×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

Forum - View topic
NEWS: Singer Angela Aki to Go on Indefinite Hiatus in 2014 to Study in U.S.


Goto page 1, 2  Next

Note: this is the discussion thread for this article

Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Yuki_Kun45
Exempt from Grammar Rules


Joined: 26 May 2008
Posts: 725
Location: U.S.A.
PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 2:12 pm Reply with quote
I think it's good she wants to focus on her education for a while. I'm not overtly aware of her work but she seems nice and hope her loyal fans will understand the same.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
ajr



Joined: 29 Nov 2010
Posts: 465
PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 2:20 pm Reply with quote
As a US citizen, I can't hate this.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Kougeru



Joined: 13 May 2008
Posts: 5521
PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 2:35 pm Reply with quote
ajr wrote:
As a US citizen, I can't hate this.
Considering the crap music we put out here, I worry a little a bit and hope it doesn't influence her poorly. He works tend to be 5-10 times better than most everything I've heard in the States in the past decade.

I hope I run into her someday so I can tell her how awesome she is
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message AIM Address My Anime My Manga
Dimlos



Joined: 02 Mar 2008
Posts: 226
PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 2:42 pm Reply with quote
They put out just as much crap music over there as they do over here, so I wouldn't expect it to influence her any more than the crap music of her own country does.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Rahxephon91



Joined: 08 Jun 2003
Posts: 1859
Location: Park Forest IL.
PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 4:42 pm Reply with quote
Dimlos wrote:
They put out just as much crap music over there as they do over here, so I wouldn't expect it to influence her any more than the crap music of her own country does.
lol yeah. I'm not sure why anyone thinks asian pop music is so much better than American pop music. They are the same thing and it's an argument that just comes down to taste.













At least western popstars seems to be actual people though.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website My Anime
mdo7



Joined: 23 May 2007
Posts: 6248
Location: Katy, Texas, USA
PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 5:02 pm Reply with quote
Rahxephon91 wrote:
Dimlos wrote:
They put out just as much crap music over there as they do over here, so I wouldn't expect it to influence her any more than the crap music of her own country does.
lol yeah. I'm not sure why anyone thinks asian pop music is so much better than American pop music. They are the same thing and it's an argument that just comes down to taste.


At least western popstars seems to be actual people though.


To be honest with you, a lot of music coming out in the US today are not as good as it was back in early 2000's ( I stop listening to most of the western pop since there's not a lot of good one, and I don't like the dubstep/EDM crap since it's becoming too robotic and souless). There's only quite a few good western artists I like left, but most of the music coming out just not good (I don't want have to bring up Miley's infamous performance at the VMA, and the lyric in music keeps throwing in sexual stuff). I'm not saying Asian pop (J-pop, K-pop) is perfect too, but it sounds better then what's coming out in the US these day. Also US music is missing choreograph dance (it died out, only quite a few like Jason Derulo, Usher, and probably Lady Gaga are the only one left doing choreograph dance), hence why K-pop has gotten big. I observed both K-pop, J-pop, and western pop. The K-pop idols they have more talent then any current western artists, I mean you don't see One Direction pulling off any mind-blowing choreograph dance like the K-pop group, EXO. The Wanted, another British boy group, their music are good but their talent can't hold a candle against TVXQ and SS501. I'm not badmouthing The Wanted or western pop music, but it's lack appeal or a "in your face" attraction like K-pop does.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
LinkSword



Joined: 06 Jun 2013
Posts: 188
PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 6:21 pm Reply with quote
I absolutely love this woman's voice, and this news got me listening to Tegami once again.

*cue tears welling up*
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
wohdin



Joined: 10 Jun 2011
Posts: 352
PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 6:48 pm Reply with quote
wait, where's she studying in the US?

because I'm moving there rightnow
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
vanfanel



Joined: 26 Dec 2008
Posts: 1239
PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 6:56 pm Reply with quote
Big fan, here. I saw her in concert last year and have bought every album she's released. "Tegami" is great. "Morality's Funeral" is brilliant. "Dahlia" is one of the saddest love songs I've ever heard.

She's about the only Japanese singer whose English could pass as native; she went to high school in Hawaii, and didn't return to Japan for about a decade, as she was trying unsuccessfully to get a music career going in the States. She said on a TV program that she finally came back to Japan when a businessman from a Japanese advertising firm happened to hear her playing in a bar, and said he could use her voice in commercials.

She also said that in America, she played in a lot of bars and clubs, and noticed how wives and girlfriends often get designated driver duty, and thus stay sober while the men are getting smashed. Because of that, she started deliberately writing songs for the women, since after a few rounds they'd be the only ones left who could appreciate the music anyway.

If you check the fine print on her lyrics sheets, you'll notice that Ben Folds occasionally plays on her albums.

When she's speaking English on TV, she "reads" 100% American, and when she switches to Japanese, not just her accent and words change; her body language changes as well, and she "reads" 100% Japanese.

So yeah, big fan. I hope this move goes well, and is good for her family and her music. I'd like to see an all-English album from her someday; she's the only Japanese musician I can say that about.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
brucepuppy





PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 9:49 pm Reply with quote
mdo7 wrote:
It's understandable for her, about J-pop, yeah well I wish it would expand outside of Japan and Asia more, I mean I don't want it falling behind when K-pop is currently the dominant Asian pop music.


LOL please don't. The world is not ready to accept Japan music industry where seiyuus with horrible singing voice release a bunch of singles & albums just because their anime is popular.

I don't like kpop either though. not every good singer must dance along his/her music
Back to top
brucepuppy





PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 9:49 pm Reply with quote
mdo7 wrote:
It's understandable for her, about J-pop, yeah well I wish it would expand outside of Japan and Asia more, I mean I don't want it falling behind when K-pop is currently the dominant Asian pop music.


LOL please don't. The world is not ready to accept Japan music industry where seiyuus with horrible singing voice release a bunch of singles & albums just because their anime is popular.

I don't like kpop either though. not every good singer must dance along his/her music
Back to top
mdo7



Joined: 23 May 2007
Posts: 6248
Location: Katy, Texas, USA
PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 10:19 pm Reply with quote
brucepuppy wrote:
mdo7 wrote:
It's understandable for her, about J-pop, yeah well I wish it would expand outside of Japan and Asia more, I mean I don't want it falling behind when K-pop is currently the dominant Asian pop music.


LOL please don't. The world is not ready to accept Japan music industry where seiyuus with horrible singing voice release a bunch of singles & albums just because their anime is popular.

I don't like kpop either though. not every good singer must dance along his/her music


Well that's the problem with today's music, lack of choreographed dance. I can't find western singers that have talent or can match with K-pop artists. We don't need seiyu to make J-pop popular. I just want AKB48 to become Japan's Girls Generation, EXILE to become Japan's Super Junior, KAT-TUN to become Japan's SS501, and Arashi to become Japan's TVXQ!!! I want more Japan solo artists like Namie Amuro, Ayumi Hamasaki, and Koda Kumi to get more global exposure like many of our K-pop artists are getting. That's what I want, those J-pop artists to be able to get a global breakout. Taiwan is going to try this for Taiwanese pop the same way South Korea did for K-pop, I don't want Japan to fall behind. There are other talented singers out there that are better then western singers. Beside, Asian singers are rare in US, don't you think it's about time US should get more Asian singers, that's why I'm glad K-pop is rocking the world.

Now back on topic: I respect Angela Aki's wish to take a break from singing.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
Keonyn
Subscriber



Joined: 25 May 2005
Posts: 5567
Location: Coon Rapids, MN
PostPosted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 2:18 am Reply with quote
We really don't need to turn every thread about music or musical artists out of Japan in to a discussion on K-Pop. While it's relevant in some instances due to similarities and that they are largely competing for the same markets, but in some instances it's just not all that applicable. It's starting to come across as soapboxing. Sometimes an article about a Japanese musical artist is just about a Japanese musical artist, no K-Pop involved.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
enurtsol



Joined: 01 May 2007
Posts: 14746
PostPosted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 4:24 am Reply with quote
vanfanel wrote:

She's about the only Japanese singer whose English could pass as native; she went to high school in Hawaii, and didn't return to Japan for about a decade, as she was trying unsuccessfully to get a music career going in the States. She said on a TV program that she finally came back to Japan when a businessman from a Japanese advertising firm happened to hear her playing in a bar, and said he could use her voice in commercials.

She also said that in America, she played in a lot of bars and clubs, and noticed how wives and girlfriends often get designated driver duty, and thus stay sober while the men are getting smashed. Because of that, she started deliberately writing songs for the women, since after a few rounds they'd be the only ones left who could appreciate the music anyway.


So she paid her dues, and her music got stronger for it.
Many other artists got their careers handed to them in a manufactured platter by so-called talent agencies.


vanfanel wrote:

When she's speaking English on TV, she "reads" 100% American, and when she switches to Japanese, not just her accent and words change; her body language changes as well, and she "reads" 100% Japanese.


And yet another example for my point here: Smile
Miku English Is Hatsune Miku's 1st Windows/Mac Release wrote:

And people can think of it this way: "what if Miku actually studied and learned English well - this is how she will sound." I'm multilingual, and even I sound a bit different depending on the language - it's to be expected. I'm sure ya guys have encountered renowned multilinguals who sound a bit different too. I just don't think sounding a bit different depending on the language is a deal-breaker. It's simply foreign language, English, French, Spanish, or otherwise.



Anyways, the issue with music "bands" these days is the lack of playing musical instruments. They're pretty much all vocal groups, not "bands" in the classic sense. They may not even know how to play.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
DeviousDybbuk



Joined: 29 Jul 2010
Posts: 52
PostPosted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 7:56 am Reply with quote
Congrats, Angela!! I am a big fan~ She worked hard on her musical career. I remember someone saying somewhere on the internet-land, "Why did she wait so late to debut?" Because she was in her late twenties before debuting in Japan. To me, that makes her seem more real, that she struggled in her journey, playing in bars and cafes at night while working and studying during the day.

I'm glad she's had success in her musical and personal life, and that she can take the time to study in a field she loves. Good luck, Angela!! I'll be waiting to see what you do next! Smile
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Page 1 of 2

 


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group