We are proud to present our interview with J-Pop/Rock superstar, May’n! We asked her about what to expect from her latest album, HEAT, how she gets inspired to write new music, how it was like to work with Yoko Kanno, and much more! Enjoy!

Otakulife: What people or artists are some of your biggest influences?

May’n: Namie Amuro. I saw her on TV when I was 3 yrs old. I thought, “I want to be someone like her who can sing and dance.” This was the spark that made me aspire to become a singer.

Otakulife: For your new album, HEAT, what was your biggest challenge? Is there a new side of May’n that you want fans to see?

May’n: This time, I created the album with the theme of the heat I feel at the live shows, the heat I want to create when I’m performing, and the heat I receive from everyone in the audience. So this album became the hottest and most “live-feeling” ever.

Otakulife: What was it like to work with Yoko Kanno and Megumi Nakajima on the Macross Frontier soundtrack?

May’n: When I’m with Megumi Nakajima, my Sheryl switch is turned on. I think she always looks so cute just like Ranka, even though she’s my age. Yoko Kanno brought out my voice that I didn’t know. The current May’n is really thanks to Yoko Kanno. She always gave me hard directions like, “You should be able to do more, you should be able to push more!” *laughs*

Otakulife: You have performed at AFA in Singapore, Anime Expo in America, and twice at Japan’s Budokan. What’s the next world venue you’d like to perform at?

May’n: Since I became May’n, I’ve been fortunate to have live shows at many locations including the Asian tour, but there are still many places I haven’t been to in Japan, and even more overseas. If there are people who are waiting for me, I’ll go there for sure, wherever that may be!!

Otakulife: How do you prepare yourself before a live performance?

May’n: I do stretches until right before the show starts. I usually go so close to show time that my stylist and make-up artist are always super-rushed. *laughs* Also, I receive the microphone early and hold it in my hands. That way, it feels like it becomes a part of my body. This is one of the pre-show things I always do.

Otakulife: Since you just recorded many new songs for HEAT, how much time does it take you to recharge and start new projects? Do you start writing down new ideas when you’re touring, or do you wait until the tour is over to start fresh?

May’n: So far, I’ve never thought “I need to recharge!” I like to be surrounded by music every day. I go on spontaneous trips by myself, and I think that refreshes me. During tours, I get so much inspiration. “WE ARE” from “HEAT”, “YOU ROCK” and “Phonic Nation” were all inspired during tours. Even if it’s not songs I write by myself, I ask to include thoughts and emotions that I felt at live shows, and I put those feelings into my performance when I’m recording. At my live shows, my fans are helping me create new music, even if they don’t know it.

Otakulife: You had your start with HoriPro’s Talent Scout Caravan, so many young singers look up to you. What advice do you have for young people who dream of becoming professional singers?

May’n: I believe that dreams come true as long as you put effort into it. Keep practicing! Let’s work hard towards our dreams together!

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Can’t get enough May’n? Check out our review of her latest album, HEAT, right here!

J-Pop/Rock singer May’n is probably best known in the anime/manga community as the singing voice for Sheryl Nome in Macross Frontier. Since then, her signature voice can be heard in several OP/EDs for series such as Shangri-La and Okami-san. Her newest album, HEAT, was just recently released in Japan.

While most of the tracks are original songs, there are also 2 Anime themes, and a track for the new Kamen Rider drama. For this album, May’n teamed up with several composers, and even jumped into the fray with two songs she wrote herself. This variety allows for May’n to experiment with different genres, most of which are solid pairings with her voice. It’s only a matter of time till she finds her own unique musical direction.

The album starts off with “Brain Diver,” the opening theme to “Phi Brain – Kami no Puzzle,” a riveting piece complete with hard rock riffs that lets you know you’re in for a treat. Other J-Pop/Rock hybrid tracks like “GET TOUGH,” “HEAT of the moment,” and “Number One” do not disappoint, as expected from May’n and her powerful voice. It’s once we start to move away from these established genres that it becomes hit and miss.

“Scarlet Ballet,” the OP theme to “Aria the Scarlet Ammo,” is an interesting mix of eurobeat and classical musings, but works with May’n voice. “Kagami” and “SPIRIT” are both enjoyable, but feel more like filler tracks. “Dolce” is a dance track that sounds like it could be inserted into any Initial D episode. May’n shot at composing (“Number One” and “WE ARE”) are solid additions and further push her as a musician. When May’n pulls the energy back for “Koi,” there are times when I feel she needed to pull back just a little bit more. Aside from that, there is so much emotion in this track, that I was transfixed. An excellent addition to her repertoire.

The final track in this album is by far the most unusual, and is also my favorite. “Jewels” (by Shiro Saguisu of Evangelion and Kare Kano fame) is a uplifting experience, complete with tons of power chords, shredding guitar solos, backing strings, and even a choir. This style is not usually found in a sea of J-Pop/Rock, but it fits perfectly here. May’n sounds like she’s having a fun time with this song, and I can’t blame her one bit. I found myself jamming along on air drums more than a few times during this 6.5 minute track.

Overall, this album brings a lot to the table. While there are a few minor stumbles and filler tracks, this disc is a shining example of the power and emotion of May’n iconic voice. A few of the tracks felt experimental, but I’m all for musicians expanding themselves. Even though I received a review copy, I went out and purchased a physical copy for myself. I suggest you do the same.

You can check out our interview with May’n right here!

Track List is as follows:

01. Brain Diver (TV Anime “Phi Brain -Kami no Puzzle” Opening theme) Lyrics: Shouko Fujibayashi, Music: Tomokazu Yamada, Edit: CHOKKAKU

02. GET TOUGH (New Track) Lyrics: Yuuho Iwasato, Music: Akimitsu Honma, Edit: Shougo Oonishi

03. Giant Step -May’n ver.- (“Kame Rider Fourze” Ending theme) Lyrics: Shouko Fujibayashi, Music & Edit: Shuuhei Naruse

04. HEAT of the moment (New track) Lyrics: Akio Inoue, Music & Edit: Akimitsu Honma

05. Scarlet Ballet (TV Anime “Hidan no Aria / Aria the Scarlet Ammo” Opening theme) Lyrics: Akio Inoue, Music & Edit: Daisuke Asakura

06. Kagami (New track) Lyrics: Yuuho Iwasato, Music: Hidenori Tanaka, Edit: Hiroaki Yokoyama

07. SPIRIT (New track *First performance at May’n LIVE TOUR 2011 “WE ARE side-A”) Lyrics: Yuuho Iwasato, Music & Edit: Kiyoshi Ikegami

08. DOLCE (New track) Lyrics: hal, Music: Kazunori Watanabe, Edit: K-Muto

09. Number One! (Included in “May’n 1st ARTIST BOOK LIVEALIVE” from Kadokawa Shoten Publishing, Co. Ltd.) Lyrics & Music: May’n, Edit: Kenji Ueda

10. WE ARE (New track *First performance at May’n LIVE TOUR 2011 “WE ARE side-B”) Lyrics & Music: May’n, Edit: Kenji Ueda

11. Koi (New track) Lyrics: Anju Mana, Music: Kiyoshi Ikegami, Edit: Kiyoshi Ikegami

12. Jewels (New track) Lyrics: Shouko Fujibayashi, Music & Edit: Shirou Sagisu

Special Thanks to HoriPro and RESONANCE Media for the review copy.