[Lyric Writing Basics] How to Write Lyrics for Idol Songs: Image Color Edition

Last updated:2019/7/28

Idol 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.

This isn’t related to the lyrics, but everyone, “color codingHave you heard of “ ”?

In this episode, I'd like to explore tips for lyric writing with an awareness of color.

Image color

Many of today’s idols are assigned an image color in advance.

For example,Momoiro Clover ZThen, Mr. Momota is red and Ms. Tamai is yellow, or something like that.

Fans show their favorite idol—their “oshi”—to the idol themselves and to other fans through glowing items like penlights and glow sticks, as well as by the colors of their hoodies and T-shirts.

There is no return there.

This is purely a self-indulgent act of joy, simply to promote my favorite/oshi.

Model Divine Song: Otome Shinto | Tokimeki☆Paradox

Lyrics byTakashi AsanoMr./Ms.

Lyrics in red tones

These are girly lyrics, brimming with feminine power like shades of red and pink.

Although a few conventionalized words appear, the set of lyrics seems as if it were conjured from the image of a girl living in the space between reality and fantasy.

Of course, even if a real junior or senior high school girl wrote it, it wouldn’t turn into lyrics this full of maidenly feelings.

An adult who is smart in a good wayLyrics written for “singing idols,” targeting the fans who love those idolsIt is.

I mentioned it before.It is the act of writing by working backward from the idol who will sing.

The first-person lyric “My heartbeat spikes, I’m startled and avert my eyes” is a scene like something out of a drama.

In a rosy situation, without showing any signs of hardship, the lyrics scattered in red are correctly arranged and spoken.

Is the richness of one's vocabulary and the ability to choose the right words a matter of innate talent, or the result of disciplined practice?

If the lyrics were entirely sweet with a girlish sensibility, they might produce a kind of cloying “lie,” but this song doesn’t have that.

They’re probably striking a good balance by introducing realistic little props into the lyrics.

Since it will be a good learning experience, please try searching for the small props that serve as accents in the song.

I think it will be fun.

Insert within the song

The recent trend is inserting monologues, dialogues, or short skits into songs.It is.

This song also includes lines like “It’s not like I care about you or anything!” and “D-Don’t get the wrong idea, okay?”—those heart-throbbing phrases you often see in dramas and manga.

When fragments of thoughts about the everyday or the extraordinary suddenly come to mind, and lines like these well up in my heart along with lyrics, that in itself is something that makes me happy.

In the song “Kinpachi” by Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku, a commercial break appears partway through.

Takoyaki Rainbow’s “The Girl Who Sells Cheer ~Fifty Famous Songs of Naniwa~” includes a manzai comedy routine.

Epoch-making insertions seen in idols seem likely to increase even more.

Sticking with red (maiden) no matter what

The chorus line, “Really, really, I just want to be with you all the time!” is exquisitely refined—free of any rough edges and delightfully light—and its charming lyrics even win over female fans.

After these lyrics, fans shout, “Me too!” as a call.

Once you hear it, its satisfying fit is unforgettable.

In the chorus, “Ah, geez—when will I finally be able to tell you how I feel?” beautifully captures the inseparable flutter of romance and a maiden’s heart, as well as the interplay of exhilarating excitement and unstable emotions.

It beautifully embodies the distinct, all-red image associated with girls.

When writing lyrics, if you decide on image colors—for example, summer → blue, girls → red, youth → white—words of similar hues get pulled toward that image color.

Wouldn't this also serve as a hint for writing lyrics?

Lastly, I also want to highlight the high individual idol aptitude—so to speak, their “idol deviation scores”—of each member who delivered a performance worthy of these lyrics.

Otome ShintoThey disbanded following the live performance on July 3, 2016.

Perhaps this means another duo has been added to the idols who will continue to shine in our hearts without ever fading.

Model Divine Song: Arrow Heart | Ticktock☆Clock

The lyrics were written by Ryo Kikuchi.

prosaic excitement

For such an intense A-melody, the lyrics are pretty cute.

Kawaii isn’t the “cute” kind; it’s somewhere between cool and pretty.

I think Pretty has a kind of stark, primary-color harshness.

However, that primary color is black.

Lyrics: 'Imprisoned in the now, the shadows come to attack; the past is exhumed, and I fall apart.' It deliberately builds a prose-like swell, lending nuance to the abstractly used 'shadows.'

Words layered on thick have a beautiful resonance, like spreading ripples.have

The B-melody takes a breather and features a distinct dark-girly melody.

The lyrics have dynamics and contrast without making the listener consciously aware of it.

The lyrics from the buried, sunless part—“The needle turning to the right keeps eating away at my time, ‘see…,’ and I just want to rewind it, baby”—make for a perfect phrase to lead into the next, higher chorus.

Power that does not crouch within the fixed mold of lyric syllable counts is rock—proof of a shout.

Lyrics and Music

Lyrics in rock and metal are more prosaic and dark than I thought.There are many such cases, and in the end, you often see it drifting somewhat into overly self-indulgent “hymns to destruction” or “worship of ruin.”

Since such lyrics have been mainstream and have grown since the early days of rock and metal—and there are still genres that carry on that lineage—it's no longer just about the lyrics; rock and metal are, in a sense, a kind of 'breath' and a 'way of life.'

The vocals in the chorus of this song are somewhat subdued.

I want you to belt it out as powerfully as Angela Gossow, but that’s just my personal preference and not related to the lyrics.

However, there’s a particularly striking, moving phrase—“Let it ring! Tick-tock☆The clock turns and turns in this world”—so I can’t help but wonder, perhaps out of overconcern, if we could push that even more, really bringing it to the forefront.

Between coolness and cuteness

The second verse’s lyrics are cute too.

Built upon deliberate linguistic maneuvering and design, it embodies the forward-looking spirit of “Nothing starts if you keep running away” and the cuteness of “Is it snack time at three yet?”, with a push-and-pull balance that is utterly exquisite.

If I were to liken it to color awareness, it's as though black grows lighter and darker, with a black-based, unobtrusive stillness running throughout the entire piece.

Eventually, whether we pursue "an even cooler, harder edge" or aim for "a cuter kind of rock"—in other words, whether we lean toward straightforward hard rock or the cute side—I think we’ll naturally gravitate to one or the other. But if we’re surrounded by brains capable of crafting lyrics like those of “Tick-Tock☆Clock,” I don’t think there’s anything to worry about whichever direction we choose.

This is a technical matter, butAdd spice (contrast) to the lyrics and vary the flow of the lyricsOne of the methods