Utaite

Utaite ( 歌い手 , lit. 'singer') ^{[lower-alpha 1]} is a Japanese term for amateur singers who post covers on the Internet, especially on sites like Niconico and YouTube. The term utattemita ( 歌ってみた , lit. 'I tried singing') refers to the genre and culture surrounding covers by utaite, as well as the cover songs themselves, often put in the titles of such videos.

Background

Although utaite can refer to any amateur cover singer on the Internet, the term is closely associated with the Vocaloid scene, and there is much overlap between these cultures; they are said to have grown alongside each other. ^{[1] [2]} Some famous utaite even double as Vocaloid producers and songwriters themselves, such as Mafumafu. Many, but not all, utaite do not publicly show their face, and instead opt to use a character to represent them. ^[3] Some faceless utaite like Ado and Eve have garnered enough attention to sign with labels and make their major debut, ^[4] while maintaining their anonymity and preserving their real-life identity. ^{[5] [6]} Many popular singers in Japan had their start as utaite and later departed from the scene, revealing their identity to become traditional singers such as Reol.

Utaite became increasingly popular after the release of the Vocaloid library Hatsune Miku on August 31, 2007. The release of "Melt" (メルト, Meruto) by Supercell songwriter Ryo on Nico Nico Douga in December 2007 played a significant role in boosting the utaite community after the song was covered by numerous utaite including halyosy and Nagi Yanagi, who at the time was known as Gazelle. ^[7]

Part of the reason why Vocaloid songs are so often covered by utaite is because the complexity of Vocaloid songs, often written to take advantage of the inhuman capabilities of synthesized vocals, provide a challenge to human singers, and allows them to demonstrate their singing skills. Also, many Vocaloid producers choose to make the instrumental versions of their songs readily available on sites such as Piapro, allowing and directly encouraging utaite to use them for covers. ^{[1] [8]}

See also

• Vocaloid
• Category:Utaite

Notes

1. The word utaite, although literally translating as "singer", is not the typical word for a professional singer in Japanese, 歌手, kashu, and is distinct.

References

1. "「小さな恋のうた」は誰の唄か－SNS時代の若者の音楽消費文化について考える". ニッセイ基礎研究所 (in Japanese). Retrieved September 18, 2024.
2. "この10年間で"歌い手"という存在はどう変わったのか 歌い手「そらる」に聞く"歌ってみた"の可能性". ねとらぼ (in Japanese). Retrieved September 18, 2024.
3. Raj, Tanu I. (February 13, 2023). "Rising Japanese Star Ado on Becoming an Adult, Touring and Evolving: 'I Felt Like I Leveled Up in a Huge Way'". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
4. Tsuchiya, Lyn (July 13, 2023). "3 Japanese Artists Who Started With Vocaloid Music". Tokyo Weekender (in Japanese). Retrieved August 31, 2024.
5. Ikeuchi, Aki (May 27, 2022). "Ado: Not an artist but an 'utaite' singer". japannews.yomiuri.co.jp. Yomiuri Shimbun . Retrieved August 31, 2024.
6. Tan, Azrin (May 23, 2023). "A new wave of Japanese artists is here—and no one can put a face to their name". Vogue Singapore. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
7. りょうすけ, ふじき (December 25, 2017). "「メルト」10周年記念リミックスがこんなにもエモい理由". KAI-YOU.net | POP is Here . (in Japanese). Retrieved August 31, 2024.
8. "piapro". piapro (in Japanese). Retrieved September 18, 2024.