The coupling song, “Late Night Dance,” was written and composed by Yoshida Takumi of saji, and it is a song about the feelings of a girl indulging in fantasies on a midsummer night. It is a new and challenging song by Okazaki, with a medium tempo band sound featuring guitar and bass, and includes rhymes and rap parts.
And about seven months after her first live in January this year, “Miho Okasaki 2nd LIVE 2024 ~Happy Memory~ supported by animelo” will be held on August 10th at Bunkyo Civic Hall in Tokyo! The two songs in “Happy Memory” were created with this live in mind, so listen to the new single and join the live!
We conducted an email interview with Okazaki, who is currently busy preparing for her second live concert, and she told us about what to listen for in “Happy Memo,” highlights of her second live concert, and her summer memories!
–Please tell us the concept behind the production of your 4th single, and if there was anything that Okazaki-san asked you to do.
Miho Okasaki (hereinafter, Okasaki): The concept was a summer song that would liven up the second live performance “Miho Okasaki 2nd LIVE 2024 ~Happy Memory~ supported by animelo” to be held on Saturday, August 10th! The reason I chose “Happy Memo” from the competition is because, even though it’s a super fun summer song, I could feel a little bit of sadness about it passing and becoming a memory. I liked the essence of a little bit of melancholy that comes from happiness!
–Please tell us what you thought when you first heard “Hapy Memo” as a demo.
Okazaki: I loved it from the first chorus. It had a Heisei pop feel to it, and I felt a sense of nostalgia that seeped into my body, and I immediately started to like it (laughs). The deciding factor was that I could imagine myself singing it at a live concert!
–Please tell us about the lyrics and sound of “HapiMemo.”
Okazaki: Both the sound and the lyrics are so sparkly! I decided on the name “Hapi Memo” and the live title “Happy Memory” because of the wonderful lyrics!
The lyrics make it easy to imagine the magical scenery and expressions of summer, so it’s the perfect song to reminisce about fun summer memories or to get pumped up to have fun this summer! It’d be great to listen to it while driving to the beach…!!
–Please tell us about the things you were conscious of and the direction you took during the recording, as well as your favorite parts and highlights.
Okazaki: Anyway, it’s about having fun singing!! (laughs) Of course, musical technique is important, but… I think that “Happy Memo” is all about passion while singing the worldview of the song. I was conscious of not only having a high-tension song, but also expressing a little sadness in the D melody to create a soft and approachable atmosphere.
However, I think the song will be complete when we sing it together at our 2nd live concert, so I hope you enjoy the audio and also create some heart-warming “Happy Memos” with me at the live concert!
–Please tell us about the concept of the music video, what the shoot was like, and any behind-the-scenes stories.
Okazaki: Speaking of summer… there are many things to consider, but this time the concept was “youth”. It was the first time I wore a uniform in my artist activities! It was a big event for me! (laughs) There were also scenes with extras, and it was a shoot with many first-time challenges, but it became a happy memory!
In the lip cut, I was in artist mode in a one-piece dress, but it felt strange to be standing in a school classroom or gymnasium in my everyday clothes. It was a good opportunity to reminisce about my school and school days while thinking how happy I am to be a voice actor and artist!
— Regarding the coupling song “Late Night Dance,” please tell us what Okazaki ordered you to do and what you thought when you first heard the demo.
Okazaki: This song was written by my senior at the label, Yoshida Takumi of saji! It’s a song with a completely different charm from “Freesia” that he wrote for me before, and it felt fresh when I first heard it, and at the same time, the sound was so pleasant that I immediately started looking forward to singing it.
–Please tell us about the lyrics and sound of “Late Night Dance.”
Okazaki: It’s a song with a stylish and chill sound, but the lyrics also convey a sense of conflict and darkness, making it a song you’ll want to listen to late at night. As I listened to it, I began to think that it’s a gentle song that’s not just bright, but also adds color and meaning to stagnant feelings. It’s great that you can listen to it without feeling gloomy and just like a pop song!!
–Please tell us about the things you were conscious of and the direction you took during the recording, as well as your favorite parts and highlights.
岡咲：夜に聴きたい、聴いていただきたいという気持ちもあって、なるべくラフに力を入れずに歌いました！ また表情のイメージとしては、明るくも暗くもならないようにフラットを心掛けたのも、私の曲の中では新鮮な立ち位置の一曲になったなぁと録り終えて感じました。サビ終わりのファルセットや2番のメロラップは歌っていて気持ちが乗ったところでもあるので楽しんで聴いていただけると嬉しいです！
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