Interview: The Healing Journey of Hololive Artist Ookami Mio’s Second Solo Album

Hololive virtual entertainer Ookami Mio has unveiled her sophomore solo album, My Sparkle, arriving approximately eighteen months after her debut LP, Night Walk. While Night Walk immersed listeners in the hush of twilight, My Sparkle charts a thematic voyage, whisking audiences away on immersive musical expeditions to distant and imaginative destinations.

Since her VTuber debut in December 2018, Ookami Mio has steadily expanded her musical repertoire. In August 2021, she issued her inaugural original singles, “Howling” and “Bowwow Ahwoooooo,” before presenting Night Walk in December 2023. Beyond her solo endeavors, she performs with units such as hololive GAMERS and AyaFubuMi. In a recent interview with Billboard Japan, she reflected on her artistic evolution over the past four years and how her creative priorities have shifted.

“When I crafted Night Walk, my focus was on composing songs I enjoyed and creating melodies that were fun to sing. However, witnessing fans’ reactions made me realize that singing is ultimately about connection—I want people to listen. Now, I regularly scour social media and fan comments to see how my music resonates. Some listeners interpret my tracks exactly as I intended, while others find entirely new meanings. That diversity has influenced the direction of my songwriting.”

Ookami Mio continues to scour social media for fresh perspectives. She was surprised to discover that many fans favored her ballads—like “Camellia” and “Insoluble Crystal”—over the stylish, uptempo tracks she assumed would dominate. This insight encouraged her to embrace a broader emotional palette in her compositions.

My Sparkle showcases greater stylistic breadth than its predecessor, featuring serene pieces such as “Dandelion” and “Shoushin Ryokou.” “I wanted to deliver soothing melodies people could enjoy while traveling—whether on the Shinkansen or a long-haul flight—or during moments of anxiety,” she explains.

The upbeat single “Dotta Batta Chindochu!” (loosely “crazy, slapstick journey”) draws directly from her personal escapades, notably a whirlwind trip to Las Vegas with colleagues Oozora Subaru and Sakura Miko. Collaborating with lyricist BOTCHI BOROMARU, they wove personal memories into the song, including the playful admonition “Don’t forget your wallet and passport!”—a reference to the moment she misplaced her passport, only to have it miraculously returned.

She contrasts these lively group travels with solitary journeys, which inspired “Shoushin Ryokou.” Following the departure of her longtime manager and producer after Night Walk, she channeled her bittersweet nostalgia into the track. Intentionally altering the kanji for “shoushin” to shift its meaning from “heartbreak” to “timidity,” she crafted a song that celebrates personal growth through change.

Asked about the album’s title, Ookami Mio notes that her very first vocal cover was RADWIMPS’ “Sparkle,” a song deeply meaningful to her and her fans. “I wanted ‘sparkle’ to become a recurring motif in the story of Ookami Mio,” she says. This thread extended to her first solo concert, aptly named [Our Sparkle], evoking both the glow of audience penlights and the spark of shared emotions.

Vocally, she acknowledges significant progress: “‘Lady of KEMONOHEN’ was particularly demanding, as was the rearranged version of ‘Howling.’ My coach advised me to sing with a neutral expression to avoid tension, which helped me navigate previously challenging passages with greater ease and confidence.”

In tracks like “Until spring comes,” she sought to evoke the bittersweet atmosphere of graduation season, while “Natsuyadori” transports listeners to those halcyon summer evenings beneath a star-studded sky. “Rather than leaning on power, I aimed to highlight the delicate textures of my voice and create an airy, summery mood,” she reflects.

Anticipation is mounting for her September solo concert, which she promises will shimmer with emotional resonance and leave a lasting sparkle in her fans’ hearts.

Interview originally published by Billboard Japan. Conducted by Takuto Ueda.

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