In addition to his solo works, he is a member of the Electronica duo Kimonos, which formed in 2010 with Mukai Shutoku of Zazen Boys. He is also is a member of the band Metafive, formed in 2015 with Yukihiro Takahashi, Keigo Oyamada, Yoshinori Sunahara, Towa Tei, and Tomohiko Gondo.
Alongside his own projects, he continues to contribute a wide range of music and text to various other artists.
Born in Tokyo to a Japanese father and Swedish mother. Educated at SOAS and Oxford University. Settled in Tokyo in July 2006 to launch music career with debut album ‘City Folk’.
Showcasing a variety of styles from heart-rending killer-tunes to angular rap, he not only represents a new style of singer-songwriter in J-Pop, but his blend of lyrical passion and austerity of design may mark something new for the world at large.
Venom
LEO今井 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's racing through my body - venom
The juice is thick and heavy - venom
My brain can't keep it steady - venom
So don't be cold, my love
Don't fear the venom
It's nothing pure or divine - venom
Just chemistry's design - venom
So don't be cold, my love, don't fear
Somewhere between the wrong and right
is where your heart is most alive
So just be bold, my love, just be sincere
And just because you feel the fear,
that don't make it real, my dear
We're all going down, down
All the way back down, down
All going down, down, down, down and out, out, out, out
理想となる点はどうでもよくて
正しさと悪さを結ぶ線の何処かで
走っているのが素直ですね
In this song, LEO今井 highlights the feeling of being high on venom, which is a metaphor for the feeling of being overwhelmed by emotion. It's a feeling that's coursing through his veins, clouding his mind, and making him feel something that he simply can't ignore. He encourages his love not to be afraid of this feeling and embraces it. LEO今井 admits that this venom is his blood, his wine, something that's not pure or divine, just a product of chemistry's design. He believes that living between right and wrong is where your heart is most alive. The singer encourages his love to be brave, sincere, and not to be scared of feeling the fear since it doesn't make it real. It is normal to feel overwhelmed by emotions sometimes, but one must learn not to be consumed by those feelings.
The second verse of the song reinforces the metaphor of emotions as venom, not only for LEO今井 but for everyone. It suggests that we are all taken down by our overwhelming emotions, and we all face the same end, down and out. Despite the darkness of the lyrics, the song conveys that embracing your emotions and facing them head-on is what matters in life.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got that feeling in me - venom
I am feeling a poisonous emotion inside of me
It's racing through my body - venom
This venom feels like it's coursing through my veins
The juice is thick and heavy - venom
This venomous feeling is powerful and all-consuming
My brain can't keep it steady - venom
This venom is so intense that it's affecting my ability to think clearly
So don't be cold, my love
Don't be distant or unfeeling towards me
Don't fear the venom
Don't be afraid of the intensity of my emotions
This blood of mine is my wine - venom
My emotional state is like a potent drink, affecting and altering me
It's nothing pure or divine - venom
My feelings are not wholesome or holy
Just chemistry's design - venom
My emotions are simply the result of chemical reactions in my body
Somewhere between the wrong and right
In the gray area between what is right and what is wrong
is where your heart is most alive
Is where you feel the most passion and excitement
So just be bold, my love, just be sincere
Be brave and honest in your feelings towards me
And just because you feel the fear,
Just because you feel afraid
that don't make it real, my dear
That doesn't mean that your fears are based in reality
We're all going down, down
We are all heading towards our inevitable demise
All the way back down, down
All the way back to the end
All going down, down, down, down and out, out, out, out
We are all spiraling towards the end, running out of time
理想となる点はどうでもよくて
The point of becoming ideal doesn't matter
正しさと悪さを結ぶ線の何処かで
Somewhere between right and wrong
走っているのが素直ですね
It's honest just to run
Contributed by Jayden E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.