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Old 2010.04.13, 06:54 AM   #1
seanclaude
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Default do you like shiina singing in English?

Hi guys, I have been wanted to discuss about the necessity for shiina to sing in english. I like her singing in Japanese better and I have to say that I hate it when she sings in english.
For example, STEM is perfect in japanese and I do not understand why she bothered to make an english version. Although I aboslutely adore the NEKO's arrangement of STEM in HEISEI FUZOKU, I feel the song is spoilt by her english. I think it's more natural for her to sing in Japanese and the effect is different. The music in HEISEI is fantastic but I only listen to GAMBLE and HATSUKOI SHOUJO because they are sung in japanese.
I hardly understand what she's singing in those songs and they feel extremely unnatural. maybe I should put it this way: Neither english or japanese is my first language. I could barely speak japanese and obviously I did not understand the lyrics when I first listened to her 10 years ago. but I was fine with it because it sounded properly, the sound were natural.

same goes for Ego wrappin'. I love them as much as I love shiina and TJ, but a lot of Ego's songs are in english, and her english is harder to understand than those of shiina's.

However, it works in a different way for LOVE PSYCHEDELICO, because she sounds completely natural when she sings in english.
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Old 2010.04.13, 07:56 AM   #2
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Originally Posted by seanclaude View Post
For example, STEM is perfect in japanese and I do not understand why she bothered to make an english version. Although I aboslutely adore the NEKO's arrangement of STEM in HEISEI FUZOKU, I feel the song is spoilt by her english.
How do you feel about the Casshern (or KSK LP) version of Stem? It's what got me into Shiina Ringo to begin with.

While I will admit that the.. phonetic flow of her English often sounds quite awkward (some of us call it Engrish), what I particularly like about the Casshern version of Stem isn't that the song is in English - I like how dramatic her vocals come across in that recording, and I don't even pay attention to the lyrics themselves. In the KSK CD (Japanese vocals) version of Stem, her vocals sound much more steady and controlled, while I'm wooed by vocals that get nearly out-of-control - the vocals which are more.. emotionally variable.

If you've ever had the pleasure of hearing Shiina Ringo's demos - that is the side of Shiina Ringo I identify with the most. It is her English vocals which more often resemble the emotional variation you would hear in her demos, even if much of the emotional variation in the demos was delivered via Japanese vocals instead of English. In later years when she sings in Japanese, she's more often controlled, and in my opinion that's not always a good thing.

Originally Posted by seanclaude View Post
The music in HEISEI is fantastic but I only listen to GAMBLE and HATSUKOI SHOUJO because they are sung in japanese.
I'll listen to the HF Instrumental version of Yokushitsu because there's no vocals in it at all. Admittedly I don't like the English in La Salle De Bain at all.

I think Shiina Ringo's English is improving though - it sounds a lot less awkward in Sanmon Gossip than it did in her earlier days.
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Old 2010.04.13, 08:36 AM   #3
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are you referring to the version in the Short Film Kaleidoscope? I love the music, but not her singing.. sounds awkward.

I feel she has a better control of her voice when she sings in Japanese. the songs would have turnt out even better were they in japanese. or without lyrics at all would be better...
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Old 2010.04.13, 08:43 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by seanclaude View Post
are you referring to the version in the Short Film Kaleidoscope?
There are 4 studio versions of Stem:

1.) Single / PV / Kaleidoscope-featured version.
Orchestral backdrop with English vocals

2.) KSK CD version
Techno-ish backdrop with Japanese vocals

3.) KSK LP / Casshern soundtrack version
Techno-ish backdrop with English vocals


4.) Heisei Fuuzoku / Sakuran-featured version
Basically a refresh of the Single/PV/Kaleidoscope version
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Old 2010.04.13, 05:39 PM   #5
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i love her english songs just as much, she still has the soul and attitude that carries the music and the quirkiness to add to it, the part in sakuran - CCCCCooommmme here, come near me, i see you......... fade awwwyaayay..... don't you smile you laugh at my desire--- especially just pulls my soul out, i love playing this song when im riding around the campuses and the busy boston metro streets pretending to be a jazz enthusiast and have people watch me spazz out to it,
kaban no nakami is especially cool and quirky the way she sings in english, i feel unique playing it, sounds like a throwback but her voice and the way she sings it is fresh,
the only cringe worthy engrish stuff is sigma to me really
her english to me is still in the spirit of righteous music and not a novelty
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Old 2010.04.13, 07:09 PM   #6
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I don't really think it's Ringo's fault that English is such a sucky language to sing in*! But I like hearing her in my native language, and I think there are times in her career she can sing in English better than others. I love her accent, and I love pretty much anything she says/sings.

* = Opinion
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Old 2010.04.13, 07:16 PM   #7
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I think her English is fabulous. It blows my mind that she writes her own English lyrics, because I'd be hard pressed to make such a nice sounding pairing to music.

Even if it sounds... off some times, I think she commands the language with class and complete skill.

Oiran (the way she sings "I'm losing my mind for more fits of jealousy" gives me chills), Mayakashi Yasaotoko, Genjitsu o Warau, and Karada. They're all some of my favorite songs, totally up on par with any of her Japanese sung songs.


Originally Posted by Entry№1 View Post
I don't really think it's Ringo's fault that English is such a sucky language to sing in*!
The Smiths would like to change your thought processes.
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Old 2010.04.13, 07:22 PM   #8
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I tend to call her English speaking style Ringrish, the Ringo spin on English. It isn't typical to roll your r's or purposely enunciate unusual sounds in words even if you're a native Japanese speaker singing in English. Hence the affectionate term Ringrish.

I may be the only person on this forum who really likes her version of The Lady is a Tramp. That, Get It Up For Love, and Mittei Monogatari are probably my picks for my favorite songs of hers in English. The Utaite Myouri covers are good as well. I'm not particularly big on Le Salle de Bain and Stem though. When Ringo sings it English, it really can be hit or miss. But I often find myself getting lost in how she sings the songs and the emotion she puts behind her voice rather than focusing on proper pronunciation of the lyrics themselves. That's really how you have to listen, I think. It's kind of like watching an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie where he runs around shooting hundreds of guys and they miraculously can't land a single shot on him. Don't think about it doesn't make sense! Just shut up and enjoy the Ringrish!

Edit: mizer_unmei also brings up a good point about the lyrics. She does write some fantastic English lyrics and it actually opens my eyes to how great her lyrics really must be in Japanese.
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Old 2010.04.13, 07:28 PM   #9
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^ "Ringrish". Love it!

@mizer: I've always liked that song, and I've always had respect for the Smiths, but my opinion stands. I'm not saying English is ugly - I don't think any language is ugly - but you have more obstacles with the phonetics of English. Japanese seems very accommodating to lyricists because of the restricted phonetic vocabulary.
Then there are other problems as well... but I'm saving these for an article I've been planning to write on the subject.
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Old 2010.04.14, 01:55 AM   #10
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what really bugs me about these songs is that they sometimes seem like imitations, like Ringo is role playing her favorite jazz/blues/R&B singers. How else would you explain Kachi Ikusa
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