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.

YOU
後藤真希 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

子供のよう無邪気な笑みで
幸せを拾い集めていた
あの頃にもし戻るなら
僕はまたアナタを手にしたのかな

手放そうと振り上げた腕
震えてる恐くなる
悲しさが溢れだした

愛が無ければ迷わない
こんな痛みも知らぬまま
心が喚きたてる声さえ
気付けないまま今を生きてた

いつの間にこんなに近く
大切にアナタを感じてた
ただ通り過ぎ去る事も出来たのに
気付けば受けとめていた

出逢わなけりゃ…
知らずにいたら…
強くなりたいなんて
思う事無かったかな

愛が無ければ迷わない
こんな弱さも知らぬまま
だけど僕には必要だった
それさえも気付けずに生きてた

愛が無ければ迷わない
こんな痛みも知らぬまま
心が喚きたてる声さえ
気付けないまま今を

愛が無ければ迷わない
こんな弱さも知らぬまま
だけど僕には必要だった
それさえも気付けずに生きてた

愛が無ければ迷わない

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "YOU" by 後藤真希 express the nostalgic story of a past relationship. The song begins by reminiscing on the time when they were happy and innocent together, collecting happiness in their childlike smiles. The lyrics then transition to how the singer wonders if things could have been different if they could go back in time. As the song progresses, the lyrics tell the story of how the singer tries to let go, raising their arm to let love slip through their fingers, but they cannot help feeling the sadness that flows over them.

The lyrics go on to describe how if love were not present, they would not know the pain, and they would continue to live their life, ignoring the voices of their hearts. However, they could not help feeling emotionally connected, feeling the importance of the person who was once in their life. They realized that they did not want to forget, but rather recognize how essential that person was to their emotional growth. The song ends on the recurring theme of how, without love, they would not lose their way.

Line by Line Meaning

子供のよう無邪気な笑みで
With a childlike innocent smile, picking up and collecting happiness.

幸せを拾い集めていた
Collecting and gathering up every source of joy and happiness.

あの頃にもし戻るなら
If only I could go back to those days.

僕はまたアナタを手にしたのかな
I wonder if I would have held onto you once again.

手放そうと振り上げた腕
Raising my arm to release and let go.

震えてる恐くなる
Feeling fear and shaking in uncertainty.

悲しさが溢れだした
The sadness starts to overflow.

愛が無ければ迷わない
Without love, I would not be lost.

こんな痛みも知らぬまま
Without experiencing this kind of pain.

心が喚きたてる声さえ
Even the voice calling out from my heart.

気付けないまま今を生きてた
Living through life without realizing it.