ALAN THE WORLD #5

Singer and AneCan model alan: her present, past & future.

Her first best album JAPAN PREMIUM BEST & MORE has been released on 2 March. This time we’ll get a close-up of alan as an artist! She looks back on everything since her debut ♡

My first best album JAPAN PREMIUM BEST & MORE has been released on 2 March! It contains 15 songs from my previous singles and 4 new songs. I want to show everyone my journey so far! And I want to challenge new music genres in the future. I’ll make a fresh start with this album. I’ll keep giving it my all.

I love all 15 songs. But the song I cherish the most is of course my debut song Ashita e no Sanka. I auditioned when I was a 3rd year university student. I continued to study after the audition, but I also prepared for my debut in Japan. My staff and producer came to Beauty Valley (my home town) to create Ashita e no Sanka. That song was created while seeing where I was born, what my family was like and what was special about me. So it turned out completely different from pure J-pop songs. Ashita e no Sanka was ‘custom-made’ for me, so I felt very happy and thought ‘this is my song!’ when I first heard the song.

During my school days I also had my own original songs. We had a system that you would get extra credits if you used your own original songs during school auditions. I always thought my songs were cooler than other people’s audition songs, but professional songs are really totally different (laughs).

When I listened to my debut song, I realized I would really be parted from my family. The song reminded me of the countryside and folk-songs, so listening to it also made me feel nostalgic and lonely. This kind of song doesn’t go in and out of style. It won’t feel old-fashioned if you listen to it again after a few years. It won’t grow stale. No matter how many years pass, you can listen to it again and again. This song contains various complex feelings.



My debut days were really hard (tears). I couldn’t speak Japanese at all. So I didn’t only need to practice singing during recordings, but also the words. I remember that I would write all over the printed-out lyrics and it would turn into a mess. I didn’t have any friends when I first came to Japan and I didn’t have much money to spare either. I was filled anxieties and worries back then.

There was one experience that really encouraged me. I sang Ashita e no Sanka at a TV program and Sakamoto Ryuuichi watched that performance at his house in New York. After watching he told me that he wanted to create a song together with me. After that my 3rd single Natsukashii Mirai ~longing future~ was created. I was really surprised (laughs). Because he was a brilliant composer who we had talked about during a lesson at my university. He has made songs like Last Emperor and Senjou no Merry Christmas. Sakamoto contacting me gave me the courage to continue working in Japan.

It’s been 3½ years since I first came to Japan. I have seen and experienced lots of things, and I think my heart has grown bigger. I have composed Venus Flower –one of the new songs- together with Kazuhito Kikuchi-san! My staff told me, ‘your voice sounds cute in this song’. So it normally doesn’t it? (laughs) It’s a happy bossa nova song with an Okinawan, Hawaiian feel to it. My 11th song Swear is also like that, but everyone is busy. There are many things to worry about. Rather than songs with a grand worldview, they’d like a relaxing pop-song. I was to sing both type of songs.

I have tons of things I want to do. I want to get better at Japanese. And I want to learn English. I also want to star in a musical. Ah! And I also want continue to work for Anecan! I’ll be really happy if people decide to listen to my music after seeing my modelling. ...But my face... people won’t think I can sing well, will they? (laughs) Will they think I only sing peppy, idol-like songs? I am often told that my songs don’t fit the image people have of me. I want to show everyone my talents. I think you’ll understand if you listen to my best album. I recommend everyone to listen to it~!!!

definitely she looks like an idol XD, but her songs are so different, that's a reason for love alan IMO

Ah~ I just love her more! I still find it amazing that she worked with Sakamoto Ryuuichi! For a newbie, that's so awesome!

Thank you very much for translating!

thank you for translating any way

Aaaw I want to see her in a musical

thanks for the translation!

yea she really has an idol lol
but that's a proof that not every beautiful and idol-like girls are talentless and depending on appearance only
I hope alan will be able to reach anything that she wants.. I think it's gonna be awesome to see her on musical

Thanks for the translation!

I really wish to hear more from alan through these kinds of interviews.
Now if this interview was recorded onto video I could see her laughs and tears!

.But my face... people won’t think I can sing well, will they?

lol. I never thought about that...