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SCANDAL TOUR 2024 "LUMINOUS" @ Fukuoka DRUM LOGOS, day 1

Spoiler:

SCANDAL: 「Thank you so much to everyone who came out to the second performance of the tour, day 1 in Fukuoka. Our first time in 7 years at DRUM LOGOS was the best!
Today is day 2, so please come by!」

TOMOMI: 「Fukuoka day 1, thanks〜🫶

Way happy that we're playing in Fukuoka tomorrow too‍」

HARUNA: 「Fukuoka day 1, thanks〜! So happy we got to see everyone having fun🥰 We'll do our best today too!!」

RINA: 「Fukuoka day 1. A red-hot night. Our first time playing in 7 years at the music club we went to on our 47-prefecture tour. There were still a lot of people who went to that concert, and there was about the same amount of people seeing us for the first time. How did they find out about us? I was really happy and my heart was full as we talked. We carefully perform each and every song with all kinds of feelings. We were full of gratitude today as well. We'll do our best tomorrow, too.」

"her" Magazine Vol. 4 Translations

Song Explanations

Gunjou pleats
Ultramarine pleats

MAMI: While making this album, when about half of the songs were finished, I wondered, "What kind of songs should we include from here?" I dug through my voice memos and this song came up. When was it from, again? I had pieces of the lyrics and melody for quite some time, but I never knew what kind of chords to use for the melody because I didn't write the song while playing the guitar. Although I had an image of it in my mind, I hadn't been able to give it shape for a long time.

TOMOMI: You had shared this song with us a long time ago. We said back then too that it was good but wasn't time for it to take shape yet.

MAMI: At that time it had no arrangement; it was just me playing on an acoustic guitar and singing, so it was difficult to convey to you guys what I had in mind. I had a vague idea that I wanted to make a song about clothes, so I started to again expand the image I had of it from there. When I thought about what kind of clothes gets me most excited, I suddenly thought, "Pleated skirts!" An image of me riding the train and going to all sorts of places while my pleated skirt fluttered in the wind kept expanding in my head....and that's how the lyrics started to come together. It's good because it goes well with the power and brightness that the word LUMINOUS, the title of this album, has, and because it's a song that we normally wouldn't have as the first track.

RINA: And recording for this song was finished last. When we decided on the tracklist at the end of recording instruments, the sound make-up of "Gunjou pleats" itself felt quite new to us. Since this was also a new challenge for us genre-wise, we all felt that it was the perfect opening for this album.

TOMOMI: I love this song!

All: Ahahaha.

HARUNA: The lyrics are really lovely, too. The cheerful lyrics about resolving uncertainties and moving forward on your own fit perfectly with our recent mood.

RINA: They do fit. The protagonist is an independent girl who knows how to enjoy her life to the max. I think that's really lovely.

TOMOMI: It'll be really difficult to perform live, though (laughs).

HARUNA: That's so true (laughs).

TOMOMI: Pop songs seriously are the most difficult ones. This made me realize that again.

MAMI: I wanted to make it sound like our roots: the Western dance music from the 1990s to 2000s that we used to dance to. I had the arrangement done to evoke a feel of hip-hop and R&B music from that era, including sound effects. Impressive guitar cutting, too, for example.

RINA: Each part had its challenging aspects to play, but I'm glad we tried so hard to make it sound the way it does.

HARUNA: Compared to recent songs, this one took quite a bit of time, didn't it? (laughs)

RINA: But it was fun, even though it took until midnight!

HARUNA: The guitar solo was recorded at the end, so we had a lot of fun using various effects pedals (laughs).

RINA: We were recording while thinking "Wow, that's cool〜" for each take (laughs).

---

Fanfare

TOMOMI: This is the ending song for the anime HIGHSPEED Étoile. It's a story about women who take on the challenge of car racing, and we were asked to depict strong women that match the characters in this anime. When we got this offer, it was right around the time we were also working hard to get a Guinness World Record.

HARUNA: Around spring 2023.

TOMOMI: Yeah. That's why we wanted to create a song that would fit with our own realistic story and the anime's story. MAMI wrote the music, and I added the lyrics to it. However, at that time, I had consistently been writing lyrics focused on everyday life. That's why it had been a long time since I had written lyrics with broader meaning.

RINA: It had been a while since TOMOMI had written an outward-facing song, or even a tie-in song itself.

TOMOMI: Yeah. That's why, to be honest, I had a pretty hard time. I like to turn feelings that you have in life, like "Oh, these are important feelings, but I feel like I'm going to forget them" into lyrics or songs. Instead, I wrote this song by really getting close to the band and facing our current situation deeply in my heart... As I did so and looked at everyone, I couldn't stop the tears from coming out. I ended up finishing the song while crying.

HARUNA: Back then, you didn't sleep at all while writing the lyrics, didn't you?

MAMI: You didn't sleep for about 3 days.

TOMOMI: I couldn't sleep. I got to the point where I could only sleep for about 6 hours a week. Towards the end, I was seriously crying every day while writing. During that time, even after getting our Guinness World Record, the band was constantly discussing what we were going to do and wondering what direction to take in the future. How can I put it... I'm sure I feel the same way about SCANDAL as the fans do. I probably subconsciously felt that things will just continue like this forever, as if it were a given. On the other hand, after getting our Guinness World Record, I thought it would be difficult to set bigger goals than that. How should we live from here on? How can we express ourselves as a band in our current state? I think that was probably the first time we really took the time to think about these things carefully. 17 years of hard work have been very much worth it, and I am grateful to be able to live as one of these four members of the band. Thinking about these things made me feel both pain and joy, and I kept writing and erasing things over and over again. We also did many pre-production sessions and tried singing it once, didn't we?

HARUNA: Although this is a tie-in song, the anime itself is a story that cherishes female strength and depicts unapologetic female characters, so we were grateful that we were able to fit well with it.

MAMI: The anime side wanted a song that was speedy and intense with a fast tempo, similar to SCANDAL's past songs that we often perform live. TOMOMI struggled not just with the content of the lyrics, but also with writing lyrics for songs with this kind of melody. I could sense the difficulty she was having, even from the sidelines.

TOMOMI: But it also gave me a chance to deeply think about the band again, so I think it was a good opportunity for me.

---

Watashi-tachi
Us

RINA: This song was developed starting with the lyrics—it's like I polished up lyrics I had written about 4-5 years ago. The things I was thinking back then sometimes have a different outcome when viewed through my current feelings. At the time, I thought the lyrics should be developed a little more, or that something was missing. But revisiting those lyrics now, I feel like not having a clear "answer" or "goal" is more realistic. I feel that my perspective on love as an adult, and the views of my friends and those close to me, have expanded significantly over the past five years. I was reminded that the same goes for the way partners are with each other, and that nowadays there are so many complex and diverse people out there, and many different forms of relationships. The answer isn't just to switch gears and move forward. As for the wording, I wanted to include lots of girly words and incorporate cute words. However, I'm not good at adding melodies after writing lyrics first, so I asked MAMI to finish it while I provided her with image references along the way.

HARUNA: You talked a lot about the music. You had a clear vision of what kind of music you wanted from the beginning.

RINA: That's right. From the start, I had an idea of wanting to incorporate piano keys and create a pop song that was bright, cute, and easy to hum along to.

MAMI: When I was given those references and compared them to the lyrics, I got the impression that the song was "bright but sincere," or rather, sad. Or emotional. I had hoped that the melody and arrangement could help convey those feelings. Ryo Eguchi, who also arranged "Highlight no Naka de Bokura Zutto," is very good at keeping the balance between the lyrics and the music, so we asked him to do that for this one as well.

RINA: He finished it in a very exquisite way.

TOMOMI: Did you have a title in mind for it from the start?

RINA: No, I came up with the title at this time. It ended up being a very stripped-down title, but I felt it was a word that could be used regardless of gender. I have many people around me, including those of the same gender, and I wanted a title that everyone who listened to it could feel was "their own song."

HARUNA: When RINA first sent us these lyrics, it was when we already had several songs for this album. Comparing it to the other songs, RINA said, "Maybe this one's a little too negative?" But we thought that these feelings are natural for us as well, and we replied, "There are many people who go through these things in their lives, and this can be a source of strength for them." These past 2-3 years, we went through things like the pandemic and releasing our 10th album MIRROR. This album as a whole feels like we've finally emerged from a tunnel, so this kind of song didn't sound negative to us. In fact, I think it's a song that makes you feel like we've changed so much that we're now able to sing songs like this in a realistic way. SCANDAL didn't originally write songs that felt like they were "still in the development process," but I'm sure that our fans, who have grown up alongside us, have experienced realistic love and experiences like this. It would be great if we could convey that we're living normal human lives just like everyone else.

RINA: That's right. I used to think that achieving a goal was the greatest happiness, but now I strongly feel like that's not the only thing. If we had sung this song 10 years ago, it might have sounded completely different.

HARUNA: So, when RINA was writing these lyrics 4-5 years ago and felt like something was missing, it was probably a genuine feeling. At that time, she might have been worried that the lyrics wouldn't capture a more advanced outcome. It's a song that we can sing now because we've changed a lot since then.

---

Plum

TOMOMI: When making this album, we started talking about wanting to incorporate ideas from people other than just the four of us. We each listed the names of those we wanted to work with. At that time, I suggested EOW since I've been friends with their vocalist Laco since 7th grade (12 years old). No, maybe 6th grade (11 years old) (laughs). We're like childhood friends. We attended the same dance school and took lessons, formed a unit, and performed at events together. We really did spend our youth together. She's had so many experiences including being in an all-girl band, and after meeting some great members, she's now in the band EOW. I'm truly a fan of this band. I wanted a song with a "fun yet tear-jerking" EOW-like melody. and she was really happy when I mentioned wanting to work together. We had always said we should work together someday, and since our families have been friends for such a long time, both of our mothers cried with joy (laughs).

MAMI: These lyrics have been around for a while, haven't they? I wouldn't say they're from 10 years ago, but you probably wrote them when you were 26-27? I remember you showing them to me.

TOMOMI: Maybe so. They might be from my late 20s. Part of this song, not all of it, was completed at that time. I thought it would be good to work with Laco on something like "the end of love," and I thought it would fit the bittersweet feeling of adult youth coming to an end. I chose the title "Plum" because it included those elements. Since all of the EOW members are amazing musicians, I wondered how they would arrange the song, but it surprisingly fit seamlessly with SCANDAL. All them came to the recording as well, and did everything from direction of the instruments to the direction of the vocals. It had been a long time since we had someone else create a melody for us, so it felt refreshing.

HARUNA: I said this a lot back then as well, but the melody really made me think that it's definitely created by someone from the same school as us. The feel of the chorus reminded me of when we used to sing gospel together, and it was fun to be able to sing in a way that brought me back to the old days.

TOMOMI: I feel our shared roots in the chorus work especially. Originally, the last line of the chorus included the phrase "Those days were like a mirage," but then the idea came up to separate it and make it part of the chorus work. That was really interesting. It's nice when something we never would have come up with adds some spice to an album.

---

CANDY

HARUNA: This song was recorded at the same time as "Plum."

RINA: We recorded "CANDY" and then were supposed to record "Plum" the next day. I remember that day very well because I had contracted COVID (laughs).

MAMI: It was originally a song made as the B-side for Highlight no Naka de Bokura Zutto, but when we saw the overall picture of the album, we wanted to include "CANDY" as well.

TOMOMI: That was when we were deciding on which songs to include.

RINA: We usually have 10 songs on an album, but this time we went with 11. So at first, it consisted of 10 songs excluding "CANDY."

TOMOMI: When those 10 songs came together, we felt like we needed to add more dynamics and tension to the album, so in a haste we decided to include it.

MAMI: I think the inclusion of "CANDY" really improved the album's balance.

TOMOMI: I've had the lyrical pieces of this song for quite some time, but I didn't really give it a proper form until early 2023. I've already talked about the content of the song in a few interviews, but I was hoping it could be a song that would be able to encourage people who are living like they're all alone. It's like a support song for those who are too kind, overly emotional, or are clumsy in life like those around me, and wanting them to feel not just the bitterness but also the sweetness of life. That's why it's titled "CANDY." This song is of course great with our usual band-style performance, but I vividly remember when we performed it last year at a camp-type festival called Muginotoki Ongakusai. Doing it stripped down, acoustic, like we did there, was refreshing and fun. It made me feel like our range of expression is deepening as we move forward. Since this song fits well with acoustic performances like that, I thought it would be nice to have more songs, though not all of them, in this kind of direction from now on.

---

Vision

HARUNA: The B-side song for Line of sight.

RINA: I wrote it impulsively right after getting back from COUNTDOWN JAPAN at the end of 2022. In the dressing room at the festival, I had a moment of realization after talking to a close female photographer who has been taking pictures of us since our debut. I've always believed that SCANDAL's music contains many hints for life. That's something I'm proud of, and it's an aspect where I can acknowledge myself for being able to express those feelings. But when I'm alone, there are moments when I think about things I wouldn't when working or on stage, sometimes even engaging in self-destructive thoughts—that's just part of being human. In those moments, I catch myself thinking that this mindset isn't good, but at the same time, I can't help but think, "I'm lacking here," or "It would have been better if it were more like this." That's what the photographer pointed out to me. She said, "RINA, you sometimes doubt yourself, don't you?" That really struck a chord with me, and that conversation led to me to create the lyrics and music at almost the same time. It was good that those cloudy feelings could be channeled into music in a positive way. It became a song that reminds me to acknowledge those feelings and to live true to myself. I'm glad I could preserve it as a piece of music.

MAMI: It's a very RINA-like song.

RINA: At that time, I also couldn't imagine what my future would look like, and I also wanted a vision for the band. I like setting a goal, working backwards from there, and thinking, "This is how I'm going to put it together!" But it was stressful at the time because I wasn't sure where I was headed. This was a period of time when I wasn't able to let go of my frustrations, so I wrote this song while thinking, once again, that I like to live my life with a bright future in mind. I felt like I needed to capture that feeling before I forgot it, so I decided to write it all at once and then go to sleep. I wrote down those feelings with momentum. I hadn't written that impulsively in a long time. I was really struggling and feeling like things weren't going well, but looking back now that the album is completed, I think this song is also very positive. The album's title LUMINOUS means "to emit light" or "to be clear," and if I look at "Vision" as one of those them, even if the vision isn't clear, I can now feel that the destination I arrived at through struggling is the correct one.

HARUNA: When we held the Line of sight signings, a lot of people said that they like "Vision." Later, when we performed it live, the crowd was really into it. This song felt too precious to just leave as a B-side song. Its placement on this album adds an intriguing connection to the next track as well.

---

LOOP

RINA: This song made me realize again that I really love rock music (laughs). I created it with the hope of having a song that we could really rock out to during our music club tour, which was already scheduled at the time. It's an alternative rock song, and I wrote it with a vibe like, "Let's distort those guitars!" I can't play the guitar well, so when I produce on my own, I always loop chords and build on top of them. For parts where I don't know the chords, I just focus on the rhythm. I wanted to make a song that embraces this "limitation," so I created the chords using loops.

HARUNA: We put this song on hold once. We wanted to leverage the looping chords, but on the other hand, it inevitably becomes monotonous that way, so we wondered how to address that challenge. There was a time when we couldn't come up with many ideas for that, but it was good that we later asked Satori Shiraishi to arrange it. He devised a way to make it not monotonous.

RINA: We changed the chorus. By creating several patterns for the melody itself, we were able to get rid of those issues. I changed the lyrics accordingly. The structure is extremely simple, so we can perform it to our hearts' content without any burden on our playing. We recorded the whole thing all at once, and it only took about an hour, right? The key point was to make it loud and distorted, with an energy that emanates something.

HARUNA: We also tried to balance it to match my vocals.

RINA: I made about 3 versions with completely different lyrics. At first, I wanted a longer tone with fewer words and more of a shouting feel, but finding the right balance overall was challenging. After considering how to highlight HARUNA's vocals and other elements, we decided to go with a calm tone for the chorus. That fit in nicely, and we were able to land on the form we have now. But thinking about it again, the change in mindset that came from confronting this "limitation" during the production process was a big thing for me. This "limitation" had always been a source of frustration. I understood that I had been struggling with the same issues for a long time, and that nothing would change if I didn't do something differently. I kept repeating that cycle, feeling exhausted by staying in the same place. So, it was a significant change for me to face my own weaknesses and the areas I wanted to fix, and to be able to challenge myself to break through and try new things. On the other hand, while this is my own problem, I feel that it is similar to societal issues when I watch various news programs. People getting hurt and broken over the same things, and the feeling of frustration like "How long will this keep repeating?" resonated with me. It'll probably won't ever go away. It's incredibly frustrating. I don't think anything will change just because I was able to create this song, but I feel like I was able to express my frustrations and sublimate them.

HARUNA: It's also nice that this song is after "Vision" and then leads to "Line of sight."

---

Line of sight

MAMI: We were on SiM's nationwide tour when we received this offer, so this song is from around autumn 2022. The offer was to provide the theme song for the arcade game "Mobile Suit Gundam Arsenal Base LINXTAGE," which would play during battle scenes and other exciting moments. When it comes to songs that'll hype up battles, I thought we could tackle it with the kind of band sound SCANDAL is good at, but I didn't want it to be the same as before. Keita Kawaguchi, who arranged it, made it look very stylish. If I had done it myself, it might have turned out even more stout. I enjoy playing this song the most now (laughs).

All: Ahahaha.

TOMOMI: Kawaguchi's arrangement is very stylish and sounds very light, but it's actually quite difficult to do.

MAMI: It's the same for "Gunjou pleats."

TOMOMI: It's like we're improving our skills while having fun (laughs).

MAMI: It's more like we're studying. After all, he's someone who has been arranging our songs since our debut, so there's a sense that the variety in his arrangements has contributed to my current skill set (laughs), allowing me to do more. It's difficult, so it makes you want to take on the challenge, and there's an exhilarating feeling that makes it so much fun to play. Whether it's the melody, lyrics, or arrangement, I think it's necessary to have external input and discover things that we can't see just by doing it ourselves.

RINA: But when we were making "Line of sight," things were really tough. The production period was around the time COVID hit and live events kept getting canceled. It was already the worst kind of feeling, but because the four of us overcame such a difficult time together, we were on the same page. I think it's a song that expresses the desire to look in the same direction again and do your best even if you're struggling. But really, it was tough to do while looking at ourselves like that. And the situation with the pandemic, too. Listening to the song again now, I'm amazed at how we broke free. I never thought we could reach LUMINOUS from the pain we felt at that time. Going through these ups and downs, reaching a point where the four of us are living as we want to is definitely the right thing, and realizing that we ourselves are shining gives me a huge sense of relief. I really thought things were hopeless. But because we struggled so much to get to that point, I also think that's why it turned out to be such a cool song.

HARUNA: It's really significant that we managed to overcome it. I also think this is around when everyone evolved again, including the way we write lyrics. We're no longer bound by the rules we had before. We were able to get rid of the production flow and the structure of lyrics, which had been solidified to an extent, around this time. We were even able to forget the rules and put our feelings into music. That's why it felt like the possibilities were expanding again.

RINA: In a way, we might have been so desperate that we couldn't even be bothered with those rules.

---

Anata e
To You

MAMI: This is the song we asked Rhythmic Toy World (※a four-piece rock band formed in 2009) to write the music for. I'm good friends with vocalist Ucchi (Naotaka Uchida), and we hang out at festivals, talk, and even go out for drinks. I'm simply a fan of Rhythmic Toy World myself and really love the melodies Ucchi creates, so I'm happy I got to sing a song like this this time! I've always thought that Rhythmic's spiritual nature as a band is similar to SCANDAL's, and that SCANDAL listeners would definitely like their sound. It would also make me happy if people started listening to them because of this connection.

HARUNA: As for the lyrics, you wrote some pretty in-depth stuff.

MAMI: I was allowed to express myself rather frankly. I wasn't sure how much I should say, so I had to check with the members and Ucchi and make adjustments. Looking back on the production process, I think 2023 was definitely a year in which I wanted to express my gratitude to everyone again. Because it's not like I'm working 100% for myself, having people who listen to and support us is what makes me successful. I also want to make sure not to forget their existence, and I thought it would be good if we could reaffirm that by singing this song ourselves. Even in the process of creating lyrics, there was this idea of stripping away the rules we had before, just like we talked about with "Line of sight." I've always had a division in my mind between what's okay to say and what I shouldn't say, but this time I wrote without even worrying about that. I used to think that being too direct with lyrics might not be a good idea, but I threw away that notion as well this time. I was like, "I'm just going to write it all down!" I previously didn't show any painful or difficult parts, but I feel like I've been allowed to do whatever I want this time. I'm very grateful to the members for allowing me to sing these lyrics.

RINA: I very much feel that our true feelings can be conveyed now by speaking frankly like this. The line "You're the reason I'm here singing" might sound very superficial if you don't dig deeper into it, but because those words include everything about our career to date and what we're dealing with, this one line really hits home. There's weight to it. MAMI was worried about whether it was okay to say all of this, but I really thought that a strong piece of music was created by expressing everything to this extent. It's a really cool way to express our intent, and I think fans will be happy to hear it. You can feel the life in those words because we've come this far.

MAMI: During the pandemic, we were working on songs for live performances. When those performances couldn't happen, it felt like we couldn't create anything at all. However, now that we're able to perform live again, I think that the meaning will change again, including the places where we'll sing it. I think this song represents the lives of the four of us, standing on stage as SCANDAL.

RINA: Every line of lyrics resonates with me. Everything makes sense to me. It might make some listeners think, "You still feel that way?" But we haven't achieved the dreams we envisioned. We've come this far with so many different feelings. However, there is certainly a strength here that allowed the four of us to choose this path of becoming a band, and to hold each other's hands throughout our long journey.

MAMI: But you know, in writing this, I also wanted to say that these feelings have come to a close. There's also a sense of closure—a good ending, so to speak. I actually intended it to be happier and more cheerful, but I must have felt like there needed to be some sort of closure at the end. This song brought it all out.

---

1:47

HARUNA: I worked on this song last year, before summer. We were brainstorming ideas together, whether it would be for an album track or a B-side for a single. We had just released Line of sight and were preparing for Highlight no Naka de Bokura Zutto, so it was when we were often writing songs about our feelings towards our band. So, I was hoping to create a song that was more in tune with everyday life, but I didn't really have a clear direction in mind. That was when I found myself lying in bed and thinking about all kinds of things. My mind was spinning round and round. You know how sometimes you start thinking about past relationships when you're frustrated? As I thought about that, the lyrics that would become the basis for this song started pouring out and I quickly wrote them down in my phone's notes. It was exactly 1:47 in the morning. The melody naturally emerged from the lyrics, and I sent the acoustic version to everyone at first. Although I wrote about love in detail, in the end I feel like it became a song about the changes in my own sense of independence.

TOMOMI: HARUNA kept talking about this song's second verse around this time. Things like, "I didn't really like drinking that much," or "I didn't really like this food either." When you become an adult, you think "I should be able to eat this kind of food because I'm an adult," or "It's cooler to like this kind of food." We've all grown up while having an ideal image of adulthood in our minds. As we age while maintaining that awareness, and when we become adults in the true sense of the word, those "I actually didn't like that" feelings I heard from HARUNA really resonated with me. That's why I think this song's second verse is really great!

All: Ahahaha.

HARUNA: I think that feeling applies to love as well. Whether it's relationships or the band, or probably anything else, I feel like I have a particularly strong ability to accept things. Since I'm someone with a broad range of acceptance, I tend to try things out that everyone says are good, and I can usually understand and appreciate the fun or deliciousness in them. I'm the type who likes to try various new things and experiences. But as I accepted all these things and moved forward, I started to realize after turning 30 that I'm more fit to burst than I thought. So over the past few years, I've started to think about what I really like and what kind of person I am by nature, in relation to my already oversaturated capacity. I'm starting to feel like I need to whittle down all of these things I've gained. That's how I feel about past relationships, too. It's just as the lyrics say: I was trying to like the things the person I loved liked, but when I think about it now, I didn't really like those things that much. But even so, I think it's okay to be like that. I sang it as a romantic experience with no particular sense of pessimism. This song is about the importance of having various experiences and realizing various things through them, and that although the person you loved at the time is on a completely different path, you're passing time together on your own paths.

TOMOMI: So cute.

RINA: This song has a really good sound.

TOMOMI: When I first listened to the demo, the "ta-ta-ta-ta" in the chorus was really impactful.

HARUNA: I imagined it as just an alternative shoegaze-like song at first—nothing really special. I had mentioned to Satori Shiraishi that I thought that kind of arrangement might work. But when we actually went into the studio and started from scratch, the melody itself was so straightforward that when we put chords on it, it ended up feeling pretty standard. We talked about things like how the beginning of the song has a bit of a rap-like rhythm, so it might be a good idea to start with a breakbeat-like rhythm instead of starting with instruments. We were so worried about all these things that we both fell silent for a while. Satori then suggested, "Why don't you create the rhythm with your voice?" So I gave it a try. The same goes for the "ta-ta-ta-ta" part. When I tried playing the bassline with my voice, I thought, "Oh, this might be pretty interesting?" It started to come together nicely. It ended up creating a sense of time passing, which was great. I'm happy that we started from scratch and ended up with a fun sound, and I'm satisfied with how it turned out.

---

Highlight no Naka de Bokura Zutto
We're Always in the Highlights

MAMI: These lyrics were actually written in 2022, when we contracted COVID during an overseas tour, which had to be canceled. I didn't think we would catch COVID overseas, and we had no choice but to live at a hotel, and that was the first time I really thought I might die. I had never strongly felt, "I don't want to die yet!" in my life before, but at that moment, I thought for the first time, "Oh, I might not want to die here." I had always been the type to think that when it's time to die, it's time, so I had never really felt the strong desire to cling to life. But when I thought that we might not be able to perform on stage as a band anymore, I felt like I should preserve my current feelings as lyrics. When you see so many artists and idols passing away for various reasons, it really makes you realize that the people in front of you aren't going to be around forever. I wanted someone to support me while recognizing that.

HARUNA: You were a little angry (laughs).

TOMOMI: She was (laughs).

RINA: Well, it is the truth (laughs).

MAMI: The actions and words of those who support you can sometimes affect not only their own mental state but also that of the group. I was angry about that, and I really felt that our presence itself is not eternal after all. We've been saying this for a while now. We recognize those things anew, and we want everyone else to do the same. But music endures by continuing to be shared in this way. When I wondered how many "eternities" we would be able to play in the future, I thought it would be good if we could continue our activities feeling that the present is the best time for us. I'm glad I was able to preserve it as music like this again.

TOMOMI: "Highlight no Naka de Bokura Zutto," as well as "Anata e" and "Fanfare"—it's rare to have such a collection of songs that focus so much on the band rather than us as individuals. It feels like there haven't been many songs like that previously in our career. But when we decided on the title LUMINOUS, we felt that it was connected to our journey so far. It was a necessary time in the process of getting to this point as a time to truly confront ourselves.

MAMI: There was a period when I had really frustrating feelings about the band SCANDAL. This song was created at that point in time, so the lyrics were like, "Why don't you understand us?" (laughs) or "We're working so hard, you know!" Now that I've said what I wanted to say, I feel like this is the end of that mindset. As TOMOMI mentioned earlier, I vividly remember when we were brainstorming for words when we decided on the title LUMINOUS. We brought together words like "light" and "piercing" while saying things like how "pure feelings are coming out." When I look back at it again like this, I realize that many songs were created with that kind of mindset. Even though we didn't put it into words, we've been grappling with this sort of haze for the past few years, searching for the light at the end of a long tunnel. Finally, a glimmer of light appeared, and little by little, we started moving towards it on our own. It's like we all shared that feeling even without saying it out loud. I think we came up with a really fitting title.

TOMOMI: When you listen to each song individually, they're not necessarily very cheerful. But when you put them together, you can feel a light-hearted mood to it. There were also plenty of difficult parts, but accepting them as part of the process allowed us to move forward.

RINA: Each of us wanted to write what we were thinking in a transparent way, which is why the album became a collection of pure expressions. I'm glad we were able to create it in this way at this point in our journey, and considering the uncertainty of how long we'll be able to deliver music in this "album" format in this day and age, I really think it's great that we were able to preserve it like this. I think it's an album filled with emotions that will still feel important even when we reach our 40s and 50s. I feel like we should give ourselves plenty of praise and even flowers to celebrate the fact that we were able to create this, our 11th album. I'm proud that we worked so hard, if I do say so myself.

HARUNA: I feel like we truly captured the essence of what it means to create an album together as the four of us. Up until now, we've been writing our own songs and coming up with ideas ourselves, of course, but we had our staff supporting us, and it felt like we created this piece as a team. We still have a lot of people supporting us, and while we're still a team, it feels like we were able to create this album more faithfully to our own ideas and beliefs. During recording sessions and even yesterday, it was just the four of us recording vocals together. That also made me happy. The album is filled with songs that we honestly think are good and were able to create with 100% purity, so we've been able to take more responsibility for the band SCANDAL and move forward. It feels like shedding old skin. I think this is an album that makes us feel that SCANDAL is at a very important time in its history right now.

TOMOMI: That feeling has been there since MIRROR. Since then, we've been trying to express our current feelings in a more pure way in our songs. From there, we started to see further changes in our mindset, creating a gradation that led to this. On MIRROR, we expressed our own darkness, or rather, our "confusion" as is. The gradient of transitioning from that tunnel-like state to LUMINOUS allowed us to reconnect with our feelings by connecting the two albums. I think that was the situation for not just us but for everyone in the world, too. After all, we really didn't know what would happen at that time. I'm so glad we were able to reach the light in this way.

If you enjoy my translations, please consider leaving a tip!

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#front-page #luminous

SCANDAL TOUR 2024 "LUMINOUS" @ Hiroshima Club Quattro, April 2

Spoiler:

SCANDAL: 「The tour's finally kicked off with the performance in Hiroshima!
Thank you so much to everyone who came out.
We'll be touring all over Japan, so please come to a performance close to you︎」

TOMOMI: 「Thanks, Hiroshima!
The reason why it was a great night from the very first day was because everyone in Hiroshima is amazing

Photography is allowed at the very end of the performances on this tour,

＃SCANDAL_LUMINOUS

So please use this tag when posting🪼」

HARUNA: 「Opening day in Hiroshima was such a great night〜!
I realized again that I really like the songs on this album〜. Thank you to everyone who came out!」

MAMI: 「SCANDAL TOUR 2024 “LUMINOUS” 🪼🫧 HIROSHIMA CLUB QUATTRO

It's finally begunー!
Opening day in Hiroshimaー!
Thanks so much to everyone who came out🪼

Hearing the songs from LUMINOUS live really gives you a different impression of them, right
How was it🥹🫧

In the dressing room, the staff put up a paper
That had all of our concerts we've played in Hiroshima so far on it
I felt so grateful that we've been able to come to Hiroshima so many times,
And I thought how lucky we are
That we were able to come to Hiroshima again in support of LUMINOUS🥲🪼♡
It's not a given, and I won't forget it

We ate Musashi and okonomiyaki, and got powered up by everyone--
It was such a great way to start the tour
Thank you so much

We'll do our best in Fukuoka tooー‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍」

RINA: 「Our tour has begun. Opening day in Hiroshima. A city that I've alーways loved and have very fond memories of. I'm glad we were able to kick off the tour from here. It's so awesome to have a packed music club waiting for us on a Tuesday night. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope you guys have a wonderful time and experience. And if you run into another tough day someday, remember today. I'm rooting for all of your springtimes.」

SCANDAL's LUMINOUS Lyrics Essays


＃3 - HARUNA's "1:47" Lyrics Essay



Both are lovable sides of myself.

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On March 20, 2024, SCANDAL released their new album LUMINOUS! This is their 11th album in total and their first in two years since their previous album MIRROR, and contains 11 songs including singles "Highlight no Naka de Bokura Zutto" and "Line of sight" released last year; as well as "Anata e," co-written with Rhythmic Toy World; and "Plum," co-written with EOW.

Four lyrics essays by SCANDAL will be posted! This is the third one, written by HARUNA about the song "1:47." What is the difference between who she was in her 20s and who she is now in her mid-30s?

The title "1:47" ("Ichi Yon Nana" = "One Four Seven") refers to the time when fragments of these lyrics were written and saved in the notes on my phone.

Just like the opening lyrics, I was lying in bed before going to sleep, unconsciously pondering all kinds of things.

As I was thinking about the things that happened today, about myself, about my surroundings, and about work, I suddenly thought, "Ah, I wonder how that person's doing." With nostalgia and my immaturity back then making me feel itchy, I felt like jotting down this situation and wrote my thoughts down in a flurry.

What I thought as I wrote was that my lifestyle, thoughts on love, and my values really have changed between my 20s and 30s.

In my 20s, I wanted to know about everything, I wanted to try everything, I wanted to be dexterous, I wanted to like what the person I loved liked, and I wanted to be dyed in the hue of the person I loved.
I just wanted to absorb as much as possible, and I think that feeling was very important as an experience.

Now that I'm in my mid-30s, I feel like my style has become much more stripped down and simpler than it was back then. Maybe the alcohol I pretended to enjoy as an adult isn't actually something I like that much. I couldn't at all bring myself to read the novel that was recommended to me. I'm living very honestly to myself.

There's no good or bad in either—both are lovable sides of myself.
Also, I really love who I am right now, and I'm looking forward to evolving again as I get older.

"1:47" is a song about an independent woman who wishes for the values of her past that she can no longer encounter as her present self, and for the happiness of the person who spent that time with her.

＜SCANDAL・HARUNA＞

SCANDAL has often encountered bats for some reason. Are there any in your city? No?

Season 2, Episode 53 blog

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TOMOMI: This time, we'll just be reading messages.

MAMI: Yay! Then let's keep reading.

TOMOMI: Let's read them.

Aoi (26 years old)

I was completely ready to send my thoughts on LUMINOUS, but because I couldn't help but symphathize with your recent stories about bats, allow me to share that message instead.

TOMOMI: Here's a bat story!

MAMI: Ehー?

I was born in the countryside of Yamaguchi Prefecture and lived there until I changed jobs the year before last and came to Hiroshima. There were so many bats. Especially in middle school. The end of the hallway and the gym at my middle school were pretty crazy.

MAMI: Eh, they mean inside the school??

TOMOMI: That seems to be the case.

MAMI: Isn't that crazy!?

The floor gets pretty dirty when there are bats... I was in the school band, and especially when we stayed late and it got dark, the music room would be filled with them.

All: Ehー!?

MAMI: Close the windows!

RINA: Why!? Why are there so many inside?

Of course, we had them at home, too. Bats, wild boar piglets, foxes, wild rabbits... There was so much nature. I guess it's just the way it is in the countryside.

RINA: There are too many...

MAMI: There are as many as in a small zoo.

TOMOMI: Were there really that many bats??

RINA: On the contrary, this is too much.

TOMOMI: Yamaguchi, huh...

RINA: Does that mean that even if bats come inside, everyone just accepts it and lives their lives?

TOMOMI: I guess so? I guess it's just everyday life now.

RINA: That's pretty unusual.

TOMOMI: Do you mean that the further west you go, the more bats are there?

MAMI: I wonder...

(*Director Kawai, who is from Okayama: "There aren't any in Okayama...")

TOMOMI: So there aren't any in Okayama!

MAMI: They are there!

TOMOMI: You just haven't seen them!

MAMI: They're all over the place in the evening.

TOMOMI: There are a ton.

MAMI: I'll ask my local friends again. I'll ask, "They're there, right?"

TOMOMI: I'm sure they're there.

MAMI: Yeah. I'll talk to them.

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt』 - Season 2, Episode 52

•The episode starts with this. They also mention that HARU is absent this episode due to feeling under the weather.

•TOMO then talks about when she went to promote in Sendai. She says there were people at the event who said they had been a fan for 13 years but this was their first time going to an event, and that the upcoming tour will be their first time to see SCANDAL live. There were also many fans who cried and told her stories that moved her. She says it was a very happy time. She was actually delayed in her promoting due to an earthquake that happened that morning in Ibaraki Prefecture, which affected the shinkansen going to the Tohoku area where Sendai is. Her first promo job for the day was to make a live radio appearance. She couldn't make it on time, so she had to ask them to move her time slot a bit later. In between schedules, she was able to go to Benyland, a local amusement park. MAMI says that TOMO's schedule said that she could go for about 15 minutes and asks her what she did in that time frame. TOMO says that because the band has been mentioning Benyland on "Catch up" for a long time, the staff said that she could go for just a little bit. Due to the delay with the live radio appearance and other factors, they had to fit the visit in in the middle of her schedule, but she actually ended up being able to be there for about 30 minutes. She rode the Yagiyama Cyclone roller coaster and says that it was pretty powerful and it was also scary how there was only one seatbelt for two people in each car. She says she'd love to go there again with the entire band.

•Next, they read messages from listeners. TOMO reads the first one from someone who says they've been a fan since elementary school, but so far has only listened to this program and read social media posts from the band, and hasn't sent many messages to the band. However, when they went to TOMO's event in Sendai, she gave them the pseudonym "Marguerite," so from now on they'll be sending many messages. RINA asks if that did happen. TOMO says yes, and that they wanted a name to use for when they send in messages, so they asked TOMO what name she'd give them if compared to a flower. TOMO thought they were really cute and looked like a marguerite (daisy), so she named them as such.

•MAMI reads the next message from a listener who says there's one thing they're wondering about, which is what Igari of HEY-SMITH said in his release comment for LUMINOUS about how there's probably one part that the band re-recorded many times. As an amateur, they don't understand what Igari meant no matter how many times they listen to the album. They ask the band what they think Igari heard that made him think that. The band laughs at this. MAMI says that Igari had LINE'd her a little before the comment was posted and said that it might sound a little condescending, but the comment made her really happy. She says it wasn't condescending at all. TOMO laughs and says that they wouldn't have minded even if it was. She also wonders what part he thought they re-recorded a lot, but since there are a lot of parts where each of their instruments stand out, that might be what he's referring to. MAMI says the guitar solo on "Gunjou pleats" sounds like it was recorded by chance. However, she did record variations of that solo as many times as she could. TOMO says that all of those solos were different, depending on the take. MAMI says that it's because sometimes they have to do a lot of editing and cutting. TOMO says that you'd be surprised if you listened to all of the different takes, and would have a hard time believing it's the same song.

•RINA reads the next message from a listener who says that they got their driver's license and looking forward to listening to SCANDAL's songs on the way to school. The band congratulates them. Ohno seems to ask RINA how her driving is going. RINA says that it's the same and that the furthest she's driven is still Tokyo Disneyland. MAMI asks her if she's just stuck to driving in the Kanto area. RINA says yes, and that she'll do her best to drive further.

•TOMO reads the next message from a listener who bought the Magazine Edition of the album and when reading TOMO's 100Q + 100A and read TOMO answered Awaji Island as the place she'd like to live. As someone who was born, raised, and live on Awaji Island, they were so surprised that they screamed. They can't help but wonder what about that rural island made her like it so much. TOMO says that she's from Hyogo Prefecture so it's easy to get to the island, and so she has a lot of good memories of it. She remembers going there with her grandma. It's nice because it's the countryside and is different from the kind in her hometown of Kakogawa. There's the ocean and mountains, and the food is delicious. It's a place that makes her feel relaxed and at home, which is why she wants to live there. MAMI says there's a Hello Kitty place there (probably referring to this), which makes the others laugh. TOMO says there didn't used to be trendy stuff like that on the island. MAMI says that she's signed up for email newsletters about Awaji tourism. TOMO laughs and asks why. MAMI laughs and says it's because of the Hello Kitty resort. She was thinking that if she's able to go, she'd like to stay a few nights and enjoy different parts of the island. TOMO says that glamping's pretty popular there right now. Ohno then mentions onions, and TOMO says that the onion soup there is great. She then says that she chose Awaji Island because a quiet place in the countryside would be ideal for her lifestyle.

•MAMI reads the next message from a listener who tells the band their thoughts on the album, which they loved (way too long; will not be translating it lol). The band thanks them and that that was some great feedback. They also say things like they're happy the album's resonating with everyone more than they imagined. TOMO says there are a lot of songs that they wrote for themselves and for everyone who listens to them, and they're really happy that everyone's taking it all in.

•Then, TOMO says that they're going to try and directly hear some thoughts on the album and call a listener. After the listener, a woman, picks up, RINA reads the message that she had sent. She mentions that "Fanfare" in particular resonated with her. TOMO had mentioned that she wrote the lyrics while her autonomic nerves were in disarray, and the listener says her nerves were also in disarray. After the message is read, TOMO asks the listener if she upset her nervous system with the song. The listener laughs and says it was very much in disarray, which makes the band laugh. They then talk more about things related to the listener, such as who she's going with to the tour and how/when she discovered SCANDAL, which I don't particularly feel like translating lol

•They then close out the episode. MAMI says that although their tour ends on May 25, they'll be playing at the MORI, MICHI, ICHIBA festival in Nagoya the next day on May 26. She also mentions that her mom will be there. TOMO says, "Ah, of course!" and they laugh.

*As always, you can send in a message to the program here.

I've updated the guide as how to input your info and message for those who need assistance (click to enlarge):

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*A list of all episode summaries from ＃1-160 can be found here

*All episodes of Season 2 can be found here

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#front-page #catchup

LUMINOUS was released on March 20. Talking about the promo they each did in different cities!

Season 2, Episode 52 blog

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TOMOMI: On March 20, we successfully released our new album LUMINOUS!
Thankfully, we received a lot of feedback right away, which means that tonight, we will open the "LUMINOUS Customer Center!"

MAMI: A customer center, huh.

TOMOMI: Yes, a customer center!
In order to make LUMINOUS an even better album and loved by many people, we will strive to further improve the quality of the album and introduce the "voices" of our listeners regarding LUMINOUS.

Before that... you were each a "manager for a day" in different cities, weren't you?

All: Yes!

TOMOMI: First, we'd like to start with a "work report" for our customers.
First, let's start with Nagoya's manager, MAMI! Take it away.

MAMI: Yes. I went to the Tower Records at Nagoya Parco as a one-day manager.

TOMOMI: Thanks for your hard work.

MAMI: Thanks for your hard work. As a report, many people said they were seeing me for the first time. They had never been to a concert of ours, and although they've heard our songs, they had come to this event first. I was impressed by these first timers.

RINA: That's a good start.

MAMI: It makes me happy.

TOMOMI: I wonder if they discovered us recently.

MAMI: They said they discovered us during the pandemic, which was when it was difficult to hold concerts, so they missed the chance to go initially. They decided to try going to an event first.

TOMOMI: I'm grateful for that.

MAMI: I did feel grateful.

TOMOMI: That's all for your report?

MAMI: That's all, but what else is there to report...?

TOMOMI: Promoting in Nagoya.

MAMI: Ah, promo. Let's see. I also made a radio appearance, and I'm always interviewed by the Chunichi Shimbun newspaper when I do promo in Nagoya...

TOMOMI: The reporter is adorable, aren't they?

MAMI: That reporter has been replaced...

TOMOMI: Eh? Oh, that's right. They retired, didn't they?

MAMI: But the person who replaced them was very knowledgeable and did a lot of research on us.

TOMOMI: That makes me happy to hear.

MAMI: It was an atmosphere filled with love.

TOMOMI: Thank you very much.
Next, Osaka's manager, RINA!

RINA: Since I was in Osaka, a huge number of people came out, which made me happy. I had announced on my Instagram Live that I was allowed to stay as the store manager until the very last minute, so also the store was located in Tennoji, there were many people who worked nearby and came running in 10 minutes after getting off. I also got the impression that many of them spoke to me in a polite manner.I'm glad we were able to communicate with each other.

I was the only one who stayed the night for promo purposes, so I was given the chance to do radio and TV appearances for two days. They were so passionate about digging into the album, perhaps because Osaka is the band's hometown, but it made me really happy. They were all DJs who knew us, and also appeared on [Satoko] Nii's radio program. She listens to "Catch up" and said how impressed she was with what we talked about during the episode where International Women's Day was mentioned, and other details. I felt the love that Osaka has for us. It was great.

MAMI: Nii was also the MC when we got our Guinness World Record.

TOMOMI: She's always been a great help to us. Manager RINA, thanks for your hard work.

RINA: Thanks for your hard work.

"her" Magazine Vol. 4 Translations

HARUNA's 100Q + 100A

MAMI's 100Q + 100A

RINA's 100Q + 100A

TOMOMI's 100Q + 100A

Song Explanations

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt』 - Season 2, Episode 51

•The episode starts with this.

•Ohno asks them what song from LUMINOUS they'd recommend for cleaning. TOMO tries thinking about it for a minute before RINA suggests "Gunjou pleats," which they all agree to go with. Then, after the "whole roasted pig thing," Ohno is still surprised and says he had no clue that happened. The band laughs and says he should come with them next time.

•The fourth one is to change the direction of your pillow. West-facing ones are believed to increase wealth, as the west direction symbolizes abundance and prosperity. East-facing ones improve health and career luck, as the east direction is associated with growth and advancement. HARU says that that's not something she's paid much attention to. TOMO says the same and thinks hers is facing west right now. MAMI says that hers is facing north, which she says has many theories/beliefs about it that are not particularly good (usually that you shouldn't sleep with your pillow facing north since that's traditionally the position for dead bodies). HARU says that only stuff about west and east are written on the script, though. MAMI says she feels a bit hesistant to say this, but she says she believes it all comes down to one's own feelings about it, which is why she's never paid much attention to such things/beliefs.

•The fifth one is to not cut your hair on Wednesdays, which originates from a superstition in Thailand. TOMO says that she's probably never cut her hair on a Wednesday anyway. The others say the same. TOMO says it's because every Wednesday they're always busy with meetings and rehearsals and don't really have time to go to the salon that day. She says they're doing a good job of avoiding that superstition, then. Ohno asks them if they understand the reason for the superstition. They say they don't. Ohno says something that isn't audible, but apparently the reason is that it used to be considered a day of agriculture/farming in ancient Thailand, so cutting something was thought to be bring bad luck.

•The sixth one is that cutting your hair on a full moon night brings good luck, which is a superstition from the UK. They go, "At night, huh." TOMO says that they could cut their own bangs at night. MAMI says that maybe this comes from a new cycle starting.

•The seventh one is to drink tea. TOMO says that she loves tea. HARU reads that tea is said to be a symbol of good fortune worldwide. Ohno repeats that it's a worldwide thing, which the others sound surprised at. HARU says that there are all kinds of tea, after all. RINA wonders if it matters if it's hot or iced. HARU says that the band all likes tea. RINA says that this one sounds doable for them.

•The eighth one is "fukurou," which means "owl" but can also be written in kanji as 不苦労 (no bad luck). In Roman mythology, the owl is a symbol of intelligence, and in Egyptian mythology, it is said to be a "mystical spirit." TOMO wonders if that way of thinking was applied when deciding on the Japanese word for owl. HARU thinks that owls are only known as fukurou in Japan, which Ohno seems to confirm. MAMI says that her mom really likes owls. RINA says that that seems to check out. MAMI also mentions that they went to an owl cafe together.

•The ninth one is to come across a white dove/pigeon. HARU says that she and TOMO saw one at Tsukiji Market earlier that day. TOMO says it was really round, which they laugh at. They say it must eat a lot of fish. TOMO says that pigeons in that area are really happy and round. MAMI says that's cute. HARU says that they get really close to you since they're used to humans. She also says that white doves/pigeons are symbols of peace. TOMO says that you hear that often.

•The tenth one is to find a bat (koumori). TOMO says that bats seem a bit ominous, though. Ohno says that that's not the case here. HARU reads that "koumori" has kanji phonetic equivalents meaning happiness and protection. They're actually considered auspicious, and in China there's auspicious merch featuring bats. When five bats gather, they symbolize a super beast of cleverness, wealth, health, and abundance. They laugh and MAMI says that sure is everything. RINA says that they're super strong. MAMI says that a ton of bats come out when it's night in her hometown. RINA says that they do live under things like bridges. MAMI says that you could just be out biking and a bat will hit your face. They laugh at this. MAMI says that you can also find a lot of them around telephone poles. TOMO says that she once took care of an injured bat in elementary school. HARU says that they have really cute faces. TOMO says they do, and that their noses look like pigs. Ohno asks what she did with the bat. TOMO says that after they took care of it, they put it back in a tree. They had originally found it under a vending machine. MAMI wonders if it fell. TOMO says that after they looked after it and gave it something, they put it back in a tree. She also mentions that there don't seem to be any bats in Tokyo. RINA says that there are a lot of them in Osaka. TOMO says that bats appear so suddenly at dusk that you wonder where they possibly even came from.

•HARU then says that there was a time when a bat had gotten into her parents' house and it took a long time to get it out. Ohno wonders what's up with all of them having bat-related stories, which they laugh at. TOMO wonders why bats aren't in Tokyo. Ohno thinks that there don't seem to really be any in the Kanto region (where Tokyo is). They agree and say they've never seen one in the region. Ohno says that there are apparently zero kinds of small bat in Chiba Prefecture (which is next to Tokyo). TOMO wonders why and says that's odd, and that she's going to look into it later. Ohno again seems to say something about how surprised he is to hear such detailed stories about bats from them. They laugh. TOMO says that they're a part of daily life. RINA says that when she was little, she thought she saw a bird but realized the shape wasn't that of a bird. She asked her parents what it was, and they told her it was a bat. There's a pause before Ohno asks if there's any, as it seems like TOMO is trying to look up info about bats. She suddenly says that there are in fact bats in Okayama (even though that's in the Chugoku region, way west of Kanto lol), which the others laugh at. Ohno says that there aren't, but TOMO insists that they are, and that what Ohno saw in the sky (I think lol) is a bat, not a pigeon. HARU chuckles. Ohno says that there aren't any in Chiba, though. There's a pause before TOMO goes, "There aren't?" RINA wonders if bats are more likely to be found in the Kansai region. MAMI seems to look it up as well and says that they're apparently found throughout Japan except Hokkaido. Ohno says he's never seen one in person (he's from Chiba), and also has never bumped into one while riding a bike. RINA says that Tokyo's probably too urban for them to be here. TOMO says that they apparently are here, though. RINA says that it's likely they (or maybe just Ohno) just never noticed them. Ohno repeats the thing about good luck and such that bats are associated with, and TOMO says that the countryside must be really lucky since they have so many bats.

•The last and eleventh one is to "give the gift of LUMINOUS." There's a pause before they go, "What?" and wonder what that means. TOMO asks if that means they're supposed to talk about the album. RINA asks if something will happen if they "give the gift of LUMINOUS." HARU reads that they'll give some important people (AKA all the fans) the album. Ohno says something inaudible about bats. They laugh and HARU says that they actually have pretty good luck. The others agree. Ohno says that the band are the only 4 people in the studio that have stories about bats, with one even entering a house. TOMO wonders if their bat experiences were due to them having good luck. Ohno says that most people wouldn't be able to say those kinds of things happened to them. MAMI says that she thought stories like theirs were the norm. Ohno laughs that he didn't know that bats are cute. TOMO says that they are cute, enough that she wanted to keep it as a pet. MAMI mentions that there was a bat area at the Singapore night zoo they had gone to, and there were some pretty big ones there. RINA and HARU say they were kind of scary. There was bird meat hanging on a wire above them for the bats to eat, which was pretty surprising to see. TOMO says that meat-eating bats have cute faces as well. RINA says that they do have a lot of bat-related stories. TOMO says that they see bats as often as they see sparrows. MAMI says that the ones in residential areas are about that big, as in they're pretty small.

•RINA says that out of the 11 things mentioned, there were quite a few of them that they've done when they consciously thought about them. HARU says that the pig ornament one might be the only one they wouldn't be able to do right away. They then mention that a piggy bank could count. MAMI tries to remember if there's a pig Sanrio character and realizes that there is one. RINA asks which one it is. TOMO says that it's a minor character, but neither she nor MAMI remember what its name is (it's Pippo). RINA says that they could get something of that character, then. TOMO wonders if they can play the role of a pig properly. They laugh and RINA says she's sure it can. TOMO says that there's also an owl character. HARU knows what it is and says it's PataPataPeppy. Ohno asks if there's a bat character. TOMO and MAMI don't think there is. MAMI jokes that they should make Sanrio create 5 bat characters.

•Since this episode came out a few days before LUMINOUS was released, HARU asks the band how they're currently feeling with the release date almost here. TOMO says that their hearts are racing. RINA says that happens every time they release something, particularly an album. Both she and HARU say it also feels like summary because it takes a long time to make and it's all they're thinking about the entire time. RINA says it feels like, "Finally!" HARU says that this album's a good one. RINA says it's a really good one. HARU also says that it's cheerful and bright. RINA says it's really satisfying to have finally arrived here after going through all kinds of experiences, and that she's looking forward to having everyone listen to it. HARU says that she'd also like the people who say they learned about SCANDAL via this program to listen to it as well. She hopes that they will get to know the band not only through this program, but also get to know their music properly.

*As always, you can send in a message to the program here.

I've updated the guide as how to input your info and message for those who need assistance (click to enlarge):

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*A list of all episode summaries from ＃1-160 can be found here

*All episodes of Season 2 can be found here

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#front-page #catchup

A fun week
Theme：RINA

Release week is so much fun
The album finally reaches everyone,
People wait for us,
And we're overflowing with happiness!
Even though it just came out, people are finding their favorite songs right away
And expressing their feelings through words,
Which really fills my heart with emotion!
Thank you.

---

The four of us went off to different cities
And did things like
Radio + TV recordings and release events♡



I'm glad I got to see you guys.
With most people coming home from work,
I'm grateful that so many came out on a weekday.
I was allowed to stay until the store closed.
Thank you so much
For taking time out of your busy schedules to come and visit!
Your feelings are being conveyed!
I also read all of the fan letters♡



Tomorrow, the four of us will be at the event in Tokyo.
Shibuya Tower Records from 4:30 pm〜
We really will be waiting there until closing time!
Even if you decide last minute to go after all, or if you can make in in time,
You can still participate!
We're also looking forward to
Getting to talk to everyone one by one!



RINA

2024-03-23 17:56:22

Spoiler:

Music Natalie - SCANDAL's LUMINOUS Interview

No matter what happens, we'll be okay - Expressing reality and light through multicolored music

---

SCANDAL released their new album LUMINOUS on March 20.

This is their first album in 2 years and 2 months since their previous work MIRROR. In addition to the previously released songs "Line of sight"; "Vision"; "Highlight no Naka de Bokura Zutto"; and "CANDY" is "Fanfare," the ending song for the original anime HIGHSPEED Étoile; as well as songs provided by EOW's vocalist Laco, an old friend of SCANDAL's; and Rhythmic Toy World. The diverse musicality is strongly emphasized throughout the 11 songs. We spoke with the band about LUMINOUS, which is filled with light and was created with an eye toward the future of the band, accepting the various difficulties they face in life and becoming their own source of light.

---

SCANDAL is radiating light

──I hear that SCANDAL took a relaxing vacation at the beginning of the year.

RINA: We took an entire month off. So grateful for that (laughs).

TOMOMI: Yeah. We were able to refresh ourselves quite a bit.

HARUNA: It was the first time we'd ever taken such a long break. Maybe the past us would have felt a little hesistant to take it, but this time we rested as much as we wanted (laughs).



──Did you see each other during the break?

RINA: We basically did not.

MAMI: I went to eat parfaits with TOMOMI, though.

TOMOMI: Ehehehe. We did meet up occasionally, but we never really met up as a group to discuss future activities.

HARUNA: It might have been the first time we went so long without seeing each other.

TOMOMI: We unintentionally did so during the pandemic, but it was the first time we consciously decided to take a breather. It was very refreshing and relieving.

──It seems you took a break after completing the album.

RINA: That's right. Good on us (laughs).

TOMOMI: We really worked on it until the last minute at the end of last year.

HARUNA: We worked hard in order to take a break (laughs).



──You've completed a truly wonderful album. It make sense that you were able to take a long break without any worries. I think the title LUMINOUS symbolizes the content of the album, but how did this word come about?

RINA: We had a meeting after all the songs were finished and discussed what we should title it. When we looked back on the emotional journey of the past 2 years since the previous album, we talked about how we're trying to move towards a new and brighter world now. Since we felt this album was comprised of those kinds of songs, we arrived at the word LUMINOUS, which means "to emit light," to symbolize it.



──SCANDAL now radiates light themselves.

RINA: There was also the aspect of choosing it with hope for our future selves. No matter what path we choose, even if we make a new choice like taking a month-long break, we strongly believe that we'll be okay. We were able to give it that title because this idea became clear to us a band: No matter what happens, the future is bright because we are emitting light.



──It does seem like a natural progression for SCANDAL to amass songs with a mood that makes you feel that kind of light.

MAMI: That's right. Even though we were finally able to start moving again during the pandemic and create our previous album MIRROR, there were times when we felt we hadn't reached the light quite yet. But as time passed, we were able to play proper concerts again, and our hearts have become more solidly focused on moving foward. We all had a desire to create a bright future. So when we listened to newly created songs, we got the impression that they all had something in common in what they were saying and what they were aiming for. It really felt like the songs naturally came together in that way for LUMINOUS.

HARUNA: At the same time, a major topic for us in 2023 was being certified by the Guinness World Records as the "Longest running female rock band with the same musicians (female)," so we were naturally thinking a lot about ourselves as we worked on the album. That's why I feel like this album has so many songs about ourselves compared to the previous ones.

RINA: It also feels like we're able to express a gradient of emotions. Although it's titled LUMINOUS, it's not just filled with bright songs, nor is it entirely dark. I think we were able to create an album that imagines a bright future while still embracing the realistic aspects of life.

TOMOMI: The fact that the overall impression of the album is that it's bright, even though you'll realize that not all of the songs are cheerful when you listen to them one at a time, is proof that our current mentality is pointing towards a bright direction. It really feels like we've created a great album. I feel like going, "Good job, SCANDAL! You're doing great!" (laughs).



──Looking back, MIRROR was also an album that was filled with honest feelings. It seems that SCANDAL's creative style has turned out to be this way.

TOMOMI: That's right. I think we're getting to the point in our lives where we can't help but to let it all out (laughs).

There are a lot of lyrics that make us think "It's okay to put these out now"

──The album opens with "Gunjou pleats," featuring lyrics and music by MAMI. It's really touching to see such a refreshing and positive song created by you, especially considering your recent admission of a creative slump.

MAMI: This song was actually pulled from a voice memo I recorded years ago. When I listened to this song again, I realized that I'm the type of person who can be uplifted by little things and can laugh at silly things for a lifetime. I still feel like I'm in a slump where I can't write songs, but this song has made me feel like I can approach my activities with the mindset of, "Yeah, there are times like that," and keep going.

RINA: I thought this song was really great the moment I listened to it. It's natural for everyone to experience waves of emotion throughout life. I can really relate to the fact that the protagonist is a strong, independent woman who properly depicts that vulnerability while embracing it as she lives her life. SCANDAL rarely digs up backstock to record, but I also thought this approach was good.

TOMOMI: I think the song may be more suited to MAMI now than when the seeds of the song were created. It feels like we were able to release it at the right time, even if it wasn't intentional.

HARUNA: That's definitely true. There are quite a few lyrics that we thought we wouldn't be able to release to the world a few years ago, but now it seems like it'd be okay.

──I think that sound-wise and message-wise, "Gunjou pleats" is song befitting of the first track.

RINA: We also discussed putting "Fanfare," which has the charm of our classic sound, as the first track, but we decided to start it off with "Gunjou pleats," which has a slightly novel sound. It's also our first album in two years, so we wanted to prioritize novelty when arranging the tracklist.



──The intro does make you surprised and go "Oh!"

HARUNA: Right. We talked about how the first track should be one that makes people think "Oh!" when listening to the album on streaming services.

TOMOMI: It's also one of the songs that best represents SCANDAL's current mode.

Writing lyrics while crying, thinking about the members

──The second track is "Fanfare," the album's lead song. It was written specifically as the ending song for the original anime series HIGHSPEED Étoile, but it can also be called SCANDAL's theme song. The lyrics were written by TOMOMI.

TOMOMI: I heard that the protagonist of the anime is a strong, independent woman, so I wrote lyrics that directly conveyed that. Not too long ago, I would have felt embarrassed and a little shy to express my feelings openly, but now I think it's cooler to just write about things honestly. At the same time, as you had mentioned, there were many parts of the anime's content that overlapped with ours, so I also incorporated that into the lyrics. When writing the lyrics, I found myself thinking things like "How are we going to live our lives from here on out?" and "How will we continue to operate as a band?" I even started crying a bit (laughs). If, like in a race, there comes a time when we reach the finish line, I want us to cross it in the best condition we've ever been in... I found myself thinking things like that as I worked on the lyrics.

──The phrase "I head towards a world where no one can catch up to me" is so persuasive, especially since the band holds a Guinness World Record. The line "Let's head to the place closest to eternity" is also a very SCANDAL-like expression.

RINA: I really like those lyrics. I kept thinking to myself, "That really is true." Running to the place closest to "eternity" as possible is our motivation right now.

TOMOMI: I wrote that part while thinking about the members and crying a lot (laughs).

RINA: "Eyes swollen from crying"?

MAMI: Exactly what the first line of the lyrics are (laughs).

TOMOMI: Ahahaha. I had a hard time writing the lyrics to this song. I skipped the pre-production process a few times, but I really wanted to write until I was satisfied with it. I really took my time to craft it.



──The music and arrangement were done by MAMI.

MAMI: This is one of the songs we tried out when we talked about wanting to do a band song with just the four of us. Ever since we started writing our own songs, TOMOMI hadn't written lyrics for this type of song, which is why it felt fresh. I sensed that TOMOMI was struggling a bit with the lyrics, but she was so determined to write them (laughs) that I was totally okay with waiting until she was satisfied with them. I'm really glad it turned out in a way that I was satisfied with.



──The vocals are also great, conveying the feelings expressed in the lyrics in the tone of voice used.

HARUNA: I really felt that this song was written with not only ourselves in mind, but also our fans, so I sang it wanting to deliver it to everyone with great care. Recently, I've come to feel this more strongly than ever before, because our fans are like partners who are growing up and spending their lives with SCANDAL.

MAMI: I hope everyone enjoys the song along with the anime, which will start airing soon.

A melody sharing the "same blood"

──The following track, "Watashi-tachi," is a love song that features lyrics by RINA and music by MAMI.

RINA: The lyrics were made first. These lyrics were actually among my backstock. I thought it was lacking something at the time I wrote it and put it on hold, but when I revisited it after a few years, it felt like it was properly finished. Perhaps, as I've grown older, I've come to see incomplete relationships as one form of relationships. When shaping the song, the only part I added to was the bridge. MAMI then added the melody to it.

MAMI: RINA had a clear vision of the sound, so I added a bright melody based on that. I think I was able to bring out an interesting duality with the sad lyrics. I wanted this song to have a pop vibe overall, so I asked Ryo Eguchi to arrange it, and he added a variety of impressive keyboard sounds. It turned to be a very cute song.



──EOW participated in the composition and arrangement for "Plum." EOW vocalist Laco attended the same music school as SCANDAL, correct?

TOMOMI: Yes. She's been my good friend since elementary school. It's so touching to be able to work together this time!

HARUNA: Ahahaha.

TOMOMI: I'm very happy to be able to work with Laco, but even before that, I'm such a big fan of EOW's music that I'm so thrilled. I thought it would be great to try making a bright yet emotional song, which is also EOW's theme, as SCANDAL this time. I polished some backstock lyrics I had and asked EOW to add the melody. It's a sensuous breakup song that was born from collaborating with EOW.

RINA: EOW came to the recording as well. We recorded it while talking together. It was very refreshing and made for a happy atmosphere to hear all kinds of opinions and positive comments about my playing.

TOMOMI: Yutaro gives out so many compliments (laughs).

HARUNA: That kind of thing is important (laughs).

TOMOMI: Also, sound-wise, they gave us ideas that we would never come up with on our own.

MAMI: We learned so much! It's very pleasant to play, and it fits HARUNA's voice really well.

HARUNA: Yeah. It does feel fresh to sing songs that people outside of the band made, and the melody written by Laco, who hails from the same school as us, is very easy to sing. It's like we share the same blood somewhere (laughs). It made me feel a bit nostalgic and emotional.

Packing thoughts into a big explosion

──"LOOP," the seventh track, has lyrics and music by RINA. It's a thrilling rock number that sings "I can't let it end in a world like this" and "I can't laugh in a world like this" over a rough sound.

RINA: I really like that raw, gritty sound of rock and grunge music. I wanted to create a really simple song that we could rock out to in small venues. When I write a song using computer music, I paste the chords on a loop since I'm not that skilled at guitar. I wanted to make the most of that approach, so I incorporated it into the theme of the lyrics and the title, "LOOP."



──They do depict feelings similar to an anger of repeating the same thing over and over again.

RINA: Those feelings were really strong when I wrote this song. I often wondered if it was okay to live such a repetitive life with the same schedule, and when I watched the news, I'd often find myself thinking, "It's the same old failures and mistakes again!" I tried to pack all those emotions into one big explosion (laughs).

HARUNA: Sound-wise, there's also a fresh kind of listening experience to it. As for the vocals, I understand that it's better to sing in a languid manner that matches the tone of the song, but since I'm quiet serious at heart (laughs), I tend to sing properly without realizing it. It may have been quite difficult to find the right balance.

──How did recording instruments go?

RINA: We pretty much finished them in one take.

HARUNA: It was really fast. I even recorded vocals in just one day.

TOMOMI: I really only played it once (laughs). With songs like this, it's better to not have too many corrections. It's been a long time since we played something just once and released it as is (laughs).

MAMI: It's nice because you can do whatever you want with songs like this (laughs). You can try out ideas that come up on the spot, like, "That sounds good. Let's give it a try." Also, those "impulses" really help to elevate the song, making it enjoyable to listen to. I really thought it would be nice to do this kind of song once in a while.

This is "our song"

──Following EOW, this album also includes the song "Anata e" that Rhythmic Toy World participated in. The music was composed by Naotaka Uchida and arranged by Akira Kishi, with lyrics by MAMI.

MAMI: Just like TOMOMI said earlier, I also feel like I'm just a fan when it comes to Rhythmic (laughs). At the same time, I feel like their mentality as a band is similar to SCANDAL, so I've always felt a sense of kinship with them. I also felt that our fans would like Rhythmic's music, which is why I asked them to collaborate with us this time. I was very happy that we were able to communicate with each other down to the smallest details while finishing this song.



──Specifically, how did you proceed with the production?

MAMI: First, I conveyed the fragments of what I wanted to express with this song, and then they added the melody to it. Then, I wrote the lyrics based on that, and we continued to refine it in that manner. In the process, we also discussed the possibility of having me sing it.

──What you're singing about is your feelings towards the members and fans.

MAMI: Yes. I wrote them so openly, more so than I might have in the past. I'm also very grateful to the members for allowing me to write these lyrics. I was really happy when they said, "This is truly our own song."

RINA: I thought the lyrics were wonderful. The four of us have been working together for a long time, and there are things like shared views and emotions that only we could understand. It's not just about the good times; pain and suffering have also left their marks in the same way. So when I listen to this song, every phrase makes me feel like, "Ah, this is what's being sung about here." In that sense, I really felt like this is "our song."

MAMI: Yeah. At the same time, I wanted to make sure that I'd be able to properly remember my gratitude to our fans every time I sing this song, because I think that's something we should never forget. Because there are people who listen to us, we can remain strong and feel like we'll be okay no matter what happens. In that sense, I think this song inspires us as we sing it.



──Did the members of Rhythmic attend the recordings?

MAMI: Yes. Ucchi (Uchida) and Akira came to them. Whenever we finished playing, they would jump up and down (laughs). They were having a lot of fun.

RINA: We had a lot of fun, too.

TOMOMI: Both EOW and Rhythmic added essences that we don't have, which in turn has allowed us to reaffirm our own identity. There was a time once when we were constantly searching for what defined our "SCANDAL-ness," but realizing that we had somehow found it without even noticing was also incredibly refreshing.

HARUNA: Another good song with MAMI on lead vocals.

MAMI: That makes me happy. But it's tough to sing this one (laughs). Before I knew it, it had become a song with no breathing room. But I'll do my best to sing it!

Fired up!

──The album also includes another song, "1:47," with lyrics and music by HARUNA.

HARUNA: It's read as "Ichi Yon Nana" (One Four Seven). During the album production, as the songs gradually came together, I realized that there were many songs about ourselves, so I decided to make a song that wasn't about us. And the result was a song about a woman gaining independence through love. I chose this title because it was 1:47 when I saved fragments of the lyrics on my phone. I think it turned out to be a very playful song.



──There are parts where words are used rhythmically, and have a bit of a rap-like flow.

HARUNA: I worked with the arranger Satori Shiraishi on this, and we discussed how the melody and chord progression in the chorus were rather standard, so if we made the song in a normal way, it might become monotonous. For the sound, we built it up from scratch together. As for the recording... That went smoothly too, didn't it?

MAMI: It was so fast!

RINA: The song is simple to play, so it's fun being able to perform it with ease. But the arrangement turned out to be really satisfying to listen to. I'm happy that we were able to record with good sound, and it was a satisfying recording.

TOMOMI: The backing vocals are all HARUNA, right?

HARUNA: That's right. Even including that, recording concluded very quickly.

TOMOMI: It's also important to note that HARUNA's voice is the only voice on the song.

──And the album concludes with "Highlight no Naka de Bokura Zutto." I think it's the perfect culmination.

HARUNA: We felt that the album had to close with this song.

RINA: We're fired up! What an awesome band (Laughs).

Discovering SCANDAL's mature stage presence

──You will be starting your nationwide tour on April 2 in support of the album. After that, it seems that you're also planning to perform overseas.

MAMI: We're also fired up for the tour!

RINA: There are even some pretty small-capacity music clubs this time. I'm really excited because we get to have fun up close with the audiences.

TOMOMI: The songs on the album have quite a wide range of sounds, so I'm not sure how well they can be reproduced at these small venues. On the other hand, I think there are ways of expressing them that can only be done live. I think people will be able to enjoy sounds that are completely different from the recordings, so I hope they can fully enjoy that aspect as well.

HARUNA: I hope people can discover new ways to enjoy SCANDAL's concerts at small music clubs. We want to discover the stage presence of SCANDAL that is not only intense as before, but also mature.

MAMI: Yeah. We hope to build on that momentum and make our overseas tour a success too!

RINA: In the midst of all this, we're also starting to talk about our 20th anniversary (laughs). We'll continue to bring you a ton of fun thingsー.

MAMI: Don't you dare take your eyes off usー! (laughs)

https://natalie.mu/music/pp/scandal17

#front-page #luminous

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2024/03/20
Theme：RINA

We pushed things to the point where it was impossible to be any more particular about them,
And we were able to create an album that we love
At the height of what the four of us can do right now.
It made our hearts sparkle again.
Speaking of which, it was okay
To play music for ourselves.
We want to perform comfortably and easily.
Allow us to be a little selfish sometimes.
It also turned out to be an album that reminded me of several simple and important things.

---

Whenever we talk about how this is
Our 11th original album
When promoting,
We feel slightly taken aback
Yet proud and affectionate towards the earnestness
With which we have continued to create albums up to this point.


It might be the juiciest time of my life.
I think it's so luxurious and special
To have been able to spend more than 17 and a half years
Dedicated to this band.
I don't think there will ever be an experience that could replace it.
There are nights when I feel like I've missed out on something
Because I've lived a life where
Nothing is more important than this band,
But I've also realized that my heart is already overflowing
With so many happy memories.


After all,
Maybe we're a band that doesn't really belong anywhere,
But if we're likely to continue being
The world's longest-running all-girl band,
Then I guess we'll probably keep going like this forever haha
That seems to me to be a good thing.
We recognize in ourselves the things that won't disappear,
No matter how much we shake them off or whittle them down.
What we can do as the four of us,
What happens because of the four of us,
We want to accept and love all of it.


From here on, we can do whatever we want.
No matter what we do, we can shine a light on ours and everyone's days together.
Those who resonate with this band's mentality
Are bound to have bright lives.
So, we'll do our best!


The fact that we can come here and make an album like this,
I'm so happy that I don't even know what it means.
It doesn't matter how many times you lose heart or feel bad about yourself,
So keep reclaiming the version of yourself that you love
And live with a kind heart.



RINA

2024-03-20 18:41:11

Spoiler:

LUMINOUS Album Lyrics

1. Gunjou pleats (群青pleats; Ultramarine pleats)
   
2. Fanfare (ファンファーレ)
   
3. Watashi-tachi (私たち; Us)
   
4. Plum
   
5. CANDY
   
6. Vision
   
7. LOOP
   
8. Line of sight
   
9. Anata e (あなたへ; To You)
   
10. 1:47
    
11. Highlight no Naka de Bokura Zutto (ハイライトの中で僕らずっと; We're Always In the Highlights)
    

Kana:

Kana:

Kana:

Kana:

Kana:

Kana:

Kana:

Kana:

Kana:

Kana:

Kana:

Listen to the upcoming 11th album LUMINOUS and improve your luck!

Season 2, Episode 51 blog

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HARUNA: This time...we'll be doing a project just before the release of our new album LUMINOUS on March 20!
"Good-luck charm! LUMINOUS! 11 things you can do right now."

TOMOMI: What?

RINA: Good-luck charm...?

MAMI: Good-luck charm, huh. I want to have good luck!

HARUNA: Recently, we've been sharing stories from "people with godlike powers"...and there's now even a segment for those kinds of people. We hope that people will listen to our new album LUMINOUS and get even a little "luckier," and that as many people as possible will listen to it... This is a special project with those wishes in mind.

TOMOMI: I see.

HARUNA: This album has 11 songs, so we will introduce "11 things we can do right now" that will increase our luck. Our staff has researched all kinds of tips for "boosting your luck" around the world.

MAMI: Thank you very much.

TOMOMI: I want to boost mine!

RINA: I wonder what kind of things there are.

HARUNA: Here's the first one: Cleaning!

RINA: Ah, that's important.

TOMOMI: That's really important.

RINA: I think that'll definitely boost it. The cleaner the better.

HARUNA: Especially the entryway. Cleaning is the basis for improving your luck, so let's do some light or serious cleaning while listening to LUMINOUS. Also, March 20, the release day, is the spring equinox, which means it's the start of a new season, so it's a perfect day for cleaning.

MAMI: That's really wonderful.

TOMOMI: The release date itself is an auspicious day.

HARUNA: Let's clean our entryways.

TOMOMI: Cleaning also motivates you, and when your place is clean, you feel motivated to do anything.

MAMI: When your mental health is affected, your place becomes a mess.

HARUNA: I totally get that.

TOMOMI: Your mental health reflects in your place.

RINA: When you're busy.

HARUNA: Here's the second one: Open all of your windows first thing in the morning.

MAMI: Open the windows!

HARUNA: "Air" is "empty energy," so by emptying it, good things and good "energy" will come in.

MAMI: I see.

TOMOMI: I open the windows quite a bit, but right now, in front of my house, a big construction project has started and they're tearing down the remains.

MAMI: Isn't there a lot of dust?

TOMOMI: The air purifier reacts to it quickly. So I thought it would be better not to open them too much. I'm trying to open them at night after the construction work is finished. There's also pollen at this time of year.

HARUNA: Yeah. It seems like 5 minutes is enough.

TOMOMI: Yeah, that's right. Even 5 minutes can change the air.

HARUNA: So far, we understand two things.

RINA: They seem doable.

HARUNA: Now for the third one: Pig ornaments.

MAMI: What??

TOMOMI: Maybe from China?

HARUNA: First of all, "things are moving along swimmingly" ('pig' in Japanese can be read as 'ton,' and 'rapid pace' in this instance is 'tonton byoushi')

RINA: Ah. So that's how it is.

HARUNA: So, in Germany, there's a custom of giving presents with a motif that combines "pigs and clovers" on birthdays and anniversaries.

TOMOMI: Oh?

RINA: I see. So it's a set of those.

TOMOMI: But you know, when we perform in China...

HARUNA: In Hong Kong.

TOMOMI: Hong Kong, huh. I guess the pig is an auspicious animal worldwide, since they prepare a whole roasted pig as a kind of prayer for the success of a concert.

HARUNA: Maybe so.

Staff:  Seriously??

RINA: Seriously. Every time.

TOMOMI: The pig grow in size according to the size of the venue.

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt』 - Season 2, Episode 50

•The episode starts with this.

•MAMI says that, although she didn't see this during the marathon since she wasn't able to look at her phone, TOMO was watching her running status during the Osaka Marathon the whole time and sent over screenshots of videos taken before the marathon that were posted to YouTube. They laugh and TOMO says she did keep sending her messages since before the marathon started and also watched the moment MAMI finished the race. MAMI says they had a system where people could track runners via GPS and had videos of the runners passing certain points of the marathon. She mentions that their radio program director Kawai had run in the Tokyo Marathon and was really fast + faster than MAMI, and was 2 hours faster than her at 4 hours, 9 minutes. She also had gone to cheer her on. HARU says that everyone's so impressive. TOMO says that that includes Kawai, MAMI, and the listener Pii-chan. MAMI says also includes TOMO and they laugh. TOMO says good work to herself for working on her abs. MAMI says the last time she ran the Osaka Marathon was 7 years ago with HARU. Her time then was about 6 hours. This time she walked a lot, so it took her about 6.5 hours. HARU says that it was raining, too. MAMI says it was also cold. The previous marathon took place in November so the temperature was different. She kept thinking that she'd be able to run it, but 7 years had passed, after all. TOMO says that the video at the 25 km mark showed MAMI walking, but at the 35 km mark she was running. RINA says that she made a comeback. TOMO says that watching MAMI working hard had made her cry. MAMI says she ran as hard as she could and her knees still hurt even now, but it was a great experience. Ono asks her if she regularly runs and MAMI replies that she doesn't. HARU asks Kawai, and she seems to say she doesn't and had done training for it. MAMI asks if she's run since the Tokyo Marathon, which Kawai seems to say no to. HARU and TOMO say that that's impressive that she seems to like to run.

•TOMO reads the next message from a listener who says their mom is a solid person who everyone can rely on, but sometimes she can be a little out of character. She's recently started taking care of some houseplants and sends the listener photos of them via LINE. One day when they went to her house, they saw some cacti and thought were cute all clustered together. They held it in their hands and it seemed as if it was growing. The band laughs and is kind of confused by this. The listener says that when they told their mother this, she laughed and said she had been watering it for a long time. The band says that's cute. RINA says that her mom had been taking care of a small cactus that she and her siblings had given to her as a birthday present in the kitchen, but over the years it grew into a very tall cactus. HARU says that small cacti like golf ball cacti look like golf balls at first but will look different as they grow. MAMI says that HARU seems to have a knack for raising things and mentions the turtle her family had. HARU laughs and says that the turtle did live for a long time for over 30 years.

•MAMI reads the next message from a listener who says that their queen in their black cat Coco. She can be selfish and cleverly takes over a warm bed that another cat was sleeping on when the other cat moves, but when another cat tries to get on the bed or sofa where she's sleeping, she'll cat-punch it. And even though she sleeps on top of the listener, when they try to pet her she runs away. Although she's selfish, she'll sometimes bare her belly and let the listener pet her. When they go to the vet, she buries her face in their armpit, shivering and with her butt sticking out. She's a 15-year-old grandma queen with a very cute side to her. The band says that's adorable. RINA says that cats are tsundere types, after all. HARU says that she's extremely cat-like. MAMI laughs and says that hiding her face but not her butt is very cute. TOMO says that's nice that it sounds like they have many cats. MAMI says she wishes Coco lives a long life.

•RINA reads the next message from a listener who talks about Season 2, Episode 49 and says that as she listened to the person who sent in the message of not liking herself, she thought of how she also doesn't like herself. She's a childcare worker who doesn't think she's doing her job well, and she ends up thinking the kids aren't cute, or that she's useless and not needed, or that they're better off without her. But she hopes that she can gradually learn to love herself with the band's words in mind. She knows it'll take time, but she'll do her best and thanks them. RINA says that she got a lot of feedback on that episode, such as messages on Instagram. She was reminded again that everyone is dealing with similar feelings on a daily basis. As she said in that episode, she thinks it's really important to be kind to yourself as well. HARU says when they get messages like this, people can realize that they're not alone in their thinking. RINA says we should all accept each other.

•HARU reads the next message from a listener who has been struggling with this for the last 14 years: When they went to karaoke with someone they used to date, the listener was so tone-deaf when singing that the person asked them, "Are you chanting?" After that, the listener found it difficult to sing in front of people, and can only sing in front of people they're close to (who would not hate them even if they know they're tone-deaf). They ask the band if they could give them some advice about how they can learn to sing in public. RINA is surprised there are people (like their SO) who would say something like that. TOMO says that it's likely never the case that someone wouldn't like someone else because they're tone-deaf. RINA says no, but it hurts a lot and makes you afraid to sing. HARU says that she thinks the person who said that to the listener is nonsense. TOMO says that it's possible it could have been meant as a joke if they were very close to each other. HARU says that the listener was hurt by it, though.

•HARU also tells a story of how in middle school there was a girl the same age as her that wanted to be a singer but wasn't very good at first. However, she loved karaoke so much that she went almost every day for fun, or even by herself. By going there every day, she got really good at singing. TOMO says that's a good story. HARU says that maybe the listener could do the same by going to karaoke by themselves. MAMI says that if you're aware of yourself, you can become better. RINA says that she knows how scary it can be to have that happen even once. She's not a very good singer herself and is a little scared of singing, which she thinks comes from being a little traumatized from her school and audition days. She doesn't know how to solve that, which is why she doesn't sing at all outside of work. She doesn't even go to karaoke for fun; she only sings when the band needs her to. She thinks the only way to get rid of those feelings a little at a time, though it is really hard to do. HARU suggests that the listener decides on one song to sing and commit themselves to getting good at singing it, so when they go to karaoke with someone, it'll be nice to be able to sing that song well. MAMI says they can ask their friends to help them practice or go to karaoke with those who can sing well. HARU says that to be realistic, they could record themselves singing and then analyze it. They agree that the listener should try going to karaoke to practice alone at least once.

•TOMO starts reading the next message and reads the line "New segment about people with godlike powers." She pauses, laughs, and asks what that's about. Ono begins to mention gods and HARU and MAMI seem to remember. MAMI says that they had asked in a previous episode that they asked people with "godlike powers" to send in messages. TOMO goes, "So we named that segment 'People with godlike powers.'" There's a pause before Ono laughs and says they didn't. TOMO continues to read the message. The listener says that they've been baking for a long time, and even though they usually keep their bread completely cold, it starts to warm up when they touch it. It feels like they're turning bright red and their blood is flowing through them. They say they also know a hairdresser who sometimes gets their strength sucked out of them when they touch a client's hair, and can tell a person's state of mind and body just by touching their hair. They ask the band if they've gained any divine power during their 17 years of being a band, such as being able to hear sounds that people usually cannot, or being able to understand what birds are saying. TOMO laughs and asks what's up with this person. HARU says that maybe they're someone with godlike powers. RINA says that maybe the sound thing could be related to an occupational hazard. Ono asks if they know what birds are saying. They laugh and MAMI + TOMO say they don't. They ponder and then say that they don't really have any 'powers.' TOMO asks Ono if a lot of people have sent in messages for this new supposed segment. Ono says a lot of people have. TOMO says that as they listen to stories of people with godlike powers, the moment may come when the band also realizes the powers hidden within them.

*As always, you can send in a message to the program here.

I've updated the guide as how to input your info and message for those who need assistance (click to enlarge):

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*A list of all episode summaries from ＃1-160 can be found here

*All episodes of Season 2 can be found here

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#front-page #catchup

MAMI completes the Osaka Marathon! A listener who was motivated by this decides to try something?

Season 2, Episode 50 blog

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HARUNA: This time...we'll just be reading messages. We have less than 10 days until the release of our new album LUMINOUS...

RINA: It's almost here.

HARUNA: Let's read some "Quminous" messages!

Pii-chan

MAMI-chan! Good job running the Osaka Marathon.

All: Good jobー

MAMI: Thank you!

I'm glad you were able to complete the race without any injuries! I wasn't able to be there to cheer you on, but I was moved by tracking your run online that I couldn't stand still and decided right then and there that I wanted to try something, too! The week after the full marathon, I decided to take on the challenge of riding around Lake Hamana on my bicycle!

What MAMI-chan did is a billion times more difficult, though I don't mean to compare one challenge to another. Ever since I became a SCANDAL fan, I've always looked up to you four who always remember stay positive and take on challenges, and that has been my guiding principle in life ever since I became a fan of SCANDAL.

I've been on a diet lately so I've been trying to avoid sweets, but on this particular day, I had my favorite chocolate banana as a reward!! It was delicious!

Not only this time, but whenever I've been troubled or had a hard time in my life, you've always shown me the future and shined a light on me.

I have not been able to give anything back, but I will continue to support you in your life, even if it's only in a small way!

All: Thank you!

TOMOMI: I wonder how long it takes to go around Lake Hamana. Doesn't that sound impressive?

HARUNA: Even if they say it's "just" biking...

TOMOMI: It must be tough.

RINA: I wonder how many hours it takes.

HARUNA: I wonder.

RINA: There's also Lake Biwa, right?

HARUNA: There is.

TOMOMI: Lake Biwa is huge.

RINA: Is there an event where you cycle around Lake Biwa... I don't know.

Staff: It says that one trip around Lake Hamana is 71 km/44 miles.

All: 71 kilometers!? Lake Hamana!?

TOMOMI: That's tough!

HARUNA: Wow!

RINA: I wonder how long it takes to bike it?

MAMI: Isn't that really difficult? Didn't their legs get swollen? Were they okay?

Staff: The estimated time required is 4 hours and 44 minutes.

RINA: Ehー? That's tough.

HARUNA: They're doing something totally amazing.

TOMOMI: Good job!

RINA: Good workー

MAMI: Good work!

TOMOMI: But they were inspired by MAMI-chan.

HARUNA: Yeah, they did it the following week.

MAMI: That's amazing.

TOMOMI: It is.

MAMI: I think it's amazing that they were able to decide to do something now and take action.

HARUNA: It really is amazing.

TOMOMI: Oh, I did sit-ups too! After seeing MAMI-chan running the full marathon.

MAMI: Eh, did you work hard on your sit-ups?

HARUNA: You were definitely influenced.

TOMOMI: I was, and I was moved!

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt』 - Season 2, Episode 49

•The episode starts with this.

•TOMO reads the next message from a listener who is 40 and has been playing darts as a hobby for 16 years, and will be participating in the qualifying round of the soft darts world tournament. The preliminary round is an online match where you compete against competitors and professional players from all over the country, and after winning the first round and the second round, the final round is a tournament to decide who will be the finalist to participate in the main event. In the main tournament, you compete in a tournament against top-ranked men's pro players, women's pro players, and winners of overseas tournaments. If you win and become number one in the world, you will receive a prize of 10 million yen ($68,000 USD). Their dream is to participate as an amateur in this tournament, which is attended by professional players that they've admired for many years, and to become number one in the world. The band says that's impressive and also wonder what soft darts are. RINA guesses that the tips are soft. They say they don't really know much about the darts world, but they have played darts before at places like bars and backstage at festivals. They laugh and say they've never met anyone who was good at it, though it's likely most people they've seen had been tipsy while playing. They say they're cheering the listener on and hope they can be the best in the world.

•MAMI reads the next message from a listener who says there's something they're too embarrassed to tell anyone: they can't ride a bicycle, partially because they're not too athletic and also because they gave up practicing when they were little. They actually bought a bike two years ago and tried to practice at the park at night but gave up. They tell people they're really close to, but they just say that it's okay. The listener also thinks it's okay because they have a driver's license, but they get a strange feeling when they see kids or adults riding bikes around town. They ask the band what they would think if someone their age told them they can't ride a bike. They also ask them for a pouch for their birthday so that they can put their car keys in it. The band laughs and says they'll give it to them. MAMI says that they can eventually put a bike (lock) key in there. HARU says the band could practice with them, with the listener having asked about practicing riding a bike. They laugh and RINA says that the listener would be under a lot of pressure with the four of them watching. HARU says that it might be better to do the same thing people usually did when they were little where your parents took off your training wheels and they would hold you in the back. RINA says that they already have a sense of fear regarding riding a bike and think that they can't do it, so it's best to get rid of that mindset first. HARU says that it must be hard to practice alone in the park as an adult if you think someone might be watching you. TOMO says that it might be a good idea to try out an e-bike, which is easier to ride, to get a feel for it, and then try riding a regular bike. MAMI says that she doesn't think riding a bike has anything to do with athleticism. HARU says that you just have to get a feel for doing it.

•RINA asks if any of them have ridden a bike recently. HARU says no. MAMI says no as well, but the last time she rented a bike, she was able to ride it like normal. RINA says that she thinks it's important to not feel like you're not good at it, but even if they're not able to do it in the end, it's fine to just drive their car, and geting a license is many times more impressive. MAMI says that it's not the same feeling as driving, though. Even if you haven't driven for a month, you'll still be able to drive. TOMO says that she thinks riding a bike is similar to walking since you don't think about how to walk. Once you learn how to ride a bike, you don't think about how to do it afterwards. You don't remember the first time you walked as a baby, but you probably practiced hard enough to finally be able to walk. That's why you shouldn't give up on practicing. MAMI says that maybe they could first practice on a stationary bike like those found at the gym. RINA says that it isn't dangerous, after all. HARU wonders if they would be able to get a sense of balance like that. RINA says while laughing that there's this horse-like thing you can experience. The others aren't sure what she means until HARU asks if she's talking about the 'rodeo' ones (I think they're talking about mechanical bulls). They laugh at this but don't think that would help. MAMI says that unless they first step on a bike pedal, they won't be able to move forward. And if they don't move forward, they won't be able to balance. TOMO says that if you're scared, you won't be able to pedal at first. MAMI says that this is a pretty lively convo, which makes the others laugh. HARU says that they want the listener to do their best and be able to ride a bike. TOMO says the first step is the scariest, which they all agree with. They ask the listener to let them know if they make any progress.

•There's then a pause before they go, "What?" and MAMI seems to read this from their script: "Although you've never spoken about it, what is something you can't do?" HARU says that she can't whistle. RINA says that she doesn't think she can either. MAMI says that she can whistle but not change the pitch. RINA says that she thought a high percentage of people who can sing well can also whistle well. HARU says that she can't. RINA says that she thought she could do it well. MAMI says that TOMO can whistle. HARU says that she doesn't know how to whistle. She then seems to try whistling but all that's heard is what sounds like a quiet breeze. They laugh and HARU says it's just the wind. RINA asks if she's trying to cool something down. TOMO says it sounds like the window's open a bit. MAMI says that she herself was able to whistle better in elementary school. TOMO seems to try and a whistling sound does come out a bit. She says she used to be able to whistle melodies but it's not possible for her anymore. Another attempt at whistling is heard, and seems to be coming from MAMI. They laugh at this. RINA says that whistling's difficult to do. MAMI tries whistling again and RINA says she's doing it. MAMI says that she can only whistle this note, though.

•HARU asks if there's anything else they can't do. MAMI says she's really bad at ball games like baseball and softball, and can only really catch a ball about as big as her head. RINA says that's really surprising. MAMI says that she can't catch them and don't know where they'll fall. She'd always get hit in the face and get a bloody nose. HARU says that she's probably been traumatized by that and she's convinced that she won't be able to catch it. MAMI says she probably can't see it the moment she'd be able to catch it because it blocks her vision. When she looks at it, it hits her in the face. HARU says that maybe she's seeing the ball right to the end, but perhaps not. MAMI says that she doesn't know the distance between the racket and ball when playing tennis, for example. RINA says that it's more like you're using the racket as an extension of your hand. MAMI asks if it's like she's trying to touch it with her hand. RINA says yes, and that it's all about feel.

•TOMO says that she's rather unsure of her sense of distance. She bumps into people and doesn't notice when she drops things. Her iPhone flies off so often that she wonders sometimes if it's even still working. She doesn't know why this is and says there's something wrong with her hands, and that her senses are dull. HARU says that she kind of gets that, though. RINA says that she's amazing when it comes to the playing the bass, though. TOMO goes, "Am I even playing the bass?" They all laugh hard. HARU says she's a prodigy. MAMI says that she seems to be okay when she drives and doesn't come close to bumping into anything. TOMO says that she does when she rides a bike, though. MAMI says something about once having to hold her hand while walking to keep her going straight (it's hard to understand since they're all kind of talking and laughing at the same time). TOMO says that there are lines on the ground when driving, so if there could always be lines on the ground when she's walking, then she could probably walk straight without having to depend on others. RINA laughs at how narrow the lines would be. HARU says that she'd probably be okay if she walked in bike/pedestrian lanes. TOMO thinks so as well. RINA says that there are tons of things they can't do, and jokes that it really feels like they're in a band and barely getting by with what they are able to do. MAMI says she doesn't know if they're doing a good job or not. RINA goes, "What do you think, guys?", directing this to the fans. They all laugh. HARU says that they're probably good at being SCANDAL, which they laugh and agree with. TOMO says that what SCANDAL can do and what the band members can do are two different things. They all agree.

•RINA reads the next message from a listener who is encouraged by the messages that SCANDAL puts out every year on March 8, International Women's Day. She feels that SCANDAL is always there for each and every one of their fans, regardless of gender or age. When she hears that they're proud to be women and in an all-girl band, and then sees their message on IWD, it pushes her to take better care of herself. She says she don't like who she is. She's not pretty, slim, confident in herself, or knowledgeable--she has so many negative aspects about herself that she can't even begin to list them all. Even so, every time she gets a message from SCANDAL, she's reminded that it's okay to accept herself more and she feels relieved that she is who she is. March 8 is also her birthday. RINA pauses, laughs, and says this is getting kind of heavy. The listener says that every year she takes the liberty of thinking that SCANDAL's IWD message is a birthday message to her. She's also come to love mimosas. RINA's voices starts wavering and says that she's starting to cry. The listener says it'll take her a long time to love herself, but thanks to SCANDAL, she's sure she'll love herself a little bit more every time her birthday comes around. She thanks them for all of their love.

•The band thanks the listener. RINA says she really doesn't want the listener to say that they don't like herself, and that she thinks she's a really good girl. When they send out a slightly sensitive message like their IWD ones, they find themselves thinking about how difficult it is to choose the right words and how to send them out. She says she's so glad they kept going without stopping. The listener is from the same generation as the band and right now is likely a point in time when her life will change a lot and has to deal with a lot of conflicts, so being able to to be kind to yourself is really cool and important. Since the listener has this kind of heart that can write something like this for the band, RINA wants her to direct that love towards herself as well. Although she's never met her and doesn't know what she looks like or what her body shape is, she thinks she's really cute and cool no matter what. Of course there's beauty in delicate things, and there are some clothes that can worn because you have the right physique for it, bit there's nothing cooler and more beautiful than living a life where you love every minute of it. She's really happy that their message and music resonate with her mentality, and that RINA's the one that should be thanking her. She says she's really adorable.

•MAMI says that she doesn't think there's any difference between who's pretty, who's cool, or who's not. It may seem like everyone's looking at you, but they probably aren't. People don't look at others as much as you think they do. That's why MAMI's been thinking a lot lately that it's all about self-satisfaction. It's okay to wear what you think is cute, or put on makeup that you think is cute. She used to be overweight, which is why she understands how the listener feels. RINA asks if it has to do with wanting to lose weight. MAMI says that it was more that she had to lose weight and was always told to lose weight. RINA says that was what the 'right' thing to do was when they first debuted, and the world back then wasn't one where people could talk about lookism like is done now. It was like the thinner you were, the more successful you were. HARU and RINA agree that that was how things were. MAMI had always thought of herself as overweight, so when promo photos were taken, they would make her appear thinner. But since she was pretty rebellious, she would say things like she was going to lose weight but never did. The others laugh and RINA says that's nice. MAMI was concerned about that back then but wasn't so concerned that she thought her life would be over if she didn't lose weight. Now, we're living in an era where there's a lot more diversity, and that all body types are good. RINA says that that's been true for thousands of years, but it's only recently that everyone's starting to finally realize that.

•TOMO says that being cute or cool is all a matter of taste and is up to each person, so it's best to stick to your own preferences and be who you want to be. MAMI says that Kuromi (a Sanrio character) always says to be the person you want to be. They laugh at this. TOMO says that that's what Kuromi does enjoy saying the most. MAMI says that Kuromi is cute because that mentality makes her cute. RINA says that instead of thinking of yourself in terms of negatives that make you feel bad about yourself, change your way of thinking so that you can enjoy the process of becoming more like what you want to be. But if you find something you surprisingly like about yourself, leave it as it is. She wants you to make yourself the kind of person you want to be so that you can become more beautiful as you get older. HARU says that she thinks it's normal to compare yourself to someone else--she does that as well. It's something that happens every day, so it's not a bad thing at all. It's totally normal to feel bad about yourself, so just try to choose what you like as much as possible. If you accumulate a lot of happiness, even in trivial things like "I'm glad I ate this today" or "I'm glad I bought these clothes," she thinks you'll feel fulfilled.

•MAMI says that there's sure to be a lot of people who aren't able to send this kind of message, no matter how much they love themselves or think they're cute, so taking that first step like the listener is something special. TOMO says that what the listener thinks isn't something exceptional; it's something that everyone thinks but doesn't say. So don't think you're unhappy because you don't like yourself, because everyone's the same. She thinks it'd be good for her to try something that'll make her like herself. RINA says because the band's job is one where they're able to send messages like this, that they want to break this kind of binding spell, even if just a little bit, that people have on them. MAMI says that she thinks there are a lot of people who can relate to this message, so they're really grateful that the listener sent this in. RINA says that she really hopes that SCANDAL's music will give people confidence. She hopes that when people hear their words and music, it'll be like a switch that helps to ease peoples' hearts and minds.

•They then close out the episode. HARU says they read quite a lot of deep content today. RINA laughs says that there were so many kinds of messages, and that she wasn't expecting to go from talking about bikes to crying.

*As always, you can send in a message to the program here.

I've updated the guide as how to input your info and message for those who need assistance (click to enlarge):

---

*A list of all episode summaries from ＃1-160 can be found here

*All episodes of Season 2 can be found here

---

#front-page #catchup