Learning from JK Singer-Songwriters: Expressions That Resonate with Youth (Part 1)

Singer-songwriter Sonoko Inoue, a current high school student, released her first single "Daisuki." on November 4th.
She enjoys immense popularity on the live streaming site "TwitCasting" (commonly known as TwitCasting), which is trending among junior high and high school students, and the video app "MixChannel." She also ranked first in a survey (conducted in late September by ING) asking 100 high school girls, "Which female solo artist do you think will be the next big thing?"

Why does her expression resonate so strongly with young people? To uncover the secret, Masahide Yoshida, head of Dentsu Inc. Youth Research Department, sat down for a conversation.

A new song written while fantasizing about a romance with an ordinary boy

Yoshida: Right off the bat, Inoue-san's new song "I Love You." has become a huge topic, with its 30-second video getting over 200,000 views a day. I imagine you've gained many new fans. What kind of reactions have been the most common?

Inoue: I often hear things like "I totally relate to the lyrics" or "I love your voice." It makes me really happy.

Yoshida: I saw in a past interview you mentioned your lyric-writing process involves a lot of daydreaming. You think about people you see on the street or pass by, wondering things like "What kind of romance is this person having?" or "Is that wrapped paper a present?" and that becomes material for your lyrics.

Inoue: That's right. I've always had a tendency to daydream, but lately, I've started wondering about groups of three people walking together too, like, "What kind of relationship do they have?" (laughs).

Yoshida: So your imaginative approach has expanded (laughs). Was the new release "daisuki." also based on imagination?

Inoue: I totally let my imagination run wild. But usually, I tend to picture really cool guys, like my ideal man. This time, though, I wrote about ordinary guys and the kind of love you might find right around the corner.

Yoshida: I see. That perspective actually connects to marketing too. For example, our Youth Research Department studies what kinds of young people exist and what they're thinking. But the further we get from our own youth, the harder it becomes to understand young people's feelings.

It's the same for people at companies wanting to offer products or services to young people. You might remember how you felt in high school, but that was years ago. To put it bluntly, if you used a word like "chobebiba" in a commercial targeting young people today, it wouldn't resonate, right?

Inoue: Yeah, we wouldn't use it (laughs).

Yoshida: That's why we also spend a lot of time imagining what young people, ordinary boys and girls, are like. For Inoue-san, the output of that is songs, while for us it's ads or products. In that sense too, Inoue-san's way of expressing himself, which resonates with young people, is incredibly valuable for us.

 

If I were a viewer, I'd want to see girls "just as they are"

Yoshida: What really symbolizes Inoue-san's immense popularity is surely the TwitCasting streams with over 2 million cumulative viewers, right? Unlike street performances, you can't see the audience during TwitCasting live streams. Did you also imagine specific people you were reaching, or was it more about daydreaming?

Inoue: I basically assumed TwitCasting viewers were my peers. So I thought about what kind of videos I'd want to watch if I were a viewer. Personally, when it comes to girls streaming, I prefer and find more interesting those who are just being themselves rather than putting on a show. So I decided to be myself too. I figured that way people could understand who I really am, and if they felt a sense of familiarity, like they were hanging out with a friend, they might be more likely to come see me live.

Yoshida: It's tempting to get strategic, like overproducing to boost views. Did that thought ever cross your mind?

Inoue: Hmm. I was just tweeting things like "Please retweet~" (laughs). So when my views suddenly shot up, I was really surprised.

Yoshida: "Being yourself" is a pretty important keyword, I think. For example, commercials used to be all about spending big money to make them look polished, but lately, that contrived, ad-like feel gets seen right through. It seems like communication that's just heavily produced and unilaterally proclaiming "This is great!" doesn't resonate anymore.

Inoue: Wasn't it like that before?

Yoshida: In an era with less information, people might have just accepted something as a "big hit" when it was called one. But now, if you wonder, "Is it really a big hit?" you can just search for it. Even if it is a big hit, whether you personally like it is another matter, so you can also check the opinions of people whose tastes you think align with yours.

So, I think people tend to be skeptical of things that feel deliberately targeted. "Stealth marketing" is the prime example of that. This atmosphere isn't just about advertising communication; I think it applies to communication between friends and on social media too.

Inoue: I totally get that. On Instagram, you can instantly get a sense of someone's interests and lifestyle, right? But if it feels too cool or too stylish, I often wonder if some people might think it's trying too hard.

Yoshida: Finding that balance is incredibly difficult. You can't let it look like you're trying too hard, so you have to aim for a subtle, effortless vibe. From our perspective, younger people seem to naturally possess that sense of balance. By the way, how's your Instagram, Inoue?

Inoue: In my case, I just post whatever comes to mind, and it ends up a mess. Later, I delete the stuff that feels like it lacks cohesion (laughs).

Yoshida: That relaxed, effortless feel—that lack of artifice—is what makes Inoue-san special, I think (laughs).

Inoue: Thank you! That makes me so happy!

※Part 2 will be released on Wednesday, December 2nd

※ Be sure to check out this article on WEGO×WAKAMON "NIPPON YOUTH STUDIO" featuring Sonoko Inoue!