"Pathways into the Music Industry" No. 8: Interview with Saori Kodama

An interview with lyricist Saori Kodama

For the 8th installment of Pathways into the Music Industry, we talked with lyricist Saori Kodama (@codamasaori), a name every anime song fan knows. Despite having written lyrics for an enormous number of songs, the lyrics of Saori Kodama convey tremendous "love" in every work. We asked how Kodama approaches each work and for a message to those aiming to become lyricists, so once again it's packed with rich content. Please give it a read!

The path to becoming a lyricist

How did you become a lyricist?

Saori Kodama (Kodama: below) I originally entered the music industry by debuting as a singer-songwriter. After that I gradually started working as a lyricist... that's how it went.

So you originally aimed to be a singer-songwriter?

Kodama: I sang a song I'd written at an audition, and they appreciated the song itself too. I debuted from there, but I wasn't particularly attached to making my own songs; I just felt "I want to sing songs I want to sing."

Did you attend a music school or the like?

Kodama: No, I didn't go to any such school. But I took piano lessons when I was little, so I'd been making songs for fun since childhood. So I think music was close to me in a very natural way.

What led you to start working as a lyricist?

Kodama: I'd always written lyrics for my own songs, but "writing for others" started after my debut. Someone at the same agency asked me, "Would you like to try writing lyrics for a new artist's song?" That was the start.

So that was your first time writing for someone else.

Kodama: That was the first time I wrote lyrics for someone as paid work. "Writing lyrics for someone other than myself" felt so fresh; lots of words I'd never used before came pouring out, and it felt as if something had suddenly opened up.

And from there you gradually took on lyric-writing work. About how many have you written so far?

Kodama: I wonder how many... (laughs) Those registered with JASRAC have passed 1,000. If you count different versions and so on, I think there are more.

That's an incredible number... You seem to have written many anime songs in particular.

Kodama: Originally I was writing scratch lyrics for songs a composer friend submitted to competitions. People got interested, like "Who's writing these lyrics?", and from there I gradually started getting anime-related work.

So you built up steady effort.

Kodama: Yes. As I wrote lyrics in all kinds of genres one song at a time, the work gradually increased.

When you were entering competitions, were you also active as a singer?

Kodama: No, I wasn't. I'd decided to "become a lyricist."

So you completely switched gears.

Kodama: The first time I provided lyrics, I felt "this might be it," and it just felt really right to me.

My feelings about anime songs

I often listen to anime songs, and I'm always amazed that you write lyrics with completely different worlds for each work.

Kodama: Staying close to the work is the basic premise, so it naturally turns out that way. First I read the original or the scenario, then listen to the song before lyrics have been added... and in that flow, the words that fit perfectly mostly decide themselves. It's not that I think "I'll make it like this!"; I write in a very natural flow.

Anime "Blend S" opening theme "Bon Appetit♡S" / Blend A

Not only in theme songs but also in character song lyrics, I really feel your love, or rather respect, for the work and its characters.

Kodama: Thank you. A work popular enough to be made into an anime has moving points all over, so I try to find them and dig into them.
Also, with anime song lyrics, there's no right answer, but I think there are "wrong" ones. My top priority is to write lyrics that fans and the original creators will be happy with, avoiding words that don't fit the world of the work or lines like "this character would never say this."

How much time do you spend writing one song?

Kodama: It varies by work. Sometimes there's no scenario yet, and then I write while taking in the director's or producer's views, so there are all kinds of cases.

Do you ever get stuck while writing so many lyrics?

Kodama: I've decided not to agonize. The song and the work come first, so as I think while staying close to them, the answer naturally emerges.

You express the world of each work with a wide variety of words. How do you build your vocabulary?

Kodama: I've loved books since I was little. Usually I'm not consciously trying to "absorb words"; I think I read while simply enjoying the works. When it's for work, maybe a switch flips a little... But first and foremost, I enjoy reading them.

By the way, do you have any favorite authors?

Kodama: Hmm, there are many... There's a work called "Hyouka," for which I wrote the lyrics to the main songs, and I'd already loved reading the novels of the original author, Honobu Yonezawa, so I was really happy when the theme song offer came.

Anime "Hyouka" opening theme "Yasashisa no Riyuu" / ChouCho

When you write lyrics, do you set rules for yourself, like writing from the chorus first?

Kodama: Not particularly. I'm often asked, but even when I decide the song title varies.

So you try not to set restrictions on yourself?

Kodama: Yes. There was a time when I was particular about where I wrote and what tools I used, but partly because I couldn't afford to be (laughs), I don't worry about that kind of environment much now. I make sure I can write anytime.

So really, regardless of tools or place.

Kodama: I don't want to use not having the tools or the place as an excuse.

How do you manage your schedule?

Kodama: That's really analog: I use pen and paper. Like, "Circle this when it's done, this one's deadline is such-and-such a date..."

For those aiming to become lyricists

What path do lyricists generally follow to reach the top?

Kodama: In my case it came from wanting to "make songs," not from writing poems in a notebook since I was young, but it differs by person, so it's hard to say. Of course some people always wanted to be lyricists, and many write both music and lyrics.
There's also the pattern where a scratch vocalist also writes lyrics, and that becomes the way in.

So being able to do many things is an advantage?

Kodama: That way you can meet more people, and I think there are more chances for people to get to know you.

Is there anything you should keep in mind day to day when aiming to become a lyricist?

Kodama: I think it's good to just write a lot and finish a lot. Having only half-finished pieces doesn't help, so even if you think "this isn't right?" partway through, I recommend finishing it once first.

Composer Yusuke Shirato said the same thing in an earlier interview.

Kodama: Since I do it for work, I of course never give up partway, but by writing a lot like that, I feel I've built up not just technique but basic stamina. I really think the saying "consistency is key" is true.

So you need the effort to keep going and the effort to find places to keep going.

Kodama: Lyrics only work once there's someone to sing them. It's good to gain experience while searching for places where you can be active.

Thank you very much.

About the author

Interview and text: momo (Mamoru Tanoue)

Born in 1995. A Digital Performer user. After graduating from music school, moved from Fukuoka to Tokyo as a composer.
Made a debut as a writer in August 2017, composing and arranging for Tsukicro's "STARDUST".
With the motto "songs that touch the heart", a multi-player who handles everything from lyrics and composition to arrangement and recording.
Also active as the composer and arranger for the art unit "Shiro".

Twitter ID: @momo_tanoue

"Shiro" website: https://www.shiro.space/
"Shiro" Twitter ID: @shiro_unit