Akimoto Yasushi explains how he got the idea for Keyakizaka46's debut single "Silent Majority"

report from Yahoo Japan News, 18 March 2021 

Music producer Akimoto Yasushi (62) appeared live on NHK’s Gogonama. He spoke about the idol group Keyakizaka46 (now Sakurazaka46), which he produces, and revealed that he used their un-idol-like appeal to create their debut single Silent Majority. 

Normally, the image of an idol is to be cheerful and communicative. But when members came together for the Keyakizaka46 auditions “you wouldn’t think it was an idol audition. They didn’t smile and didn’t make up to people. They were strange girls.”

This unpredictable charm gave him the idea that when parents and teachers told them things they did not believe themselves, modern young people may wonder if they might not be able to express their own ideas. That was the beginning of the group’s debut song Silent Majority.

“Although there were people at the time who criticized the paradox that it was an adult who had them sing ‘Don’t let adults tell you what to do’,” he explained, “I thought that was the way of doing it which would be most effective.”

He said that unlike a singer-songwriter, he wasn’t putting his own ideas into the lyrics, but making lyrics from the point of view of the singers.

Nagahama Neru blog: hard work and procrastination

Idol, 163

Nagahama Neru
2017.02.01

Good evening~

Today is already February
It has been warmer recently, hasn't it.

My goal is "not to procrastinate"  (｡･ᴗ･｡)

As soon as I get home, though
I just temporarily turn on the TV and dive into bed. Every day.

As I watch TV I think:
"In five minutes I'll get into the bath....
"Wah, only three minutes left.
"One minute....

"...no, I'll go at the next commercial."

That kind of life.
Every day I have the feeling that somethings's after me,
I can't relax at all (´･_･`)

As soon as I get to the bath, I start to do some laundry...!
I want to live in a more leisurely way.

Peace-peace