[article] On stage, she's a ROCK CHICK In real life, she's a SHY GIRL

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SOME describe her as Japan's Avril Lavigne.

Others say she is the country's equivalent of Taiwanese folk-rocker Cheer Chen.

Whichever the case, there is no denying that Japanese pop-rocker Yui has risen in the past year to become one of the hottest new talents on Japan's music scene.

Her latest album, Can't Buy My Love, sold an astounding 500,000copies within a month in Japan and has hogged the top spot on Singapore HMV's J-pop chart for six consecutive weeks.

But she tends to shun the limelight.

Guess how the 20-year-old responds when spotted by fans on the bustling Tokyo streets of Shibuya or Harajuku.

'Kakureiru...' Yui said without hesitation, which in Japanese means to hide behind something.

Everyone in the interview room burst into laughter, but she seemed unperturbed.

She told The New Paper through an interpreter: 'If I get recognised by one person, I will soon be surrounded because there are so many people on the streets.

'But I don't want people to notice me, so I try to limit (the sighting) to only one person.'

There's Yui for you - the reluctant star still learning the ropes of showbiz.

Though hailed by Nikkei Entertainment magazine as one of four new J-pop queens-to-be alongside Yuna Ito, Ayaka and Kaela Kimura, the singer-songwriter came across as shy and a little reserved when she met the regional media in Tokyo two weeks ago.

Her replies were brief and rather predictable, and when asked to smile for the camera, she nodded but barely moved her lips.

She apparently doesn't smile on CD covers because she thinks it makes her look chubby.

But when asked how she felt about turning 20, Yui gave a thumbs-up and a triumphant: 'Yes!'

That's the side of her fans are familiar with - the energetic rocker who unleashes her grrrl power on stage and lashes out against the world in her songs.

When we laughed at her enthusiasm, she quickly retreated back into her shell, bashfully apologising as if she had just made a spectacle of herself.

MOVIE FAME

In her debut movie, Midnight Sun, which launched her to fame last year, she played an aspiring musician looking for a way to communicate with the world.

The same cross-promotional strategy has worked not only for her but also her label mates Mika Nakashima and Yuna Ito.

But Yui is the only one among them who writes both the lyrics and tunes to her songs and plays her own guitar.

Her teen angst reminds one of Canadian rocker Lavigne in her early days, but Yui also has a quiet resilience reminiscent of Cheer.

Yui was discovered at a Sony Music audition in 2004 where she wowed judges by belting out three self-penned tunes while sitting cross-legged on the floor.

She then moved to Tokyo from her hometown Fukuoka and released her debut single, Feel My Soul, last February.

But it was the romantic movie, Midnight Sun, that made her a household name four months later.

Her outstanding performance as an introverted girl who suffers from an illness that makes her allergic to sunlight won her the Rookie Of The Year trophy at the recent Japan Academy Awards.

But Yui remains focused on singing. She is busy promoting her album and doing a concert tour in Japan.

Her fan base is also growing in Asia. In Singapore, her album, Can't Buy Me Love, sold an impressive 1,000copies within a week, despite it not being promoted.

Ms Susan Tay, marketing director of Sony BMG Singapore, said Yui's results are 'very good' for a Japanese newbie, and that her CD shifted without any advertising.

But fame has not changed her life, said Yui.

The only difference? 'Many people are listening to my album now and I'm grateful for that,' she said.

The down-to-earth star spoke about how she was inspired to learn the guitar when she was 15years old after seeing street musicians perform.

She now has four electric guitars, five acoustic and two bass guitars.

One of them is a classic Fender Telecaster, the first guitar she bought with her own savings in Tokyo.

When it comes to writing music, Yui said inspiration can strike at any time.

That's why she carries a notebook to jot down lyrics and melodies that pop into her head.

On the song title, Can't Buy My Love, she said it is a message that 'I don't yield to money when it comes to the things Ilove'.

The album, a collection of rock, pop and acoustic folk, also encapsulates the last of her teen years. That would explain songs like Thank You My Teens and Good-bye Days.

She also lashes out against people who 'talk about me like you know me' in How Crazy, and advocates 'don't give up' in Highway Chance.

Yui said she put 'a lot of emotions' into the album.

STREET PARTY

So, how did Yui celebrate her 20thbirthday in March? By performing at a street concert in Tokyo on the last day of her teens.

It was organised by her record company, but she said it was her idea because 'I always wanted to perform on the streets of Tokyo'.

When asked if she prides herself on being a youth icon, she said: 'I'm just writing songs from my feelings, but if people from my generation can relate to it, I hope it can inspire them to pursue their own dreams.'

If money can't buy her love, what would a guy have to do to win her love?

A visibly embarrassed Yui hesitated before replying: 'To understand me, he'd have to listen to my music first...'

With that, she wiggled in her seat, twirled her denim belt, and finally, bowed and said: 'Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.'

It means 'nice to meet you' in Japanese and was a sure sign that she had run out of things to say.

If only she was as vocal in person as she is in her music.

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/show/st...131113,00.html