Maki Goto, born September 23, 1985 in Tokyo, Japan, is a Japanese pop singe… Read Full Bio ↴Maki Goto, born September 23, 1985 in Tokyo, Japan, is a Japanese pop singer. She joined Hello! Project in 1999 as the sole 3rd generation member of popular idol group Morning Musume. Her debut single with the group, LOVE Machine, sold over a million copies.

In 2001 she released her first solo single, 愛のバカやろう (Ai no Bakayarou), which hit the #1 spot on the Oricon charts. Goto graduated from Morning Musume on her 17th birthday in 2002, and went on to become the second best-selling solo artist in H!P behind super-idol Aya Matsuura. Throughout her career with H!P, she was placed in various groups, released photobooks, and starred in movies, dramas, and theatre productions. As an idol, she released four albums, one best album, and 17 singles.

At the last show of her fall 2007 tour on October 28, Goto announced that she was graduating Hello! Project. She transferred labels from Up Front Group to avex's side label Rythym Zone in June 2008.

Goto made her avex debut in 2009, starting with a special collaboration project titled SWEET BLACK feat. MAKI GOTO, working with artists such as KEN THE 390 and BIGGA RAIJI. The SWEET BLACK PROJECT included a radio show and a special space on the social networking site Mixi. Goto chose the name herself, reflecting the positive and negative sides of today's women.

In January 2010, Goto witnessed her mother commit suicide by falling from the 3rd story of their family home. After the funeral, she stayed out of the public eye until she performed in a special live called "PREMIUM MINI LIVE" on June 3rd. At this live, a seat was reserved for her mother.

Goto released first official debut mini-album under her own name in July 2010, called ONE. This was also her first release under the avex trax label, rather than Rhythm Zone. The mini-album achieved moderate success, peaking at #10 on the daily ORICON charts and #10 on the weekly charts. The mini-album included a ballad with lyrics by Goto dedicated to her late mother, entitled 華詩 -hanauta-, which she sang in a heart-felt performance for a television special about her life.

Satisfied with the commercial success of the mini-album, Goto's staff wanted to keep her in the Top 10 once again with her January 2011 sophomore mini-album, "Gloria". The mini-album peaked at #5 on the daily ORICON charts and #12 on the weekly charts, having the hit 足跡 (Ashiato) as its promotional track. The CD+DVD version of the album also included professional footage of her 2010 "PREMIUM MINI LIVE" showcase.

Goto then released her third mini-album, "LOVE," in May 2011. It was a mini-album with all the tracks, mostly ballads, encompassing a theme of love. It included 4 new songs with lyrics written by Goto herself, as well as cover of the 90s classic, 空と君のあいだに (Sora to Kimi no Aida ni), by Miyuki Nakajima. The mini-album peaked at #8 on the Oricon charts.

On June 22, 2011, Maki Goto suddenly announced her hiatus from the music scene beginning in 2012. She also announced that she will be releasing her first full-length debut under avex on November 2nd. Two new songs, What is LOVE and SCANDALOUS, were revealed on June 20th for digital download. Goto also joined that summer's a-nation concert series as a featured artist.

Goto has stated that she wants to give it her all before her hiatus. As of October 2011, her projects have included a collaboration single with Kishidan's Show Ayanocozey, a planned photobook, and a temporary official blog.

Fake
後藤真希 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

出逢った日の
あなたはきっと戻らない
二人はただ
それぞれの今を演じるだけ
あなたが思う程私は強くない
もうこれ以上強くなりたくもない
傷だらけのまま
壊れそうな笑み浮かべている

嘘でもいい抱きしめていて...ねえ
満たされないまま
錆付いた心委ねている
馬鹿でもいいそれが愛なら
残酷な話だわ

すべてはそう
台詞のように語られて
鼓動だけが
確かな時間を刻んで行く
あなたが思うような
私にはなれない
なれたとしてもそれは私じゃない
孤独を騙して
消えそうな熱を分け合ってる
誰でもいい訳じゃないけど...ねえ
痛みを隠して
崩れ落ちるように眠りにつく
泣いてるのは夢の中だけ
あの日には戻らない

何度朝がくれば
痛みさえ笑えるだろう
傷だらけのまま
壊れそうな笑み浮かべている
嘘でもいい抱きしめていて...ねえ
満たされないまま
錆付いた心委ねている

馬鹿でもいいそれが愛なら
残酷な話だわ

Overall Meaning

These lyrics from the song "Fake" by Maki Goto depict a bittersweet and painful relationship. The first verse talks about how the person the singer met will never return, and they are both just playing the roles of their current selves. The singer admits that they are not as strong as the other person thinks and they don't want to become any stronger. They bear their scars and fake a smile that seems on the verge of breaking. They say that even if it's a lie, they want to be held.

The second verse reflects on how everything is spoken like lines of a script while only the heartbeat marks the passage of time. The singer realizes that they can't become the person the other person wants them to be, and even if they could, that wouldn't be their true self. They deceive their loneliness and share a fading warmth with someone, even if that person is not just anyone. They hide their pain and fall asleep as if everything is crumbling, crying only within their dreams. They know that they can never go back to that day.

In the third verse, the lyrics question how many mornings will it take until the pain can be laughed at. The singer still wears their scars and fake smiles that are on the brink of breaking. They once again say that even if it's a lie, they want to be held. They surrender their rusty and unsatisfied heart. They acknowledge that even if it's foolish, if that is what love is, then it's a cruel story.

These lyrics express the longing for someone who has left and the struggles of maintaining a façade in a relationship. It showcases themes of vulnerability, emotional pain, and the difficulty of finding genuine connection. The repetition of the phrase "even if it's a lie" emphasizes the desperation and acceptance of a flawed reality.

Line by Line Meaning

出逢った日の　あなたはきっと戻らない
The person I met on that day will never return

二人はただ　それぞれの今を演じるだけ
We're just living out our separate presents

あなたが思う程　私は強くない
I'm not as strong as you think I am

もうこれ以上　強くなりたくもない
I don't want to become any stronger

傷だらけのまま　壊れそうな笑み浮かべている
I'm wearing a smile that looks like it's about to break, covered in wounds

嘘でもいい　抱きしめていて...ねえ
Even if it's a lie, hold me... please

満たされないまま　錆付いた心委ねている
I'm entrusting my rusty heart, still unsatisfied

馬鹿でもいい　それが愛なら
It's okay to be foolish if that's what love is

残酷な話だわ
It's a cruel story

すべてはそう　台詞のように語られて
Everything is spoken like lines in a script

鼓動だけが　確かな時間を刻んで行く
Only the heartbeat marks the passing of time