A Terao Akira vinyl is displayed in her room!! BEYOOOOONDS Shimakura Rika's love for "Showa-era Pop" is so amazing!
This is a special feature in which members of the unique idol company "Hello! Project", talk about their hobbies and their favorite things in depth. Second to be interviewed is BEYOOOOONDS’ Shimakura Rika, who has a profound knowledge of Showa era pop. She has been sharing her love for the music of the Showa era through the group’s YouTube channel and her blog, and her appearance on “Konya Kurabete Mimashita” (Nippon Television) under the theme of "women in their 20s who adore 80's idols," made her a hit. For this interview we talked to her about the Showa era songs of the 1980s.
Her parents got married because of a Matsuda Seiko song
――Shimakura-san made a guest appearance as an "idol who loves Showa era songs" in "Shimofuri Myojo's Golden☆80'S" (BS Fuji TV) which aired on March 14, 2021. The program brought together artists representative of the 80's, such as Yokohama Ginbae 40th, Minamino Yoko, Iwasaki Hiromi, and Kudo Shizuka.
Shimakura Before, when I looked up "Showa era songs" on YouTube, I found a video of Seiya-san from Shimofuri Myojo talking about them on his YouTube channel, which then made me a fan of Seiya-san and Shimofuri Myojo. So I was really happy when I was asked to appear on the show. I was also blessed to appear on the same corner as Minamino Yoko-san, and I got the chance to watch Iwasaki Hiromi doing a song recording. I've been listening to her music since I was in junior high school, so it was incredible to see her singing right in front of me. I was blown away by her voice and she looked like god, it was like a dream.
――Could you tell us how you came to love Showa pop?
Shimakura When I was in my second year of junior high, I saw a video of (Matsuda) Seiko-chan singing "Akai Sweet Pea" on TV from the 80's. When I saw it I thought she was cute, and at the same time I was shocked at how well she sang. I listened to Seiko-chan's Best-of albums that were in my father's room, and what I couldn't find at home, I rented from CD stores. That was my beginning into listening to Showa era songs. Though looking back, my parents were huge fans of Seiko-chan, and her songs were played in the car a lot when I was little. A little off topic, but Seiko-chan is the reason why my parents got married.
――Could you expand on that?
Shimakura The first day my parents met, they both liked Seiko and got along well, and when they asked each other about their favorite songs they both mentioned "P-R-E-S-E-N-T" from the album "Pineapple"
――That's a romantic story. Do you also listen to Matsuda Seiko's newer music?
Shimakura I do. I like the songs from the days when she was known as "The Idol" and I also like the songs from after she got older and married, but I listen to the songs from the 80's most often.
――On NewsCrunch, you've been featured on a web serialization called "Rika Wani Kohaku Utagassen," in which you explode with your love for Showa era songs, and I was impressed by the wide range of songs you talked about, from the 60s to the 90s.
Shimakura I don’t want to be too biased, so I try to listen to a variety
――How do you usually listen to Showa pop?
Shimakura By either subscription (music streaming services) or CDs. Recently, I've also been collecting vinyl, but I haven't bought a record player yet (laughs).
――In the aforementioned “RikaWani Kohaku Utagassen” you talked about “Slow Motion”, and on the YouTube project “Ouchi demo Beyonds Gakkou” you mentioned “Second Love”. Both songs are by Nakamori Akina, do you like her too?
Shimakura I’ve always been a Seiko-chan supporter so I didn’t really listen to her a lot. But, last year, at the Hello! Project concert where members covered ballads (“Hello! Project 2020 ~The Ballad~”) I had the privilege of covering “Slow Motion”. It was then that I listened to the original song repeatedly and rediscovered Akina-chan's charm. First, I thought her low and thick singing voice was cool. At the time of her debut, Akina-chan still had a sweet voice, and when I saw her on those singing TV shows, I could see her smiling occasionally, but there was something somewhat shadowy about her. Akina-chan is popular among our generation too, but I think she was popular among people of the same sex because she wasn't what we would call a typical idol. As opposed to Seiko-chan, who has a cute and cheery image, Akina-chan gives off gloominess, and I think it's funny that the two of them are often talked about together.
――Please name three artists that you like at the moment, but I know it's hard to choose when there’s just so much, so let's keep it to the 80’s.
Shimakura Recently, I've been listening to Ohtaki Eiichi's album "A LONG VACATION" a lot. I at least knew of the famed "Kimi wa Tennen Shoku" but I hadn't been able to listen to it much because the subscription ban hadn't been lifted yet. Still, even before I actually listened to it, I knew for sure that I'd really love it
――Why is that?
Shimakura I enjoyed the songs that Ohtaki Eiichi wrote for other artists, like Seiko-chan's "Kaze Tachinu". And so when I bought and listened to the CD of "A LONG VACATION," I had my first experience of being thrilled by music. It made me feel like I had to listen to the whole album, from beginning to end, and not just casually listen to it. The usage of sound is so extravagant, and the lyrics are so brilliant that I was completely addicted to it. Speaking of which, the other day I went to Disk Union Showa Kayo-kan to look for a copy of "A LONG VACATION" in vinyl, but they didn't have it. There was a copy of "NIAGARA TRIANGLE Vol. 2" (a Sano Motoharu, Sugi Masamichi, and Ohtaki Eiichi collab album) on sale in front of the cashier, and I wanted to buy it, but a girl who looked to be in junior high bought it in the nick of time. It was so frustrating (laughs).
――I think you're the type of person who really pays attention to the lyrics, and with the exception of one song, Matsumoto Takashi wrote the lyrics for "A LONG VACATION". Matsumoto also wrote the lyrics for many of Matsuda Seiko's songs from the 80's, and I suspect that he's a favorite lyricist of yours.
Shimakura For sure, when I look up the lyricists of my favorite songs, the name Matsumoto Takashi comes up the most often. Lately, I've been thinking about why I was so fascinated by "Akai Sweet Pea", and I've realized that the lyrics have a lot to do with it. The lyrics “Take me to the beach on a spring-colored train” suggest that the two people are in a relationship, “So I can snuggle up to your shirt that smells of cigarettes” implies the protagonist is in a relationship with an older guy, who she’s tagging along with. Just with those two lines alone there’s enough to tell you the story of that world. I like to picture the story from the lyrics, and I love the way that many of Matsumoto Takashi's songs convey these scenes, they make me feel like I'm watching a drama or a movie.
――Who is the second artist?
Shimakura Terao Akira-san. I love his album "Reflections" and have listened to the CD so much that it's all worn out. I now have the record, and it is on display in my room. His voice is really cool and gives off a sense of maturity. Until I listened to the album, I only knew of him as an actor, and I had the impression that he was a gentle father. I was also surprised to see the gap between the cool Terao-san of the old days and the Terao-san of today, and I don't believe there'll be anyone in the present day who can exude the same coolness as he did back then
――Did you know that in the 60s, Terao Akira was in a group called "The Savage"?
Shimakura I've never listened to them before but I know of them. On "Reflections", three songs, "Nagisa no Campari Soda", "Kibouhou", and "Ruby no Yubiwa", were written by Matsumoto Takashi, and I've heard that he liked The Savage and was happy when he was offered the projects.
――And now the third artist
Shimakura The Checkers. I like their early, lively songs, but personally I like their more mellow songs. My favorite song of theirs is "Jim & Jane no Densetsu". It tells a story and portrays the ideal image of youth that I wish I had. Even though I've never experienced it, it makes me feel nostalgic, and I think that youth is so nice (laughs). It's a song filled with the best parts of it.
――Right now, you’re more in the mood for more sophisticated sounds.
Shimakura I definitely wasn't aware of it but the songs have a stylish feeling about them.
Her 80s idol Top Three
Shimakura Kawai Naoko-san, Okada Yukiko-san, and Saito Yuki-san.
――The three of them are completely different from each other, can you tell us about the appeal of each of them and your recommended songs? Let's start with Kawai Naoko.
Shimakura Kawai Naoko-san's appeal is that she is so healthy and vibrant. I've heard that she had a good relationship with Seiko-chan, but she has an even more radiant cheerfulness than Seiko-chan's, she's like the sun. Her voice is thick and it pierces through the air with a loud bang, like shouting “It’s a sunny day!” She energizes me when I listen to her, she's the ideal woman. The song I recommend is "Invitation," a song about the naïve emotions that only teenage girls know. I was 19 years old when I first heard it, and I related to the complicated feelings of a girl who was neither a kid nor a grown-up.
――Next up is Okada Yukiko
Shimakura Yukko has an appearance that’s anxious, and makes you want to protect her. Her voice makes you feel like you’re walking on clouds, fluffy and adorable, but it’s somewhat fleeting. The song I recommend is "Futari dake no Ceremony". It's a song about devoting herself to a partner, but also revealing a bit of her true feelings, and the reserved emotions shown suits Yukko's character perfectly.
――And finally Saito Yuki.
Shimakura Since debut, even while wearing school uniforms, she's always been somehow mature. She has the qualities of a cute girl, but she also has a certain sex appeal, like she has something hidden in her heart. To say it in one word she's "devilish". The song that I recommend is "Sotsugyou" which I’ve been listening to since junior high. Saito Yuki-san is really good at singing sadly, with troubled expression on her face that’s very cute, but she has a beautiful voice that can touch your heart and makes you feel nostalgia.
――There are many Tsunku ♂ songs that pay homage to the Showa era, out of Hello! Project’s discography, which songs evoke the feeling of Showa pop best?
Shimakura It’d be “Shining Itoshiki Anata”
――That’s Country Musume。’s 3rd single, with Konno and Fujimoto (Morning Musume。)
Shimakura The protagonist is a girl who falls in love with someone who is already dating another girl, the story is very 80’s Showa, and I like the slow, jazz style tune. I also performed it at my birthday event.
――BEYOOOOONDS’ 2nd single, a triple A-side, has the new track “Gekikara LOVE” which isn’t Showa pop, but is a cover of "Dracula's Tango (Sucker for Your Love)" released by a British girl-group called Toto Coelo in 1982.
Shimakura The song is about a fiery-hot spicy woman’s love, but it's not just a love song, the lyrics and the tune are both unique and suck you in like a spicy dish that you want to taste over and over again.
――Could you tell us what we should listen for in the other songs?
Shimakura "Now Now Ningen" is an uplifting song, and we ourselves also feel cheered up when we perform it. The lyrics reflect the present when we can't go out and meet the people we want to see as freely like before, but the song is filled with a positive message that although we can't do the things we used to, we can think of new ways and try our best. "Konna Hazujanakatta" is a song filled with many different aspects of the history of BEYOOOOONDS. It acts as an introduction to BEYOOOOONDS for people who haven't listened to us before, so please listen to it soon!
Shimakura Rika
Born in Tokyo on August 20, 2000. Hobbies and interests include badminton, movies, fruit picking, and dinosaur appreciation. Her favorite music genres are Showa era pop and JPOP.
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I hope you all, too, get to experience the same love she has for Showa Kayo. Her love is infectious!
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