“Born in 26th of March, 1987 in a town named Koga (??), had a difficult life with only has a mother by her side. When she was in high school she only had 1-2 hours of sleep time because she had to did part time job for pay her school fund, didn’t stop her to have a big dreams. Acted so bravely by decided to quit high school to pursue her big dreams, Music. Started learning guitar when she was 16. Moved to Tokyo that so unfamiliar to her, but that couldn’t stop her to pursue her dreams until finally 23 February 2005 she released her first major debut CD “Feel My Soul”, sold more than one hundred thousand copies as a start of her journey. Yes, she is YUI, a girl with a big dream.”
Okay, let’s back to the past to meet the people say “Old YUI”. She started her journey in music with It’s Happy Line, Feel My Soul, Tomorrow’s Way and LIFE, songs which are included with strong acoustic guitar’s sound and show the world “I’m YUI”, the guitar girl with a big dreams.
“Who am I living for?
The cloudy days pass me by.
This weakness, this pain
Do I feel all of it, or just a little? -It’s happy line-”“If life is a battle
Then we can’t help whether we win or lose
That much I know –Tomorrow’s Way-”“I got tired of crying.
Life doesn’t hand out answers.
I might wander and stumble, but I can’t stop.I Feel My Soul, Take Me Your Way.
No, I won’t turn back again.
I’ll find the answers with my own hands. –Feel My Soul-”“Have your dream come true?
I’m still struggling
Since thing aren’t easy, that’s why I can live on –LIFE- ”“I’ll swim through the sky like a bird.
I’ll swim through the sky without shedding a tear.
Put all your dreams in your life! –Free Bird”
Those are pieces of her songs from her early career. Songs with deep meaningful lyrics that asking the meaning of life, the searching of indentity, songs that represent her struggling life when she was pursuing her dreams.
YUI isn’t just a singer-songwriter who makes song to satisfy herself. YUI is a singer-songwriter who wants to inspire and give spirit to the listener of her songs.
“Today I have to leave this old room of mine.
I’m still unsure about this new journey. –TOKYO-”
Yes, TOKYO. A song with simple melody wrapped by a deep and a honest lyric that represent her feeling when she was moved to unfamiliar city , TOKYO, to chase her dreams. A simple song but has a very emotional side.
Good Bye Days & I Remember You are singles released in 2006 and have a strong connection with “Taiyou no Uta” movie. Songs with a strong “love” side. The flow of acoustic guitar sounds and also orchestra music makes these songs so beautiful and represent a romantic side of YUI.
“A world like I have seen in my dreams
Without conflict, just daily peace
But in reality, I tend to worry about
Troubles and the daily grind
Those Rolling Days –Rolling Star-”
“Rolling Star” was a song that starting to show a “Rock” side of YUI. A song with intense electric guitar sound and of course a meaningful lyric.
“So I took of my uniform at the age of 16
I didn’t want to be defeated -My Generation-”
My Generation is a song that shows to the people that “I” “YUI” choosed a right path of life because quitted from school to chase her dreams made people around her felt “doubt”. Same with “Rolling Star”, this song also has a strong “rock” side.
Another single with “Rock” nuance in 2007 was Love&Truth. A song that made as a theme song for “Closed Note” movie. I think YUI very success to representate the movie in this song.
And then a POP song “CHE.R.RY”. The most popular song from YUI. I think in this song YUI is showing that she is a normal girl who can fall in love.
I think “CHE.R.RY” was a beginning that YUI has left her struggling life and showed her happy life side.
And years after, I think most of YUI’s song are songs with “happy” feeling such as “Laugh Away” and “Summer Song”.
“I still have too long a life ahead
to get rid of these feelings, right?
I want to try doing over
the things I’ve left undone
Shall we go AGAIN?-again-”
After the hiatus, YUI came back with “again” and at the end of 2009 she released another single It’s All Too Much/Never Say Die. After she cut short her hair, I think this moment was a start of “New YUI” image rose up.
“At times we get sick and tired of everything
But good things are part of life too
That’s how we continue living on
Baby Never mind Never say die –Never Say Die-”
IATM/NSD is a single with “Rock” nuance and a spiritful song. Inspirational and meaningful lyric still included in this single, yeah, it was the same YUI before the hiatus.
The following singles GLORIA, to Mother, Rain, It’s My life/Your Heaven, and the newest one HELLO~Paradise Kiss~ are the representation of “New YUI” that a lot of people said.
She slowly changed her appearance, looks, hairstyle and the music itself. As example, “It’s My Life” surprises a lot of fans. The music, her looks, her winks, made many fans said “This isn’t YUI”, “I want old YUI”, “Please bring back old YUI” etc.
“Her music is too mainstream recently – someone-”
“I want to be able to excite people, put a smile on their faces and also make people say “Oh this is interesting”. I want to take on new challenges and enjoy my 20s.- ROCKIN’ ON JAPAN 2007.05 (Interview)-”
“Challenges”.
I think the change of appearance, the change of music are the part of that “challenge” that YUI said 4 years ago when she was just 20 years old. She wants to explore, try something new, take the challenge.
Can you imagine If YUI never change her music style even a bit since her debut until now?
Probably, I’ll dead bored.
“I’ll leave YUI, perhaps. Because I don’t find her passion anymore –someone-”
How can you tell she doesn’t have a passion in music anymore?
“to Mother”, “Shake My Heart”, “It’s My Life” and most of song in HOLIDAYS IN THE SUN are full of music exploration. She tried a lot of new musical instrument, she tried another music genre, are those exploration and effort not a passion?
““Music is something which I cannot live without” is something which I said before debut but it still holds true now. Even if I get lost, music teaches me a lot, and saves me. I think that was what kept me going, guiding me. –YUI-”
“something that I want to transmit by my song is to make people happy and have spirit when listening to my song (hotexpress 2011)”
“old YUI”? “new YUI”?
There isn’t such a thing. YUI is still YUI. A girl with big dreams, a girl with passion in music, a girl who loves challenges. The recent changes of her are part of “growth” to be a better musician. I’m sure YUI doesn’t want to stay in one position, she must be wanted to try a new thing to make her even better musician. Try, try, challenge!
After the hiatus, there was a big changed. YUI smiles a lot, she laughs a lot, she became a happier person. Yes, that was the big change, none other that.
She’s still a girl with guitar who wants to make people happy with her songs.
YUI isn’t a teenager anymore. YUI isn’t a 18 years old girl who struggling to chase her dream anymore. YUI is a 24 years old mature women now. Her looks change is part of that.
Personally, I’m so happy that YUI try new things in her looks, fashion. She is a beautiful mature women now, she is a happy person now.
I’ll quote this once again:
“I want to be able to excite people, put a smile on their faces and also make people say “Oh this is interesting”. I want to take on new challenges and enjoy my 20s.- ROCKIN’ ON JAPAN 2007.05 (Interview)-”
I think she did. She made me smile and say “cool, interesting” when I listened to “It’s My Life” or “HELLO~Paradise Kiss~”.
And also her B-Side song recently, so beautiful and have deep meaning. Make me have goosebumps evertime I listen to them, “a room”, “Your Heaven”, “YOU”.
So, what is the difference between YUI in her “It’s Happy Line-Summer Song” era and recent YUI who makes a lot of fans said “I’m dissapointed” or “Old YUI” and “New YUI”?
To be honest, I can’t find the difference.
She is still YUI. A girl who loves challenge, full of passion, loves music, loves to try something new, still makes beautiful lyric.
Okay, maybe her music changed recently, but I’ve said before that that is a part of the challenge.
And as for me, her changed is music is makes her music and song even better. She has a various colorful song now.
I’ve said before that back in her debut time, she created songs with deep meaningful lyrics that asking the meaning of life, the searching of indentity, songs that represent her struggling life when she was pursuing her dreams.
Now, she has a better and happier life so she created a lot of happy song.
So, I can tell that YUI backthen is same with YUI now, YUI now is same with YUI backthen. She still creates a straight forward, honest lyric with good music that represent her own feeling.
“So as not to lose my passion
Let’s move on Rock’ n roll Life-It’s My Life-“
People change to be be better person, so does YUI. I believe that her music passions never changed.
YUI isn’t a perfect person or a perfect musician.
Of course critics makes someone stronger, so I believe a lot of critics that YUI received recently, will make her even stronger and stronger.
YUI is YUI. YUI?YUI.
Let’s read this. This is from some recent interview:
__________________________
YUI: Without losing my own style, I want to do “something good” adopting new things little by little. I prefer to be appreciated in the way: “Ah, this part made such feeling in this song” while adopting new style step by step, rather than to surprise everyone by making a sudden change almost completely.
And recently, my general way of making songs is “Try anything”. For example, trying to write a Punk song or something. Listening to opinions of different people, but never losing my own self of sight. I hope to go ahead step by step carefully.
— Why did you consider to “Try anything”?
YUI: I have lived for 24 years, but until the time of 22, 23 years old, there were different barriers (of music life)… Well, some barriers are still in front of me (*laugh). I wonder why? I think my hiatus of music activities takes big part of this reason, maybe. I reminded the great joy of being able to play music with many people supporting me. Ah, I like the word “Happy”. So I became to think strongly that I wanna enjoy to do many things..
YUI: When someone is trying anything without giving up and regret, that someone’s face looks good and so wonderful, don’t you think? I think this is Rock’n Roll: “Enjoy and live the present”.
__________________________
Yes it is. Try, try, challenge! Old YUI? New YUI?
YUI is YUI. YUI?YUI.
Nothing has changed.
The last, Song isn’t just about music or melody, but also lyric is the most important thing in a great song.
Those factors that made me fall in love to YUI’s music.
“Even if I was told off by negative and unfair commments,
I musn’t be too mindful of it, right? This is not my job –Love is All-”
–Written by azmikun.
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