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

Owarinai Yume
相川七瀬 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

心の中のジオラマの街は
希望の光できらめいている
陽炎の翼ではばたいた夢は
君と僕との探し物
真実はいつも瞳に潜んでいる蒼く
僕等は何処まで行こう
2人の未来今流浪って
僕等は旅を続ける

永遠の在り処終わりない夢
この手を離さず追いかけていきたいずっと
ターコイズ色の心の海で
光の船の合図が聞こえる

早く行かなきゃはやる想いに
何も言葉はいらないね

偽りはいつも言葉に潜んでいる甘く
2人でひとつになろう
臆病な波の穂も抱きしめて
僕等は旅を続ける
抱き合う隙間終わりない夢
虹を突抜けた約束の光を目指す
僕等は何処まで行こう
2人の未来今流浪って
僕等は旅を続ける

永遠の在り処終わりない夢
この手を離さず追いかけていきたいずっと

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to 相川七瀬's song Owarinai Yume express a deep desire to pursue an endless dream and journey, in the company of a significant other. The "city" within the individual's heart is shimmering with hope, represented by the glimmering of light. The dream painted in anticipation is "flying" with the "wings of mirage," signifying the unreality and fragility of the dream. Yet, it is still worth searching for and chasing after. The truth of this dream and journey lives within one's eyes as they gleam with blue. The lyrics emphasize that the journey will continue endlessly, and that two people will venture towards an unknown future, becoming one with each other along the way, embracing even the timid waves. The singer craves a love that transcends time and space and will continue to pursue this never-ending dream, against all odds.

The recurring theme in the lyrics of Owarinai Yume is the pursuit of an insatiable dream, emphasized as "an endless dream." The lyrics seem to symbolize the idea that the journey is more valuable than the destination, and that the worth is more in the act of chasing a dream than the dream's attainment. One's hope finds its radiance in the shining light of their heart, and it is this hope that will guide one on this eternal journey. The song urges the listener to pursue their dreams relentlessly, to chase the light of their hearts, and to overcome the obstacles that come their way.

Line by Line Meaning

心の中のジオラマの街は
The city in my heart's diorama is

希望の光できらめいている
Glistening with the light of hope

陽炎の翼ではばたいた夢は
The dream I took flight with on shimmering wings

君と僕との探し物
Is something you and I are searching for

真実はいつも瞳に潜んでいる蒼く
Truth always hides in our blue eyes

僕等は何処まで行こう
How far will we go?

2人の未来今流浪って
As we wander in search of our future

僕等は旅を続ける
We'll keep on traveling

永遠の在り処終わりない夢
In the eternal place of endless dreams

この手を離さず追いかけていきたいずっと
I want to chase them forever, never letting go of your hand

ターコイズ色の心の海で
In the turquoise sea of my heart