Sowelu, born Aki Harada (原田亜希, Harada Aki), is a J-pop singer. She was born… Read Full Bio ↴Sowelu, born Aki Harada (原田亜希, Harada Aki), is a J-pop singer. She was born on November 6, 1982 in Tokyo to a Japanese father and a half-Irish half-Japanese mother. Her career started in 2002 with the release of her first single Beautiful Dreamer, a soft love ballad which did very well in the charts, and was later featured on the Relaxin’ with Japanese Lovers compilation album. Her first single was modestly successful, and it wasn't until the release of her album Geofu in the summer of 2003 that she gained recognition. Geofu did exceptionally well in the charts, scoring a number 4 position with more than 300,000 copies sold. Her first single after Geofu, "Rainbow" was used as the theme song for the Japanese drama Netsuretsuteki Chukahanten, and the other A-side song on that single, "breath ~Omoi no Youryou~" was used for the national promotion campaign of JFN Radio. She performs under Sony Music Japan's DEFStar records label.

Her next big single "Glisten" was used in a make-up commercial for Menard products, and did fairly well in the Japanese market. With this success, she gained even more popularity, and was asked to sing the end theme for the popular TBS animated series Fullmetal Alchemist, entitled "I Will", giving her an easy in with American fans. Because of "'I Will"', the two other songs included with her "I Will" single, "Candy Rain" and "Pearl Color ni Yurete", became popular among American fans. In 2005, her song "Candy Rain" was featured on the Soul Tree: a Musical Tribute to Toshinobu Kubota album and "Pearlcolor ni Yurete" was on the Momoe Yamaguchi tribute album Thank You For.... Likewise, her third single "Fortune" was selected for the American J-Pop compilation album Neo Soul, and "Across my Heart" from the Geofu album was added to the "Smooth Listening Compilation" album.

In November 2004, Sowelu released her 8th single, "Last Forever", which became the TV insert song for the new drama There goes Nurse-man, and her cover of "The Rose" was featured on a Nescafe commercial. Then finally, after one and a half years of waiting, Sowelu released her second album Sweet Bridge on January 7, 2005.

In 2005, Sowelu contributed to m-flo's album BEAT SPACE NINE on the track "So Exclusive", and again on their album DOPE SPACE NINE in the same song, remixed by Korean fusion band, Clazziquai.

In the music video for the song "to YOU" several photographs of her family and her childhood are intercut with scenes of her singing in a wide room with large glass windows. According to her website, the video location is a church about one hour away from Tokyo by car. At the end of the PV, the family members in the photos make an appearance together with Sowelu, including her grandmother, her mother and even Sowelu's pet chihuahua.

Her latest album "２４－ｔｗｅｎｔｙ　ｆｏｕｒ－" was released on July 12, 2006. It debuted at #3, her highest ranking yet. The album remained at the #3 spot for two weeks on the Weekly Oricon Album Charts. One of the album's songs entitled "守るべきもの", is used as the ending of the 9th Pokemon movie Pokémon Ranger and the Prince of the Sea: Manaphy.

On December 12, 2007 Sowelu released her latest single "光". The single had moderate success and reached #28 on the Oricon Weekly Charts. More recently Sowelu will participate in the 2008 Nike ad campaign, "MY MUSIC,MY FORCE"; along with Perfume, Home Made Kazoku, Tohoshinki, Shota Moriyama and Shoko Nakagawa.

Part of me
Sowelu Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

ずっと離さないでと
告げたこの浜辺
私だけを残して小波の音も消えた
二人まだ繋がっているかな
いつまでも忘れない
優しい瞳
あの子供みたいなあどけない笑顔
いつだって抱きしめてる

あなたがくれた Part of me

違う夢の形二人は選んだ
会えない胸の痛みに
そっと耳を澄ませてみた
こぼれた涙に
見え隠れする true heart
いつまでも忘れない
潮の匂いその背中に映る頬寄せる私
いつだって抱きしめてる
溢れる気持ち
You are in my heart
いつまでも忘れない
優しい瞳
あの子供みたいなあどけない笑顔

いつだって抱きしめてる
あなたがくれた Part of me

Overall Meaning

The song "Part of me" by Sowelu is a touching ballad about a lost love that continues to hold a special place in the singer's heart. In the first verse, Sowelu sings about a beach where she told her lover not to leave her, and imagines that the sound of the waves has disappeared now that he is gone. She wonders if they are still connected in some way and remembers his gentle eyes and childish smile. Sowelu cherishes a part of her lover that he gave her, which she will never forget.

In the second verse, Sowelu describes how she and her lover chose different paths in life, leading to the pain of not being able to see each other anymore. She listens carefully to the tears that fall from her eyes, seeking the true feelings of her heart. Sowelu remembers the smell of the sea and how she would lean on her lover's back, as he gazed out over the waves. She holds onto the overflowing emotions he gave her and knows that he will always be a part of her heart.

This song beautifully captures the complexities of love and loss, as well as the power of memories to bind us to those we have loved.

Line by Line Meaning

ずっと離さないでと
I told you to never let go

告げたこの浜辺
On this beach where I expressed it

私だけを残して小波の音も消えた
Leaving only me, the sound of the small waves faded away

二人まだ繋がっているかな
I wonder if the two of us are still connected

いつまでも忘れない
I will never forget

優しい瞳
Your gentle eyes

あの子供みたいなあどけない笑顔
That childlike innocent smile

いつだって抱きしめてる
I will always hold you

あなたがくれた Part of me
The part of me that you gave me

違う夢の形二人は選んだ
We chose different forms of dreams