Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: the long interview

Read part 1 of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: the long interview

What does 'Pon Pon' mean in Kyary-speak?
I'm singing 'Pon Pon Wei Wei' – and my blog's called 'Wei Wei'. I think the 'Pon Pon' bit was a result of Nakata choosing Kyary-style lyrics. Nakata asked me oddball questions: when we were eating together he asked, 'Kyary, do you prefer rice or strawberries?' I thought, 'What the hell is he on about?' and said I liked cherries, and then one day he'd made a song called 'Cherry Bonbon.' He hatched the idea while we were eating.

The way Nakata records, he doesn't give you any demo tape in advance: you get the lyrics when you turn up at the studio on the day. I'd read the lyrics myself, and wonder what kind of song it would be, and then he'd play me the song. I'd memorise the lyrics in about an hour, and then I'd sing them. When we did 'Jelly', he sprang it on me when I arrived at the studio, and I was like, 'I can't sing that song!' I thought I couldn't do a cover version on my first mini album, plus I love the original, so I tried to sing it without spoiling it. When I tried singing it, I thought it sounded childish; when [Capsule singer Toshiko] Koshijima sings it, it's a lot more adult.

Do you think that your character comes through in the music, too?
At first, I thought that if I was going to become a singer I should take some kind of voice training. I like karaoke, I just didn't feel confident that I'd be able to sing on key. But then Nakata said, 'Kyary, you should just sing the way you sing.' I was really belting it at first, but then he stopped me and asked me to sing it more like I was at karaoke: just to be totally natural. When he said that, it put me at ease, and I was able to sing in a really straightforward way, without overdoing it.

You've been described as a next-generation style leader. How do you feel about that?
I haven't really thought about it, I just want to tell people about the things I like and the things I think are cute. This album was all about me being able to do what I wanted to do.

It's like you're expressing your true self?
Right. I like striking weird poses, but the goofier pictures don't normally end up getting used in magazines. In the booklet this time, though, I got to do the poses and the things I really wanted to do. I had free rein. There's a booklet with the first editions of the CD, so make sure you get that one. The photos were super fun to do, and there are lots of cute clothes, so that's the one you want.

Is there anything you'd like to say to people overseas?
I'd like to tell them what a great producer Yasutaka Nakata is, tell them about what's in the booklet, and about Harajuku fashion. I guess foreigners might not understand them, but the lyrics are really cute. I'd love it if they knew what the lyrics meant. It's not just the beat: the lyrics are really cute, too.

How old were you when you first got into the fashion world?
I'm 18 now, and I really started paying attention to style when I was 16. I was totally normal until I got to junior-high. I was in the track club: I had black hair, I had sunburn. When I got to high-school, I became friends with some gyaru kinda girls, and I briefly got into gyaru fashion myself, but I felt at the time that it wasn't quite right. I got scouted on the street with the Lawson in Harajuku, opposite where Gap used to be – the one where people are always having their pictures taken.

Where are you favourite shops at the moment?
I like 6% Dokidoki. It's run by Sebastian Masuda, who did the set for the video. For brands, I like Candy Stripper. For food, I like Harajuku Gyoza Rou. They get a lot of foreign customers. I think the guidebooks say you should go there if you're in Harajuku, so there are always lots of foreigners queueing outside.

Do you like sweets?
I like marshmallows and pudding. The ¥100 cream puffs at Cozy Corner are nice, so I eat those a lot. My absolute favourites are umeboshi and bean sprouts, though. They're not sweets, but… (Laughs)

You've become quite famous recently, but do you ever get people coming up to you in Harajuku?
It happens a lot. I'll be minding my own business, and then a salaryman will come up to me and say, 'I'm a huge fan.' It happens with mothers with kids, too, which makes me really happy. I'm always in a rush, so I can't really stop and chat, but...

Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
I think I'll be married. I want to get married when I'm 26. I decided that myself. I want to work really hard now, then relax a little bit, get married, and have a kid when I'm 28 or so. When I'm around 30, I want to be doing things in the fashion and creative worlds while raising a kid. I want to be happy. I'm happy now, of course, but I want to start a family.

'Moshi Moshi Harajuku' is out now on Warner Music Japan. Click for Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's Wei Wei blog and the Kyary Pamyu Pamyu official website

Moshi Moshi Harajuku (1st edition, with book)
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

Warner Music Japan 2011-08-17
Sales ranking: 47

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