Last week, I was watching the popular Fuji-TV program "HONMADEKKA!?TV"（ホンマでっか!?TV）when it went into a certain segment with the excerpt from a popular song. The variety shows all like to do that...borrow snippets from kayo kyoku or J-Pop or even anime soundtracks to add as appropriate introductory music. Well, the snippet in "HONMADEKKA!?TV" was introducing a segment where the hosts and guests had to make a decision between two choices, so the song went as follows:
Sexy na no? Cute na no? Docchi ga suki na no?（セクシーなの？キュートなの？どっちが好きなの？...Which do you prefer, sexy or cute?）
If you could name that tune with that lyric, then congratulations. It is indeed Aya Matsuura's（松浦亜弥）"Nee?" (Hey?), her 9th single from March 2003. That lyric alone can pretty much represent the former Hello Project aidoru, and it's one of the lines that I know her by.
What is notable about "Nee?" is how much it sounded like a DeVol-produced 60s American sitcom theme song or background music for a game show from the same nation and time period. And that is because although Tsunku（つんく）was the fellow behind the lyrics and music of "Nee?", the arranger was Yasuharu Ogura（小西康陽）, one-half of Shibuya-kei band Pizzicato Five. Also what helps out is that Ayaya delivery.
It's all bubbly fun as Ayaya does her cute stumbling around the stage and in the music video while she sings about how she tries to get her boyfriend to pay more attention to her. Coincidentally, I saw an article in The Toronto Star today about how relationships have often hit the rocks because one of the two is simply too drawn to the smartphone. In "Nee?" though, it's done in a much more lighthearted vein.
"Nee?" reached No. 3 on the charts and was also used for a Tessera shampoo commercial. After all, do you want your hair cute or sexy?
No comments:
Post a Comment
Feel free to provide any comments (pro or con). Just be civil about it.