Interview with Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

After holding a world tour and releasing quite a few new material this year, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s next activity was at the J-POP Summit Festival. Before setting off to perform her first live in San Francisco, the 20-year old eccentric artist chatted with JaME about her new album, recent projects and future plans.


Nanda Collection is ranking high on the Oricon charts, at first place. The new songs on Nanda Collection are fun and quirky. (Featured below is a teaser of the album and one of the tracks' music video). In Saigo no Ice cream, you sing about the “good smell, taste, colour and shape” of strawberry ice-cream and looking forward to eating it after a long day, but to your dismay, it’s the last one (and there’s no more). In those kinds of situations, what would do you do to get more ice cream?

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: I would go buy it immediately. This song actually came from a real experience I had getting ice cream with my producer Yasutaka Nakata.

You covered capsule’s Super Scooter Happy. Do you think you’ve recreated the song well?

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: I definitely tried my best. Because Mr. Nakata is a part of the group, I am definitely a fan. For the cover version, I tried to sing it like I would one of my own.

Overseas, Nanda Collection (in addition to 30+ Kyary Pamyu Pamyu tracks) has been released digitally on US iTunes and is ranking in the single digits on the Electronic charts. Also, in the Philippines, physical copies of Nanda Collection can be purchased. With such worldwide availability, is it daunting to know that you have a global fan base? That the “world is singing with you”?

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: It’s definitely a strange feeling to look at these results and think “What is this? I can’t believe it!” This year I was able to go on my first world tour and have live performances in a number of different countries, and it was really moving to meet all the fans waiting for me. For the countries I had never been to, I thought, “Are all these people really waiting for me?” It made me really happy!

How long can it take Nakata and you to create a song? What process do you both go through from initial planning stages to a final, mastered song ready for promotion and release?

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: Making a song is a lot of work! I trust everything about it to my producer, Mr. Nakata, but I do whatever it takes to get the music out to all my fans.

You and Nakata were invited by director J.J. Abrams to provide a song for the Japanese release of “Star Trek: Into Darkness”, due for release in theatres on August 23rd. Were you surprised by Abrams’ offer? Are you looking forward to seeing the film?

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: I actually didn’t really understand it at first. Mr. Nakata did the recording and I sang. At any rate, I am just honored to be a part of both the song and the movie!

The CM for Mi promotes three new flavours of Glico’s Aisu no Mi gummy candies with a strange “Kyary” twist. How was filming the CM? It looks very fun and whimsical.

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: I absolutely loved this CM! Being able to dance with all the kids made it especially fun. But maybe the song’s title—because it only has one letter—is a bit much!

Since Furisodeshon—a song about coming of age and maturing—came out in January, do you feel more mature? Meanwhile Otona na Kodomo from Nanda Collection seems to reflect an adult who (still) likes childish things.

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: I’m not really sure, but it still feels like I’m not quite an adult. But I can drink sake, so I definitely am! Because I still have a lot of childish things about me, a song like Otona na Kodomo is spot-on!

What are you into lately?

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: Ramen. Also bread.

What are your plans for the latter half of 2013?

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: I plan to do a tour of the major music halls in Japan! In Japan, I can really have a big performance and showcase the Kyary Worldview completely, but I definitely want people from other countries to come, too!

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Nanda Collection Teaser



Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Invader Invader Music Video



JaME would like to thank MediaLab for making this interview possible.