Oricon Special Niji no Yuki Interview Part One: Shou explains the song.

First ballad single release! challenge! 2011’s last song’s musical composition & creation special talk now open!

“Niji no Yuki” is a beautiful ballad. A song with an image that is brilliant and exciting, with a sound that is full of charm and glamour. Anyone can feel Alice Nine’s abundant power of presentation. We were able to sit down and talk with all five members…

‘Niji no Yuki’ is Shou’s first time creating a song (lyrics and music) isn’t it.

Shou: Yes, from rough draft to finish, it’s my first time. Of course, I’ve okayed and helped with my bandmates when they’ve worked on their own melodies, even now I still do that. Nonetheless this time, I created the melody, and the other members helped me with the arrangements. It’s different from the regular order of doing things we’ve had until now, I think. But, this time it’s like ‘I want to sing this melody’…anyway, that was the starting point.

The vision and sentiments in this song are truly inspirational. Memories one just can’t forget, the ‘heat’ of the emotions one feels… that coupled with the white of snow, the ‘iciness,’ it creates a very vivid contrast, in my opinion.

Shou: The feelings of regret, these leftover emotions, the snow in the song is used as a metaphor for them. The feelings of the protagonist (of the song) gradually get sorted out, and takes them to a new place, and the snow starts to melt. I thought to paint an image like that would be wonderful, and that’s what I wrote.

The pain one cannot escape from one’s past is the basis for this song, however, it leaves the impression of ‘taking the first step towards the end’…

Shou: I’m not particularly fond of happy endings in movies and such. What’s left after the end (of things), I want to cherish that. And that part (of it) made it into this song.

What type of image for the arrangement did you give to the rest of the band?

Shou: ‘A hot rock ballad’ is the type of arrangement given, but, once you added the word ‘snow’ to it, it gave a very wintery feel when you heard it. That’s what we discovered.

http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/interview/2011/alicenine1221/index.html