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Billboard Japan - SCANDAL's "MIRROR" Interview
Posted Thu Mar 03, 2022 7:30 am

thoseguiltyeyes

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SCANDAL talks about MIRROR, their most honest album to date
Billboard Japan - SCANDAL's "MIRROR" Interview Top





SCANDAL released their 10th full-length album MIRROR on Jan. 26, 2022, their first album in two years. Containing the singles eternal, Ivory, and one more time, this work also includes songs composed by each member and with each on lead vocals. With alternative rock, gospel, club tunes, and pop songs that speak to you, you're able to learn about their individuality and roots via this challenging work that describes the new steps for the band that celebrated its 15th anniversary. What did they think of while writing, singing, and playing to create this album in these ever-changing times? We asked the four members about this work, a realistic reflection of SCANDAL's current situation.





――What did you discuss with each other when making the album?

RINA: For past albums, we always tried to face the times and make music true to us that we wanted to make at that time. We didn't decide on an album concept from the start this time either. We made songs one at a time and decided on the title MIRROR at the end. We made a title track—the first track on the album—containing that word, and it all came together.



――This time, each band member wrote songs and sang lead vocals. Was that decided on from the start?

HARUNA: We also didn't really decide that. The song "Ai no Shoutai" that TOMOMI made was originally written assuming that I would be singing it. It was the same for MAMI's song as well. We often decide things after starting pre-production, so from the start we didn't think of including songs composed by each of us. However, because a lot of things like production and live performances had to be postponed or canceled due to the pandemic, we had many opportunities to get to know ourselves more deeply by reflecting on both the band and ourselves. As a result, we had a collection of songs that are very personal to us. That's why we thought that it would be best if the person who wrote the song sang it, and included each of those songs.


Billboard Japan - SCANDAL's "MIRROR" Interview 211226-o1517


――I will be selecting a few songs to ask you about. How did you make the title track "MIRROR"?

MAMI: This song was made at the end of album production. We had 9 songs ready to go before this one was made. I personally thought that those 9 songs would be able to represent who we are right now, that they'd be fun to perform live, that they were rich in variety, and that they made up a good album. But some wanted a song that was more of a killer track, or rather one that had a proper band sound to it when performed, and one that could serve as the face of the album. I did think that that was true and so started writing a song. However, since I originally thought that 9 songs would be fine for an album, it was hard to come up with that kind of song. Keeping in mind the requests of our listeners, I had a hard time making this while struggling between a certain sense of responsibility and my current feelings. Everyone said that the album was complete with the creation of this song. I've been paying close attention to the rhythm, tempo, and sound when creating songs recently, so with that in mind I think I was able to create the best possible killer song that I was satisfied with.


Billboard Japan - SCANDAL's "MIRROR" Interview 211226-o1703


――As "MIRROR" symbolizes, the impression you get from it is quite different from your previous work Kiss from the darkness, and I felt that many songs are arranged with a relatively low tempo. Does that  also mean that you're making sure to convey your words clearly?

MAMI: In terms of the ease of listening to words, some people nowadays listen via not only CDs but also subscription services. That's why we're writing music while considering the impressions gleaned when listening via subscription services. Also, I think it's important to have music that we're able to perform for years to come. For example, we honestly don't know if we could continue to play intense songs live like we do right now, five or 10 years from now. I'm sure that a time will come when we'll feel like that. So, this is the result of being insanely conscious of rhythm, tempo, and sound as something that we can continue to play with confidence.


Billboard Japan - SCANDAL's "MIRROR" Interview 211226-o1785


――In the documentary of you recording "one more time" (“her” Diary 2021 on YouTube #09), what stuck out to me was TOMOMI saying that it felt like HARUNA from 10 years ago was singing the track. There's a line in "MIRROR" that goes "Kagami ni utsutta sugata" (My reflection in the mirror); did you feel that you, who have been around for 15 years, were reflected in the mirror?

RINA: Rather than reflecting our past selves, it was more like we were seeing our present selves and acknowledging exactly who we are. But I think the reason why we're making who we are right now is because of our paths in the past. First, we wanted to write lyrics that acknowledged everything we've done so far. When we were talking about the title, we had many discussions about wanting to create a work that incorporates the femininity, softness, and kindness that we feel, and soft words into the music. For me, that is something that I want to keep in mind when writing lyrics from here on out as well. As a result, the lyrics to "MIRROR" were finished in an abstract way and says exactly what we want to say. I felt that I was able to write what I wanted to write.



"It felt like things were foreshadowed, like, 'Ah, this is what we wanted to make'" (RINA)



Billboard Japan - SCANDAL's "MIRROR" Interview 211226-o1792


――The intro starts with a rewinding sound. How did you record that?

RINA: When listening to music on subscription services, we thought that instead of suddenly starting with a full-on band sound, it'd be better to have different possibilities and start with something like sound effects that makes you want to listen to the rest of it. We thought about it with our synthesist who has gone around on tour with us, and then added it later.

TOMOMI: It gives you the image of sound reflecting off a mirror.



――I see. The intro of the next song "eternal" also starts with sound effects. Did you think about a connection there?

RINA: Not at all (laughs). When it was all complete, we were like, "They kind of feel connected!"

HARUNA: I always felt that.

RINA: When it was completed, it felt like things were foreshadowed, like, "Ah, this is what we wanted to make."


Billboard Japan - SCANDAL's "MIRROR" Interview 211226-o1584


――In "Ai no Shoutai," there are also sound effects in the beginning along with the choir that can be heard during the chorus.

TOMOMI: We asked a choir to record it. I told the arranger Satori Shirashi my image of it, and we made it with the cooperation of all kinds of people. Satori added the effects in the beginning.



――I was surprised at how it shifted into gospel after the first verse.

TOMOMI: I wanted to try doing gospel because it's part of our roots—we took lessons in it when we attended our dance and vocal training school. When I hit my thirties, I often realized that I took joy in "unconditional love" or giving. Friends getting married, having kids, listening to LGBTQ youths' worries on the radio—I had a lot of thoughts about love. There are all sorts of issues like nationality, gender, and age, but I felt that in a big and simple way, "love" is something that everyone has. I wrote "Ai no Shoutai" because I wanted to put that into words.



――"Ivory"—which features lyrics, music, arrangement, and lead vocals by MAMI—is also a song with a hearty and warm message that makes you feel that kind of love.

MAMI: Our work stopped due to the pandemic, and we lived our lives in a regular way we had never done before. Being able to spend our days in the same way as our listeners was a fresh, first-time experience for me. I put the feelings that I felt when the pandemic hit and all of humanity had to start from zero, into a song. I'm actually singing about my feelings like a soliloquy, but when I had the others listen to it, it felt like it was a song meant for everyone.


Billboard Japan - SCANDAL's "MIRROR" Interview 211226-o1679


――RINA, did you make "Kanojo wa Wave" on a digital audio workstation?

RINA: I did, and I asked everyone to listen to it and copy their parts after it was done. I wrote this song with the intention of making it about a girl who lives freely like a wave. This was my first time using a DAW, but I'm glad I tried it because I enjoyed it.



――The lyrics "Kirameiteru kagami no you" (Glittering like a mirror) also appear in this song.

RINA: We hadn't decided on the title when I was writing these lyrics. However, when making this album, in our heads there was always this image of mirrors, glass, and lights, as well as something that's delicate, strong, and ephemeral. That's why there are a lot of expressions like this in the key points, and when we finally decided on the title MIRROR, we thought, "Ah, this is what I wanted to make!"

HARUNA: I think "Kanojo wa Wave" is a very RINA-like song. You can tell we like computer music and took influence from it, and you can feel the roots we had before starting the band. It's a song that shows the fun of a drummer writing lyrics + music and singing lead vocals. This perhaps might be a song that could have only been made by a drummer.



――HARUNA, the song "Yuugure, Tokeru" that you wrote is a surprising song that combines alternative rock and lyrics that express your feelings.

HARUNA: When I started making it by me singing to my own accompaniment, I couldn't really picture what the arrangement should be. That's why I think that there's a sense of incongruity where the singing and the arrangement are a bit separate from each other. On the contrary, it makes it sound interesting. I started writing it after I thought of the title "Yuugure, Tokeru." It's a strange title, and I used abstract words in order to put into words an intuition that feels nice but can't be explained well using words. In that way, I think it's surprising that something that makes sense to yourself can change your life, or can be the impetus to change someone else's life. I made this song because I wanted to acknowledge that I can believe in my intuition.



"We've made an album that could only have been done now. I'm happy that we were finally able to convey our present situation" (MAMI)



――"Ao no Naru Yoru no Sukima de" was first unveiled at your 15th-anniversary concert on Aug. 21, 2021. The reactions from the fans were also big. RINA, you wrote this song—can you tell us your thoughts on it?

RINA: This song is one that I want to talk about while considering what kind of words I should choose so that things are conveyed without any problems. When Maisa Tsuno of Akai Koen passed away, I felt an unspeakable sadness and felt like I lost something really big—she had been a fellow, respectable musician and good friend who was also in an all-girl band and had been playing music by our side. I wanted to write a song with Maisa in mind, so I decided to write a song without thinking about putting it in an album or even releasing it. When that happened, I talked with the other band members about all sorts of things, and there were many emotions that I couldn't put into words. When I shared this song with them, they told me, "Let's put this precious song on an album." I hope I can continue to perform it courteously.


Billboard Japan - SCANDAL's "MIRROR" Interview 211226-o1485


HARUNA: I hadn't heard that story at the time we recorded it, so I don't know if I was able to get it right. However, I've lost not only people but also emotions due to the pandemic. There were moments when I couldn't just be happy with music, moments when I felt a little constrained, and times when I became very withdrawn. When I heard RINA's story after recording the song, I felt like I couldn't say something like, "Ah, so that's what it was." After that we had our concert at Osaka-Jo Hall. So, emotion-wise, I was able to sing it differently at the concert than on the recording. I've never used SCANDAL to express myself like that before, so it became an important song for me as well.



――What kind of album did the completed MIRROR album turn out to be for you?

MAMI: It feels like we created a mysterious album. In the past we also would have songs that each of us has written and sang, and apart from the melodies, it's not as if we did something extremely different. But I think that the songs we made by reflecting on ourselves and the band are very much songs that we individually made under these circumstances. It made me think again of how we're a very mysterious, well-balanced group of people who can put together an album (laughs). This album's like a diary that looks back on every day for the past 1 1/2 years to 2 years. Whenever I listen back on it, scenes from those times come to mind clearly. We're older and have a career as a band. I think we've made an album that could only have been done now, circumstances included, and I'm happy that we were finally able to convey our present situation.

TOMOMI: Since this was made during the pandemic, we created it while paying close attention to what we want to express, say, and convey. The pandemic's still ongoing, and we don't know what'll happen in the future. However, we made this while thinking about all sorts of things, such as that we still want to play music. There's no clear answer yet, though. I'm not saying that that is the case, but there's no conclusion in this collection of songs. I think this album is a reflection of our current thoughts and mentality.


Billboard Japan - SCANDAL's "MIRROR" Interview 211226-o1557


RINA: We really were able to be the most honest we've ever been with this album. We understood that this is who we've been from the start and made that into music. That's why it seems like such an important album for us. Also, we're simply happy that we were able to make our 10th album after 15 years together with the same four people without ever stopping. We've come to be able to be praised for working hard. Right now is the most we've loved being a band, and the most fun we're having while making music.

HARUNA: For me, singing songs has become more fun, which has made me like this album even more. With our past works, if there were 10 songs, I would do 10 different ways of singing—or rather, I think I was confident in singing with a different personality for each song. This time, I think I was able to face all of the songs as one person named HARUNA. That's because I faced myself during the pandemic and fell in love with myself again. After finishing recording everything, I felt that I was able to sing those songs exactly as I am right now. I think this was a very fruitful album for me as a human being.

Billboard Japan - SCANDAL's "MIRROR" Interview 211226-o1878





Here are some questions from the international edition of the article that aren't included in the Japanese one:

――The band's tour promoting the album called SCANDAL WORLD TOUR 2022 "MIRROR" will kick off in March in Japan. You'll then travel to North America in July, then on to Berlin, London, and Paris in September. This will be your first international tour since U.S. & Mexico Tour 2018 "Special Thanks" in September 2018. What are your thoughts on your first global tour in a while?

HARUNA: We're really looking forward to it! There are still some unknowns since we don't know what the situation will be like for live shows overseas after the pandemic, but we were gradually able to do shows in Japan in 2021. I thought, "Concerts are awesome," and felt really happy being on stage. I'm excited to be able to have that experience for six months again in 2022.



――When you came up with the set lists for your previous tours, did you consider the affinity with the local music culture and national character of the countries you visited?

MAMI: Yes, we did. For example, in Europe and other areas that are a bit cold, there are lots of fans of punk and hardcore. Listening to blistering tracks warms you up, so there's a physical reason for this. Based on such information that we get in advance, we decide things like, "Let's keep things a bit wild today."

Many people who come to see us when we perform outside of Japan first find out about us through our anime themes. But in Mexico, for example, people apparently often dig around for Japanese bands on YouTube, listen to them, then spread the word. So they have a different way of getting into our music compared to other countries.

TOMOMI: We've been making music for fifteen years, so the general taste in music for each region also changes over time. In the past, rock tracks with minor chords were popular in Asia, but now pop is popular, and it's interesting how things keep changing.



――Will you be going to some cities for the first time?

HARUNA: Berlin, Toronto, and Atlanta. We've been to New York, Anaheim, Dallas, London, and Paris before.



――In the cities you visit for the first time, what would you like people to watch for in your shows?

RINA: If we perform the way we always do in Japan, I'm pretty confident that our audience will feel something from it, so we'd like to enjoy people's reactions. We do find ourselves wondering why we have so many fans in other countries.

TOMOMI: We're surprised by how many people come to our live shows (outside of Japan).

HARUNA: And there's also a wide range of generations, so we'd like to know how everyone got into us and what they like about us.

MAMI: Some even carefully held on to their tickets for the tour we were supposed to do in 2020. They send us messages every day, signing off with "With love." We're looking forward to visiting them and giving love in return.

HARUNA: To our international fans… Please look forward to seeing us live!





https://www.billboard-japan.com/special/detail/3446

#front-page #mirror





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Billboard Japan - SCANDAL's "MIRROR" Interview 39iLxaW

2011.7.3 AM2 2012.3.28 SCANDAL vs BUDOKAN 11.3+4 QAT Tour @名古屋 11.10 Happy MUSIC Live 2012 2013.3.3 SCANDAL OSAKA-JO HALL 2013 2014.6.1 HNL Ekiden & Music 2014 6.2 Fan Meeting 2015 HELLO WORLD @ Paris - London - Essen - Chicago - MEX - LA - Anaheim 2016.1.12+13 PERFECT WORLD 5.21 Welcome Fan Meeting 5.22 HNL Ekiden & Music 2016 5.23 Farewell Fan Meeting 8.21 SCAFes 2017.7.14 47 Prefecture Tour @ 茨城 - 水戸 - 東京 2018 Special Thanks @NY - SF - Anaheim - MTY - MEX - Dallas 2022 MIRROR @Toronto - NY - Boston - Atlanta 2023 UU @ 福岡 - 東京 08.21 Sekai Ichi 2024 LUMINOUS @ 名古屋 - 横浜 - 大阪 - 奈良
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hogradish

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I think it's funny Mami worries about being able the play fast songs in the future. It's not aging that's the problem, it's lack of exercise. It's the sitting around for two years. As soon as they get out and start playing, the muscle tone will return.



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kisspeptinfromthedarkness

kisspeptinfromthedarkness

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TOMOMI saying that it felt like HARUNA from 10 years ago was singing the track.
I remember this. Would it be something we could notice? The voice of HARUNA doesn't seem particularly low and husky on "one more time".


Also, with regard to 10 years, there's a line in "Shunkan Sentimental" about being together ten years hence. Since it's been more than 10 years since the song's release, HARUNA has been ad-libbing after that line. Does it have something to do with the ten years or is she just rock 'n roll riffing?



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thoseguiltyeyes

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kisspeptinfromthedarkness wrote:Would it be something we could notice?

TOMO says in the Diary video that it's specifically when HARU sings the lyrics "Basho e" leading up to the first chorus (link). She kind of does have that same sort of tone right then as she did on songs found on TEMPTATION BOX, perhaps.


Also, with regard to 10 years, there's a line in "Shunkan Sentimental" about being together ten years hence. Since it's been more than 10 years since the song's release, HARUNA has been ad-libbing after that line. Does it have something to do with the ten years or is she just rock 'n roll riffing?

If you're talking about when she says things like "Minna, koe wo kikasete" after the bridge, she's just asking the crowd to sing along loudly--or in the case of their 15th-anniversary concert when the crowd couldn't actually sing along, she said "Minna, kokoro no naka de" (Sing along in your hearts).



Billboard Japan - SCANDAL's "MIRROR" Interview 39iLxaW

2011.7.3 AM2 2012.3.28 SCANDAL vs BUDOKAN 11.3+4 QAT Tour @名古屋 11.10 Happy MUSIC Live 2012 2013.3.3 SCANDAL OSAKA-JO HALL 2013 2014.6.1 HNL Ekiden & Music 2014 6.2 Fan Meeting 2015 HELLO WORLD @ Paris - London - Essen - Chicago - MEX - LA - Anaheim 2016.1.12+13 PERFECT WORLD 5.21 Welcome Fan Meeting 5.22 HNL Ekiden & Music 2016 5.23 Farewell Fan Meeting 8.21 SCAFes 2017.7.14 47 Prefecture Tour @ 茨城 - 水戸 - 東京 2018 Special Thanks @NY - SF - Anaheim - MTY - MEX - Dallas 2022 MIRROR @Toronto - NY - Boston - Atlanta 2023 UU @ 福岡 - 東京 08.21 Sekai Ichi 2024 LUMINOUS @ 名古屋 - 横浜 - 大阪 - 奈良
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LoveSurvivor305

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I have to say that all this "We finally embraced who we are." and "This finally feels like SCANDAL." kind of talk in the recent interviews is rather heartbreaking. So were they unhappy all this time? Do they not look back at everything they've done in the past 15 years proudly? If THIS is the "real SCANDAL" and it's supposed to set a trend for their future, I'm afraid I'm not entirely on board with that.

To me SCANDAL have always been lovely ladies, who on stage turned into absolute badasses, who played more fun, more energetic and more intriguing music than any other band out there. As much as I like MIRROR, it mostly kind of lacks the things, that made me such a fan of theirs in the first place. There's enough melancholic pop rock music out there, but nobody does the upbeat rockin' stuff like our girls. They were my go to feel-good band. But the fact that they've appeared so serious as of late and are seemingly gradually turning their backs on what they used to do is quite sad. (Although only time will tell how much of their past will truly get lost. Not much, I hope, even if recent setlists imply the opposite.) 

In my opinion, this isn't what some of the more positive-minded fans call a beautiful new era, but rather the dark age of SCANDAL and I hope it will pass. They have really given us another wonderful album, but one that I would expect from them in about a ten (or more) years time. They've just entered their thirties, but they already seem to be slowing down, thinking about aging and mortality... Sign of the times, eh? I'm really happy that they're proud of what they've just created, but it's rather bittersweet. The world could instead really use the old fun SCANDAL at the moment, because in such terrible times we rely on music to lift our spirits. But if even our girls suddenly show such vulnerability, it's hard to not be at least a little depressed.  Billboard Japan - SCANDAL's "MIRROR" Interview 1f62a

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thoseguiltyeyes

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I think you're looking much too far into it. It's more like they've gotten past the mental hurdle they had and now are able to write and play whatever kind of music they want instead of writing stuff that they know for sure would go over well with their fans (AKA the "fun" SCANDAL sound that you mentioned). They're embracing the fact that they are in fact able to show their softer side and play softer songs, and that they don't always have to play hard-sounding songs. Being true to themselves is what the "real SCANDAL" is. If you're not onboard with it, then the only thing I can say is that that's unfortunate.

They've also mentioned many, many times that they also didn't think that doing a hard-sounding album was appropriate for the current times. So who knows what they'll sound like in the future? It's entirely up to them.



Billboard Japan - SCANDAL's "MIRROR" Interview 39iLxaW

2011.7.3 AM2 2012.3.28 SCANDAL vs BUDOKAN 11.3+4 QAT Tour @名古屋 11.10 Happy MUSIC Live 2012 2013.3.3 SCANDAL OSAKA-JO HALL 2013 2014.6.1 HNL Ekiden & Music 2014 6.2 Fan Meeting 2015 HELLO WORLD @ Paris - London - Essen - Chicago - MEX - LA - Anaheim 2016.1.12+13 PERFECT WORLD 5.21 Welcome Fan Meeting 5.22 HNL Ekiden & Music 2016 5.23 Farewell Fan Meeting 8.21 SCAFes 2017.7.14 47 Prefecture Tour @ 茨城 - 水戸 - 東京 2018 Special Thanks @NY - SF - Anaheim - MTY - MEX - Dallas 2022 MIRROR @Toronto - NY - Boston - Atlanta 2023 UU @ 福岡 - 東京 08.21 Sekai Ichi 2024 LUMINOUS @ 名古屋 - 横浜 - 大阪 - 奈良
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LoveSurvivor305

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thoseguiltyeyes wrote:It's more like they've gotten past the mental hurdle they had and now are able to write and play whatever kind of music they want instead of writing stuff that they know for sure would go over well with their fans.

Yeah, I totally get that. It really isn't the musical direction that's the most upsetting part. Even if I didn't like MIRROR (and I do like it a lot), there is no reason to believe, that the next album is going to sound the same, because that has never happened before anyway. A band needs to evolve in order to stay enthusiastic about being a band. It's great that they finally feel like they can do whatever they want and like I said; I'm really happy for them.  Billboard Japan - SCANDAL's "MIRROR" Interview 1f44d 

It's how they present this new era that just rubs me the wrong way. They're essentially saying: "You know what? We've actually done some things over the years, that we didn't really want to do, but we felt like we should." And that is the sad part. Why did they feel that way? Why did it take 15 years for them to stop doing that? How are we, the fans, supposed to enjoy the old stuff the same way now that we've been told that there was a certain level of pretense there? It's hard to ignore, because these girls mean so much to me.

They've been repeating the same "finally the real SCANDAL" stuff in every single recent interview. It's sort of become the slogan of MIRROR, clearly something that they want us to focus on, so I don't think I'm "looking much too far into it". This deserves to be examined, because if you think about it, there are only two ways to explain what they really mean by that:

1) They are 100% sincere. They have regrets. They had maintained a certain image they weren't entirely comfortable with to please the fans. If they already felt like they could do whatever they wanted years ago, their back catalogue would look different now. 
[Boy, that would really take away a big chunk of enjoyment from the old stuff!]

2) They are aware that this album is in a style that a lot of fans normally wouldn't care to hear from them, so they chose to use a healthy dose of emotional blackmailing to get them to appreciate it. Like: "Hey, we know it's not what you wanted, but will it help if we say that this is the kind of album we always wanted to make and we're finally happy with ourselves?" 
[And I don't know about you, but I wouldn't like this dishonest approach at all.]

Doesn't matter which explanation you choose, in both cases it's quite terrible. Luckily, there's also a hidden option number 3) Even after 15 years in the business, our girls are still extremely clumsy with the whole press thing and only say that stuff, because it sounds kinda cool, it has no real meaning, and in that case: Yeah, I'm totally looking too far into it.  Billboard Japan - SCANDAL's "MIRROR" Interview 1f605 

Afterall, they had been speaking this favorably about their current selves upon every single album's release. So why should we believe them this time? I'm not buying that this is where they've always been heading and I have my doubts that the girls themselves from ten years ago would have rather made something like MIRROR over Queens are trumps (which for sure represented "the real SCANDAL" in 2012). 
  HARU peace

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hogradish

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From the Real Sound "Yellow" interview:

"TOMOMI: Being natural is our current mode. It was difficult for us to continue staying as we were when we debuted; it was vital for us to change to continue on. It feels like we're pushing out and expressing what we must do right now and what we want to do. But, we don't know what we'll do in the future (laughs). We might return to the same kind of style we had when we debuted, or we might go in a completely different direction."

I think Scandal is like working at KFC. You might like fried chicken a whole lot, but when your store adds a Pizza Hut, you're really happy to finally make something you like even more than chicken. It's not like you've been living a lie all that time, it's just that having more options is even better.


According to Setlist.fm, Scandal's performed "Scandal Baby" well over 400 times. I doubt it's all that fun to do it again, but the crowd just loves it, and seeing their happiness makes it worth playing. So there's liking what you play, and liking giving joy to people. If the two match up, great, but if they don't, and you want to make money, go with the latter.


IMO, if Scandal suddenly decides that playing polka music is the only way to feel truly fulfilled, I hope they do it off the clock, ha ha.



Last edited by hogradish on Mon Mar 07, 2022 1:16 pm; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : added more coffee what I was trying to say)



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LoveSurvivor305

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Great points @hogradish!
See this?

"TOMOMI: It feels like we're pushing out and expressing what we must do right now and what we want to do."

Gotcha! This was almost SIX YEARS AGO! They have once said about YELLOW the very same things they are saying right now. So you can easily use their own words against them to prove that they are (excuse my language) bulls*itting us about not being happy with themselves in the past and having never really done exactly what they wanted until now. It feels like a marketing trick in a way.

That (btw. pretty cool) fast food analogy should apply to SCANDAL, but it kind of doesn't. Naturally, tastes change, bands expand their sounds... but what about this?

It's not like you've been living a lie all that time...

...but they are kind of acting as if they have. And I see that as a manipulative way to make fans appreciate their current direction more than they otherwise would by partially discrediting who they used to be. (The problem is we can basically prove that it's not sincere.) Just say you've changed, that's okay. Don't try to change our perception of your past selves. Next time maybe let the music speak for itself and spare us from such massive statements, especially if they're not entirely honest.


btw. Rina recently appeared on a TV show called "Onchika", where she said that SCANDAL BABY is still her all-time favorite song by the band. Make of it what you will, I just thought it was pretty interesting.  Billboard Japan - SCANDAL's "MIRROR" Interview 1f604

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hogradish

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LoveSurvivor305 wrote:Great points @hogradish!

Gotcha! This was almost SIX YEARS AGO!
Yes. I quoted that to show how truth can sometimes be relative, and tied to a point in time. 40 years ago it was true when I said my waist was 30". Now when I say it's 36" it is also true. (sad, but true, lol) It's possible that 6 years from now, Scandal will say they finally have become their true selves, and it will also be true; true at the time.
30 years ago I had to wear a brown uniform at work. When they changed to a blue uniform I was delighted, but it was still a uniform. Then I worked at a place where you could wear what you wanted, but no sandals were allowed and safety glasses were required. Now I'm retired and I wear what I want. At no point did my clothes make me unhappy, but it's also true that each change made me happier.
I don't think Scandal wants to be untruthful in an interview. They like to show a softer side. They often write personal lyrics. When they've said that in the past, it's been true. For this album it's more true, that's all.



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LoveSurvivor305

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@hogradish

We've spent enough time discussing this already, so I'll keep it short. You're clearly still missing the point. I didn't doubt for a second that they are true to themselves at the moment and they are comfortable and happy with the music they're making, even preferring it over their previous output. The problem is they're acting like it's the very first time they've ever felt that way, which is (as proven by that 2016 quote) simply not true  End of story.

btw. A 36" waist is just fine, man  Billboard Japan - SCANDAL's "MIRROR" Interview 1f604

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thoseguiltyeyes

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You also need to consider that they were still with Sony/Epic up until the end of 2018 and arguably weren't as free to do what they wanted compared to now. You can kind of infer how controlling/picky their former label must have been (i.e. the covers of practically all of their Sony releases feature the band themselves on them, but since moving to Victor they have had zero covers like that), and they said they started "her" to be more true to themselves. It is quite believable that right now, at this very point in time, they are feeling the most free and true to themselves than they've ever felt before. So they're not exactly being dishonest when they say they're feeling this way for the first time.

But anyway. I think we can all agree that SCANDAL feeling good about themselves and their music = good. Billboard Japan - SCANDAL's "MIRROR" Interview 1f44d



Billboard Japan - SCANDAL's "MIRROR" Interview 39iLxaW

2011.7.3 AM2 2012.3.28 SCANDAL vs BUDOKAN 11.3+4 QAT Tour @名古屋 11.10 Happy MUSIC Live 2012 2013.3.3 SCANDAL OSAKA-JO HALL 2013 2014.6.1 HNL Ekiden & Music 2014 6.2 Fan Meeting 2015 HELLO WORLD @ Paris - London - Essen - Chicago - MEX - LA - Anaheim 2016.1.12+13 PERFECT WORLD 5.21 Welcome Fan Meeting 5.22 HNL Ekiden & Music 2016 5.23 Farewell Fan Meeting 8.21 SCAFes 2017.7.14 47 Prefecture Tour @ 茨城 - 水戸 - 東京 2018 Special Thanks @NY - SF - Anaheim - MTY - MEX - Dallas 2022 MIRROR @Toronto - NY - Boston - Atlanta 2023 UU @ 福岡 - 東京 08.21 Sekai Ichi 2024 LUMINOUS @ 名古屋 - 横浜 - 大阪 - 奈良
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LoveSurvivor305

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I would like to apologize to everyone who has wasted their time reading this thread past the first few comments, but with every new point of view I've felt that I should keep explaining mine and (as you'll see below) it only got us exactly where we started.

@thosegulityeyes

That they've changed their label is not something I've forgotten about. Yes, the label can for sure influence the band's image and perhaps push them in a certain musical direction, but it probably doesn't dictate what their artists should say in interviews. In my mind, Tomo said what she said, because she either really believed it at the time, or it just sounded good (certainly better than: "Well, we did what we could."). It would be wonderfully easy to blame all these contradicting statements on their old label and I wish we could do that. Unfortunately, so far we've (rather conveniently) ignored an entire important era in the band's history.

Was "her" started just a few weeks ago? Nope. Is MIRROR the first album released on that label? Nope. When KFTD was released, the fans were lead to think, that that was finally the real SCANDAL and they were finally free to do whatever they wanted. I was just becoming a fan of theirs shortly after that and I must say that this "finally true SCANDAL" thing was one of the reasons KFTD became my favorite album of theirs. Fast forward less than 2 years later and guess what? They take it back once again! Only this time there couldn't have been any outside influence on their sound. They yet again weren't true to themselves, but simply because they didn't feel like it. It turns out that KFTD was sort of a fan service as well. That ultimately brings us back to my initial comment: It's really sad, that it took them 15 years to finally realize they don't always need to make stuff that simply pleases their fans, because this realization could have come much sooner.

Both you and @hogradish have given really good arguments and you both approached this situation from slightly different points of view, but (to even my own surprise) it didn't lead us to any new conclusion. We're back to the 2 options I described a couple days ago: Either they're lying right now, which I doubt, or they had been lying until now, which would indeed partially discredit what they've done in the past. The stupid thing is we don't know which of their past songs/videos/lives etc. they're no longer proud of and we're left to believe that it's everything that wouldn't fit their current image - and that would be A LOT of stuff. (But that's clearly not the case, as they recently performed SCANDAL IN THE HOUSE - literally the one song I would have never expected to hear from them again. So that's a very good sign, although yet another contradictory move.)

Everything would have been better if everytime they were about to make a big statement about themselves they first stopped to think about what it really means and whether they should even say it if nobody makes them say it. So far I've come to a rather unpleasant conclusion: The only way I can keep being a proud fan of everything SCANDAL have ever done and maintain a high level of respect for them as people is to start ignoring what they say. 


Once again, sorry for being way too elaborate. I initially didn't mean to, but later felt pressured into it. And the purpose of all this was definitely not to make anybody (not even myself) dislike this new era of the band or anything like that. It's just that I love SCANDAL so much and can't help but analyze everything they do. And perhaps I needed to complain about this whole media crap publicly to get it off my chest and only now I can finally silently cope with it by myself.  Billboard Japan - SCANDAL's "MIRROR" Interview 1f605

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richard scranton

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You're way over thinking this, no one is lying they are just expressing what they feel at the time of the interview. It feels like you have them on trial on the witness stand and are cross-examining them about past statements. 

They have changed and grown a lot over the past 15 years and part of that is having a bigger hand in what they are able to do. They should be happy to have control over their own career.



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Don Dio

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Personally, I take absolutely no stock in what they are saying now.

You can go back and read or see interviews from any artist over the last 50 years and see a common pattern between them all.  No matter what record they had just produced it will always be the best one they ever made, and it is the best expression of themselves.  The newest single is always their favorite one in the catalog.  Whomever they worked with on the album or song is a complete genius and brought X-whatever out of them that they didn't even know they had.  Blah blah blah.

Keep in mind they are promoting themselves and their art.  No artist is ever going to say what they just put out is garbage and they are just following trends to stay relevant.  They want you to buy the album and go see them on tour.  This doesn't mean Scandal is being untrue to themselves or their fans in what they are saying now.  I believe they really do believe this is the best expression of themselves... now.  Come tomorrow it is going to be the next thing they work on.  That makes sense to me even if I may not always agree it is their best.

I often care more about what an artist says about their catalogue when they have stepped away from it for a long time, maybe after a long career, and they are no longer promoting anything specific.  A great example of this is in Motley Crue's book, The Dirt.  I am not a fan of the band, but it's a very interesting oral memoir that I think every aspiring musician should read to learn what not to do in their career.  In it they are very blunt at how crappy some of their best-selling albums were during their heyday.  They knew at the time they were putting out crap, and yet they said differently in the press at the time.

Maybe 15 years from now Scandal won't give a darn so much anymore on what anyone else thinks of them and what they have done, and they will assess their albums and songs much in the same way that we do as fans, but only with the perspective of someone who actually wrote and recorded the work.  At that time we will know how valid what they are saying now truly is.  Until then, I await the next CD to drop to confirm for me where their musical heart lies in the "now."

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streame

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Thanks for translating as always! It's a titanic works, kudos for putting your time into it.

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etwee

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Hadn't found time to read this thread until streame's comment just brought it up now. It's a little puzzling to me since when I read the interview, I must have just skimmed over the "truer to ourselves than ever" theme. Whether just the usual self-promotion or fresh and sincere, or some combination—didn't matter one way or another.
But it was cool to hear background on individual songs and the overall mood of the album. Not surprisingly this involved the pandemic era we all went through (and still are) together. So what they've shared—in the album and in the interview—is not so much a stage in their lives, as the profoundly social experiences of this era. 
And isn't this, in fact, more daring than any album they've done before? After all, when SCANDAL steps away from their usual image—like any band, they risk losing more fans than they win. God, let's hope they win more. 
The way their music and lyrics work together moves me to tears. Yeh not the first time I've said this either—love all their work especially since Queens Are Trumps—but MIRROR definitely moves me the most of any album they've done.



Last edited by etwee on Thu May 05, 2022 1:02 am; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : clarity)

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Kokopelliaz

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LoveSurvivor305 wrote:As much as I like MIRROR, it mostly kind of lacks the things, that made me such a fan of theirs in the first place.
 This. This right here.  Billboard Japan - SCANDAL's "MIRROR" Interview 1f625



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