[Stylish & Mellow]
No.11 “Dragonfly” by Miki Imai
Hi. Today's song is "Dragonfly" by "Miki Imai".
This is a light, stylish, but mellow pop song performed by a popular singer, "Miki Imai".
"Miki Imai" is continuously releasing chic, stylish & smooth pop songs since debut, and has been almost an essential artist for light & mellow J-pop fans.
If you like, please listen.
Links to the music shops, offering song samples, are located on the bottom of this page.
Some contents have been put away in tabs with " ▼ " marks in each section, so please click it to read.
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Cover art today
Song data
| Title | Dragonfly |
|---|---|
| Artist | Miki Imai |
| Album Title | |
| Catalog Number | WPCV-10142 |
| Track No. | 5 |
| Duration | 5:45 |
| Released | 2001 |
| Publisher | |
| Lyricist | |
| Composer | |
| Arranger |
About the creators
Yūho Iwasato Lyricist
"Yūho Iwasato" is a lyricist, essayist, novelist, and used to be also active as a singer-songwriter "Yūko Iwasato" in the early '80s.
Early times
"Yūho Iwasato" retained some interest on music since she was young. In high school, she formed an amateur group with friend, and was singing as a vocalist.
During college days, "Iwasato" began to think more seriously that she wished to be a singer-songwriter.
And she started to enter various amateur music contests.
She didn't have any glorious victory on the contests, but some judges found a certain type of potential in her. And offered her to debut as a professional singer.
Then in 1980, "Iwasato" released her first single, "Iku-sen-man no yuru-wo koete" (Over tens of thousand of night) and debuted as a singer-songwriter.
Singer-turned-lyricist
Her long time dream came true. She debuted as a singer song writer.
However, she was stricken with a kind of embarrassment whenever she was treated as a "star".
Then, she clearly realized that she was not designed to perform something in front of the audience, but should take a background role.
"Iwasato" soon decided to quit from singing, but chose to remain in the music industries as a songwriter, especially as a lyricist.
A successful writer
"Iwasato" started her career as a lyricist in 1983, by writing few pop songs for a rising young female idol star, "Chiemi Hori".
Since then, "Iwasato" smoothly increased her opportunity to write lyrics for pop singers, and gradually established a stable position as a popular lyricist.
In the '90s, "Iwasato" began to collaborate with a natural & feminine unique singer, "Miki Imai". And this greatly enlarged the world of the lyrics of "Iwasato"'s.'
Since they have started working together, both have been indispensable music partners for each other.
Recent
In 2016, "Iwasato" celebrated the 35th anniversary of a lyricist "Yūho Iwasato".
As an accomplished lyricist, she is still offering quite a few of lyrics for various pop singers, or anime series even now.
-
(Ref: yuhoiwasato.com,
profile)🇯🇵
Video clip
Finally, here is a voice actor "Megumi Nakajima"'s music clip "Marble" released in 2012.
The song was produced as a opening theme for a popular robot anime series, "Lagrange - The Flower of Rin-ne season 2", aired in 2012.
The lyricist of this song was "Yūho Iwasato".
"Megumi Nakajima" is a well liked singer & voice actor, and actually she performed a voice of one of the characters in this anime series.
This animation series had 2 seasons, and "Nakajima" sang the main themes for both.
Actually, it seems she is not just good at singing, but has a particular preference for being a singer, even she's been one of the star voice actors now a days.
So, she is constantly releasing singles, and albums. Then, if you have a chance, please listen.
Tomoyasu Hotei Composer & Arranger
"Tomoyasu Hotei" is a guitarist, composer, arranger, and used to be a member of a legendary rock band "BOØWY".
"Hotei"'s also been a partner to "Miki Imai" since 1999.
Early times
"Tomoyasu Hotei" got started music in childhood by beginning to learn the piano.
In middle school, "Hotei" was shocked when he was first exposed by the wave of British rock of the 70s, like David Bowie, or Led Zeppelin.
"Hotei" began to play the guitar, and formed a few of amateur bands with friends.
When "Hotei" was 18, his local music peer "Kyōsuke Himuro", who was already challenging to be a professional, called "Hotei", and brought up the idea of forming a rock band together.
This was the beginning of a legendary rock group, "BOØWY", and "Hotei" started his professional career with this band from this point.
BOØWY
A super popular rock band "BOØWY", which was teamed up in 1981, was just one of the fresh young bands in the beginning.
But it quickly gained the popularity, and became one of the most popular rock group only within 4 years time.
The group was with no doubt a top rock band in Japan at the point of 1988, however, they decided to break up at the apex of their popularity.
And the band closed its glorious 7 years history.
as a Solo artist
Soon after the end of the rock band, "Hotei" restarted his music activity as a solo artist.
Not only as a guitarist, or vocalist, he has been actively involving in music productions of various other artists, as a composer, arranger, and producer.
In 1999, "Hotei" married with a pop singer, "Miki Imai".
recent
It's been more than 30 years since "Hotei" started his solo career in 1988.
Naturally, people regard "Hotei" as an accomplished rocker.
However, he is still very actively holding rock concert in all over Japan, and progressing further as an active musician.
Since 2012, "Hotei" has moved his home ground from Tokyo to London, and pursuing his music further as a rock guitarist.
Song image & Lyrics
Open
Link to the lyrics
Copyright notice on the lyrics link
Sound impression
Rhythmic & stylish
This is a solid, and simplified, but light & mellow pop rock in a moderate up-tempo.
Neat, smooth, and stylish
Solid & bare sound of the electric guitar, and the drums, bass, and the electric piano play a simple and stylish introduction.
In the main melody, pizzicato of the violins join, and support the soft, warm, and silky vocal of "Miki Imai".
From the beginning to the end, this neat, smooth, and stylish sound continues, and it comes to the peak when the guitarist "Tomoyasu Hotei" performed the coolest solo play in the bridge.
Reference
About Google translate
About the artist
Miki ImaiUrban elegance
"Miki Imai" is a singer, actor, and a radio personality active since 1983.
"Imai" has been a popular actor since debut, so the majority of Japanese recognize her as a star in TV drama.
But on the other hand, she is a talented pop singer, and has been one of the best artists in refined urban-pop category.
Miki Imai debuted in 1986 with a single, "Tasogare no monologue" (Twilight monologue). Since then, 30 singles, and 22 original, 8 live, and 7 best albums have been released until now.
(Ref: Wikipedia-en, Miki Imai)
Early times
"Miki Imai" was born in Kyushu, a southern island of Japan.
Thanks to her father, who were running an audio shop in there, she was grown with music.
"Imai" was also enjoying playing the piano from childhood, but she had no particular thought to make music a career at that time.
Debut
She moved to Tokyo for further education after graduated from a local high school.
While she was a student, one of her acquaintances, who was a photographer, asked her to be a temporary photo model.
This created an opportunity for her. She gradually became a popular model. And in the process, "Imai" naturally began to appear on TV, and soon, someone around her suggested her to debut also as a singer.
Though it was not her intention to debut as a singer like this, as if it was a natural outcome, anyway, she started her career as a singer in 1986.
"PRIDE"
The process of debut she experienced was not exactly the one she was imagining though, "Imai" steadily gained her popularity after debut.
In 1991, "Imai" released her 7th single "PIECE OF MY WISH".
Slow & melodious ballad was selected as a main theme for a popular TV drama series which "Imai" starred also.
The song became a smash hit, and recorded a million seller for the first time in her career.
By this hit, she established her position as a pop singer.
And in 1996, her 12th single record, "PRIDE" achieved another million seller.
This calm, melodious, and dignified ballad was written, and composed by a super guitarist "Tomoyasu Hotei", who had been participating in "Miki Imai"'s recording as a music producer at that time.
By the success of this monumental hit song, "Miki Imai" was recognized as a 1st class pop singer.
And "Miki Imai" & "Tomoyasu Hotei" later got married in 1999.
recent
"Miki Imai" has been constantly releasing new albums, and holding live concerts regularly even now.
But her music is getting even more mellow, Jazzy, and sophisticated compared with before.
In 2012, her partner "Hotei" has moved his home ground from Tokyo to London.
"Imai" also has started to live there, and has been commuting to Tokyo whenever she has some work in there at the moment.
-
(Ref: www.imai-miki.net,
profile)🇯🇵
Video clip
Finally, here is a small music clip of "Miki Imai", covering an early hit song of "Yumi Matsutōya", "Yasashisa-ni tsutsumareta-nara" (When you are wrapped in the tenderness.).
In the early '70s, "Yumi Matsutōya" was a newly debuted, but shining super singer-songwriter.
She was releasing revolutionary brand-new, stylish & creative pop song one after another, and young music fans were feeling like she was a a magician, or alien.
It seems that "Miki Imai" was also feeling like that, and "Yumi Matsutōya" has still been a super star for her.
We can clearly imagine how great "Yumi Matsutōya" was for young "Miki Imai", since our members here had similar emotional experiences, since we are in roughly the same generation to "Imai".
So, it must be too natural for "Imai" to release a cover album of "Yumi Matsutōya", as a proof of "Imai"'s respect & adoration to "Matsutōya".
If you like, please listen.
Music Samples
5
(試聴する)
AD: Listening samples (Free)
Amazon.co.jp(en)
recochoku.jp
Apple Music(jp)
5
Japanese Letters
| Song Title | Dragonfly |
|---|---|
| Artist | 今井美樹(Miki Imai) |
| Album Title | AQUA |
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