There is more than one artist or group with this name.

1. Japan's fi… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist or group with this name.

1. Japan's first African-American enka singer
2. A South Korean singer

(1) JERO (born Jerome Charles White, Jr., on September 4, 1981) is an enka singer, as well as Japan's first African-American enka singer, signed to Victor Entertainment.
JERO was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His mother was half-Japanese, and his Japanese grandmother got him interested in enka music from a young age. He first went to Japan at age 15 to participate in a Japanese language speech contest. In high school he was captain on the dance team. He enrolled in the University of Pittsburgh, majoring in information science, and graduated in 2003. During this time, he went on a three month exchange to a university in Kansai, and during his stay was when he decided he would become an enka singer.
After graduating, he returned to Japan and worked as a teacher at an eikaiwa school in Wakayama-ken, as well as being a computer engineer in Osaka. In his spare time he appeared on NHK singing programs, and entered many karaoke competitions and winning an array of awards. In particular, he entered a karaoke competition sponsored by Sakamoto Fuyumi and won first place, which is what caught the eye of Victor and got him scouted. He practiced for two years, and finally in February 2008 debuted with the single Umiyuki.
In contrast to his music JERO usually maintains the outward appearance of a hip-hop artist.
In May 2018, he announced a hiatus to his music career in order return to computer engineering.

(2) Jero (제로), stylized JERO and formerly known as J-Yo (제이요), is a Korean singer currently active in South Korea. He debuted within the group TOUCH in 2010 and was a member of the hip-hop group Lucky J. He is pursuing a solo career since 2016, with the release of his first solo single "Airplane".
Before entering the music scene, Jun-yong attended Anyang Arts High School as a student in the acting department. He made his debut in 2010, known as Junyong in the boy group Touch under YYJ Entertainment, but left in April 2012 to complete his two-year mandatory military service. On July 9, 2014, Jun-yong was announced as a member of YMC Entertainment's new co-ed hip hop group Lucky J, along with Jessi and J'Kyun, under the stage name J-Yo. He left the group in August 2016, to focus on his solo career with the new stage name, Jero. Jero signed to Echo Global Group, where he debuted as a soloist on August 11, 2016, with the single "Airplane". On March 23, 2017 he came out with two more singles, "Delusional" and "Birthday Blu" with their own respected music videos as well. He then came out with his fifth single, "Traffic Light" on June 21, 2017. In 2018 he releases his sixth single, "Flower Bomb." He also released his seventh single, "Save Me" featuring Park Jimin (15&).

晴れ舞台
ジェロ Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

世間のニュースによく似た色の
今夜も暗い幕が開(あ)く
眩しいライトに目をつむる度に
思い出すのさあの笑顔
昔話をねだっても
「忘れたよ」しか
言わなくなっちまって
母ちゃんおいらは知ってるよ

灯りも点けずにオイオイと
忘れた昔が夜泣きをするのを
おいでよ母ちゃんおいらのもとへ
故郷(くに)に残した優しい瞳に
おいらの姿見せてやりたい
擦り切れるほど繰り返し
見ては歌った「越後獅子の唄」
母ちゃんおいらの歌だけが
「宝物だよ」と笑うから
おいらもクヨクヨしちゃいられない
おいでよ母ちゃん夜明けは近い
見えるといいな晴れの舞台に
昇れおいらの初日の出
ライトを浴びて呼ばれる名前は
母ちゃんに貰った名前だよ
忘れちまった昔の代わりに
夢を見させてやるからね

もうじき暗い幕が開(ひら)くよ
おいらの姿見てて下さい

Overall Meaning

In the song 晴れ舞台, ジェロ describes the experience of being on stage under the bright lights while remembering the smile of a loved one. The opening lines evoke a sense of familiarity with the color of the news, implying that there is a similarity between the harsh reality of the news and the darkness of the stage. The repetition of the phrase "おいら" or "I" in English throughout the song emphasizes the personal nature of the lyrics.

The lyrics then take a nostalgic turn, with ジェロ remembering a time when he used to ask for old stories, but his loved one would reply that they had forgotten them. Despite this, he knows that his mother once cherished his singing and his performance of folk songs like "越後獅子の唄" still hold a special place in her heart. He invites his mother to come see him on stage and to show her his own gentle eyes, which he left behind in his hometown. In the end, ジェロ hopes to live up to the name his mother gave him and promises to show her his dream, even if he has forgotten the past.

Overall, the lyrics of 晴れ舞台 are a heartfelt reflection of the personal and emotional nature of performing arts, and the importance of holding onto cherished memories and loved ones.

Line by Line Meaning

世間のニュースによく似た色の
The dark curtains open with a color similar to the news of the world.

今夜も暗い幕が開(あ)く
The dark curtains open tonight.

眩しいライトに目をつむる度に
Every time I close my eyes from the bright lights.

思い出すのさあの笑顔
I remember that smile.

昔話をねだっても
Even when I ask for childhood stories.

「忘れたよ」しか
They only say, 'I forgot'.

言わなくなっちまって
They stopped saying anything at all.

母ちゃんおいらは知ってるよ
I know, mom.

灯りも点けずにオイオイと
Crying alone in the dark.

忘れた昔が夜泣きをするのを
The forgotten past weeps at night.

おいでよ母ちゃんおいらのもとへ
Come to me, mom.