Lyrics
I somehow feel like the songs up to this point have all been dark songs with female vocals, so I think I’ll end with a bright pop song with female vocals. I wanted to make it sound like a Japanese anime song, so I wrote lyrics that a lively girl would sing. The title “Calling” of course refers to the call in poker, but it also seems to mean a mission. If you think of the lyrics as something like “Poker is calling me,” you’ll understand.
🎵 Calling 🎵
[Verse 1]
Boring college lectures drag along,
Just wasting time, nothing felt strong.
But then I met my destiny—
The greatest game was calling me!
[Verse 2]
“Going to casinos? Are you hooked?”
My friends look worried, misunderstood.
But this, I know, was heaven-sent—
A mission from the firmament.
[Pre-Chorus]
It feels just like I’m falling deep in love,
Can’t stop thinking of the game I’m dreaming of.
All day long I count the time—
Till I can play and make it mine!
[Chorus]
When it’s showtime, I shine like a movie star,
Playing strength and weakness, raising the bar.
Poker face? No, no—
Frowns don’t suit me, let it go!
With my best performance, I’ll steal the show!
[Bridge]
Most players lose, it’s tough to win,
The house and sharks will pull you in.
It’s luck and skill, a ruthless stage—
But I will rise and turn the page.
To stay true to who I am inside—
I’ll play my way and turn the tide!
[Chorus]
The tough guy’s bluffing, playing wild and bold,
A villain trying to fool the princess gold.
Is that a bluff? Yes, yes!
You think you’ve got me? Take a guess!
Here comes justice—All-in, no less!
[Final Chorus]
When it’s showtime, I shine like a movie star,
Deceiving eyes with grace from near and far.
Poker face? No, no—
A real star shines with a smile, you know!
With my best performance, I’ll steal the show—Yeah!
The Finished Song
This time, I decided to create a song that sounds like a Japanese anime song, so I went for a J-Pop, electro pop style. The song I liked the most from the generated songs is the one below.
[Youtube]
[Suno AI]
By the way, when I was writing the lyrics and the tags to be embedded in them, the song I had in mind was Mr. Children’s “Houkiboshi,” so I hope that people can get the feeling that I tried to make it similar, even just a little. Of course, no matter how many songs I generate, many of them don’t turn out as I imagined, so I have to discard many of them, so note that the above songs are merely the product of chance. From the interlude onwards, Bridge has embedded tags with the image of the flow of “Namonaki Uta,” and I tried to create a feel where the song starts fast and then raises the pitch before transitioning into the chorus. The lyrics are fantasy-like overall, but they are sung quickly, as if to say that this is reality, and then with the word “but” they return to fantasy.
What Happens If We Make It Sound like an English Pop Singer?
Let assume you like the song presented in the previous section and want to find similar female artists. In this case, since it is an English song, one might try to find a female artist from overseas, but it would probably be nearly impossible to find a similar artist among English-speaking female pop singers. If this assumption is correct, your favorite music would be Japanese anime songs, and recommended non-anime artists would be Mr. Children, B’z, or Judy and Mary if you like female vocalists. There are several possible reasons why this musical style is difficult to find among English-speaking female pop singers.
The biggest and most unavoidable reason is the fundamental differences between Japanese and English as languages. When Japanese people listen to Western music, they tend to feel that the lyrics sound monotonous and that there is no change in pitch. This is said to be due to the rhythm and intonation that are unique to English, and it seems that the same song sounds completely different to how it is heard by people in English-speaking countries and how it is heard by Japanese people (this is apparently the reason why songs that dominate hit charts around the world often don’t even make it onto the Japanese hit charts). Even though the pitch has changed in the sheet music, it seems that when Japanese people listen to it, it may not sound like the pitch has changed. On the other hand, when people from English-speaking countries listen to a song like the one in the previous section, the pitch may change too much and sound unnatural. Japanese is said to be one of the most difficult languages to learn for English-speaking people, but it’s easy to understand that it’s also difficult for Japanese people to learn English.
Another reason is the difference in cultural background. In Japanese music, a song generally has a story and has several different melodies, such as a verse, pre-chorus, chorus, bridge, and final chorus, whereas in Western music, a simpler structure is preferred, and songs tend to consist of around two melodies, such as a verse, chorus, verse, and chorus. In some cases, the chorus follows the melody of the verse, and it is likely that when Japanese listeners hear it, it sounds like verse, verse, verse…They seem to place more importance on rhythm and groove than melody, and their lyrics often consist of repeated simple words (because if the lyrics are too complicated it becomes difficult to create a sense of rhythm or groove). When Japanese people hear songs that have become popular overseas, they may end up thinking, “What kind of song is this, just rhythm with no melody? The lyrics are meaningless, so what’s so good about it?” This is probably why.
It can also be assumed that this reflects the nature of business. It seems that many Japanese anime song singers and female pop singers are targeting male listeners. It can be assumed that she writes lyrics and composes melodies that men want to listen to, and that she responds to the requests of record companies and producers. The fact that there are many fast-paced, aggressive songs is likely due to the fact that the target audience is male. There may be many female singers who don’t like the musical style or feel that they aren’t really that kind of person when it comes to the lyrics, but still sing with a feeling of “This is what you creepy otaku want to hear, right?”
In contrast, it can be assumed that overseas female artists often have female listeners in mind. It is assumed that the image of a girl who is a little bit dumb but full of energy is the image of a woman that men desire, and is far removed from the image of real women and what women want to be like. Female pop singers in English-speaking countries generally try to gain sympathy from women by portraying the image of real women and the image of what women want to be like. In this case, it is likely that the image of an intelligent, cool, and independent woman is often portrayed. On the other hand, the men in the lyrics seem to tend to be portrayed as “Don’t look down on me and underestimate me” or “I’m cool, but that idiot is the worst.” When a female artist writes a song or creates an album cover that panders to men, it seems that women sometimes react with an attitude of “What’s with that female singer? We’ll never forgive her.”
Lyrics in the Style of Foreign Female Pop Singers
Taking the previous discussion into account, let’s replace this with a song that sounds like it’s by a foreign female artist. At the moment, the first foreign female pop singer that comes to mind is probably Taylor Swift. So I asked ChatGPT to arrange the lyrics shown above in a Taylor Swift style. The resulting lyrics are as follows:
🎤「Calling」– Taylor Swift-inspired version
[Verse 1]
Another lecture, clock ticks slow
Dreams asleep in a silent row
But something sparked inside my mind—
A game where truth and lies entwine
[Verse 2]
“You’re chasing luck, you’re playing games”
They call it reckless, call me names
But I don’t gamble—this is fate
The table turns, I captivate
[Pre-Chorus]
And it’s not just fun, it’s art to me
The thrill, the bluff, the strategy
I count the hours, I plan each move
You play to win, I play to prove
[Chorus]
‘Cause when I sit down, lights hit my face
I wear a smile that leaves no trace
Of what I’m holding close to chest
You’ll guess, I’ll lead—you know the rest
Poker face? No, I won’t pretend
I win with charm and make it trend
[Bridge]
Most just fall to cards and pride
Caught in tells they try to hide
But me—I see what lies beneath
Your nervous grin, your gritted teeth
This world is rough, but I survive
I play it smart, I play alive
[Chorus 2]
The villain smiles, he’s playing tough
But darling, I can call your bluff
A tilted crown won’t fool the queen
I’ve seen it all, I stay unseen
You bet it big? Then so will I
All-in, and I don’t even try
[Final Chorus]
And when it’s showtime, I don’t flinch
Your heartbeat breaks with every inch
You think I’m just some Hollywood smile
But I’ve been leading all the while
Poker face? Not part of me
I win with grace and clarity
[Outro]
So deal the cards, I write the scene
I’m not your luck—I’m the machine
In terms of the lyrics, poker is used as a metaphor, and the song seems to portray a woman who tries to survive intelligently and shrewdly in the difficult real world (business world). The protagonist in the lyrics says that people say she’s just lucky, but that’s not true; she plays the game to prove that her strategy is correct (her ability). Overall, the lyrics seem like they would resonate with capable career women.
The Finished Song
I am a (probably average) Japanese man, and I seem to be the type of person for whom the lyrics of songs sung by foreign female pop artists sound monotone. To be honest, I had no idea what kind of song to choose, but ChatGPT recommended electro-pop songs like Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” and “Cruel Summer” (which, of course, I’ve never heard).To start with, I generated a song using a similar musical style and some electro-pop-like instruments, and chose a song that sounded cool but powerful, like a female pop singer.
[Youtube]
[Suno AI]
I wanted to explain, “See, you guys probably don’t listen to songs like this,” but it turned out to be a much easier song to listen to than I expected…I hope it sounds like a song by a foreign female pop singer. Because it’s a pop song, it’s likely to be one that focuses more on melody than rhythm compared to hip-hop or R&B, but to me, some of the lyrics sound like they’re being read monotone. This was my first time listening to Taylor Swift’s songs, and I felt that these were easy songs to listen to. However, at the same time, I felt that these were not songs that I would want to listen to repeatedly.
When it comes to music, it’s often ranked and people often discuss whether that song (singer) is good or not, but to be honest, I don’t think it ever goes beyond “that’s just your personal opinion.” What many people think is a masterpiece may seem like garbage to you, and conversely, even if many people say a song isn’t great, if it’s a masterpiece to you, then it’s probably a masterpiece.
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