Interview with Japanese orchestra CHAI: You don't have to be cute enough to be worthy of love

In the 2012, 4 Japanese girls formed a women's rock band CHAI in Nagoya. The melody combines punk, hip-hop, electronics, and the typical Japanese pop (J pop) style to make the European and American music scene stunning. Out of 2012, just one album sprang up in the international music world. Last year boarded the American SXSW Music festival and completed the World tour. Also by the well-known music review site Pitchfork selected for the 2018 hundred albums.

In January this year, we interviewed CHAI at Women's paradise. Not just because they are the few women's orchestras that have gone back to Japan from Europe and the US, but because they want to make a difference to Japanese society, far more than fame.

Photos left and right are lead singer and guitarist, twin sister Mana, Sister Kana. Pictured is the bass player Yuuki, pictured is drummer Yuna. In the 2018, CHAI released its first album, the main song is N.E.O. They are so introduced on the official website:

Girls have been synonymous with loveliness since they were born. It is because "girls and everything can not be loved", we are called "NEO KAWAII." Perhaps you may be distressed that your eyes are not big enough, legs are not thin enough, but there is no need for people to be stuck in the "cute (Kawaii)" Narrow definition Oh! Because the so-called loveliness is all kinds, and different types also have their own lovely place.

"Girls are synonymous with loveliness from birth", and it sounds to reveal a hidden horror and cruelty. And as a women's orchestra, CHAI wants to try to pull out the discussion space for this single aesthetic standard.

In Japan, you're cute enough for you to be loved.

And Europe and the United States to pursue the "personality beauty" values are different, in Japan, girls as a wedding market goods, the value of their goods called "lovely." Cute is the appearance is also the demeanor, to exquisite dress, to talk gentle. When loveliness becomes the only aesthetic standard in society, it seems to praise, but it is cursed. What it stands for is actually: in Japan, as a girl, you have to grow cute enough for you to be worthy of being loved. (Recommended reading: Japanese culture Watch: Why do Japanese women have to be "cute" no matter what they do? )

"So our album's main song is called" New cute "(n.e.o.). 」

What exactly is the so-called "new cute"? Bass player Yuuki said: "In Japan, the old loveliness is that the eyes should be big, the nose should be small, the chest should be big, the legs should be long." But something outside of it, it's not cute. So I often think, when we're shouting about a girl who's "so cute, so cute," what's their personality? 」

Drummer Yuna said that Japanese girls often enlighten the lovely consciousness very early, "when I watch TV in primary school, I know the idol girls who sing and dance on TV, and the looks are called" cute ". But I also soon found out that I was not that kind of girl. 」

Lead singer Mana said:

"Mom used to take pictures of us, and it would tell us to open our eyes a little." Clearly has opened a very open (laughs). But I know that she was worried that her child was being said to be an ugly woman (ブス). 」

The tone is ordinary, but the content is very bitter. She thought about it and added: "When I grow up, I understand that I don't hate my mum, she's just worried about me." 」

The reality is brutal, and all four girls realize early on that their appearance is not the "mainstream" loveliness. But when you know it, how do you fight the world? CHAI does not intend to completely discard the aesthetic of Japanese society, they did not refuse to be cute from then on, but in their own way to name the "new" cute, slightly will be the aesthetic interpretation of the right, loose a little.

In "New cute" (N. E.O.) in the MV, Freckle Boys, single-eyelid girls, poor lactating girls, hairy boys, these bodies that do not conform to the mainstream aesthetic, appear in the picture. They drew the names off, and the graffiti changed into new words:

"Freckles are a milky Way on the face," "The eyes of a single eyelid are cool and sharp," "The body of the poor milk is very flat and comfortable," and "a lot of hair is a symbol of sexiness."

Trying to flip the "cute" lyrics is almost like a manifesto. In Japan's "Lovely Supremacy", "lovely is just" reality, they find a subversive poetic--by the world as a flaw in the characteristics, should have a lovely place.

We all have an inferiority zone, how to ease our own physical anxiety?

"Anyone can be cute." "They speak loudly with songs. But what about going back to personal experience?

They also have a song called "fat motto", the lyrics write: "I do not like dieting, fat a little more clearly also very good." "I ask, in Japan, where weight reduction is always a popular topic, is it not afraid to be slammed and encouraged to get fat?" As a songwriter, bass player Yuuki replied directly:

"I'm not afraid to think differently from everyone, I don't think it's better to be thin." Popular weight loss, just because people feel thin is beautiful. But I also have inferiority complex (complex), because how I eat can not be fat, I wish I could be a little fatter. If I can, I hope to eat to eat, do not want to eat will not eat, rather than to meet the standards, that is to really do their own. 」

So, how to relieve this kind of physical anxiety? They say there are two ways: encourage each other, and create. "We often praise each other and find out where each other is cute. ' It won't work soon, but after a long time, looking in the mirror, you'll also be more and more fond of what you look like, "yuna said. "To come again is to turn your anxiety out, write it in a song, sing it Out and let the world hear it."

When Japanese girls are so tired, not only against demons, but also in society

As a non-compliant women's orchestra, in the face of the harsh physical standards of Japanese society, I would like to know if they have ever been subjected to verbal attacks?

"When a girl orchestra (girl band) in Japan, it is not often criticized for music, but is more likely to be criticized for its looks and dress up. "mana said. CHAI of course also received the Netizen bad comment: "This lead singer looks good ugly", "girl orchestra should look good." What should a listener do when he doesn't want to listen to your music at all, but just wants to taunt his appearance?

"We will not respond to these messages. Instead, try to practice the instrument, do not want to be used as playing the instrument "start" of the Girl Orchestra (Girls band), we renamed their "Women's Orchestra" (Ona band). "mana said. They often have bitterness in their words, and instead of "girls", they also reflect the negative larval imagination of "girls" in Japanese society. Girls want to have girls--you can play rock and roll, but you'd better play the guitar like a girl.

The show is never about the mouth, rehearsing on time. Although difficult, but the blessing is leaning, "also because of this, we have a group of fans." "yuuki added. This group of listeners knew their ideas and saw that they demanded that they were more strict than anyone else, and instead became diehard fans.

The history of struggle of the women's orchestra, with the revolutionary spirit of rock and roll on its head, but actually rolling in the music circle, there is still a faint sadness. Women always have to be more hard at proving their abilities to the world. I nodded, secretly hoping that one day in the future, as long as the love of music, regardless of gender and characteristics, can be carefully heard.

"Turn inferiority into art!" "Reconciliation with the world with the black humor of Love

Recall N.E.O. The opening of the MV, the picture stands a sentence "To turn inferiority into art!" (コンプレックスはアートなり! ) "When you see it, it makes people think that this group of girls is really a tough girl.

Their lyrics all the way requirement a accompaniment, at first glance inexplicable, once read into the sentence, all sorts of body anxiety irony, black humor still a little pain. I ask, what if there are thousands of girls in the world who are tied up by their appearance? They were thrilled and tongues to encourage:

kana:"remains unique, and you are the cutest. 」

mana:"everyone sad to see CHAI happy positive appearance, and then hope to be liberated from the concept of beauty, do not be bound by it. 」

yuuki:"don't fret about being cute. 」

yuna:"you as a person, have their own characteristics, but also hope that you can shine brightly to live. 」

For the world to be lovely, we are everywhere

Although the world is fierce, yelling can only be non-black or white, but they do not suppress their own also want to become lovely mood, but with a lovely spear, attack the lovely shield: you are lovely, then I am "new" lovely. When we are lovely together, no one in the world feels lonely.

There is ridicule in loveliness, there is contradiction in love, this is the feeling that CHAI gives me. And this contradiction with folding, every girl I think must understand.