Nanase Aikawa (相川七瀬, Aikawa Nanase), born February 16, 1975 in Osaka, Japa… Read Full Bio ↴Nanase Aikawa (相川七瀬, Aikawa Nanase), born February 16, 1975 in Osaka, Japan, is a Japanese musician known for employing a variety of musical styles, most notably rock. She publishes her music under the Motorod label, a division of Avex Group. On her latest album and tours she has employed many well-known musicians such as guitarist Marty Friedman (ex-Megadeth), guitarist PATA (X-JAPAN), bassist Cool Joe (Dead End), keyboardist D.I.E (ex-hide with Spread Beaver), and drummer 真矢 (ex-LUNA SEA).

While she does have her fair share of soft songs (such as ~dandelion~, The Last Quarter) and fun songs (Break Out!, COSMIC LOVE), a good portion of her collection (and, indeed, the majority of her most popular songs) fall firmly in the rock category. She has remained a constant source of quality rock with a slight pop edge, and though some may argue she belongs fully in the J-Rock category, her pop-idol status and ability to work outside the rock confines would say otherwise.

-= Career =-

After she released her first single in November 1995, she released three more singles, and then her first full album Red in 1996, which sold more than two million copies in its first month, and saw her named "the brightest star" in female rock. That album won her an invitation to perform in a New Year's Eve singing contest between male and female teams of popular singers sponsored by NHK (one of Japan's television companies). Since then, she's released about an album each year, plus an average of three mini- or maxi-singles. Her second album, Paradox, was released in July 1997, selling 1.8 million copies, and coincided with her first concert tour Live Emotion '97 (consisting of 20 concert dates, attracting a total of 65,000 fans, according to Avex.) July 1998 saw her third album Crimson, and another concert tour with over 40 concert dates. Her 1999 release, I.D., was a compilation album, but it debuted at number one on the rock chart, her fourth consecutive album to release in the number one slot. In 2001, she also released a 'mini-album', something between a full album and a single, of uncharacteristically soft, though lovely, ballad-style music, recorded during her later months of pregnancy. (This album was produced by Hotei Tomoyasu.)

At the 11th Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards, Nanase's album Red was voted the Best Album (Japanese Rock and Folk music, female vocalist category). Her album Paradox was voted Best Album of the Year, at the 12th Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards.

-=History=-

Aikawa Nanase's parents divorced when she was young, which affected her significantly enough that she developed into a bit of a troublemaker (which also happens to be the title of one of her best songs). It is rumored that she was in a girl gang in her young teenage years, and supposedly may have been its leader. Another story has it that she was severely bullied by classmates, giving rise to nightmares, and she skipped an entire year of school. Regardless, at the age of 15, she left all that behind, dropped out of school and was discovered by well-known music producer Oda Tetsuro. Throughout her school years, Nanase would sing and participated in a few singing competitions, which routinely passed her over, though brought her to the attention of Oda. He trained Nanase as a singer for five years before she released her first single, though the details of her life in those years are sketchy.

-=Personality=-

Nanase is an intensely private person. Very little is known about her personal life except for the bits and pieces she feels confident enough to announce. For instance, on February 16, 2001, many of her male fans were heartbroken when she publicly announced that she had got married that very day. She published this, and the fact that she was already three-months pregnant, on her official website. Nothing else about her relationship was known until the birth of her son, on September 6, 2001.

She is 'polite, but seldom enthusiastic' in interviews, but frequently leaves hand-written messages on her website. Very little else is known of her. This may also be due to the lack of Japanese to English translators in the Aikawa Nanase fanbase. Oddly enough, roughly half of the non-Japanese Nanase fans are Chinese.

-=Personal Statistics=-

* Name: Aikawa Nanase (相川七瀬)
* Birthday: 1975.02.16
* Birthplace: Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
* Blood Type: AB
* Height: 157cm (5'2")
* Weight: 39kg (86 lbs)
* Hair: Varies (Brown/Pink, currently)
* Eyes: Brown
* Favourite Pet: Cat
* Favourite Time of Day: Night

Official site: www.nanase.jp

LIKE A HARD RAIN
相川七瀬 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Anata no yuube no ibasho kikitakunai wa iiwake
Migatte da ne machi wo samayou crazy dude
Yuutsu to kodoku ni okasare nemurenai yoru ga tsuzuita
Mou shiodoki manneri no kankei wa

Itsukara deai wo natsukashimu no?
Kako yori mirai ga hoshii kara ah

Like a hard rain hageshisa de
Subete ubatte hoshii no ni
Tsuyoku daite namida nante misenaide yo onegai
Like a hard rain yasashisa ja
Mune no itami iyasenai yo
Kotoba ja naku otokorashisa wo misete
Waracchau kurai

Dou ni mo naranai futari wo korizu ni uranau jirema
Okubyou da ne yoru ni yureru kokoro wa
Joke de saguri wo ireteru hanataba mitai na kuchisaki
Miesuitara koi mo iro aseru kara

Tatoeba iki tsuku ma mo nai hodo
Honki wo furikazashite hoshii ah

Like a hard rain mou ichido
Taito na ai wo kanjitai
Nareau yubi tsukareta yume
Sonna no daremo hoshikunai
Like a hard rain itsu datte
Kotoba to honne urahara ne
Tsuyogari mada wakaranai kurai nara
Chotto unzari ne

Like a hard rain hageshisa de
Subete ubatte hoshii no ni
Tsuyoku daite namida nante misenaide yo onegai
Like a hard rain yasashisa ja
Mune no itami iyasenai yo
Kotoba ja naku otokorashisa wo misete
Waracchau kurai

***

I don’t want to hear excuses about where you were last night
You’re so selfish, wandering around the town, crazy dude
The sleepless nights when the depression and loneliness overwhelm me are continuing
Now’s our chance, for this stereotypical romance

When will I start reminiscing about when we met?
Because I’d rather have a future than a past, ah

Like a hard rain, I want you to sweep away everything
With your sheer intensity
Hold me tight, don’t let me see you cry, please
Like a hard rain, tenderness
Won’t cure the pain in my heart
Show me not words but masculinity
So much that you make me laugh

It’s not going to work between us
I don’t learn, I could see this dilemma coming
I'm such a coward; my heart trembles at night
I sound you out with a joke, these words are like a bunch of flowers
If you see through me, even our love will fade

I want you to tell me the truth
Without even giving me time to breathe, ah

Like a hard rain, I want
A tight feeling of love once again
Conspiring fingers, tired dreams
Nobody wants that
Like a hard rain, you always say
The opposite of what you mean
You still don’t get that I’m just pretending to be strong
I’m a bit tired of it

Like a hard rain, I want you to sweep away everything
With your sheer intensity
Hold me tight, don’t let me see you cry, please
Like a hard rain, tenderness
Won’t cure the pain in my heart

Show me not words but masculinity
So much that you make me laugh

Overall Meaning

"LIKE A HARD RAIN" by Nanao Aikawa, also known as Nana-chan, is an electropop rock song that features a strong beat, powerful guitar riffs, and Nanao's distinctive voice, which conveys both vulnerability and assertiveness in equal measure. The lyrics center around a troubled relationship that is marked by confusion, insecurity, and unfulfilled desires. On the one hand, the singer longs for a passionate, unconditional love that will wash away all her doubts and fears, like a torrential downpour. On the other hand, she also craves a more grounded, authentic connection that is based on honesty, trust, and respect, rather than just superficial charm and bravado. The song thus reflects the complex mix of emotions, expectations, and contradictions that often accompany romantic entanglements, especially in a fast-paced, urban environment like Tokyo, where Nanao was born and raised.

The song was released in 1997 as a 3-track single CD and later included in Nanao's third studio album, "Crimson," which came out in 1998. It was written by Nanao herself, who is also credited with co-producing the song alongside Masahide Sakuma, a well-known rock musician and producer who had worked with Nanao on several previous occasions. The song's title is likely a reference to the famous song "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan, as well as to the metaphorical use of rain as a symbol of emotional release and renewal in many cultures. The song's music video, directed by Shusei Yamaoka, shows Nanao singing and dancing in a futuristic, neon-lit cityscape, surrounded by faceless mannequins and flickering screens, which adds to the song's sense of disorientation and alienation.

Line by Line Meaning

I don’t want to hear excuses about where you were last night
Don't try to justify where you were yesterday evening.

You’re so selfish, wandering around the town, crazy dude
You only think about yourself and your aimless wandering bothers me.

The sleepless nights when the depression and loneliness overwhelm me are continuing
I suffer from insomnia due to my state of sadness and isolation, and it hasn't stopped.

Now’s our chance, for this stereotypical romance
This is our opportunity to have a typical romance.

When will I start reminiscing about when we met?
When will I start thinking nostalgically about when we first met?

Because I’d rather have a future than a past, ah
I prefer to focus on a future together instead of dwelling on the past.

Like a hard rain, I want you to sweep away everything / With your sheer intensity
I want you to be passionate and take control of everything, like a powerful storm.

Hold me tight, don’t let me see you cry, please
Embrace me firmly and don't let me witness your tears, I beg of you.

Like a hard rain, tenderness / Won’t cure the pain in my heart
Kindness alone cannot heal the emotional pain I am carrying inside.

Show me not words but masculinity / So much that you make me laugh
Demonstrate your manliness instead of mere words, make me laugh with your confidence.

I don’t learn, I could see this dilemma coming / I'm such a coward; my heart trembles at night
I don't seem to learn from my past mistakes, I knew this situation was inevitable. I admit being scared, even in the safety of the night.

I sound you out with a joke, these words are like a bunch of flowers / If you see through me, even our love will fade
I cover my fears with humor, but these are empty words without real meaning. If you realize that, our love may vanish.

I want you to tell me the truth / Without even giving me time to breathe, ah
I want you to be candid and honest with me, even if it takes my breath away.

Like a hard rain, I want / A tight feeling of love once again / Conspiring fingers, tired dreams / Nobody wants that
I want to feel that strong emotion of love again. But tired dreams and manipulating emotions are not desirable for either of us.

Like a hard rain, you always say / The opposite of what you mean / You still don’t get that I’m just pretending to be strong / I’m a bit tired of it
You're always speaking ambiguously, I can never guess what you really mean. You still don't realize that I'm faking being tough. I'm getting a bit exhausted.

Contributed by Gianna P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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