ACO is a Japanese singer specializing in a wide range of genres. Her early … Read Full Bio ↴ACO is a Japanese singer specializing in a wide range of genres. Her early albums focused on jazzy pop and R&B, while the middle part of her career expanded her sound into trip-hop, minimalist electronica, and synthpop. More recently, she has explored an alt-rock style. She was born in Aichi Prefecture in 1977, and she released her breakthrough single Fuan Nano (不安なの) in 1995. The song, done in a summery pop style, was a moderate success and her debut album, Kittenish Love followed soon after in early 1996.

By the end of the year, ACO was back in the studio recording her second album, NUDE, which was released exactly a year after her debut. The album picked up where her debut left off, continuing with the jazz-pop style she was known for. The best-known single from this era was DROP, which combined hip-hop elements with ACO's leisurely vocals. By 1998, ACO had begun moving away from the predominately upbeat sound that launched her career, introducing some darker and more dramatic elements into the mix for her third album, Lady Soul. The album spawned the singles CATWALK and Yawarakai Hada (やわらかい肌), which did little to reflect this creeping style change.

In the winter of 1999, ACO released Absolute Ego, her fourth album and the work that many see as the turning point in her career. No longer singing the songs of a teenage pop idol, ACO introduced trip-hop and electronica elements into her style and began experimenting with her vocals as well. Critical response to the album was overwhelmingly positive. Absolute Ego produced four singles, among them SPLEEN and Yorokobi Ni Saku Hana (悦びに咲く花). A remix album, titled The Other Side Of Absolute Ego, followed in early 2000. It featured collaborations with the likes of DJ Krush (whom ACO collaborated with on his own Tragicomic), Tricky, and Yoshinori Sunahara. A live DVD called Absolute Live was also released.

In 2001, ACO presented her fifth studio album, Material. This album moved even further into her new electronica style, and contains some of her darkest music to date. Singles released included Hoshi No Kuzu (星ノクズ), which featured an Alice In Wonderland-styled PV, and 4gatsu No Hero (４月のヒーロー). The album also included a haunting cover of This Woman's Work by Kate Bush.

ACO's sixth album, irony, followed in 2003. Collaborating with Icelandic electronica band múm and avant-garde artists portable[k]ommunity, the album explored minimalist electronica through the use of layered vocals and delicate microbeats. The album drew comparisons to Vespertine by Björk and produced one solitary single, titled Machi (町).

A new mini-album, Mask, was released in early 2006. It explores a neo-electroclash sound, including a brash recut of Fuan Nano to mark the song's tenth anniversary. During this time, she collaborated with Taeji Sawai and his band Golden Pink Arrow. The songs, which are available through Sawai's website (www.taeji.org), have not yet seen a commercial release. In 2007, she released her first greatest hits album, ACO BEST ~Girl's Diary~, a two-disc compilation featuring all her singles from 1995-2006.

In 2010, ACO returned with Devil's Hands, her first new release since ending her short hiatus. In yet another genre shift, it departs from the electropop of Mask to focus on pop-rock and soft ballads. The moody and piano-driven LUCK followed in 2012, followed by a live album and a collection of self-covers in a new "unplugged" style, TRAD.

Valentine was released in 2015 and marked another sea change in ACO's style, giving her a fuzzy alt-rock sound with raspy vocals. A covers EP in this mode, Sing Sing Sing, followed in 2019.

恋のあくび
ACO Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

幸せだった時を思い出して泣いた
誰に歌う理由でもないわ
この恋の唄
起こさないでいて黙ってればいい
恋のカケラを集めてほおり投げた
小さなあくびを1つネェ
体の力を全部抜いて
のんびり忘れていってしまえ～

あなたの夢に抱かれながら...
あなたの夢に抱かれながら...
笑ってしまえ!

ベッドに体あづけて
軽く泳いでみたり
昨日と同じ空気が
きゅうくつになっても
優しく触れた心のすきまに
恋のカケラを集めてほおり投げた
小さなあくびを1つネェ
体の力を全部抜いて
のんびり忘れていってしまえ～
あなたの夢に抱かれながら...

あなたの夢に抱かれながら...
笑ってしまえ!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of ACO's song 恋のあくび (Koi no Akubi) depict a sense of nostalgia and longing for a past love. The opening line "幸せだった時を思い出して泣いた" (I recalled the times of happiness and cried) reflects on the bittersweet memories of a past relationship. The singer emphasizes that there is no particular reason to sing about this love, implying that it is a personal journey of reminiscing and healing.

The lines "起こさないでいて黙ってればいい" (Stay still, it would be better to stay silent) express the desire to avoid stirring up old feelings and instead moving forward. The singer then talks about gathering the fragments of this love and throwing them away, using the metaphor of a small yawn as the symbol of letting go. By releasing all the tension and strain, they aim to slowly forget and detach themselves from this love.

The chorus "あなたの夢に抱かれながら... 笑ってしまえ!" (While being embraced by your dream... smile!) suggests finding solace in the dream or idealized version of the person they once loved. Despite the sadness and longing, they encourage themselves to smile and move on, finding comfort in the fantasy of their love.

Overall, the lyrics of 恋のあくび express the complexities of love and the process of letting go. It portrays the struggle of cherishing the memories while trying to detach from the emotions attached to them, ultimately finding solace in embracing dreams and moving forward with a smile.

Line by Line Meaning

幸せだった時を思い出して泣いた
I cried as I reminisced about the times of happiness

誰に歌う理由でもないわ
There is no reason to sing for anyone

この恋の唄
This song of love

起こさないでいて黙ってればいい
Just stay silent and don't cause any trouble

恋のカケラを集めてほおり投げた
I gathered the fragments of love and threw them away

小さなあくびを1つネェ
One small yawn

体の力を全部抜いて
Unleashing all the strength from my body

のんびり忘れていってしまえ～
Relax and forget it all

あなたの夢に抱かれながら...
While being embraced by your dreams...

笑ってしまえ!
Just smile!

ベッドに体あづけて
Resting on the bed