Toshl, the vocalist of rock band X Japan, has released "IM A SINGER," his first cover album as a solo singer, on the Universal Music label.
The singer, whose name is pronounced "toshi" but spelled with the letter "l" at the end, has a powerful tenor voice and outstanding singing skills. He made a surprising choice for the album: gems of J-pop and kayokyoku -- Japanese pop standards that are familiar to everyone in the country.
"I think I was about 10 years old. After coming home from school, I would study how to play guitar chords and play hit kayokyoku from the Showa era (1926-1989) while also singing along. That was the origin of my singing, the origin of my music," he said.
Toshl, who evokes a strong image of a hard rock singer, decided to look at his musical roots and sang the songs, from "Hiko-ki Gumo" (Contrail) by Yumi Arai and "I Love You" by Yutaka Ozaki to more recent songs, such as "365-nichi no Kamihikoki" (Paper planes of 365 days) by AKB48. The tracks share a common denominator: They are all standard songs familiar to men and women of all ages and also embrace a touching message.
One example is "Akai Sweet Pea" (The red sweet pea) by Seiko Matsuda, which was playing when Toshl was awakened to music seriously during his adolescence.
"That sweet love song used to touch my heart, and I've come to sing it decades later," he said, looking impressed.
In contrast to the energetic voice he uses with the band, his singing in the cover album sounds relaxed and mellow.
"I didn't think much about techniques and tried to express my feeling that I liked that song," he said. His words are reminiscent of his state of mind during his teens: "Nobody listens to me, nobody praises me, but I'm glad just because I can sing."
What is the secret to his ability to maintain his voice, which shows no sign of decline in his 50s?
"You must be fit. I saw on TV that our bodies are made of what we eat. So, in the past few years, I've had a second look at my diet. The rest is just trying not to think too hard and keeping my mind stress-free," he said.
The music he likes to listen to in private lately includes French singer Clementine, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and film music. Asked if he listens to hard rock, he chuckled and said, "Not at all." But he added that he sometimes re-listens to his past favorite bands, such as the Eagles and Queen.
He has even appeared in TV variety shows in recent years, showing a side of himself that is different from his accepted image as a serious and stoic person.
"At first, I was doing so reluctantly at times because of my odd pride. But the more I go to do various shows, the more I find it interesting that there are so many different types of people around there. And I started feeling it's ridiculous to be obsessed with fear of how other people look at me," Toshl said candidly.
Perhaps the new cover album is one of the fresh challenges he has taken on in this new mind-set.
"I'd be glad if my singing becomes a little help to [the listeners'] lives," he said.
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