Background and release
"Vanity" is a collaborative track crafted by Shinichi Osawa specifically for Otsuka, [1] to be part of her first collaborative EP, Marble , to commemorate her twentieth anniversary in the music industry.
Otsuka noted that upon hearing the demo sent by Osawa, she instantly felt the track was perfectly suited to her style, despite not having met Osawa in person during the production process. [2] Osawa gave Otsuka creative freedom, allowing her to either use the demo’s placeholder lyrics or write her own. Otsuka stated that she wrote the lyrics for the song aiming to capture the "toxic" essence of the melody, and admitted she was initially worried about Osawa’s reaction to its unconventional lyrics, but was relieved when they were approved. [2] The song includes a striking refrain in the chorus, featuring the phrase "Copipe Papapara Popipire Ripepara Po," which Otsuka described as inspired by her love for incantation-like phrases, influenced by films like Hayao Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky . [2] Additionally, Otsuka drew lyrical inspiration from a conversation with producer Koji Tsutaya, who shared that he became fond of her after she appeared in his dream before they met. This anecdote influenced the song’s lyrical content, adding a personal touch to the composition. [2]
Osawa, on the other hand, described the song as having a unique "destiny," born from an intuitive creative process influenced by his mood and timing. [2] He aimed to create something distinct from Otsuka’s previous work, and he believes his goal was achieved. Notably, Osawa remarked that the track is unlike any of his past works yet stems from a latent part of his artistic sensibility, ultimately brought to life through Otsuka’s expressive performance. He expressed gratitude for the collaboration with Otsuka, noting that without this opportunity, the song’s concept might have remained unrealized. [2]
The single was released digitally on major music streaming platforms on July 14, 2023, [3] becoming the first release from the Marble EP. Upon its release, the song was described as a blend of "Osawa's signature sophisticated electro music with Otsuka's delicate vocals," which resulted in a "mysterious and immersive soundscape." [1] The song became Otsuka's first single influenced by electronic music in approximately six and a half years, since "Watashi" released in 2017.
This page is based on this
Wikipedia article Text is available under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
