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SCANDAL｜What shape does love take for this quartet that's been together since they were students?
SCANDAL celebrated their 15th anniversary last year, and will be releasing their landmark 10th album MIRROR on Jan. 26th. We asked MAMI and HARUNA, who continue to be active on the front lines as an all-girl band, about their thoughts on this album completed during the pandemic, their excitement for their tour, and their messages to their high school selves!MIRROR reflects who they are right now without hiding anythingYour 15th anniversary and the release of your 10th album are overlapping milestones. How do you feel now that you've completed the album?
HARUNA: I'm glad we were able to complete it. We couldn't play concerts during the pandemic, and we felt an unease and confusion in stopping something that we've been doing over 10 years. However, having properly reflected on music and completing an album has given us confidence that we can continue to work together as SCANDAL.
MAMI: We didn't decide from the get-go that we wanted to give it the title MIRROR, nor make the album a certain way. Up until now we had been thinking of making songs that we can enjoy together with our audiences at concerts, but during the pandemic we weren't sure for what purpose we should write songs. We then finally created "eternal." We didn't have any vision for the album and struggled to churn out songs one by one. By reflecting on ourselves during production, there were things that we accepted and things that we rejected. That's why we decided at the very last minute, "What about going with the title MIRROR?"
HARUNA: I'm glad we didn't give up.
MAMI: We of course have also written songs that are fun and have hope, but this time we made an album that reflects our hardships without hiding anything, just like a mirror.
MAMI: It isn't that we decided to line up 10 completed songs side by side and chose "MIRROR" as the title track; it was actually written after deciding on the title of the album. With the other 9 songs we felt that this is album that the current SCANDAL can proudly release. "MIRROR" was made because we thought it might be better to shift into another gear and have a song that inspires us. This song was born at the very end.
MAMI: Mine is "Prism." The music is by our bassist TOMOMI, and I made new discoveries such as melodies that I didn't come up with. So far we've had a lot of songs where HARUNA's voice gives off a powerful and cool impression, but this time it's nice to have her voice sound soft and true-to-life throughout the album. Among those is "Prism," and HARUNA's voice suits it really well! I think this can make "time" move for those who have had the same impression of SCANDAL being a school uniform-wearing band from 15 years prior. That's what I like most about it.
HARUNA: Maybe "one more time" for me? We had released three singles (eternal, Ivory, one more time) ahead of the album. When we were working on "eternal" and "Ivory," we as musicians didn't know if sending something with a fun vibe out to the world was the right thing to do, and how people would feel during these times about things that had been commonplace in the past. Those were things we really took into consideration. But starting from springtime of last year, we slowly started being able to play concerts with audiences in attendance and had more chances to again experience how much fun concerts are, and that they make us happy. It's because I had moments where I was saved by music that I myself wanted to save people with music as a musician. That feeling grew stronger after making "one more time." We made progress on it after we released "Ivory," and was able to perform comfortably.
MAMI: The melody for "Ai ni Naranakatta no sa" was finished at the same time as "Ivory." Since "Ivory" is a song written from a broad point of view and not limited to only love, "Ai ni Naranakatta no sa" focuses on love and expresses vague feelings like, "Are we breaking up? Or are we not?" It was suーper easy to write after listening to my friends' experiences and remembering when I broke up with someone I was dating (laughs).
MAMI: Huhー, I wonder. When I thought about what the most painful thing is when you're in love, I realized that it's "indifference." Like in the lyrics of "Ai ni Naranakatta no sa," there's a couple that lives together. If one contacts another, they get a reply right away. They're very diligent. When they go to work, they make sure to come back home. That trust and peace of mind of course makes you happy. However, if you start feeling indifferent to your partner that holds you tightly when they get back home, pats your head, and will stay with you forever, it might not be love.
HARUNA: When I was taking a walk outside while looking at a really beautiful sunset, the words "Dusk is melting" suddenly popped into my head. You don't normally refer to dusk as melting, right? But I thought it kind of sounded nice. I think it's surprisingly common to think to yourself that something you came up with sounds kind of nice, even if you can't explain it properly. It's often said that it's better to explain things and feelings using words, but sometimes it is better to trust your intuition and go in a direction that suits things more nicely. It's a song that I made with the intention of affirming myself when I come up with odd phrases.As musicians, concerts make them feel that they're their reason for existing
HARUNA: For our world tours, we often say simple greetings in the local language during MCs. Also, the difference in audience reactions is super interesting! In Japan, the raising and waving hands is perfectly timed, and the audience tries to match each other while being aware of one another—it's very Japanese mindset-like. Overseas crowds, however, don't do that and just move however they feel like (laughs). The directions they raise their hands in differ, like up/down or even sideways, but that inverse feel looks amusing and energetic.
MAMI: There can be an explosive surge during songs where we'll just be a band performing a typical concert as always, but then it feels more like a club and makes us think, "Was the vibe of this song always like this!? Are we going at a slower tempo!?" (laughs). When we see realistic reactions, we feel at ease and are like, "This is what music's all about!"
HARUNA: Having many wonderful times once more is one of life's pleasures. By being in a band you have a space where you can communicate face-to-face with your fans, and where we need each other—you feel the significance of your existence. That's when it makes us think that it's okay to be musicians, so I'm very happy that we're playing a lot of concerts this year.It's been 15 years since the band formed. What has made both MAMI and HARUNA feel that the other has "grown up"?
MAMI: If we didn't help each other out, we wouldn't be able to be a band (laughs). We're all originally from a dance and vocal training school, with singing being a big reason for that, but because we each have our own likes, it's not possible to merge our idiosyncrasies into one. When one of us really wants to make a song, they do so. An album is completed as those songs stack up. We don't decide that all of us need to write both lyrics and music, nor do we think of making songs on our own—we go with the flow, and that's what our style currently is. Although I've been writing songs often as of recently, I do think that I can't do it alone. And of course there are times when I'm like, "There's nothing that I want to say!" When that happens the other members are there, and it makes me glad that we're not able to merge into one.
HARUNA: The songs written by each of us are completely different from each other, and it gives us each a ton of ideas that we personally haven't thought of. By encountering new emotions that I wouldn't come up with on my own, I feel like I can grow even more. I'm happy that they give me so much inspiration.
HARUNA: Maybe to study English properly. As a grown up I always try to make remembering things fun and think about how to remember something, so I think it might have been more useful if I remembered exactly what my teachers said. Since we play concerts overseas, I wish I had learned more English when I was still a teenager.
MAMI: Because I lived freely on my own terms, I might say to keep things as they are. My memories of doing band activities and having fun with friends were fulfilling. If you asked me about balancing that with my studies, it's a little harder to say for that (laughs). As for my youth, I think I was able to keep a balance with being in a band and being a student.
MAMI: HARUNA has become insanely motherly.
HARUNA: Really (laughs)?
MAMI: Although we attended the same training school at the time of our formation, we hadn't really talked to each other. Back then she gave off a really cool, candid vibe. But after 15 years' worth of conversations, we've gotten so close that I can call her my very best friend in the band right now. I've come to feel that HARUNA is a kind, thoughtful, and supercute person.
HARUNA: (MAMI) is now able to participate in group activities (laughs).
MAMI: Really!? Thank you very much.
HARUNA: She loves being alone, and she's very impulsive. A long time ago she'd say something like, "I'm going to ___ tomorrow" the day before, but the next day she'd change her mind. There'd also be times when we'd be like, "You said you wanted to eat that a few minutes ago, but now you're eating something different?" Earlier, MAMI said that she wanted to eat donuts and looked for a donut shop. We got in the mood to eat donuts, but when we actually went to the donut shop she ordered just a coffee.
MAMI: I wonder what happened (laughs).
HARUNA: We're used to it happening so often that we don't think anything of it, but recently I've started to think that living with another person isn't that hard to do.
MAMI: Maybe all of our likes are finally in sync.
HARUNA: That may be the case.
MAMI: Eating wasn't that important to me, but I think it's a big deal that I've now come to enjoy food. Let's go eat some samgyeopsal (Korean grilled pork belly).
HARUNA: Yeah, let's go eat some samgyeopsal (laughs).This month's special feature is to share what form love takes for you. Please complete this sentence: Love is about...?MAMI: Love is about interest!
I think it's important to have an interest in not only romantic interests but also family; friends; members; and colleagues, and have a want to get closer to them and be interested in what they're interested in. It's thanks to HARUNA that I got into K-Pop, and I talk to her every day about it (laughs). I think that having feelings for another person, such as interests and concerns, is love.HARUNA: Love is about turning a blind eye to the things you don't like!
There are many people who feel differently from yourself, but I think that love is to have as many quirks as there are people, and to not deny those. Even if you want to say "Isn't that incorrect?", each person feels things differently, and I think it's important for that person to think that it is the correct answer.
MAMI: Perhaps giving each other some space. We don't really say things like, "I don't want to hear about this anymore," or "You should like this more." When we're headed to the same place and contact each other about it, we won't poke our nose into each others' business. It's not something we decided in advance; we've just established the perfect balance. It's not quite an unspoken rule, but it's involuntarily established because we take things easy when the four of us are together.
HARUNA: We don't want to quarrel. That's why I think we accept each other. You'll never be on the same wavelength if you start off with saying "This is what I think," which is why all of us have open minds and will be like, "I see - so that's your opinion on this." Even if you think someone's opinion different from yours, you don't state that in a strong way—that might be the shape that love takes for the group.
MAMI: Those finding out about SCANDAL for the first time via this interview, it would make me very happy if you'd get to know us via MIRROR. If your interest is piqued even a little and listen to it, I'd love for you to tell us your frank thoughts. I wonder what students who like current popular music think when they listen to SCANDAL? We're from the generation who listened to music by putting CDs into stereos or portable players. Now, everyone can listen to music immediately via their smartphones, and the genres and devices have changed. I'm curious as to how SCANDAL's music is being listened to, so I'd love for you guys to listen to us.
HARUNA: When you're in high school, there are those who have decided what they want to do, as well as those who haven't yet decided. Those who truly have something that they want to do, keep going for it. You know what you want to do, but even if you're worried about what your parents or those around you may think, you should definitely be honest with yourself—after all, you can take responsibility for your own decisions. However, if someone tells you to give it up, you will absolutely regret it. I want those who know what they want to do to push ahead, and those who haven't yet decided to take up an interest in something.
