Because I don't. I love the music they make, even if I don't understand what they are singing about. But since I started listening to them, I've often wondered if I'm the odd one out among international fans. I've picked up a few words, but I would hardly call that an understanding of the language. 

So, am I the odd one out? Or am I overthinking it and should just enjoy their music? 

On a related/unrelated worry, does this make me insensitive to them, or the Japanese culture as a whole?

I'm sure there are a whole lot of fans out there - and in here - who don't understand Japanese, yet still listen to the band. Me included.

I listen to the band because I enjoy the sound of their music. I barely understand any of the lyrics, just the couple of words I've picked up from anime. Sometimes I'll search up the lyrics so I can kinda sing along (mostly in my head) but not the translations. I don't think this makes anyone a bad fan of any sort, because you still acknowledge that they sound awesome, whether or not you understand the meaning of the song to any degree.

I can assure you that you're not the only one, many other fans are in the same boat.

Honestly, probably a majority of the people posting on Scandal Heaven have a limited, at best, understanding of Japanese (this being an English language fan site).

When people wonder how I can listen to the music without understanding the lyrics, I point out the popularity of Latin music in the USA, despite most of the population being English speaking with no second language. Also, for centuries, listening to operas in German or Italian was the norm, even in nations where the vast majority of the populace didn't speak either language.

Music is a language in and of itself.

Yeah of course, simply because I believe that language is never a barrier when it comes to music. Scandal makes really good music and that's all that matters besides you can always look up English translations from google.

Music is a language in itself like saldiven said, I also do not understand and can speak 0 japanese but I still enjoy most asian music, and its kinda funny because once I started liking japanese music I also started like certain korean music haha, I also enjoy some music in spanish, english, etc.

I think the feelings of the music is conveyed through the melody and rhythm. I like to compare it to food I don't know or classical music which doesn't have any words. Me not understanding it does not change the feeling I receive.

I am English and it used to be that the English would not buy songs in a different language, they always expect people to sing in English.
I have tried playing people AKB or Scandal and they always say "But they are singing in Japanese" !
Probably because they are Japanese !

Music is very much about emotion and we all know you can sense the emotion even if the song is in Japanese, we know when Scandal are happy or sad.
But then again my wife is Indian so I am used to all her Bollywood movies !

The English are slowly changing though, Babymetal and Scandal have been to England recently and the tickets sold out for both of them.

You are definitely overthinking it. There's nothing with just enjoying the music for what it is, without understanding the lyrics.

I listen to most music without really paying attention to the lyrics, even if they are in my native language(English.) However, I do think knowing story behind the lyrics adds another dimension to the music. I like to look them up for my favorite songs.

A lot of people I know say that and I quite honestly don't care what they think of me listening to Scandal or just any other Foreign song. The sounds of these songs always give me some sort of satisfaction. Be it happiness or just maybe anger. I listen to understand the feelings the song conveys. If one cared so much about lyrics, then one should discover it themselves. It's like a small, precious jewel within a mountain of gold.

Same for me.
I had some people tell me: 'Why are you listening to this, you don't even understand it'. Fact is, most people around me complaining don't even understand English, but listen to international music anyway. I don't think its a big deal for people to be fascinated by Japanese music at all.
.tsk.

However, SCANDAL sort of gave me a lot of emotions since I started listening to their music. To me, most of their songs are associate with the kind of situation I heard and discovered them first.

Cutting the chase, I think everyone can listen to what feels right to him. Besides, I think most people here at SH are not fluent in Japanese, and so am I.

For me it is all about how it sounds. Sometimes when I am curious I will look at some lyrics and translations but it is not necessary at all to enjoy the songs. Having watched a lot of subtitled anime I get a few words here and there but not enough to really understand anything. When it comes to korean music I don't understand a single word but it also works just fine.

People who don't speak english have the same situation with english music, except they probably won't be criticized for it.

I still listen to them. I never pay attention to languages when it comes to lyrics in music. As long as it sounds really awesome then I'm good with it.

Sometimes understanding the lyrics can actually hurt your enjoyment of a song. For example, "So Easy" is on the surface a song about eating breakfast, but it's really about *oooops bad word detected*. I actually liked it better before I knew that...

I've been learning Japanese during the time I've been listening to Scandal. I can't understand all of their lyrics yet but I understand more than I used to, and it's changed my enjoyment of some of their songs. Some I like better, some I don't like as much. Overall it's probably a wash.

When you listen to music you don't understand, it's almost like listening to an instrumental with the vocals just another instrument. Some people like instrumentals, some don't. I know people who don't think a song really starts until the singer starts singing. For me, I grew up listening (in part) to trance music and shoegaze where there either were no vocals at all or the ones that were there were so buried that you couldn't understand them - they were just another sound. So it's not anything to me to listen to a band singing in another language.

@spacecadet

I know what you mean, I was quite shocked when I found the English lyrics to some of AKB's songs

Music has NO boundaries. It transcends all language barriers. If you like the beat, the plucking of the guitar, the way their words roll off their tongue, or whatever makes you happy to listen to it,,,,that is all that matters.I have 9 albums & 3  comp discs. from SCANDAL as well as their wonderful tonight concert, 1 CD from Baby Metal & music from Stereopony & a song from Lisa called crossing field (beginning theme from sword art online) & a bunch of stuff I listen to from Pandora. I have a playlist comprised of ONLY SCANDAL & it totals 110 songs & I play it EVERY,,,SINGLE,,DAY,, (& drive my co workers nuts) & yet,,,, I only know a few words... I just love their sound I love the way their slender fingers pluck the guitars .. I just love it all & I don't care less that I don't understand I just love the sound. So, just enjoy what makes YOU happy.. That is all that matters!!

Oh just a foot note.. Scandal likes the music of the foo fighters & yet when I met them, They needed a translator to understand what I asked of them so even they are enjoying music that they don't know.

I can only recognize very few Japanese words in their songs.
As a guitarist myself and a fan of Meshuggah, I'm not the kind of person who cares much about the lyrics. 
Just the title of the song provide enough of an impression for me to enjoy the music.

That's how it is, isn't it wonderful that we can all communicate because of SCANDAL and their music?
Music is still the universal language.

Of Course, I listen to their song because I love the Rhythm and how rock the music is. And of cos like this I can learn a little japanese too

basically zero understanding of Japanese.  I treat the voice as an instrument.

I also don't understand Japanese. I mean I can only understand the numbers and some basic greetings but in terms of speaking and conversational it's zero at all. It's also kinda weird because I'm a lyrics-first person. Maybe that's why the language had been my problem during my first few days listening to SCANDAL or to other Japanese artists. So a big "thank you" to the translators for translating the songs to us.

But, yeah just like what was mentioned here: Music is a language in and of itself.

Yup, I love japanese music but I don't know the language. I often look up the translations though

I only understand a few words that I've picked up from anime, but I have memorized some of my favorite songs and can mouth the words along phonetically. I also like looking up the translations to see what the songs are about.

It honestly doesn't matter to me if I can't understand what they're saying, because I don't have to understand the language to love the music itself 

Short answer would be : "define 'understanding' " XD 

And a longer : 

If i hear a Swedish song, i understand everything of it without thinking, even if i dont activly listen to it. 

In English its kinda the same thing, but sometimes i have to lookup some words due to i've never heard them before, one example would be the word "congregation" from the song by Foo fighters with the same name. 

When i listen to Japanese music, i'm able to make out most of the words they sing, but mostly i cant translate them. 

But if i hear ex, arabic music at town, i just hear "jidderjadderjajajaajallalahaha" and can't understand a single thing. 
 


So, i wouldnt say i understand japanese, but even so i understand it better than arabic. so yeah , Define "understand" XD XD !

ofc thanks to anime, i do understand some words and gramatic elements, but its not like i can watch un-subbed and get the story.

My Japanese sucks but with Google it is easy to find the English lyrics these days.