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[Intro to Lyric Writing] How to Write Lyrics for Idol Songs: Let’s Pay More Attention to Parts Other Than the Chorus!
Even for artists who focus mainly on singing and live performances, it doesn’t mean that a song will sell just because it’s good.
In that sense, idols hold a variety of possibilities.
There are idols who can’t act, are only so-so at singing and dancing, but are popular just because they’re exceptionally cute.
Furthermore, there are idols who aren’t even particularly cute and are successful purely because of their general personality, communication skills, and those kinds of traits or talents.
"The chorus is the key!" is a by-the-book way to write a song, but...In the current idol scene, there are songs that can hold their own even outside the chorus.。
This time there’s less analysis from the angle of the lyrics than usual, but I’ll shine a spotlight on this theme.
Model divine song: Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku | Sudden Death
The lyrics were written by someone who is currently all the rage.Okazaki TaiikuI am Mr./Ms. ____.
Unorthodox
Not limited to idol music, one common formula in pop songs is something like A-melody → B-melody → chorus (second verse) → bridge → final/closing chorus.
"Sudden Death" is a song that lies outside the standard playbook.
If I describe the progression of this song in terms of sections, it goes: verse → pre-chorus → chorus → bridge → outro → …
Just when you think this is the chorus, another chorus-level highlight shows up later.
So just when you think that was the chorus, an even more exciting part follows.
Listeners will probably be on the edge of their seats, hearts pounding, as they experience a “What on earth is this?” moment for the first time.
Not only the uniquely idol-fan-like devotion to one’s oshis, but also a mechanism that tries to shut down the thought processes of every listener who hears this song is set into motion.
As someone who writes lyrics, this song genuinely made me reflect on how I’d been trapped by conventions and standard formulas.
Saying “the possibilities of music” might sound a bit trite, but I’m reminded that the scope of music as entertainment can expand endlessly.
the real chorus
My knees and everything are already shaking, laughing so hard I'm on the verge of suffocation.
A phrase that evokes a new wave of language.
It properly lacks ideological content and pursues only enjoyment.
The A-melody (first block) that includes these lyrics is sung in a fairly hard/edgy style.
The following B melody is
I want to be the leader of the school-commute group in your heart.
I want to wait until you come.
It has a classic, old-school idol style that puts youthful charm front and center.
Just from reading (or listening to) this part, it's an ordinary idol song without anything particularly different.
Make noise, scream, dance, sing—burn your life in sudden death!
A chorus designed with live performances in mind.
Lyrically there’s nothing particularly new, but the chorus feels great and charges straight down the classic idol path.
The flow of the song’s story is as follows.
- Sing a song with an idol-like flow
- They start arguing over who will sing the chorus.
- So it’s decided: a dance sudden-death—let’s settle it by seeing who can keep dancing the longest.
- From there, the dance sudden death begins.
- One drops out, then another, and eventually two members remain for the final.
- At the moment the match is decided, they abandon the competition, show concern for their opponents, and deepen their friendship.
- In the end, everyone begins to sing, saying that this group doesn't need Venus.
I think the real chorus of this song is the part where they do a dance sudden death.
There are no lyrics.
The fans chant, 'Oi! Oi! Oi!...'
All the members dance with everything they’ve got and keep going until they literally collapse from exhaustion.
The most wonderful chorus in the world without lyricsIt was the first time that writing lyrics made me feel this heartbroken.
This is what you would truly call a real 'mechanism' or 'contraption.'
deviation value (standardized score)
Some people express discomfort when they hear about standardized deviation scores, but I think they are one of the useful numbers for improving the quality of things.
Unless you’re an exceptionally big-name producer, a song is created collaboratively—from the initial concept through the PV production process—by many people pooling their ideas and going back and forth about what will work.
Although there are biases—like happening to be the one who writes the lyrics on behalf of the group, or a casually hummed melody getting adopted—it’s still rare for a single person to finish all the work alone and release it immediately.
Watching, this is us.
Oh Yeah （Oh Yeah）
It stays exciting all the way through to the final chorus.
The melody is different from the chorus melody of the first verse.
To begin with, this song doesn’t have concepts like a first verse or a second verse.
It could also be said that these lyrics are devoted to further raising the already high quality of idol groups like Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku.
Many impulses that I was able to gain as the price of the silence of not singing.
It’s thanks to this concept and the capabilities of the members who were able to meet it.
In that sense, the song 'Sudden Death' could be called the crystallization of mature tears from idols with a high 'idol deviation score.'
Model Divine Song: Tick☆tik | FIVE JUMPER
The lyrics were written by MOCO.
calorific value
Tick☆tikIt is read as 'chikuchiku'.
It may also be written in hiragana.
Even among idols, there’s a lot of variety: some groups naturally gain fans just by laughing and being cheerful—‘ahaha, ufufu’—while others don’t become popular at all, even when they wear provocative swimsuits and strike daring poses.
What is the difference?。
I’ve long thought that one of the differences is the level of passion.
Whether it’s holding a handshake event, singing a song, or releasing a single gravure photo, if the passion doesn’t come through, it won’t move people and it won’t inspire them.
It doesn’t refer to the intensity the idol themselves gives off, but to the amount of heat (passion) that can be conveyed to others.
No matter how hard you try, if nothing gets through to the other person, it’s unfortunate, but it amounts to zero.
The musical chorus of this song, “FIVE JUMPER,” is properly in its usual place, but the real hook is
Bring on the headbanging!
I think it’s tens of seconds of headbanging starting from there.
While my personal preferences are certainly a factor, Tick☆tik’s performance intensity is second to none among idols.
In a way, there are moments that make you feel we don’t need fussy lyrics at all.
One of the things that brings out the limited talents of the members of this group to the fullest is this headbanging.
To draw even a little heat from the idols and convey it to the fans, we have dance and music, costumes and lighting, the stage, and our lyrics.
Taking as our model the singers throughout history who wrote songs without fear of being banned, we will keep writing lyrics with a positive spirit—whether the ideas are eccentric or conventionally inherited.
Demonstratives (kosoado words)
The chorus is
Dance, dance, dance — the reason I’m bursting with energy is…
Because I always want to show you my smile
Using language as if walking the royal road of idols, employing special rhymes or packing in more words than the notes allow—these are techniques and preferences unique to lyricists, but this “smile,” cliché as it may be, makes for lyrics that feel good.
Close out the chorus
Such a life, such a fate — that’s nice!
Words separated by even the skin are frustrating, yet somehow it’s a phrase that sounds pleasing to the ear.
Throughout the world of kayōkyoku,demonstratives (ko-so-a-do series)The number of words is increasing.
Pop songs are overflowing with unspecified location references—typified by the currently trendy, supposedly feel-good mysterious phrases like “I’m right here” and “to that promised place.”
Not all of them are bad lyrics.
“Kono” is often used when you’re feeling unsettled or, conversely, when you’re firming up a resolute intention.。
When writing lyrics, I hope you’ll keep in mind—even just in a corner of your memory—the idea of “relying on demonstratives when you’re stuck.”
Do not speak with all your might.
There’s something worth noticing in the rap lyrics, which are delivered with a light, breezy flow.
HEY! YO! Stir up the Japanese archipelago! From Fukuoka! (Tenjin)
I twisted my ankle, but since I’m an idol, I’m all smiles♪ (Looks painful… )
A luxurious play of words.
Rap tends to want to rhyme no matter what, but superficial wit isn’t necessary.
It's a roundabout way of putting it, but I believe there are kinds of applied skills that you can only acquire by repeating the basics over and over until you’re tired of them.
No idol, no life. I'll show my grit—prickly spirit.
The distinctive groove of rap, the transformation as if possessed by the idol god, and choreography that feels striking—seemingly calculated yet not contrived.
This is a performance by a group that can always trust their physical intuition.
If you say lyrics don't matter, that leaves no place for lyricists—but watching and listening to "FIVE JUMPER" made me think there might even be songs that can allow such a taboo.
It’s not just about audience numbers—I believe Tick☆tik will eventually reach a destination that idols could never possibly arrive at.
Finally—as I’ve written in various places—don’t talk about “giving it your all” without first watching Tick☆tik.