Maeda and Karashima both worked together at the Tokyo headquarters of Konami, making original music for Konami's BEMANI series of arcade music games. They first collaborated as TЁЯRA in 2002 on the track STARS★★★ that appeared in the arcade game pop'n music 8. Most of their early work consisted of J-Rock and eurodance-inspired J-Pop. At this time, Maeda was also managing and writing music for the group BeForU and many of TЁЯRA's songs at this time were derivatives of songs that had been written for BeForU.
By the mid-2000s the duo had begun expanding their sound and their tracks 華爛漫 -Flowers- and 夢幻ノ光 became popular among players for their use of classical Japanese instruments. The duo also received international exposure when their tracks were featured on the popular worldwide arcade game Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA. By this time, TЁЯRA had become one of Konami's most popular in-house artists and two full length studio albums were released on their record label: RЁVOLUTIФN in 2005 and ЁVOLUTIФN in 2011. Their last original song for the BEMANI series, Märchen, was released in late 2011 on the arcade game pop'n music 20 fantasia.
In 2013, both Maeda and Karashima left Konami to work on rival company Capcom's music game series CROSSxBEATS. They later released the song SOMEDAY -00.prologue- on the arcade game crossbeats REV.
Masquerade
TЁЯRA Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
自分を何もかも捨ててしまった事 ただ虚しく思えた
あの頃 君に逢う為に 素顔を裏に秘め隠して
求められる姿（かたち）だけを 笑って演じていたよ
声も届かない 孤独な夢 舞い続けた
ほんの僅かでもいい 傍に居て欲しかった――――
...月日（とき）は流れ 幸せの欠片さえ もう 今は見えない
今宵 また何処かで奏でられる旋律（メロディー） 宴に集う君と淑女達
情熱に任せて グラス片手に転がし 踊り明かす夜
あの日 酔い痴れた台詞を 今は誰かに囁くでしょう
鏡に映した自分が 滑稽で 涙溢れた
声も届かない 迷宮だと 解っていた
ほんの僅かでもいい 君に愛されたくて――――
...月日（とき）は流れ 幸せの欠片さえ もう 今は見えない
未だに消えない...
偽りだと解ってても 躯体中
君の痕 焦げ付いて 離れない...！
傷を塞ぐ様に きらびやかなドレス纏い
踊る私の何処が満たされて見えたのか ねえ、教えてよ
残酷な未来でも 戻れない恋だった
幸せの欠片さえ もう 今は見えない
幸せの欠片さえ もう 今は見えない
The lyrics of TЁЯRA's song masquerade depict a past love that was unattainable and a longing for what could have been. The singer reflects on their past self and how they would act differently just to please their lover. They hid their true self behind a mask and played a certain role that was demanded of them. Despite their efforts, their love was not reciprocated, and they were left feeling alone and empty. The chorus speaks of time passing and the pieces of happiness that once were, now completely out of sight.
The second verse talks about the present and the melodic tunes being played at a gathering of friends and gentlewomen. The singer remembers their past intoxicated words and how they would whisper them to someone, now standing in their place. Looking in the mirror, they see a reflection of a comical and tearful person. The chorus repeats the same lyrics but focuses more on the unrequited love aspect, and in the end, the singer admits that despite knowing it was a facade, they cannot get rid of the memories of their past love.
The song masquerade tells the story of putting on a front to win love but failing in the end. It talks about the longing for something that was not meant to be, and the pain of seeing happiness slip away. It also highlights the facade that we keep up to gain acceptance from others, alluding to the fact that it is better to be true and authentic rather than wearing a mask.
Line by Line Meaning
星降る空眺め 叶わぬまま散った願いを 胸の奥 繰り返した
As I gazed up at the sky full of stars, I held onto my unfulfilled wishes and repeated them over and over, buried deep within my heart.
自分を何もかも捨ててしまった事 ただ虚しく思えた
I felt hollow, having thrown away everything I had, without any sense of fulfillment.
あの頃 君に逢う為に 素顔を裏に秘め隠して
Back then, I hid my true self, waiting to meet you, and only showed the side of me that you wanted to see.
求められる姿（かたち）だけを 笑って演じていたよ
I only acted in the way that you desired, smiling and pretending to be someone I wasn't.
声も届かない 孤独な夢 舞い続けた
My lonely dream continued to dance, unheard and unanswered.
ほんの僅かでもいい 傍に居て欲しかった――――
I just wanted you to be by my side, even if it was just for a short while.
...月日（とき）は流れ 幸せの欠片さえ もう 今は見えない
Time has passed, and I can no longer see even a small piece of the happiness I once had.
今宵 また何処かで奏でられる旋律（メロディー） 宴に集う君と淑女達
Tonight, the melody will play somewhere, as you and the other ladies gather for the feast.
情熱に任せて グラス片手に転がし 踊り明かす夜
You'll dance the night away, your glass in hand, letting your passion take control.
あの日 酔い痴れた台詞を 今は誰かに囁くでしょう
Those drunken words we spoke back then, I'm sure you whisper them to someone else now.
鏡に映した自分が 滑稽で 涙溢れた
I looked in the mirror and saw myself as a ridiculous person, and tears overflowed.
声も届かない 迷宮だと 解っていた
I knew that my feelings were like a maze where my voice could never reach you.
ほんの僅かでもいい 君に愛されたくて――――
I just wanted you to love me, even if it was just a little bit.
未だに消えない...
It still hasn't faded away...
偽りだと解ってても 躯体中 君の痕 焦げ付いて 離れない...！
Even though I know it was all a lie, your mark is burned onto my body and won't go away!
傷を塞ぐ様に きらびやかなドレス纏い
I wore a gorgeous dress to cover up my wounds.
踊る私の何処が満たされて見えたのか ねえ、教えてよ
Where was I supposed to find fulfillment in dancing? Tell me, won't you?
残酷な未来でも 戻れない恋だった
Despite its cruel ending, our love was one that could never be reversed.
幸せの欠片さえ もう 今は見えない
I can no longer see even a small piece of the happiness I once had.
Writer(s): Toki, Jun[?]na, ｔｏｋｉ, ｊｕｎ≒ｎａ
Contributed by Ruby B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@chibi-tanuki
ポップンやってた頃はただのかっこいい曲だと思ってたけど、フルで聞いて歌詞を理解して泣いた。
@user-yk2nt7kq1b
ちょうどほぼ同じシチュで失恋したから好きだけど、胸が痛い。特に酒飲んでたり、カッコウつけてたから。
@rize9512
ポップン史上一番カッコイイ女の歌だと思ってる
@user-vm9tm2lt4c
ポップンミュージックといったらTЁЯRAの曲と新堂敦士の曲が真っ先に出てくる
@sorablog
teraの歌声は裏声が好きだ
@user-ju4hq2xb8n
ポップンといったらこれってゆうくらい良い曲だわ
@doctornakamura4287
あまとう その通りであります‼
@user-cq3um7wb2z
popn13で一番好きな曲
@seedyuki3457
かっこええな
@EmmettDoyleDDR435
I never ever heard about this song. ^_^