletes after interviewing them. I wrote those lyrics after I carefully thought about them. [Sho used the word 咀嚼, which literally means "to bite or chew." In this sense, I guess it can mean that he digested the material before writing.] Although I don't get inspiration for rap lyrics quickly every time, but since I interviewed the athletes this time, I could quickly write the lyrics out. I think it'll be good if this song can become support for the participating athletes behind their backs.

After hearing Sakurai-san's rap lyrics, what were everyone's thoughts?

Jun: Is it rap? Honestly, I thought it could be better. (laugh)
All: (laugh)
Nino: Because of that, let's work hard. If you didn't have this kind of criticism, you won't improve. Isn't that right?
Sho: I couldn't write anymore. That's all I could think of. But after hearing the criticism, it'll become my motivation next time.
Jun: Yup, there's still the future. (laugh)
Nino: You better thank Matsumoto-san in advance!
Sho: Thank you very much!
Jun: Iya, I should be the one thanking you. To me, Kaze no Mukou e is a song that we can only sing now. We sang Hero for the Athens Olympics last time. It's glorious to be able to sing Olympic theme songs twice in a roll. 4 years have passed since the Athens Olympics. The athletes representing our country are mostly the same age as us. That's why I hope that this song can connect the athletes and many other people in Japan together. About Truth, if it's listening to an album, perhaps Arashi will try this kind of song very likely. However, for the people who normally just listen to our singles, I think it's really refreshing. Because we're dancing in the PV, the whole visual performance will be enjoyable for the audience as well.

There're 3 editions for this CD this time. What do you think of Smile, the extra song that's only in the regular edition?

Nino: I'll talk about Smile then. (laugh)
Aiba: Please do so/go ahead. (laugh)
[He used "onegaishimasu", and I never really know how to translate this exactly. >__<]
Nino: It has a really summery feel. Isn't this kind of song necessary for summer?
Aiba: It's also good that it goes well as the song for the Tongari Corn CM.
Nino: That's right. It fits well. (laugh)
[He used "tongattemasu"/とんがってますからね, which is like what they say in the CMs. I'm not really sure what it means though...It's mostly just a little catch phrase for the brand, I guess...^^;; Tongari literally means "sharp or pointy."]
Aiba: Yup. A summery song. Thank you very much for your comment~
Nino: (To Ohno) Jaa, general/commander, it's going quite steadily right?
[Nino used the word 大将=general instead of calling Ohno leader/Riida. Lol. He sure likes making up nicknames for Riida. xD]
Aiba: Want to talk about what you're doing recently?
Sho: But this is the monthly magazine Song.
Ohno: Maa, Truth is a song we've never tried before. [as in its style] So, before we finished singing it, I couldn't imagine how all 5 of our voices were going to sound like at the end.
[Riida finally said something...^^]
Sho: After listening to it, it sounds nice, doesn't it?
Ohno: Yeah, it really turned out that way.
Sho: How did it become?
Ohno: Something that sounds nice. (laugh)
[Riida, can't you be a little bit more descriptive? -.-]
All: Ha ha ha.
Ohno: I just feel like Arashi can do anything. Kakkoi/cool as usual.
[I can't agree with you more here, Riida. Arashi can do ANYTHING! xD Totally true with the kakkoi part too.]
Sho: Compared to the normal, I thought we can be better.
Ohno: Maa, that's how we'll be from now on?
Sho: That's harsh. (laugh)
[Lol at Sho who just said he wanted to be better.]
Sho: What do you think of Kaze no Mukou e?
[Aiba just randomly jumps in...and switches the topic again. Lol.]
Ohno: I feel relieved.
Sho: Why?
Ohno: It has an Arashi feel. If it's only Truth, I'm a bit worried about the future path of Arashi. The fans will feel relieved when they hear Kaze no Mukou e, right? Plus, it's a pretty easy song to sing.
Sho: Nino-san, why don't you talk about Truth also?
[Lol at how Sho said "Nino-san" instead of just "Nino" or more formally, "Ninomiya-san." Ok, maybe I'm too weird...]
Nino: My thoughts on Truth are really just the same as everybody else's. A fresh feeling. When we were dancing to it, I thought of how the drama Maou is like. I thought I could kinda imagine it.
Sho: I understand. Although when we recorded it, I still hadn't watched the drama.
Aiba: However, when I read the lyrics and listened to the song, I would start imagining that kind of scene. To think carefully, the happy thing this year is that we've released many CDs.
[I'd say poor fangirls going backrupt is not happy. I'm really happy for all their singles too. :D I'm not lying!]
Sho: This is our 3rd single?
Aiba: That's right. Therefore, instead of using nori-nori to describe, I feel more like age-age. (laugh) This time we released 3 editions. I hope people will be happy to choose the one they like.
[Lol. Aiba-chan talking in ageha terms. Nori-nori/ノリノリ=high spirts/tension. Age-age/アゲアゲ=high tension as well...I guess...]

Truth is a very fresh song to Arashi. Then, what is the "Arashi style" on the music aspect?

Sho: When you listen to it, you feel genki and happy afterwards. That's Arashi's song style. But if that's the case, Truth will have a different feel. Maa, just let us try doing various things. That's Arashi's style.
Aiba: That's right.
All: (clap hands)
Sho: Rather than wanting to try different genres of music, we want to sing songs that convey messages to the people who listen to us.

During the 5 Dome Tour from May to June, you performed your music for 440,000 fans. What are your feelings for this tour?

Aiba: Various things happened this time. It was also our first time doing a 5 dome tour, and we visited some of the domes for our first time. At the beginning, Sakurai-kun was injured too. It was a truly memorable tour ne.
Nino: Right.
Aiba: That's why it felt like we overcame some difficulties together. That kind of sense was really strong.
Jun: I'm very glad that the 5 Dome Tour came true at this timing, which made us feel like we've made one step up. After we did it, it was interesting. I was really happy that so many people gathered at the venue and enjoyed themselvestogether.
Nino: Somehow, I felt really refreshed at each concert.
Ohno: We've always had about 40 shows for each tour, but this time it was only 10 shows. However, the venues were huge and it was our first time, so it was fresh.
Nino: We don't think that finishing the 5 Dome Tour means our goal is accomplished. Because of that, we thought, "how will it be like?" [Unsure. He used どうなんだろう?] Last year, we got to perform at Osaka and Tokyo Domes, so we simply thought about how the other venues would be like. Even though we don't know the future world, it'll be good if we can try doing it.
Sho: Last year, we got to perform at Tokyo Dome and Osaka Dome for the first time. This year, we've stepped up to 5 Domes, and in September, to Kokuritsu. This should be the direction for trying new stages [or different venues]. Although this isn't our goal, so what is it then...?
Nino: Our goal? We don't have one, do we?
Sho: We're going to keep on going without a goal?
Nino: That's right.
Sho: That's hard/painful. Can you endure it?
Nino: I want to say that I'll try and endure it. (laugh)
Sho: Can you overcome it?
Nino: If I have everyone's support!
Sho: Good! Let's try out best!
Aiba: This [conversational] exchange now is totally right. (laugh)
[Aiba uses the word daiseikai or 大正解, which literally means big, correct. He's saying that Nino and Sho's conversation is really good.]
Sho: Right now, we're just saying how this is why we don't have a goal. (laugh) After we're done at Kokuritsu in September, we still have to go to Asia (Taipei, Seoul, Shanghai). I'm looking forward to it ne.
Nino: Another tour ne. The fact that everyone is waiting for this simply makes me happy.
[Nino being a DoS or what? It's kinda a torture for fans to wait...but at least I'm grateful that they have no goal in doing concerts and such. Yay! More concerts please! *hint: outside of Japan and Asia!!* ^_~]
Sho: It's kinda a strange feeling. Foreigners knowing us.
Aiba: In the years when we can't go overseas, there're people who come to Japan to see our concerts. That's why I'm glad that we can do the same for them.
[*prays hard for a world tour*]

While each person is gradually expanding in their own fields, being a member of Arashi, what is the fun of doing music-related things?

Aiba: I really like concerts. From the time I was dancing behind sempais, it's been the longest process/time.
Jun: We normally don't have many chances to meet the people who support us and because of this, concerts are really important.  About music, we're not only performing it. From the perspective of the audience, I'm encouraged by the feelings at that particular time and I'll start thinking. I think that's something that we must have.
Nino: There're things that can be enjoyed by 1 person, and there're also those that can be enjoyed by the 5 of us. Recently, I often think about how it's good to find a balance among various things. Now, because Riida is doing a drama, he has a solo activity that he can enjoy. Perhaps this is a balance point.
[Nino thinking of Riida. How thoughtful! Not really sure how Riida's drama can lead to a balance point...I'm just too lazy to do any critical thinking.]
Ohno: Concerts are interesting ne. We really get to meet our fans, an atmosphere that's only at concerts. Being together at the same place makes me feel comfortable. The lyrics of Arashi's songs are straightforward, so when we sing them, we feel like the messages are conveyed directly. Like when there're people crying in front of us, we can see all that clearly at that place [concerts]. I thnk that's great.
Sho: In 1999 when Arashi debuted, we released a CD. The 5 of us isn't a funny/comedy group or a stage performance group. [But they sure are a funny, dorky group to me. xD] Because we released a CD together, everything started from there. When we're working on our respective jobs, I think the happiness of releasing a CD with the 5 of us will grow bigger and bigger.
[Well said, Sho-kun! :D I'm biased...]

What is the selling point of a double-A side single?

Aiba: There's a dance choreography in the Truth PV, so I hope people will enjoy its audio and visual sides. The feel in Kaze no Mukou e's PV is totally different. It seems like we're always running continuously. Even though the truth is that we aren't running. (laugh)
Sho: We aren't running at all.
Aiba: But it has a very lively feel to it. I hope everyone can feel that way too.
Jun: The 2 songs carry completely different messages, so I hope people will enjoy them. It's right to say that the 2 songs have really different styles. To us, they're both very nice. I hope everyone will enjoy listening.
Nino: Like how Aiba-kun said, it's also fun to watch the PVs. As for me with the job of promoting Smile, I think it's a song that you'll smile after you listen to it. If you aren't smiling afterwards, maybe you should suspect/question yourself. Try to change your affected self ne. (laugh)
[Sorry. The last sentence sounds awkward....]
Aiba: No, everyone's definitely going to smile yo.
Nino: If it's everyone, then they'll surely be able to smile.
Sho: With their best smile ne. I think it's interesting how these 2 songs are on 1 single. I somehow feel like this single consists of different feelings. So, chief/director, it's your turn, since it's the theme song to the drama where you have your first lead role.
[After Nino, now Sho is making up more nicknames for Riida. First is 大将general, then is 部長chief, will it be 社長company president next? xD]
Nino: You didn't do this before, so you better promote this time. How do you want people to think of it?
Ohno: This...I can't really say...
All: I see.
Ohno: I hope people will listen to it and feel it themselves. Truth is the theme song of a drama, and Kaze no Mukou e is an Olympic theme song. So, I hope these songs will be memorable for people.
All: Thank you very much~! (laugh)

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I just think it's kinda weird how in most parts of this article, only 2~3 of the members are talking, and the others are silent...we all know that Riida is quiet, but this time, Jun doesn't talk much either. The interaction is a bit odd sometimes...maybe it's just me...

Also, I'd say this isn't the most interesting interview of Arashi. Not much really funny interaction....mostly just about their music. Well, after all, this is from the Songs magazine. So, yeah. They were more serious than usual in this talk. It's good to see their deeper thinkings too. I just reread the whole thing and it seemed a lot more interesting than when I was translating it. Lol.

Ummm...sorry for all my random comments in the middle...for like every line...If you're really bothered by them, please tell me so next time, I'll put them all the end or something...

Uhh...there's also a short little translation of a part of an Oricon Style earlier, which I didn't post on any communities. If you're interested in knowing when Arashi give their best smiles, go here.