The Night When the Woman with the Voice of a Diva Became a True Diva: May’n Artist Interview [2/3]

The Night When the Woman with the Voice of a Diva Became a True Diva: May’n Artist Interview [2/3]

A few days after the impressive "May'n experience" at the Budoukan, we had an opportunity to speak with the artist. Unlike her tremendous stage presence, in person May'n had the air of a somewhat quiet and delicate girl.

TOM: In your recent performance, after the opening song ended, that moment when the 50-person chorus was revealed was so powerful and truly breathtaking. It was of a scale that one does not usually see these days outside of perhaps the annual Kouhaku Uta Gassen on New Year's Eve.

May'n: With the “Mic-A-Mania” show, we wanted to do something glamorous. That's why we included the large live string section as well. I guess I just wanted to surprise everyone.

TOM: Well it surely was surprising! As for the performance overall, the set list consisted of many many theme songs from anime series with some of your original work mixed in. With the theme songs, each has its own unique and specific worldview that is associated with it, and I thought that playing them could make the performance feel like a "greatest hits" show, but in reality, on stage it felt natural, like watching a musical. I guess you could call it a "one woman musical"…?

May'n: That's exactly what we're going for! We're really trying to put together all types of songs, ones from more sexy titles with female leads to more manly shows, and with my own original songwriting and lyrics included in there, I think that parts of myself are being expressed as well. But with the theme songs, I have to express feelings that I personally might not have, so with each piece I try to tune into the main character's feelings and sing as them, from their perspective. While I do have certain performances that are based off of my life and experiences, I try to completely immerse myself 100% into the world of the theme songs that I sing and widen the range of what it is that I am expressing.

TOM: In doing that, it seems like the atmosphere can abruptly change with each song… Or rather, I was impressed that while you simply transitioned and changed scenes by saying, "Ok, our next song is…," it seemed strangely natural and made sense to do it that way. It was almost like listening to a movie soundtrack or a concept album.

May'n: With each piece, I want to include various elements related to the themes and different views of the world they express, but initially, I make sure they are all essentially "rock" songs So I think, in that way, the live performance as a whole kind of creates a story of its own.

TOM: By the way, you often compare your relationship with your fans to that of a school club with yourself as the club leader and the fans as the members. One often hears about a "sense of unity" experienced between an artist and their fans, but your case is an example of something that's come far enough to be truly distinct from other artists. Why do you insist on this? Or to put it differently, why do you continue to seek such a level of fan participation as part of your live performances?

May'n: I consider my live shows more like a meeting of "Live Club" members, so it's not just a relationship between an artist and regular people, but the show itself is actually an activity, something that we create together as companions. I am always conscious of maintaining this relationship with my fans. Furthermore, I want the concert venue to be a place in which the fans can become closer to one another. I personally love live performances because each time the fans give me something I could have never imagined. After I record a song, I do some preparation and then focus on rehearsal. At that point, I can picture to a certain extent how it will turn out in a live show. But when the time comes for me to actually perform the song and see the fans expressions and hear their voices, the way I sing it is often influenced by the particular energy of that time and place. I create my performances with my fans; I am really performing with them. I want to let them know I honestly think that without even a particular person there, the shows just wouldn't be the same; that each and every one of them is part of it. I hope that all my fans are conscious of this and can enjoy every show in this way.

TOM: So you're saying with different fans comes a different live show, and even a different May'n?

May'n: Even when I'm on tour playing pretty much the same set list at each venue, the performances are truly unique every time. Each time I play, I want to work with the fans to create something unique, a special performance and a special sound which can only be experienced with them on that day.

May'n’s Official Site
May’n Community 『May’n Space』
May’n Official Facebook
May’n Official YouTube Channel

This is a Tokyo Otaku Mode original article.

Her Budokan concert "Mic-A-Mania" will be released on Blu-ray on July 24!
Her Budokan concert "Mic-A-Mania" will be released on Blu-ray on July 24!
The Night When the Woman with the Voice of a Diva Became a True Diva: May’n Artist Interview [2/3] 2
The Night When the Woman with the Voice of a Diva Became a True Diva: May’n Artist Interview [2/3] 3
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The Night When the Woman with the Voice of a Diva Became a True Diva: May’n Artist Interview [2/3] 5
The Night When the Woman with the Voice of a Diva Became a True Diva: May’n Artist Interview [2/3] 6

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