Aimer released two albums on 10th April, Sun Dance and Penny Rain. The second interview focuses on the album with the theme of Rain, Penny Rain. This is the first of four parts in this interview.

You can check out Aimer Sun Dance Interview here!

The roots are based in reason.

The basis of Sun Dance was ONE. One the other hand Penny Rain would be…?

It’s Ref:rain. After ONE, I wanted to do more up-tempo songs but I haven’t found the image of the Sun at that time. After that I received an offer to do a Rain theme ballad, so I thought that if we had Sun to be a dance ballad album, it would balance well. That’s how Sun and Rain came to be.

Ever since your debut you made sure it was important to express “contradiction” and “antithesis”. It was manifested in your best albums blanc and noir as “White and Black” and you’ve kept it consistent as your concept when making songs.

The roots are very based in reason (laughs). When it comes to music, there is no resistance when it comes to challenging as a singer but, as an artiste, I’d like to think out as to which path would be the best way to walk.

Even your Singles are very conceptual. For Ref:rain/Mabayui Bakari, all the songs were based off Rain.

Even for my Singles, I want to have a story in them.

For your first album and 2nd album, Sleepless Nights, and Midnight Sun you sang about songs of the night, and in your 3rd album, DAWN, you faced towards dawn and the 4th album, daydream, feels like a bookend to a story.

In another sense, it feels like a natural progression, and on top of that a story was built. Conceptual creation is something I can brag about. Therefore even now with the concept of Sun and Rain, I’m super excited to be able to plan the creation of these two albums, and I made sure to keep the importance of the story.

The contrast with Sun Dance is huge from the start

When listening to Penny Rain immediately after Sun Dance, you can tell how huge the contrast between them are.

That right (laughs). For Penny Rain, pluie was a name that was also taken from the winter tour soleil et pluie. It is an instrumental overture track that I used as the first song, and was made by Yuki Kajiura as well.

pluie too, feels like a something is beginning, similar to soleil from Sun Dance. The direction however…

pluie is the exact opposite in that, you’re not sure what’s going but you feel that something not right is going to begin. And immediately after that I beg you starts playing.  Yes, I feel that even from the beginning, the contrast with the beginning of Sun Dance is huge. I felt that was amazing.

Since I beg you was also made by Kajiura, it shares similarity with Sun Dance and Momota being that the transition from the first to the second song are made by the same person. Even so, it’s pretty intense to have I beg you as the first song.

I felt that if I had to add I beg you to this album, it can only be at this place. As Kajiura said, the lyrics for the song is very mundane. It’s just penning down emotions anyone has. In doing so you begin the album with lyrics such as “asking for pity” and that makes it very impactful but, it feels like a very universal phrase. It’s an example Kajiura has mentioned but, maybe you have someone you love. But you’re not meant to be with them. You’d feel that “even if they can’t love me back, at least let me be by your side.” Something along that train of thought.

I can understand how you feel.

Having lyrics where each individual word holds so much weight, it smells very middle-eastern, and yet with a music that’s very danceable to, with that as your first impression it makes you feel that “the world is dreadful.” For me, as I have said before, to express myself to my best in an unexpected melody line makes it worth singing the song. That’s why I wanted everyone to hear I beg you first.

Source: Natalie