SMAP was first formed in 1988, though their debut single came in 1991. SMAP officially stands for the English words "Sports and Music Assemble People". SMAP originally consisted of the current five members plus 森且行 (Mori Katsuyuki) who left in May 1996 to pursue a career in auto racing.
SMAP was started as an idol group by the famous "Johnny & Associates", a conglomerate known for its "cute boys only" policy. The SMAP members met each other in 1987 and were called "Skate Boys." They were backup dancers for 光GENJI (Hikaru GENJI), which was a popular idol group at the time. In 1988, they formed SMAP. Nakai, the oldest, became the group's leader. Their debut in 1991, in a time when there weren't many music programs, was not immediately successful. Of all of Johnny's groups, SMAP was the least popular. Since SMAP was so unsuccessful, Nakai asked Johnny's office to let SMAP have a variety program to make people laugh with their unique personalities.
The program was called "I Love SMAP." Through this program, SMAP slowly gained popularity. 1993 was a year of opportunities for SMAP. They had a hit single, and SMAP member Takuya Kimura was in a dorama called 'Asunaro Hakusho," in which he played Osamu Toride, a shy cute boy. Asunaro was a big hit and Kimura's popularity soared. At the same time, SMAP also provided the opening ("Egao no GENKI") and ending songs for the anime Hime-chan's Ribbon, and Tsuyoshi Kusanagi appeared in multiple episodes both as himself as the voice of a regular character.
After that SMAP members starred in movies both individually and as a group, and SMAP continued to release new hit singles. Their song "Yozora no Mukou" is now in some Japanese textbooks.
In 1996, SMAP started their own variety program called SMAP X SMAP (also called S x S or SmaSma). On S x S, they cook, perform in comedy sketches, play games, sing, dance, and so on. S x S has been one of the most well-known TV programs in Japan since it started. The members of SMAP did things on the show that Japanese celebrities had never done on television before, steering Japanese television in new creative ways and creating even more publicity and popularity for the group. As "the super idol group that does anything", they began starring in a wide variety of programs ranging from live stage to music, dancing, hosting other programs, acting in movies, commercials, etc.
In 2001, Inagaki was involved in a traffic altercation. There were allegations of wrongdoing on his part, and he briefly retreated from the public spotlight. However, the ultimate result of the incident was to put SMAP in the public eye once more, which only increased their popularity. Inagaki has since made a comeback, and starred in a 2004 drama about a fictional Japanese investment banker killed in the events of September 11.
SMAP members are said to be the most famous stars in Japan. Though a comparison to American groups like The Backstreet Boys is not entirely musically inaccurate, even at the peak of their popularity, no American boy band has come close to the pervasiveness of SMAP. To give a sense of the popularity (and ubiquity) of SMAP, note that in 2003, SMAP leader Nakai was identified as the highest tax payer of any entertainer in Japan by the Japanese National Tax Bureau. That same year, he was involved in at least four television shows simultaneously, in addition to commercials.
There were speculations that SMAP would disband following Takuya Kimura's announcement of his marriage and Goro Inagaki's traffic altercation in 2001. Although they did not release even a single in 2004, the popularity of SMAP is still strong. This is reflected in the charts, where both their latest album and a recent single (017 SAMPLE BANG! and BANG BANG! バカンス!) topped the respective daily charts just moments after their release.
These releases were followed by the album "Pop Up! SMAP!" in 2006, which included the popular single "Dear Woman" used in a commercial for Tsubaki face care.
In 2007 musical activities seemed to have quieted down, with all members busy with other projects like TV dramas and movie, but the two singles of that year, "Arigatou" for Tsuyoshi's drama "Boku no aruku michi" and "Dangan Fighter" used a a theme for the TBS baseball coverage, again were major hits.
Besides more hit dramas in 2008, the singles "Sonomama/White Message" and "Sono toki, kitto yumejanai" were release, followed by a short surprise tour and a new album called "super.modern.artistic.performance" with it's release in September 2008.
Shiosai
SMAP Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
息を切らせて
転がり込むように クルマの中へ
遠くに霞んでる人影も
見えなくなって
ふたりただ毛布に くるまっていた
もう寒くないね
久しぶりの海はいつも雨
せつなさよりも愛しさ募らせてく
この瞬間を
どんな言葉より強く伝わるように
そう抱きしめて
ちぎれる雲間から波間へと
差し込む光り
昔どこかで見た 絵画の世界
そう祈るような
なにげないくだらない冗談
『笑えないよねえ』ってキミが笑う
やっと出会えた運命に感謝しよう
心を込めて
どんな想いより強く焼きつけたい
大切に
海鳥の群れ 風を切る羽根
どこへゆくのだろう
明日へと 未来へとボクらは
羽ばたける
せつなさよりも愛しさ募らせてく
この瞬間を
どんな言葉より強く伝わるように
ha... 抱きしめて
君と出会えた運命に感謝しよう
心を込めて
どんな想いより強く焼きつけたい
いつまでも
Forever, precious one
And ever gracious time
You're not the only lonely one
Forever, precious one
And ever gracious time
You're not the only lonely one
You're not the only lonely one
You're not the only lonely one
The lyrics to Smap's song Shiosai depict a romantic moment between two people during a rainy day at the beach. The singer describes how the sound of the waves is muted by a passing rain, leaving them breathless as they roll into the car. The person they were watching from afar is no longer visible, but they have each other and a warm blanket to keep them cozy. Even though it's always raining when they visit the beach, they are happy to be there together, and the singer is filled with a growing sense of love rather than sadness. They embrace each other, hoping to convey their connection through their touch, beyond anything that words could ever express. As they gaze out into the ocean, they marvel at the birds flying overhead and wonder where they might be headed, thinking about all the possibilities that lay ahead for themselves as well.
The song's lyrics convey a sense of warmth and contentment despite the melancholic weather. The couple is depicted as being completely comfortable together, lost in their own world, and appreciating the beauty of the moment. Rather than feeling trapped, they find refuge in each other's embrace and are grateful to be able to share the experience together. The song's tone is one of love and gratitude for the present moment, while also embracing the possibilities of the future.
Line by Line Meaning
波音をかき消す通り雨
The passing rain muffles the sound of the waves crashing
息を切らせて
I find myself out of breath
転がり込むように クルマの中へ
We roll into the car, exhausted
遠くに霞んでる人影も 見えなくなって
The silhouette in the distance fades from view
ふたりただ毛布に くるまっていた
We just wrapped ourselves in a blanket
もう寒くないね
It's not cold anymore
久しぶりの海はいつも雨
It always rains when we come to the ocean after a long time
『誰のせいだろう』ってキミが笑う
You laugh, saying 'whose fault is it anyway?'
せつなさよりも愛しさ募らせてく この瞬間を
More than heartache, our love grows stronger in this moment
どんな言葉より強く伝わるように そう抱きしめて
I hold you tight, wanting to convey how I feel without words
ちぎれる雲間から波間へと 差し込む光り
The sunlight shines through the gaps in the clouds and sparkles on the waves
昔どこかで見た 絵画の世界 そう祈るような
It's like a painting from a place we've been before, I pray it lasts
なにげないくだらない冗談 『笑えないよねえ』ってキミが笑う
You laugh, saying 'it's not funny, is it?' at my silly joke
やっと出会えた運命に感謝しよう 心を込めて
Let's be grateful for our destiny of finally meeting, with all our hearts
どんな想いより強く焼きつけたい 大切に
I want to remember this moment more than anything, and cherish it
海鳥の群れ 風を切る羽根 どこへゆくのだろう 明日へと 未来へとボクらは 羽ばたける
The flock of seagulls, cutting through the wind, where are they off to? Towards tomorrow and the future, we can fly
君と出会えた運命に感謝しよう 心を込めて
Let's be grateful for the destiny that brought us together, with all our hearts
どんな想いより強く焼きつけたい いつまでも Forever, precious one And ever gracious time You're not the only lonely one
I want to etch this memory into my heart more than anything, forever. Forever, precious one. And ever gracious time. You're not the only lonely one
You're not the only lonely one
You're not alone in your loneliness
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: チヒロ 黒須
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind