INDEX
Embracing the More Distorted Aspects of Myself
It seems to me that the lyric “I can’t settle for just being a good kid who’s merely cute / Because I want to break free so much” reflects your inner feelings. What do you think?
Nishina：I don’t remember exactly why I wrote this part, but now I think it relates to how, back in school, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. I was the type who focused on improving my weaknesses to raise my average. However, I now think it might have been better to focus more on developing my strengths. Even now, there are always people who sing better, write better songs, or are more intelligent than me. The comparisons seem endless, but perhaps it’s better to embrace a unique, unconventional path, like the distorted character on the album cover. I think this desire to break free and follow my own direction is reflected in this part of the song.
This part of the song seems to reflect your ideals and feelings.
Nishina： I’ve always felt that being “perfect” isn’t the answer. However, we grow up in a culture where people tend to believe that perfection is the standard. I want to embrace and love my more imperfect, distorted self, and I think it would be wonderful if others could do the same with their own imperfections. So, I hope this song serves as a kind of veil for the weaker parts of myself. It would be great if it could offer a sense of strength, even if it’s just a bit of bravado. I hope to continue creating music that captures these sentiments.
You mentioned “Adam and Eve” earlier. Was that concept significant in creating this song?
Nishina： There was a connection with fruit, but I was more intrigued by the idea of where humans learn the concept of shame. I found out that according to the story, Adam and Eve developed shame through their sins, which I thought was interesting. Since “plum” is a sensual song, I felt that themes of strength and weakness, assertiveness and shyness—these elements would enhance the theme of the song.
The sense of “sensuality” or physicality you mentioned seems to be a prominent aspect of your recent work. For example, the song “bugs” released this January was quite danceable.
Nishina： That’s true; it might be present in other songs as well. With “plum,” I think the image of fruit dripping with juice is quite sensual. I often draw inspiration from food, and even the act of eating can appear sensual to me. Although I didn’t think about it too deeply, it’s an element that naturally emerged.
