[Intro to Lyric Writing] How are idol song lyrics made?

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• createIdol lyricist and haiku poetTaki no namida pin ku
  Lyricist. Has provided numerous works to local idols and underground idols. A broad-ranging idol watcher, from Showa-era idols to Reiwa-era idols. Loves anything that becomes printed words, from manzai comedy to poetry.

Are all idol song lyrics the same?!

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Are you thinking, "With idol songs, as long as you can hype things up, the lyrics don’t really matter"?

Aren’t you kind of thinking, “You’re in my thoughts, keep looking forward, never give up, head toward tomorrow—aren’t you just stringing those together”?

Actually... there are a lot of songs like that, too.

Since hit-making veteran lyricists sometimes write dozens of songs in a month, I think it’s only natural that a few of them end up being formulaic and flavorless.

Besides, if the songs are even more chaotic than expected, it’s tough for listeners too.

Even live performances are exhausting.

Alternatively, another possible scenario is that the client who commissioned the song requested, “Please make it blatantly idol-style.”

There will surely be a professional demeanor that meets those needs.

However, that doesn’t mean it’s okay for you to do the same thing as the big names.

This time, I would like to start by explaining two songs that can serve as models.

Model Divine Song: Niji no Conquistador | THE☆Ecstatic Summer!!

Lyrics byNOBEI am Mr./Ms. ____.

Verse A

In the torrent of the A-melody, where extremely hard-to-catch short notes continue

“Lingering-hue skin” → “Summer” → “Expose” → “Sudden twist!?”

And they've assigned short words that feel a bit overloaded.

The lyricist simply lines up troublesome—deliberately calling them troublesome—words, and then entrusts the ensuing one-summer story, together with the rest of the lyrics, to the recipients (the listeners, the fans).

Words themselves multilayer their meanings, gain depth, and naturally connect to one another; I will call this “deepening of words.”

Regarding the story in the lyrics, it feels as if it’s saying, “The originator doesn’t have to lead the narrative.”

The author deliberately avoids using particles and auxiliary verbs, and with the single word “saras(u)”—to expose—gently sets a sense of thrill and excitement atop the notes.

Although there may be differences in how quickly or slowly hearts get stirred, the word is sandwiched between “summer” and “sudden plot twist,” so I have to say the lyrics are a perfect match for this group’s fanbase.

Overall, it’s a bouncy track, so it might be a coincidence, but I think this construction is a feat of high sophistication that’s quite difficult to imitate.

Even if it’s impossible to perfectly imitate and create something, you can still do a ‘pretend version,’ so everyone, give it a try.

The keyword is “creating a world with just words.”

B-melody

In the B section, the same phrase—“won’t lose weight,” “can’t wear it,” “won’t go,” “won’t do it”…—is repeated 15 times.

I’m compiling a list of verbs that just barely keep the listener’s imagination tethered by means of “words.” The brokering of those words is masterful.

I remember that when I first heard this song, I genuinely thought, 'No matter how many years it takes, I probably won't be able to measure up to this person.'

It wasn’t just a thought; I suppose it was more like the feeling a frog has when it comes face-to-face with a snake and thinks, “This is bad.”

Model Divine Song: Miniature Garden | Bouquet for Tomorrow

The lyrics were written by Takahiro Maeda.

Verse A

This isn’t related to the lyrics, but I’ll note anyway that the guitar riff at the beginning of the song is stylish.

The lyrics have an overall sweet literary fragrance, with lines like “bearing loneliness” and “the sound of dammed-up tears resounding.”

Its literary sweetness is modest and elegant, while keeping verbal showiness to a minimum.

Each and every word as well,Teetering on the very edge where the song’s worldview doesn’t come off as annoyingly pretentiousSince this is done with an awareness of sound and rhythm, it must also be one of the author’s innate skills.

From the standpoint of communicative clarity, the lyrics are somewhat disadvantageous, but if you say they scoop up the flip side of “I really like you” and “I love you,” then I think that’s perfectly valid—and even weighty.

B-melody

The short B-melody’s lyrics, which may come off as a bit heartless, combine with the increasingly intense musical development to powerfully drive the song into its chorus.

In particular, the final phrase leading into the chorus, “asita o izayou tsuki ya,” uses the particle ya exactly in the sense of the haiku kireji “ya.”The condensed point of my rising emotions is in this one phrase.It is contained.

Though it may be presumptuous of me, as a haiku poet, I am very glad to have found a kireji like this in an idol song’s lyrics.

In that sense as well, this 'Bouquet for Tomorrow' can be said to have idiosyncratic lyrics that stand somewhat apart from the straight-as-an-arrow idol path.

There are occasionally people who write lyrics with a “Look at my lyrics!” vibe. Of course, I’m not completely rejecting complex lyrics, but as idol lyrics, I think they would target a somewhat narrower audience.

Lastly

As you can see, there are many messages and intentions hidden in the lyrics.

Let's start by listening to the song and focusing on what stands out.

Starting next time, I’d like to gradually touch on how to write wonderful lyrics.