She is a singer-songwriter, who is completely bilingual in English and Japanese because she was raised in Japan but moved to Hawaii at the age of fifteen where she graduated from Iolani School. From there, she moved on to George Washington University where she graduated with majors in politics and music.
She originally released an indie album in the United States in 2000, called These Words, which received much critical acclaim. In 2002, she composed two tracks for Let It Fall by Dianne Eclar, a teenage pop singer from the Philippines. In 2005, in Japan, she released an indie mini-album under Virgo Music entitled One, which alerted 植松伸夫 (Nobuo Uematsu) to her music. Angela Aki is now signed under Sony Music Associated Records Inc. . In 2005 she was announced as the singer of the FINAL FANTASY XII theme song, "Kiss Me Good-Bye".
On March 9, 2007, she revealed in her official blog that she is married to a music director who has been supporting her before her debut. She also revealed that while she was in Washington D.C., she had married once before but the marriage ended in a divorce.
She is good friends with JPOP star 伊藤由奈. Both singers attended the same Japanese language school.
Angela Aki is the daughter of Kiyoshi Aki, the owner/co-founder of AEON Institute of Language Education. This is one of the "Big Four" Eikaiwa (English conversation) schools in Japan.
In May 2006, Angela signed with Tofu Records in order to release English singles and albums. Her first release with Tofu was releasing Kiss Me Good-Bye as a digital single in the USA with a slightly altered track list. Later that month she performed the FINAL FANTASY XII theme song, "Kiss Me Good-Bye" at the premiere PLAY! A Video Game Symphony concert in Chicago on May 27, 2006. With orchestral backup, she played piano and sang the English lyrics, which she had written herself. She also performed her own version of "Eyes On Me," the theme song of FINAL FANTASY VIII with only the piano and her voice.
On Aki's blog, dated March 9, 2007, she announced her marriage to Japanese music producer, Hide Sanjougi. She also mentioned that it will be the second marriage for her. Her first marriage was to engineer, producer, and artist Tony Alany who coproduced her first album in Vienna, VA.
On November 29, 2013, Aki announced on her blog that she would be taking an indefinite hiatus beginning in the fall of 2014, stopping her music activities in Japan in order to attend school in the United States and study music. The subsequent TAPESTRY OF SONGS -THE BEST OF ANGELA AKI compilation and "アンジェラ・アキ Concert Tour 2014 TAPESTRY OF SONGS -THE BEST OF ANGELA AKI" tour are her final respective events prior to this hiatus.
The Chase
アンジェラ・アキ Lyrics
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競争をする時は 格別輝いていた
恋愛もレースで
出会いはスタートライン
ライバル達と並び
あなた目指し走り出す
追いかけ 追い込み 追い回す
手に入らないほど欲しくなる
ゴールよりも It's the chase
The chase
いつしかあなたは 私に恋をした
体を寄せ合っても
キスよりあくびが出る
追いかけ 追い込み 追いついた
手に入れたとたんに欲しくない
恋愛より大事なもの それは
ゴールよりも It's the chase
The chase The chase The chase
ああ、目の前の宝が
今消えていく ...
ある日帰ったら
あなたがいなくなっていた
初めて自分の 愚かさに気がついた
追いかけ 追い込み 追い出した
私があなたを追い出した
あなたよりも大事なものなど
あなたよりも大事な人など
Ah Ah Ah
この世にはいない
The lyrics of "The Chase" by Angela Aki delve into the theme of pursuit and the value of the chase itself, rather than the end goal. The song opens with the description of someone with naturally fast legs, excelling in competition and shining brightly in races. The metaphor of love being likened to a race is introduced, where meeting someone marks the starting line, and the singer sets off chasing after the person they desire, eager to surpass their rivals and reach the target. The lyrics convey the exhilaration and intensity of the chase, with the pursuit becoming all-consuming to the point where the desired person becomes even more precious than the ultimate goal.
As the song progresses, the focus shifts to the realization that the pursued person has fallen in love with the singer. Despite physical closeness, such as leaning on each other, the intimacy falls short, as yawning replaces kisses. This discrepancy highlights that the thrill of the chase and the act of pursuing can sometimes be more significant and fulfilling than the end result itself, capturing the essence of yearning for something unattainable once it is obtained. The singer reflects on what truly holds greater value than romantic relationships, suggesting that the chase, with all its excitement and uncertainty, is more meaningful than simply reaching the finish line.
The narrative takes a poignant turn as the singer laments the disappearance of the treasure right before their eyes, leaving only emptiness behind. The lyrics then reveal a haunting revelation – upon returning home one day, the pursued person is gone, prompting the singer to confront their own foolishness and recognize the consequences of their actions. The act of chasing, pushing, and eventually driving away the person they desired leads the singer to acknowledge that there are things more valuable than that person, even someone more important than them, implying a moment of awakening and self-realization.
In the final moments of the song, the singer reaches a conclusion that in this world, such a significant person does not exist. This realization encapsulates a sense of loss, regret, and coming to terms with the consequences of the chase, emphasizing the bitter truth that what was pursued so vigorously may not have held the ultimate value or significance in the grand scheme of things. "The Chase" by Angela Aki underscores the complexities of human emotion, the allure of pursuit, and the sobering aftermath of realizing what truly matters in the pursuit of love and desires.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: anjeraaki
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind