Billboard Japan spoke with them in a roundtable-style interview about the emotions behind the track & more.
Koganei Niko, a virtual YouTuber (VTuber) affiliated with hololive production, released her first original song called “Seien” on July 26. Written for her by singer-songwriter miwa, the track captures the inner conflict and resolve Niko has kept hidden, along with her determination to keep moving forward, fueled by the “cheers” — seien in Japanese, a homophone of the song title — of her fans.
Billboard Japan spoke with them in a roundtable-style interview about the emotions behind the track, the appeal they find in each other’s voice, and what they share as performers who convey their feelings through voice.
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I heard the connection between you two began when Niko posted a cover of miwa’s signature song “Hikari e.”.
miwa: Yes. Niko covered “Hikari e” around the time of my 15th debut anniversary. That video’s already passed a million views, hasn’t it? Congratulations.
miwa: You covered it so beautifully. I could really feel how deeply you’d absorbed “Hikari e.” The visuals in the cover video were gorgeous too, and I was so moved by how they linked with your beautiful singing voice to create that whole atmosphere.
Koganei: I felt like that visual really elevated it too. At the line “We can’t become Adam and Eve” in the first verse, blue light spreads across the screen, and I could feel the dedication of the creators who made that video.
That line is personally my favorite part of “Hikari e.”.
miwa: Yes. Around my 15th debut anniversary milestone, I wanted to bring “Hikari e” back to people in a lot of places, so I did street performances across the country.
But even more than that, so many people covered it through singing, dance videos, and instrumental performances. It’s been over ten years since the song’s release, and I never imagined “Hikari e” would be reborn in such wonderful ways.
It really moves me to hear stories like Niko’s, about listening to and singing my song growing up. Knowing that I may have had some small influence on someone who is now in a place where she gives courage and energy to so many of her own fans makes me feel like these 15 years have been worth it.
It gives me courage too. “Hikari e” was a song that reached so many people back then. I’m truly happy it’s become a starting point for so many different people.
By the way, miwa, what’s your impression of Niko’s singing voice.
miwa: Her high notes are so clear and beautiful. And then when she raps, it’s powerful.
Koganei: What?! You’ve listened to FLOW GLOW’s songs too.
miwa: Of course. When you rap, you’re often singing in a lower range, which gives off a boyish, cool side, and your speaking voice is different again. I think you have so much range in your voice.
Even when you’re talking about something funny in daily life, your voice drops just a little.
Koganei: That’s exactly it, wow! You know all about me! [Laughs].
miwa: I think for VTubers, it’s really important how much information and charm you can pack into your voice, and Niko’s vocal range is part of what makes her so appealing.
There’s the clear, high-toned quality, and then the quality in the middle-to-low range when singing or talking — both have their own charm, so your expression when you sing leaves a really wonderful impression on me.
VTubers seem to connect with fans in so many different ways, like daily livestreams, singing, and game streaming, but what I relate to most is the fact that you’re someone who makes your living through your voice.
I imagine fans pick up on your personality, character, and energy through that voice as well.
Now I’d like to dig deeper into Niko’s first original song, “Seien.” How did this collaboration come about.
miwa: It started with the “Hikari e” cover I mentioned. After that, I contributed a video comment on her birthday stream.
Koganei: Thank you again for that! I felt such a strong connection to you because of it, and when it came time to make an original song and I was asked, “Who would you like to reach out to,” the first person that came to mind was you.
I was like, “There’s no way (she’ll accept)” when we asked you, but now here we are in the middle of this huge undertaking. It really is a big deal.
miwa: This is the first time I’ve written a song for a VTuber, and it’s also Niko’s first original solo release, which carries the same weight as a debut single.
So I wanted to make something that would carry the full weight of her feelings. At first we had an online meeting where I planned to ask what kind of song she wanted, but Niko had already written out everything she wanted the song to express in careful detail.
Koganei: It’s really hard to convey what’s in your heart to someone else, isn’t it? And knowing it was miwa, I knew I’d definitely get nervous. That’s why I decided to write it all down honestly, without holding anything back or feeling embarrassed.
During our meeting, I ended up sharing so much deeply personal stuff — my inner conflicts, the parts of myself I like — it felt almost like a counseling session.
Was there anything said during that conversation that stuck with you.
miwa: Listening to Niko talk, I felt that artists and VTubers share the same desire to deliver something to their fans. I wanted to write her debut song with the same feeling I had when I wrote my own debut, “don’t cry anymore.”.
What stood out to me most was her saying, “I want to show my vulnerable side too,” and her core motivation, the desire to make people smile. Niko pours herself into her daily activities with a strong desire to make someone smile, and yet she told me that she isn’t very good at smiling herself.
She values making someone else smile more than doing it herself. Learning that, I was moved by the strength of that conviction, and thought that if I could put that into a song, it would become the strongest, most authentically Koganei Niko song possible.
Koganei: There hasn’t been much in my life I could be proud of, but having someone tell me, “You made me laugh, Niko” became the one thing that gave me real confidence.
There are times in life when you can’t laugh, when you lose your way, when you can’t walk straight ahead. I wanted a song that could reach out to those vulnerable moments too, so I was moved when I first heard the lyrics in the demo.
Every word felt like it came straight from my heart. There are so many parts of me that are really no good… but hearing these lyrics reminds me why I’m standing here right now.
It’s become a song that brings me back to my starting point.
miwa: That’s because you completely opened up to me. Niko had also told me that she wanted this to be a song that reminds her, every time she sings it, of the important things she might otherwise forget while doing this work.
What thoughts went into the song title “Seien”.
Koganei: The word “Seien” (a neologism written with the characters meaning star and flame) came from miwa. The word “flame” appears several times in the lyrics, and it represents something like the fire I’ve kept burning inside during my journey to get to where I am now.
Words people have given me over time, parts of myself I can look at and think, ”This is good”… I talked about the fire that’s fueled me on the way to reaching my current place.
miwa: I wanted to use flame as a motif to portray that important fire Niko keeps burning inside. And I felt that the fuel for that fire is, ultimately, everyone’s “cheers” (seien in Japanese, using different kanji characters).
It’s because of everyone’s cheers that she’s able to keep that fire burning. On top of that, Niko had told me she wanted this song to dare to show her vulnerabilities and struggles too, so I combined two images: a blue flame burning quietly but with tremendous heat in her chest, and a star that shines when lit up by listeners’ cheers on stage — and from those two, I created the title “Seien.”.
Koganei: Everyone’s cheers being the fuel is exactly right.
miwa: I’m so glad! The moment it came to me, I thought, “This is it!”.
Koganei: I’m moved that you understood me this deeply, and your ability to scoop that up and capture it is truly amazing.
miwa: That’s because you shared things from the very depths of your heart, things I didn’t expect you to tell me. After making the first chorus and having you listen to it, I wanted to hear more episodes in greater depth for the second verse, so we talked again.
One phrase I’m personally fond of from that conversation is, “Giving it my all, over a hundred times.” It captures Niko’s attitude of living each day to the absolute fullest, and her relentless drive to give everything for the people watching her streams.
I deliberately used a phrase that doesn’t sound like typical lyrics to bring out Niko’s particular way of life.
Koganei: I might be the type whose singing doesn’t carry much emotion. My vocal coach often tells me, “You’re not putting much emotion into it,” “You need to bring out more of your own expression.” But with this song, the emotion just comes pouring out naturally — I can sing it with feeling without even trying.
At the line “the voice that touched me/ ‘I laughed thanks to you,'” I nearly cried while singing… So during the recording, I sang while remembering so much from my past.
I was surprised by how much of my own life I could layer into it.
miwa: I’m happy to hear that. Normally, Niko shows her shining side — a dazzling, dream-like world as entertainment — but getting there involves real struggle. By putting that into a song and delivering it, I wanted fans receiving it to feel, “Yesterday was hard, but today I got to see Niko, so I’ll do my best tomorrow too,” sharing even the hard feelings of everyday life.
I wrote it with the feeling that this would let us keep walking forward together.
Now that this special connection has come about, do you hope to work together again in the future in some way.
miwa: I’d never interacted with VTubers before now, so I feel both anticipation and a little anxiety about how Niko’s fans will receive this. But the “Hikari e” cover has been viewed over a million times and enjoyed by so many people, which I’m so grateful for, so I’d love it if we could collaborate and sing together someday.
Koganei: That really would be a dream. I’d love to sing your songs together too, and someday I’d love for us to sing “Seien” together as well, and I’d love to hear you sing this song too.
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Informação baseada em material público de Billboard, reescrito pela redação ULTRA NOTÍCIAS.
