ROCK YOUR ENGLISH, HYDE does.
As a musician, singer, and songwriter, I have always found it easiest to learn a foreign language through singing and reading song lyrics, and their translations.
For example, An artist that has really helped me learn Japanese is the musician HYDE. He is definitely, one of, if not THE biggest and most famous rockstar in Japan. With a career spanning 30+ years and counting! He is the vocalist for the group L’arc en Ciel, founded in Osaka, Japan (1991). He plays guitar and contributes backing vocals for the band’s spin-off incarnations as P’unk en Ciel ( w/ Tetsua on vocals) and D’ark en Ciel with former L’arc drummer, Sakura on bass.
HYDE is also the hard-rocking, guitar-playing frontman for the band VAMPS ( 2008–2017) that he formed with guitarist K.A.Z. from the band Oblivion Dust .
Always finding new ways to shine, HYDE is still performing awesome, new, music as a solo artist ( Fans are grateful for his return). His latest release “Anti” was released May 3, 2019 on the Universal Music LLC label.
By embracing English, HYDE’S star shines in both the East and the West!
The inclusion of English in song lyrics written by HYDE has been a real treat for English speakers like me, who love his music. It has also been helpful for me to compare not only translations of his Japanese lyrics, but also to compare both the English and Japanese versions of his songs to understand grammar, lyrical content, phrasing, pronunciation and authentic expression.
The song “ZIPANG “ written by HYDE, features Yoshiki, on piano. Yoshiki is of course, the iconic drummer and pianist from the famous rock band X-Japan! ( Most Excellent!)
You can watch both versions here:
Japanese version:
English version:
What do you think?
What does HYDE have to say about singing in English and the importance of pronunciation?
“Q: When singing in English, is pronunciation important?”
HYDE: “Yup. That's the essential part. Bad pronunciation affects whether or not songs reach overseas listeners. That is where I am continuing to challenge [myself] and I can not afford to give up. I always have to do as much as I can.”
(HYDE San, I would love to help you meet that challenge !)
Thanks for reading! I hope you found this interesting. It is fun for me to share English tips, tricks, and musical interests with you. Do you have a favorite song in English, or a favorite performer that has introduced you to English or has helped you learn? Please leave links or a message in the comments section. Share with me how music has introduced you to the English language, or how it has helped you learn. I will definitely check them out!
Keep reaching for the Starz!
I hope that you enjoy HYDE’s music too! Feel free to comment below if you are fan! You can find out more about him at his official website or on Facebook.
