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cheerful02_ivy Ken Miyake released the album “THE iDOL”, which embodies a unique “idol” image
Ken Miyake released his solo album “THE iDOL" on June 5th. After 30 years of being an idol, Miyake has finally reached the point at his own profession, way of life, and “idol” culture that undoubtedly represents modern Japan.
Although the album is packed with a wide variety of music genres, typical of 2020s J-POP, what is most impressive is the strong overall feeling of the album. One cannot help but feel Miyake's strong respect and passion for the art he loves. Each song, created with a number of artists including SIRUP, Micro, and WurtS, has a twist to it, achieving the ideal balance of pop songs that can be listened to casually or delved into deeply. July marked one year since Ken Miyake moved to the agency TOBE. How did Miyake Ken get to “THE iDOL”?
While seated for the interview, Miyake spoke about the Goro's bangle he was wearing, saying, "When I was around 14 or 15 years old, I bought it because I admired Native Americans. Since then, I`ve decided not to wear any accessories other than Goro`s Bangle.” Miyake's initial drive and strong will to continue are evident in “THE iDOL” and his comments in this interview.
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An “idol” that even embraces sadness and suffering
Ken Miyake : Yep... I asked artists that I usually like to listen to, as well as people who fit my current mood and who provided me with songs😀However, because the previous mini album “NEWWW” (released in November 2022) had a lot of darker songs overall, I think the difference is that this time we thought “to make it more pop” gathered songs that were brighter overall.
WWD : The most striking thing about the title is the straightforward but meaningful one, “THE iDOL”. Is the metaphorical use of “idol” related to the milestone of your 30th anniversary?
Miyake: This time, I wanted to have young and up-and-coming creators provide songs to bring out a new side of me, who has been in the idol industry for 30 years. Another thing is, I can't say anything concrete yet, but I'm still thinking about doing a project based on myself, and that's also related to that.When I finished my activities as a group and started my solo activities, I thought deeply about my future. In other words, To put it bluntly, I didn't have to choose to be an idol. But, when I decided to pursue a career as an idol, I had to face the question, “What is Ken Miyake like as an idol?” It was at that time that the singles “Ready To Dance” and “iDOLING” were released. These are the songs I made with SIRUP and Micro respectively, and I made them through trial and error based on what was in my head and their opinions, so these two songs are about the real me. With the collection of other songs around “Ready To Dance” and “iDOLING”, the album “THE iDOL” is completed.
WWD : “iDOLING” clearly depicts not only the glamor of being an idol, but also the struggles.
Miyake : “iDOLING” is a song I wrote during a difficult time when I couldn't tell if my fans loved me as “the person Ken Miyake” or if they loved me as the “idol Ken Miyake”. I decided to start out as a solo artist, but when I started working in a new place, I started to wonder “how do I look” and “what people think of me”.
Firstly, this song is a sequel to the solo song "Kanashii Hodo Ni A I Do Ru" that I made with Micro. The song is based on the 2010 version of Kyoko Koizumi's famous song "nantettatte aidoru", and I put my feelings about idols and my views on love at the time into it. f I made a sequel to that song with Micro again, it wouldn't work unless I included the past, present, and future of my 30 years as an idol, including what I'm thinking right now. With that in mind, I created a song that combines my real struggles at that time.WWD : As symbolized by the phrase “Every time I'm sad, I'm an IDOL [Kanashimu tabi ni aidoru]”, it's impressive that the lyrics even touch on the contradictions that idols face, in that even their worries can be turned into art.
Miyake : Personally, when it comes to major and minor, I prefer songs with minor chords. As with “Kanashii Hodo Ni A I Do Ru”, this time “iDOLING” is also made with images of disco from the 1970s, and “This is a song that makes you want to dance, with a rhythm that makes everyone want to dance. However, the melody line that flows through the song is a bit sad,” that's what I was aiming for as a concept. I also think that my fans can sense the slight loneliness and sadness that comes from inside me. I made the song to be able to put even the subtleties of those emotions into it without hiding them to the limit.
WWD : Even though you had to worry and suffer, you ended up making a song that shows a strong sense of trust in your fans.
Miyake : Yeah... There`re two themes in terms of the contents of the album this time. The first is “A message to all fans”. There`re many codes from me to my fans scattered throughout the 14 songs (12 songs + 2 bonus tracks), and I've made it so that the codes will be deciphered when you listen to this album😉. The other is a collection of universal love songs that anyone can enjoy. Since I made it with these two themes as the concept, I gave it the title “THE iDOL”.
WWD : I think that both “Ready To Dance” with SIRUP and “iDOLING” with Micro are songs that contain Miyake-san's thoughts and direction. Is it the same for your other songs?
Miyake: Nope, it would be boring if all the songs were like that, so I deliberately tried not to direct all the songs. For example, the song “BOY”. There`s a staff member who works as a DJ at a cafe that I often go to. When we talked, he said, “My friend sent me this song and said, “I made a great demo”. When I listened to it, it was really good. This song was created from such a coincidence connection.
WWD: The balance between intentionality and randomness has a big impact on the content and mood of a work.
Miyake : This applies not only to music but also to art, but I really like works and expressions that leave room for imagination. That's why I want to leave that space in my work, and I want people to enjoy playing with it. Of course there`s a sense of satisfaction in seeing the hints being resolved, but I don't think it's necessary for all hints to be resolved, and I think that's what makes it interesting.
WWD : Miyake-san has previously stated that, “An artist is someone who creates things, and I'm just an idol”, but it feels like his producing/directing work on this album, “THE iDOL”, including the overall concept creation, strongly exudes the image of “artist Ken Miyake”.
Miyake: When the group was disbanded, I thought about what I should call myself. At that time, the word “idol” seemed most suitable to me. Although each person has their own interpretation of the word, in my case, I believe that someone who creates something from nothing is a creator and artist, and I have such talented creators and artists around me and among my friends. among my friends and surroundings. So, "an artist?... No, that's not it”. “Artist?...No.” Of course, I like thinking about things with an artistic mindset, and I also like creative things, so I want to pursue that. However, because I`ve great respect for creators and artists, I decided I don't want to call myself that. When I looked up the word idol in the dictionary again, the words "idol" and "illusion" came up, and when I saw those words, I thought, “idol = a being that can become anything”.
WWD : Oh, I see.
Miyake : That's why I want to make this album “THE iDOL” to be timeless and genreless. This is because the existence of idols has the characteristic of being able to transcend borders. Idols are beings who can take on any color and move freely between different places. It's not just about music, but also about work. Sometimes I appear on variety shows, sometimes I work in theater, and sometimes I sing. That's why I want to call myself an idol again🙃
WWD : In recent years, Miyake-san's statements and actions have revealed an awareness of the issues surrounding idol culture and a desire to work toward improving it.
Miyake : I don't want to say it out loudly because it sounds presumptuous, but in the 30 years I've been an idol, I firmly believe that my great predecessors who have expanded the scope of the idol job in my 30 years of being an idol, and I`ve respect and gratitude for them. And because I feel there`s strong potential in idol culture, I would like to update it. That's because there`s a culture in Japan where idols are looked down upon as not having expertise, or are consumed in the short term. I felt like changing this situation in a positive direction.
WWD : We think short-term consumption aspect is a point that is especially pointed out when it comes to female idols, but do you think that it's the same for male idols?
Miyake : That's right. In the case of male idols, SMAP has expanded the scope of its activities for my generation. I benefited from that. However, we live in an era of idol warring states even more so than we did, and there`re many different forms of idols, and I think it's a really tough time to survive. In this era, It's precisely because of this era that I want to be able to create a new path for young idols by combining idols with something outside of them.
WWD : Yeah…that SMAP has expanded the boundaries of idols, both in terms of age and range of activities.
Miyake : SMAP is definitely an unshakable idol image for me, and they represent the essence of my youth, because I was able to spend impressionable years with them. So, they`re something that will never fade😀
WWD : In the dance scene of the music video for “iDOLING” , we felt a sense of respect for the history of idol culture, going through Masahiro Nakai, whom you respect, to Michael Jackson. Is “inheritance of idol culture" something that you`re conscious of?
Miyake : I'm not consciously working to inherit something. However, after being active as an idol for 30 years, I've definitely reached a point in my life where I need to think about how I want to build the path of idols in the future😉Every day I think about things like “What should I do?” and “What can I do as an idol, Ken Miyake?” Ken Miyake created “Idol Ken Miyake”. If I can keep doing that throughout my life, I'm sure one day it will become some kind of “creative activity”.
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PROFILE
KEN MIYAKE/三宅健
Born July 2, 1979 in Kanagawa Prefecture.
- As the first TOBE artist in July 2023.
- As an artist, he announced that he would accept the challenge of a new form of entertainment, and that he would create a new image as an idol.
On June 22 and 23, a solo concert entitled “2024 Live Performance The Otherside: Another Me Presented by KEN MIYAKE” was held at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo.
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