Seiko Matsuda - Aoi Sangoshou (1980)

Artist: Seiko Matsuda / 松田聖子
Title: Aoi Sangoshou / 青い珊瑚礁
Released: July 1, 1980
Oricon Peak Rank: 2
B-Side: TRUE LOVE～そっとくちづけて

(download)


The new era of Japanese popular music was ushered in with those sweeping strings introducing the soaring voice of a nascent superstar in the first few lines of the song. "Blue Lagoon", Seiko Matsuda's second single quickly reached the second spot of the charts, and would be her last single to not reach No. 1 for years to come.

The song paints a bright picture of a seaside with a glittering coral reef, and the budding romance the singer shares with her love, comparing her feelings of love in the chorus to the rush of the south wind. Musically, the song is a good example of the transition from the 70s pop style to the 80s pop style, with tighter arrangements, more use of electric instruments and emphasis on a steady beat, but elements of more traditional song-making such as the the strings used still remain. The expressively reaching chorus and the more intimate verses display the melodic contrast used to help emphasize the tone of the lyrics. Matsuda's singing here is unabashed, strong, and yet at the same time exhibit a lighter touch when needed, elements that would show up in a more developed form later in her career.

By 1980, the previous era of pop stars, dominated by the likes of Momoe Yamaguchi and Pink Lady was fading fast, and while there were many fresh faces in the couple years prior, none had brought in the paradigm shift in music that Seiko Matsuda and her contemporaries did, creating a new song that would bring about what many would define the decade as the golden age of idols.


(Drif's Big Laugh [ドリフ大爆笑])

青い珊瑚礁
(Aoi Sangoshou)

Music: Yuichiro Oda / 小田裕一郎
Lyrics: Yoshiko Miura / 三浦徳子

あゝ私の恋は南の風に乗って走るわ
あゝ青い風切って走れあの島へ

あなたと逢うたびに
すべてを忘れてしまうの
はしゃいだ私は little girl
熱い胸聞こえるでしょう
素肌にキラキラ珊瑚礁
二人っきりで流されてもいゝの
あなたが好き！
あゝ私の恋は南の風に乗って走るわ
あゝ青い風切って走れあの島へ

涙がこぼれるの
やさしい目をして見ないで
うつ向き加減の little rose
花びら触れて欲しいの
渚は恋のモスグリーン
二人の頬が近づいてゆくのよ
あなたが好き！
あゝ私の恋は南の風に乗って走るわ
あゝ青い風切って走れあの島へ