Since her debut with “Blue Diamond” in 2017/1, professional singer Takuya Nakazawa has continued to captivate many fans with her gentle and relaxed singing voice. While active in CD releases and concerts, they are actively communicating with fans through Nakazawa Takuya's official fan community “Takuya,” which has been established on the paid membership fan community platform “Fanicon,” and SNS. What is the secret to winning hearts unique to Nakazawa-san, who welcomes fans, with an atmosphere as if they were gathering at a “house.” I listened to it along with my career as a singer.
――It seems that you've been involved with music since childhood, but what kind of environment did you grow up in?
It wasn't a special “musical family,” but both of my parents were from a brass band, so I was naturally in touch with music. When I went out with my family, I listened to music that my father liked in the car, and listened to a wide range of music, such as Daikoku Maki, Hamasaki Ayumi, and Yazawa Eikichi.
――In my profile, I saw that “I also liked singing in public.”
I loved it. When I was a kid, I often sang in front of my relatives. What left an impression on me was my experience in elementary school. At the elementary school I attended, there was an annual event called “Music Cup” where they performed a performance in front of all students during lunch break. I was extremely shy at the time, but when I was in the 2nd grade of elementary school, I suddenly applied, sang “Sakura” by Naotaro Moriyama, and received a lot of applause from the students around me, and I remember being happy.
――After that, did you immerse yourself in the world of singing?
no. I loved music, but my older brother influenced me to become addicted to the racing game “Gran Turismo,” and I had a dream of becoming a racing driver. Originally, I loved cars so much that I liked playing with minicars since I was a child, and from the 3rd grade of elementary school to high school, I went to a racing karting school.
――Why did you move on from the world of racing to the world of singing?
Continuing motor sports cost money, and it put a lot of burden on my parents, so when I was in my second year of high school, I gave up my dream of being a racing driver even though my hair was pulled back.
However, it wasn't always possible to study, and it was my grandmother who gave me advice when I was wondering what to do about my career path. Since “NHK Ngo Boast” is coming to my hometown of Nagaoka, they recommended “if you quit the race, go out,” and as a grandmother, it seems that the sight of me singing in front of my relatives when I was young left an impression on me. It was 2013 when I applied because I thought it would be an opportunity for something, advanced to the preliminary rounds and finals, and won the championship.
-- It seems that after winning the championship in “NHK no Dojo,” you studied under composer Masami Tao.
From a record company, “Why don't you become a singer?” I was contacted, and the person who was introduced was Mr. Tao. However, when it came to lessons for composers, the image was that they were “taught one-on-one in front of the piano,” but I was surprised that in the first year, only one person practiced independently in a separate room from the teacher, referring to the CD for vocalization practice given to the teacher (laughs).
I understood the reason for this one year after starting the lesson and said, “Songs that resonate with my heart stop no matter what I do. I hear from my teacher, “I always listen to your songs while preparing meals and doing laundry, so be able to sing songs that stop my hands.” I was convinced, “I see,” and I was able to take lessons on assignment songs from the 2nd year, probably because it was finally recognized.
――After that, she debuted with “Blue Diamond” in 2017/1. When did you feel like a professional singer?
This is when the debut song was recorded. To be honest, I didn't really feel it during the lesson period. Just desperately. There was also a feeling that I couldn't grasp my dream of being a racing driver, and I felt sorry for my parents who spent the money, so I was determined to “show myself singing on stage as a singer” no matter what.
At my first recording, I was also moved by the sight of melodies being arranged on the spot by professionals, and that many people who played string and wind instruments gathered for myself.
――After your debut, were you able to return the favor to your parents?
What I thought I was able to show in form was the “Japan Record Awards” in the year of their debut. I received the Rookie of the Year Award, and my parents and siblings watched the stage of the award ceremony from the audience seats. It's a family that doesn't interfere in a good sense, so they didn't say any words of congratulations, but they smiled while watching them sing.
――Are there any fans who have been watching since their debut?
I'm here. I made my debut as a singer in front of fans at an event at a CD shop in Kinshicho, but on the day, there was also an incident where I made a mistake entering the local area at the wrong time... (laughs). However, the people who came to the CD shop that day are still eagerly visiting the concert. I'm thankful that there are people who have supported me since I was nothing.
――Now, 6 years after their debut, they are running their own fan community “Takuya” on the paid membership fan community platform “Fanicon.” How was it established?
I wanted to try something new when the environment changed due to the termination of my contract with the record company I debuted with. When it was established in June '22, it was still the COVID-19 pandemic, so the reason was that I wanted to strengthen relationships with the people who support Takuya Nakazawa.
――I heard that approximately 85% of the enrollees are women in their 50s or older, and they live in Nakazawa's hometown, Niigata Prefecture. Is there anything you keep in mind in your daily communication?
I would like to shorten the distance with all my fans. I think relationships between artists and fans often leave a certain distance, but I don't like it. After properly setting the axis here, we should follow the minimum rules, and since there are many fans who watch over us like our own son, we interact with each other at a distance like a family.
――While we use closed “takuya,” we also use open SNS such as Twitter and Instagram. Are you aware of other differentiation?
I have done it to a certain extent. Since anyone can watch SNS, I think there are parts where I haven't been able to reveal my “true self” to fans. I think “Takuya” is a place where deep feelings can be conveyed in a stronger place, and I feel that the people who gather at the “house,” which is also named after the fan community, are people who support them with a high level of enthusiasm.
――Is the content of each post differentiated?
They mainly post text on Twitter and Instagram, and movies on “Takuya.” Named after the theme “house,” they sometimes upload pajamas. I hope you can take a look at my true self.
――It seems to be mainly text-based on SNS, but what are you conscious of when speaking in an open environment?
I don't really care about it, but I have a feeling that I want to protect all of my fans. If you talk too bluntly, unfortunate comments may also come in.
Some of the fans who support me aren't used to social media. There are people who bought from a mobile phone to a smartphone in order to track my information and learned how to use SNS from scratch, but there are also people who receive comments head-on because they aren't used to SNS. There are also people who get depressed in response to critical comments, saying “I think they are being told...”, so I try to make statements that avoid them.
――It's fans' thoughts, isn't it? On Twitter, tweets related to Mr. Nakazawa were actively retweeted, and I got the impression that they were eagerly checking their responses.
I do frequent ego searches, and I retweet because I want my fans to be happy. In fact, I also had a happy experience receiving reactions from artists. A few years ago, when I tweeted about Kobukuro, Kuroda (Shunsuke) of Kobukuro said “I like it!” There was a time when I received it. At that time, I felt much happier during the day, so I thought I'd try it too.
――What kind of person is Nakazawa-san who not only interacts with each other on the internet, but also enthusiastically visits concerts?
After all, it's a word about family. The fact that artists and fans take too much care cannot be said to be a real “bond,” and I would like to continue maintaining a sense of close distance in the future. In order to create a sense of freedom in “Takuya,” I would like to expose myself even more.
Actually, I was thinking about a fan club name called “side by side” before it was established. It's a phrase from the racing world that I once dreamed of, and it describes a state where cars are next to each other at such a close distance that the tires come into contact with each other, but I want to keep up with all the fans while keeping the feeling that they want to be close.
.svg)
If you want to deepen interaction with fans and want to make running a fan club easier than it is now, then Fanicon is useful.