Ookami Mio, a hololive VTuber, has launched her second solo album, My Sparkle. It’s been roughly a 12 months and a half since her first solo album, Evening stroll, whose theme was “evening.” Now, on her new album, whose theme is “voyage,” she creates a soundscape that vividly embodies the worldview of her distinctive songs, like taking journeys to far-flung lands.
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Ookami made her debut as a VTuber in December 2018. In August 2021, she launched her first unique songs, “Howling” and “Bowwow Ahwoooooo,” after which in December 2023 she got here out together with her first album, Evening stroll. Since then, she has been engaged in a variety of musical actions, together with being a member of models akin to hololive GAMERS and AyaFubuMi. Billboard JAPAN just lately had the chance to interview her, and she or he talked about subjects like her strategy to music over the previous 4 years and the way her motivations have modified.
“After I made my first album, my focus was on making the sorts of songs I like and writing songs that might be enjoyable to sing. After all, I nonetheless love singing, however wanting on the followers’ reactions, I noticed that actually all of it started with singing as a result of I need folks to listen to me. Ever since then, after I write music, I’ve been pondering loads about how the music will attain listeners and the way they’ll react. I’ll google what individuals are saying about my music, and I’ve seen that there’s loads of selection in folks’s favourite songs. Some folks interpret my music in the best way that I supposed, whereas others take it in completely alternative ways. I believe that has form of modified the path I take when making music.”
Ookami additionally checks fan reactions on social media. She says she has seen some recent, novel reactions there. “After I was engaged on my first album, I assumed that folks have been searching for trendy songs like ‘Howling,” however there have been loads of folks saying that they appreciated the ballads like ‘Camellia’ and ‘Insoluble Crystal.’ I cowl loads of Nana Mizuki songs after I stream, and I assumed of myself as being good at singing that sort of trendy track, however the actuality is that my followers additionally actually like ballads.”
Her new album is stylistically extra wide-ranging than her earlier album, with many softer songs like “Dandelion” and “Shoushin Ryokou.” “After I was engaged on the second album, I considered what listeners needed from Ookami Mio. I made a decision I ought to attempt making extra laid-back music that might be soothing to take heed to. Additionally, personally, I really like travelling, and I’m going on tons of journeys with different hololive members. When on the Shinkansen or touring by airplane, I often take heed to lovely, enjoyable music. I needed to make the sort of music folks wish to take heed to once they’re touring, or once they’re feeling anxious.”
“Dotta Batta Chindochu!” (which means “loopy, slapstick journey”) contains reminiscences from her personal non-public travels. Final 12 months, whereas visiting Las Vegas with fellow hololive artists Oozora Subaru and Sakura Miko, she encountered a spot of bother. “It was my first time getting a passport by myself and touring abroad. Sakura Miko and I don’t converse any English, and Oozora Subaru can talk just a bit, primarily by means of enthusiasm and vibes, so the three of us occurring our personal to America was simply begging for bother (laughs). Oozora Subaru’s vitality is one thing to see, so even when the language barrier was in the best way, she was nice at wanting folks within the eye and expressing herself, pushed by this highly effective want to speak. The track “Dotta Batta Chindochu!” from the brand new album was impressed by that journey. I talked to BOTCHI BOROMARU about our experiences in Las Vegas, and that led to the creation of the track. The lyrics embrace the road ‘Don’t overlook your pockets and your passport!’ That’s as a result of I really misplaced my passport in Las Vegas (laughs). Somebody delivered it to the Misplaced and Discovered, they usually have been like ‘You women have been blessed by a miracle.’”
“Every time I journey with another person, it tends to show right into a ‘dotta batta chindochu’-like journey, however I additionally journey on my own. These journeys are typically extra soothing, peaceable journeys, like my track ‘Shoushin Ryokou.’ There’s loads to say about that track. After my first album got here out, my supervisor and my music producer, who had helped me out a lot, left my staff. They’d labored so onerous with me on the primary album, I’d simply assumed we’d make the second album collectively, too. So their departure got here as a shock. After all, I took a extremely constructive strategy in working with the brand new staff on the brand new album, however there have been occasions after I missed the previous staff, and it was somewhat hard-going. That’s after I wrote ‘Shoushin Ryokou.’ I modified the kanji for writing ‘shoushin’ from kanji that imply ‘heartbreak’ to kanji that imply ‘timid.’ (Translator’s be aware: Usually, ‘shoushin ryokou’ means ‘a visit you are taking to alleviate heartbreak,’ however this track’s title is written utilizing completely different kanji.) It’s not like I dislike my new staff, and now, having completed the album, I’m glad that I labored on it with them. I actually really feel like I’ve been blessed by with the ability to work with fantastic folks.”
When requested about what was behind the title of the album, My Sparkle. “The first track I ever posted was a vocal cowl of was RADWIMPS’ ‘Sparkle.’ The track had loads of private significance to me, and my followers listened to it loads, so I needed to make use of the phrase ‘sparkle’ someplace within the story of Ookami Mio. That’s why I named the album My Sparkle. After I launched the album, I already had my first solo dwell present lined up, so I linked the album and the dwell present by titling the present [Our Sparkle]. Partly, this was impressed by the glint of the penlights folks maintain up on the present, and partly it represented the glowing feelings of the viewers,” she replied.
“I really feel like my abilities are enhancing with each track I write,” stated Ookami. There are extra hovering vocal songs on this album than the final, and you may get an actual sense of how her vocal skills and expressivity are evolving. “On the brand new album, ‘Woman of KEMONOHEN’ was notably onerous. Additionally, the album contains ‘Howling (Rearrange ver.).’ On each the final album and this album, ‘Howling’ has been the toughest track, and I’m nonetheless exploring methods of performing it. My vocal coach informed me that after I carry out ‘Howling,’ I get this deep furrow in my forehead, so I have to attempt singing it with an expressionless face. I attempted that out, and I actually did get higher at singing it. Till now, I discovered even singing the refrain troublesome, however because of that recommendation, I can now sing it far more easily, and I really feel like I’ve grown loads.”
“On ‘Till spring comes,’ I needed to provide a bit of a sense of the spring faculty commencement season, like saying your goodbyes to some and in addition assembly new folks. With ‘Natsuyadori,’ I like this sense of going again into your reminiscences of the summers of way back, and time simply stopping. I included it on the album as a result of it’s like taking a journey by means of your reminiscences. I needed it to conjure up the picture of a vibrant, starry sky, so I didn’t put an excessive amount of ardour into my singing however as an alternative tried to maintain it feeling gentle. I believe I managed to create a summery vibe. With Evening stroll, I used loads of energy to drive the album, however this time I labored on highlighting the completely different elements of my voice. I hope that comes throughout to listeners.”
Her first solo dwell present, which will probably be in September, has been lengthy awaited by each Ookami and her followers. “I’ve actually been wanting ahead to this solo present, and I believe the listeners who assist me have been, too. I’m preparing, ensuring the present lives as much as everybody’s expectations. I hope to placed on a efficiency that may go away a sparkle in everybody’s hearts.”
—This interview by Takuto Ueda first appeared on Billboard Japan
