Yamamoto Sayaka (Sayaka) / 1st Generation

Sayanee said she wants to release a single next year
http://www.sanspo.com/geino/news/20171123/akb17112305010001-n1.html
https://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/akb48/news/201711220000746.html

 

She said it will be released in January.

 

Oh, I feel a bit dumb now haha
But that's great! It's so close!

 

I don't really agree with you. I feel like waiting for someone to become as relevant as Sayanee is going to take forever. In fact, it's probably impossible. A huge part of Sayanee's relevance come from being the top of NMB. Once she leaves someone can take that title and develop accordingly. Maybe the group's popularity may dip a little initially but the new girl on top would be able to grow and maybe even develop a new image of NMB.

And wow that's fast for a new single! I am excited!

 

@wetpantsu Erm we were talking about her releasing her concert DVD in January. She hasn't indicated when she'll release a new single xD

 

^they probably thought it was the single you were talking about due to @tzatziki2's post mentioning sayanee wanted to release a single next year being right above your post lol.
besides, its not really fast for a new single since it would be the first one lolol

 

Sorry for confusing everyone by sticking that in the middle of the conversation lol. Also I should have clarified that it isn't a sure thing yet - she tentatively said that what she wants to do next (after the tour) is "maybe a single?", but she was just sort of thinking out loud or talking playfully. However she then said she wants to be the type of person who actually delivers on what she says, so that's hopeful.
Also, the Nikkan sports article says Sayanee told the audience she considers her own composed songs as being her "children", so then the audience started yelling out "Sayaka Mama!" Then she told them that there are still many things she wants them to listen to, so she will "continue giving birth to more and more children" Playful talk, but still a very good sign.

 

Perhaps this has been mentioned before: has any of her composition made it to her albums?

 

On 'Rainbow': 7 songs were composed by her, and she also wrote the lyrics for 6 of these (AkiP wrote the lyrics for the 7th).
On 'Identity': 7 songs were composed by her, and she wrote the lyrics for 4 of these and co-wrote the lyrics with Junji Ishiwatari for the other 3.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_(Sayaka_Yamamoto_album)#Track_listing
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ident....E9.8C.B2.E3.83.88.E3.83.A9.E3.83.83.E3.82.AF

 

Hope her next album is largely her or exclusively her because the songs by other artists really brought Identity down in my opinion. Their second hand throwaways really clashed with Sayaka’s own growth.

 

Hmmm that's interesting. I don't know cause for me personally, I thought the other artists did really well in bringing out songs that actually felt like Sayaka both style wise and also content.

Okay, like especially for Haru wa Mousugu, I do understand how that song sounds very much like an Ikimonogakari song, but since the lyrics was about graduations and farewells, it seemed fairly relatable to Sayaka, so I thought it was okay. And I guess I also personally love Ikimonogakari type of songs, so I am biased XD

But yeah of course, it'll be nice to see more from her and if she does release her own single next, I do hope both the A-sides and B-sides would be exclusively her cause then we can really see her growth and who she is as an artist. So, in a way, I do agree with you. But working with other artists does help give her some variety, so I do think that's nice too once in a while haha

 

Thanks! How could I have missed these articles? Anyway, I also hope she'll get more chance to express herself through self written songs.

 

Cover girl for Nylon Magazine, January 2018 Special Edition only.
http://www.nylon.jp/SAYAKA



if the video does not show watch the video here

if the video does not show watch the video here


When she did the Sapporo concert she appeared on some Hokkaido TV show.

if the video does not show watch the video here


Sayanee and Nagisa will both appear on 'Downtown DX' this Thursday evening.
https://news.mynavi.jp/article/20171128-549048/
https://twitter.com/_Nagisa_Shibuya/status/931081372906557440

She was also on Fuji TV's annual show about pro baseball's best and rarest plays on Sunday, but she hardly got any screen time.

Oh and her twitter account reached 2 million followers, and will probably overtake Sasshi next month hehe.

 

Cross-posted from NMB Experiences thread.
I wrote out a report from Sayaka's NHK Hall Solo Live which I attended not too long ago.

Spoiler: Sayaka Yamamoto Live Tour 2017 ~identity~ NHK Hall 19th November Fan Report

On the 19th of November, I went with a friend to Sayaka’s NHK Hall Live. We were able to secure pretty good seats which were on the first floor, 7th row on the left side.

As I’ve been to theatre before, I have technically seen Sayaka performing from even closer up before, but as this was her solo live and not in a group, the experience was completely different.

I’ve also been to one of Sayaka’s Zepp concerts last year, but my friend Jess had never been to a Sayaka live before, so she seemed completely overwhelmed the whole time. Haha.



Honestly, more than a week has passed since the concert, and I don’t remember a lot of things anymore, so I’ll just share some of the highlights of the whole experience itself.


MAIN HIGHLIGHTS

1. Making/preparing our own uchiwas



As you can see in the photo, that’s me and my friend, Jess, just around the concert venue. For some reason that day, there was some Spanish festival going on, so that’s why you can see tents and festive looking things in the background. We made that uchiwa about a week before the concert, and were very proud about how cute it turned out haha.

Then, on the actual concert day, we worked on the other side of the uchiwa as showing our support for the one and only Team SY, Sayaka’s incredible support band that are really ultimate squad goals as a team haha.

Here’s the photo of the other side of the uchiwa we worked on!



And then to the actual concert itself…

2. The epic beginning



We were able to know that the concert was starting because the lights dimmed, and some funky music started playing. Then as the red curtain started to unveil, the band began playing the intro to JOKER. And when the curtains fully opened, there was Team SY and Sayaka right before everyone’s eyes. Sayaka was dressed beautifully in white clad with her white guitar, and she looked absolutely stunning. I thought JOKER was a perfect start to the concert as the super rapid drum beats really built up the anticipation for the rest of the concert.


3. Sayaka’s beauty and elegance

Now, you may think I’m saying this as a a Sayanee oshi, but when I saw Sayaka perform Wings, my jaw dropped. I did personally want her to dance more in that song since it’s a super dancey track…however, even though she really only danced a little, every gesture and movement she made while singing with her mic stand was so graceful and elegant. In all honesty, words can’t even give it justice, but it was just the way she moved her hands and her expressions - everything was so cool and entrancing. What stage presence! She was still in her white dress then, so I think that added on to the flair of the performance.


4. Sayaka’s most engagingly emotional performance

When I went to Sayaka’s solo concert last year, I don’t know why but her Yukikoi performance then didn’t quite leave an impression on me. However, this time, Yukikoi started with a breathtakingly beautiful violin solo by Ayasa, Team SY’s violinist, and I think that really set the mood. I was able to really feel just how much Sayaka was getting into the song - the heartbreak, the angst etc. Everything just felt so vivid. It has to be one of the most emotional performances I’ve ever seen from her.


5. The performance that I got most hyped up about



Surprisingly, it wasn’t something like Rainbow Rose or Let’s Go Crazy that hyped me up the most, but instead it was Kassai. The whole song I got so hyper! It’s a real head banger!! I was pretty much bouncing and jumping the entire song. I do like the recording, but this song live to me actually felt like a completely different song altogether. It’s not even my favourite song of the album (though I do like it), but it definitely is up there as one of the best concert songs in Identity alongside Let’s Go Crazy.


6. The performance that made me squeal the most

This was of course none other than my favourite song from the Identity album, Yubikiri. Sayaka’s smile, movements, and gestures - everything was so adorable. I kept squealing at how cute Sayaka was haha. I can’t wait to watch it again on DVD!! I guess January is not that long a wait haha. Also, at the part where she sings “Yubikiri genman” (pinky promise), she actually put out her little baby finger. Ughhh it’s sooo cute. I have no more words other than, “IT WAS SO ADORBS!!”


7. The climax of the concert - the towel songs



I think most people can already figure out which songs these are. First, there was Smile which from last year had been a great towel flinging song. But when she performed Let’s Go Crazy, that reached another whole new level. Sayaka had mentioned before she wrote that song to cater especially for lives and that when it was performed, everyone could just leave aside their problems for a while and just enjoy themselves to the max. And I really did experience that at the live. Like while being accompanied by Sayaka’s crisp and energetic vocals, I was surprisingly not even focusing on Sayaka herself that much the whole song, but rather, I was just having fun getting hyped jumping about, and really just living in the moment, and it was GREAT. Haha. Thanks Sayaka, it was perfect stress relief lol.


8. The significance of NHK Hall



NHK Hall is filled with many important moments for Sayaka. First of all, it’s where Kouhaku Uta Gassen is held every year, so it has memories from the first time NMB was on with Kamonegix to various lives to many shows Sayaka has been on like AKB48 Show, Utakon etc. Especially, last year, Sayaka managed to get #1 in the AKB48 Dream Senbatsu at this very venue, so it held many special memories for her. She got really emotional talking about it, and you could feel just how nervous and thankful she was being able to perform there. Really though, Sayaka couldn’t stop thanking everyone during that live. That sincerity was really moving. The fans in the audience (including myself) also spontaneously broke into a Sayaka call, and then she got even more emo. Haha. To be honest, it wasn’t just for her, but even just realising how they hold Japan’s biggest year end music show in that very venue, even I in the audience kept being aware about what a prestigious and special venue it was. Thus, I can really understand why Sayaka got so overwhelmed.


9. Everything went by in a flash



For Sayaka’s encore, she performed 3 songs, but to be honest, at this point, I cannot really remember much because I was just trying to soak in everything but somehow, it all just passed by me in a flash. I did think Yume no Koe was a little tame to start off an encore. It was just very relaxing and chill. The same goes with Haru wa Mousugu which is gentle and touching. Melody is always a good ending song, so I’m glad she chose to end with that. That song really does feel like Sayaka’s promise to fans encapsulated in a song about how she’ll continue singing and doing what she loves up there on stage.



10. There were concert streamers that fell from the ceiling!



The red circle is where my friend and I was. So, I heard that NHK Hall was the only venue they were able to get streamers to fall from the ceiling, so I guess that was pretty cool. Streamers are always a great way to end the concert with a bang. Only the people on the first floor and towards the front half of the hall really were able to get streamers, so that was pretty neat too. Later on, we also saw people coming towards the front after the concert to pick up streamers too haha.



As it was a very long strip, I folded it, but here’s an example of the streamer.

It said:

｢今日は本当にありがとう！ 皆にとってのサードマンになれるよう がんばるぞ★｣

“Thank you so much for today! I’ll do my best so that I can become a third man for everyone.”

What a nice message. Thank you Sayaka


FINAL THOUGHTS & IMPRESSIONS



It was really fun going with my friend Jess as it was her first time ever seeing Sayaka in person and going for a 48-related live! I’m glad she really had a blast at Sayaka’s concert. By the end of the day, she wasn’t just gushing about Sayaka but also Team SY. To be honest, I was the same because I really felt how not just Sayaka, but every band member really levelled up from last year in both their presence and synergy with each other. If they were amazing last year, this year they were out of this world phenomenal.

Just like last year, I also really liked the MC parts Sayaka would dedicate to talking to her band members one-by-one. It was really nice how we could just get to know the team. So much warmth and love; they’re reaaally the best.

As for the goods, I did buy some, but for things like the rave band, I reused the one from last year as it was still fully functioning (once I changed the batteries). It was very handy as the staff would regulate our rave band lights during the concert itself so we didn’t have to do anything. I’m glad last year’s rave band still worked the same because it was actually pretty pricey. Thank God I got to use it more than once haha.



Going for the concert actually got me thinking about a lot of things including my fangirl life haha. I realised when I got busy with work and chasing my own goals and aspirations, Sayaka who has all this time been a big focus in my life was slowly but surely becoming a side thing.

It’s not like I’m quitting from being a Sayaka fan anytime soon, but it’s just I may not be able to spend as much time on her anymore. I am glad Sayaka has been my #1 this past 6 years, and I wouldn’t change that for anyone else. I’ve been inspired and motivated by her so much after all. Also, I’m really proud and happy to have an oshi who truly values and cares for her fans, and of course also the people around her.

She has even mentioned about how this time, she wrote songs this time for the sake of others, hoping people could find strength and courage in them. That’s just the sort of person she is.

Seeing her like that though, I began to feel even stronger about how I want to seriously pursue my goals and move forward in my own life too. I don’t really know how things would change for me as a fan from now on, but rest assured, I’ll keep supporting Sayaka one way or another.

Maybe you’ll still see me at lives once in a while from now on if my schedule permits it XD

I mean come to think of it, my last fan report was actually from a year ago. So, that may be my frequency of going for lives/events after all haha. Anyway, thanks for reading till the end. Hope you enjoyed it!

 

Thank you so much for sharing this @convenience93 ! I'm happy that you had a good time. And it was a pleasure to read your report.

I doubt I'll ever be able to watch her live, because I'm too far away and too poor (T.T) to visit Japan.
So your storys are basically my only source to learn more about Sayanee.

Also good luck in reaching your own goals ! Sayanee truly is a inspiring and motivating person.
We all love her for that.
I'm looking forward to another report from you.

 

I need some help translating song names from identity..
I was writing wikia pages for both Rainbow and identity and I couldn't find identity's song names in english. I mostly need Kassai, Aiseyo and Riku no Sakana. I think I got the rest down but just in case I'll post them to make sure:

Yume no Koe - A Dream's Voice
Yubikiri - Pinky Promise
Doushite Doushite - Why? Why?
Nando Demo - Any Number of Times
Haru wa Mousugu - Spring is Coming Soon (this and the previous one are straight from Google Translate but I think they're right....)
Hotaru - Firefly

Any help is much appreciated

PS: Haru wa Mousugu is missing on the wiki48 page.

PS2: @tzatziki2 her account just passed Sasshi's (^^)/ Only by 2000 but I doubt it'll turn around.

 

Sayanee will appear on FNS Song Festival tomorrow night, playing guitar as part of a special one-night band that will perform a medley.
https://natalie.mu/music/news/259390

She, along with 5 other 48g members, has been chosen by the tourism board of Guam to help promote their islands using instagram, but using the tag "InstaGUAM" . And there will actually be a 48g performance there in spring next year as well.
https://www.zakzak.co.jp/ent/news/171204/ent1712044400-n1.html

if the video does not show watch the video here

She is narrating a Hokkaido tv show about high school baseball.

if the video does not show watch the video here

Sayanee and Nagisa cut from Downtown DX. They briefly talked about Riripon and the love ban rule, and Sayanee's connection with Takuro and Shikao Suga.
http://48videodouga.net/video/6015

Wow, what an awesome write up! I appreciate the time you took to write all that, sounds like you had a blast!

I had a go at trying to find out, but keep in mind I do not speak/understand any Japanese - all I did was google stuff. I'm fairly confident that Riku no sakana means 'Fish on land'. Kassai means 'applause' or 'cheers/cheering', but I don't know if she uses it as a noun (applause) or a verb (applaud) in the song. Aiseyo... wow grammar is hard lol. Seems like she is urging a person or people to just go ahead and "love", just like you might simply tell someone to "stop" or "go" or "sit down" or "hurry up", but I don't know who she is telling it to - maybe someone specific, or maybe to the audience in general, I have no idea sorry.

hehe

 

So I googled Sayanee and this Twitter account / bot? posted this tweet which says , she is a vegetarian. I know it's from 2014 but still. Is that true? I couldn't find other sources (in english), besides a online test, which also says it's true.

Source :
https://mobile.twitter.com/sayaneenmb48/status/543727008451006465

http://it.fanpop.com/clubs/yamamoto-sayaka/quiz/results/1099182/sayanee-vegetarian

 

Thanks for giving it a go those names are hard, they don't seem to be just casual words

I'm fairly sure it is (or it was at least). A while ago I searched for it and I found a guy in a japanese forum correcting someone who said Milky was the vegetarian instead of Sayaka.

Source: https://m.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/detail/q1275939822

Edit: Her page on the japanese 48pedia also says she's vegetarian

 

Thank you! It seems she is a vegetarian, but not 'vegetarian' as in western standards. Well, that's what the (absolutely accurate *cough*) Google translate said.
I also searched trough her social media & found no meat pics.

I'm sorry if someone is botherd by this. Sayanee seems to appreciate life and other living creaturs. That makes her, at least for me, even more likeable.