Merging the neon cityscape of Tokyo, with the psychedelic palm trees of Los Angeles, the pop artist and singer-songwriter AYAKO returns with her sensual single, "Do It In The Rain."
Exploring sounds of pop, r&b, and techno, the Japanese-American artist AYAKO has graced us with her stylings on various occasions and genuinely impressed us each time. Her genre-bending and unique explorations always make for an enamoring experience.
Dropping heat with her latest release, "Do It In The Rain," AYAKO emphasizes the smaller, simpler things in life. While fueling the sonics with sensual r&b/soul instrumentals and sonics, AYAKO delivers her intimate lyricism to keep us engaged in the sultry storyline.
"Do It In The Rain" opens with mid-tempo drums and the warmest of r&b keys, chiming along with the tenderness of a summer's rain. Once AYAKO begins vocalizing her desire to keep 'busy' during those rainy days, the surrounding sonics slowly drift into a soothing and modern r&b atmosphere.
Moving through the single, we can't help but keep our ears locked on AYAKO's descriptive and straightforward lyricism, depicting all sorts of steamy scenes and fantasies that play in her mind. Accompanied by the groovy basslines, punchy kicks, and shimmering keys, AYAKO closes the song off with incredible vibes, giving us all the warmth and heat we need nowadays.
Travel to the depths of passion and intimacy with AYAKO's recent release, "Do It In The Rain," available now on all digital streaming platforms.
We're excited to chat with you about your latest release, "Do It In The Rain." What inspired you to take on this sultry and sensual single?
The story of the song was literally inspired by a day in my life when it was pouring rain, I didn’t have an umbrella, my car was parked at least a mile away, and my boyfriend and I were stuck inside my tiny Hollywood studio apartment. There was something grounding, yet exciting about appreciating the simple things in life like “scrolling through Netflix all day” or “eating last night’s leftovers”. And also, there’s something just so sexy and sultry about rain, and the way it sounds. I was inspired to write a song that captured that mood and moment in time.
What inspired the warm r&b/soul sound on "Do It In The Rain?" Is this your first time creating more r&b-leaning songs?
My producer, SEROW, and I share a deep love for the late ’90s to early 2000’s r&b/pop music. We both grew up listening, singing, and dancing to artists like Ashanti, Alicia Keys, and Mariah Carey. Because of these influences, my writing style and melodies are naturally more r&b/pop even if the production has a different style, like house or electro. For our second single together, SEROW and I wanted to go back to our roots and make a full-on r&b baby-making banger, with a contemporary pop flair of course. This is the first r&b-leaning song that I have released, but I love writing r&b melodies and definitely plan on releasing more songs inspired by old-school and more contemporary r&b music.
What was it like working with SEROW when navigating the sonics for "Do It In The Rain?" Since this is your second single together, would you say there is creative chemistry between the two of you?
For “Do It In The Rain'', I actually came to SEROW with some melody ideas that came to me while driving. I got to the studio, sang him the melodies and he started jamming on the keys until he came up with the dreamy chord progression that drives the song. As soon as he played it, we were both just like “mmmm yes, that’s the vibe”. SEROW is also an incredible drummer, and when he laid down the rhythm, it gave the track the warmth and groove that I was looking for. From there, it was all just bouncing ideas back & forth, experimenting, drinking beer, and eating homemade food handpicked from SEROW’s garden. SEROW and I always have a fun time working together! The more we work together, the more we get to know each other, and the more our creative chemistry grows. It’s super exciting to see how this growth carries over into our music.
What can you tell us about the singles you have lined up for release this year?
SEROW and I already have the next few singles lined up and ready for release this year! Our next single is again, its own vibe and universe. We got a little more experimental with it and I’m super stoked to share it with you all!
What's the best piece of advice someone has given you that has helped shape you as an artist?
My dad always taught me the importance of knowing my strengths and weaknesses. I’ve learned that one of my greatest strengths is my bicultural background. As an artist, I want to sing more in Japanese and represent Japanese culture aesthetically. Acknowledging my weaknesses has helped me know when to ask for help and when to collaborate with others whose strengths compensate for my weaknesses.