Learning from JK Singer-Songwriters: Expressions That Resonate with Youth (Part 2)

Continuing from last time, high school singer-songwriter Son oko Inoue and Wakamon representative Masahide Yoshida engage in a dialogue. What prompted Inoue to start expressing her "true self"?
Therein lay hints relevant to the future of advertising communication.

I realized templates have their limits

Yoshida: While I find Ms. Inoue's natural demeanor incredibly appealing, I also think many people—including young people of her generation and companies—find it difficult to reveal their true selves. It takes a lot of courage, and surely some people don't even know what their true self is. When did you start grasping that feeling? Were you your authentic self from the start of your music career?

Inoue: No, not at all. I started doing street performances in sixth grade, but by ninth grade, I couldn't speak naturally anymore. My self-introductions and between-song banter were all just template phrases. Even after moving to Tokyo, I kept doing that for a while.

Yoshida: What made you change?

Inoue: I went to see a live show as an audience member, and this one band put on a performance that was so funny, I couldn't believe how much they could make people laugh. Their charm just radiated, and the feeling that it was something no one else could imitate was truly shocking. Watching that show, I realized templates have their limits. And I genuinely thought, from the bottom of my heart, that I wanted to entertain the audience with my own authenticity too.

Yoshida: It's really interesting you mention "templates." This might suddenly get a bit historical, but they say we're entering an era where templates won't work anymore. My department boss even tells me all the time, "Stop using templates!" (laughs).

Whether it's marketing, copywriting, or songwriting, having that standard "this is how it's usually done" provides comfort, right? But as times change, situations where templates don't work are definitely increasing. I think the crucial thing is whether you can let go of them.

Inoue: When I reflected on my own live shows from the audience's perspective, I realized templates are just boring. Then, through re-examining what "being myself" means, trial-and-error with live performances, and activities like TwitCasting, I feel I've arrived at who I am now. I prefer my more relaxed self over when I'm trying too hard, and since more people say that's better, I guess that's the way to go.

Yoshida: It's wonderful how you overcame the template through trial and error. Companies can get stuck in templates too, clinging to them for comfort. If that approach works, fine, but when it stops working, they have no idea how to do things differently. That's when, like Inoue-san, putting yourself in the audience's shoes and engaging with the world through catchball can lead to new insights.

 

Confidence comes after diving into the world

Yoshida: Among young people my age, there are many who lack confidence and can't be their authentic selves. Companies also often put on airs and avoid saying what truly matters. I want to know how to become someone who can show their true self. According to the Cabinet Office's 2013 Survey on the Attitudes of Young People in Japan and Other Countries, Japanese youth are overwhelmingly less satisfied with themselves compared to young people in other developed nations.

Inoue: That sounds very Japanese, doesn't it? But I was like that too. I lacked confidence in everything and agonized over where my value in life even lay.

But when I confided this to my voice training teacher, she got really mad at me. I think I was interested in becoming a singer because I loved singing and had at least a little bit of confidence in that. Yet, I realized I was just putting myself down unnecessarily.
Of course, I still have areas to improve, but I decided to just start whatever I wanted to do and prepare as thoroughly as possible.

Yoshida: People tend to think they need to build confidence before diving into the world, but hearing your story, Inoue-san, it feels like you can't gain confidence unless you actually dive in.

Inoue: Oh, I get it. Just go for it, basically.

Yoshida: I think we live in a bit of a wait-and-see world now. With information overload, everyone's gaze feels more visible than ever, and you might even face criticism from all over the world. I think Inoue-san does it through singing, and we could gradually change things through our products and services. What do you think we can do for people who want to do something but are afraid of failure, or who don't even know what they want to do?

Inoue: What I think is... it's not a very clear answer, but I believe everyone has something good about them. Because of that, we can support others, and I think we've all lived supported by someone else. I can't quite put it into words...

Yoshida: It would be great if the people around them could help them bring out those strengths. As a company, we create spaces or services where people can do what they want to do without strain. LINE and its sticker features are a good example. We created places and functions where young people could freely express their emotions. We also hope we can do something like that from an advertising perspective.

Inoue: Exactly. It's not that people don't have good qualities—they do! If they can just find the place or opportunity to showcase those strengths, I believe they'll surely shine.

Yoshida: In that sense, Inoue-san, perhaps TwitCasting was the place you found where you could showcase your strengths, after going through various struggles and repeated trial and error.

Inoue: That's absolutely right. I think so too.

Yoshida: Talking with you, Inoue-san, has given me new insights into advertising and corporate approaches that might seem unrelated at first glance. It really reinforced how important it is to deeply embed spaces and stories within products and services that draw out a person's unique character and charm, and allow people to connect naturally without strain. Thank you so much for today.

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