Artist: Akina Nakamori /中森明菜
Title: Shoujo A / 少女A
Released: July 28, 1982
Oricon Peak Rank: 5
B-Side: 夢判断
(download)
The other prominent figure in Japanese music during the 1980s aside from Seiko Matsuda was Akina Nakamori. In the popular imagination, the two of them were often pitted against one another in a light/dark dichotomy, with Seiko being the innocent "girl-next door" idol, while Akina was the mature and expressive adult singer. Even if neither of them took those labels seriously, the songs they've sung tend to reflect that attitude. This was the case with Akina's second single "Shoujo A", the one that started her path to stardom.
Her first single "Slow Motion" was cut from the usual idol mould, a typical love song done in an agreeable and pleasing pop style. What inspired the shift in mood for her second single is unknown to me, but somehow her producers thought a new style would be a better fit. The songwriting team of Hiroaki Serizawa and Misao Urino, mostly known for their rock-inspired pop songs, had originally planned a song for flashy rock-pop singer Kenji Sawada titled "Lolita", but when he didn't pick that up, they switched the lyrics gender roles and retitled it "Shoujo A" and offered it to Akina. The song's rousing tempo and rock affectations were a stark contrast to her previous single. Most notably different between the two songs was her use of her deeper singing voice (what she would later be identified with the most), granting the song a mature overtone that would've been lost had used a more girl-like voice. The lyrics, detailing the hungry lust of a seventeen year old teen for a biker, were risque at their time, enough to nearly have the song banned from the Japanese airwaves. Nevertheless, the song was a major success, and set Akina towards her own path to music stardom.
(The Top Ten [ザ・トップテン])
少女A (Shoujo A)
Music: Hiroaki Serizawa / 芹澤廣明
Lyrics: Misao Urino / 売野雅勇
上目使いに 盗んで見ている
蒼いあなたの 視線がまぶしいわ
思わせぶりに 口びるぬらし
きっかけぐらいは こっちでつくってあげる
いわゆる普通の １７才だわ
女の子のこと 知らなすぎるのあなた
早熟なのは しかたがないけど
似たようなこと 誰でもしているのよ
じれったい じれったい
何歳(いくつ)に見えても 私 誰でも
じれったい じれったい
私は 私よ 関係ないわ
特別じゃない どこにもいるわ
ワ・タ・シ 少女A
頬づえついて
あなたを想えば
胸の高鳴り 耳があゝ熱いわ
鏡に向って 微笑みつくる
黄昏れ時は 少女を大人に変える
素肌と心は ひとつじゃないのね
ルージュの口びる かすかに震えてるわ
他人が言うほど ドライじゃないの
本当は憶病 分かってほしいのあなた
じれったい じれったい
結婚するとか しないとかなら
じれったい じれったい
そんなのどうでも 関係ないわ
特別じゃない どこにもいるわ
ワ・タ・シ 少女A
じれったい じれったい
何歳(いくつ)に見えても 私 誰でも
じれったい じれったい
私は 私よ 関係ないわ
特別じゃない どこにもいるわ
ワ・タ・シ 少女A
