⟪ N A K E D ⟫

We had a chance to sit down with Reira, and delve a little bit into her life, and musical career, as the songstress not only welcomes the New Year, but also celebrates the fifteen year mark of her career. We arrive at her home in the early hours of the morning, and are surprised to be greeted directly by Reira herself. She individually greets all of our staff, and personally sees to it that all of us are comfortable. Serizawa is remarkably down-to-earth, and her home is chic, yet modest, as expected. Looking around, it’s easy to tell that the apartment is lived in, and that there is no shortage of love in it. However, save for a pile of toys neatly stacked away off in a corner, Serizawa’s home is sanitized of anything that could reveal the identities of both her husband, and child. We later learn that this is  intentional. In the main room of her apartment, the three Grammy Awards commemorating TRAPNEST’s successful venture into the wild wild world of western music have found their forever home alongside various platinum, diamond, and gold certified records. A few Video Music Awards, Japan Music Awards, and Billboard Music Awards  from both the Japan and the US line the shelves along with framed photographs of the band, concerts, and other important events. It comes as no surprise that this is the first room we are shown, and Reira takes the time to express just how much these awards have meant, not only the band, but herself as well.

“When we first started, we never even expected to go far. We were just some kids, looking for something to do, and it turns out we picked something we were good at. I remember after TRIGGER launched here in Japan, management began to push for us to do a re-recording of it in English. Although I was confident in the language, I wasn’t as confident in us trying to break into such a difficult market. The western market is so fast-paced and here today, gone tomorrow. I didn’t want to become a has-been. They really pushed and pushed until I caved. It was really hard work. A year later, the album was out, and the numbers blew us all away! I remember Ren calling me in the middle of the night, and he just kept shouting ‘We did it, we did it!’. I was still half asleep, but once it hit, I actually cried on the phone. I was so happy, and so proud. Weeks later, our Grammy nominations rolled in, and we were all silent. The news came to us while we were backstage in the middle of the show. We were getting freshened up, and I was in makeup when we got the news. We were shocked. A little group of so-called punks from Japan had done that. Naturally, I ruined my makeup, and cried on stage as soon as we went back out and shared the news! I don’t want to say that that was our height, but I felt like I was on top of the world, and was honored to be there with such an amazing band, and all around team. I think about that whenever I am in this room. It was just really humbling. You work hard, and… It was just really humbling. We’re still thankful. Thank you.”

Much to our surprise, we are gifted with the most important meal of the day; breakfast. We eat and enjoy each other’s company, sharing playful anecdotes here and there. She later slips off into hair and makeup while we set up. Upon her return, she looks refreshed, glowing, and eager to start the interview.

What lead you into creating music?

Takumi. I have to give credit where it’s due. When I first came to Japan, I spoke the language horribly. That resulted in a lot of bullying, but I actually met Takumi as a child, and he really looked after me like an older brother. He helped me gain confidence in speaking Japanese, and would teach me Japanese songs. He said that I sang like a songbird, and wanting to make him as happy as he made me, I just kept singing! I never really set out to be a singer at all, but he pushed me, and to this day I am so thankful to him for that, and for forming TRAPNEST with me. Those memories are some of the sweetest.

Were you always met with success?

No, not at all. None of us ever are. I sang in a talent competition when I was either fourteen or fifteen, and I lost. That hit me hard, but it made me work harder. Trying, practicing, and perfecting, is how you gain success. And just a stroke of luck, if I’m being honest.

Who do you draw inspiration from when you make music?

This question is always so intimidating to me, because the answers are often nearly endless! I really love and respect classic artists like Janet Jackson, and Amuro Namie—they were all my mother listened to while I was growing up. My father, on the other hand,  loved classic rock though, and went as far as to name me after a song by Eric Clapton, so I also grew up with a strong love of that rock and roll sound. That type of music and those lyrics are what really drove me when writing and performing as a part of TRAPNEST. The grit, the sound, all of that. I was such a freak for all of it! [Laughs] These days I’m more of an R&B, rap, hip-hop, and alternative kind of girl. I like to channel my inner Sade in the studio. iI love to experiment with sound. I want to be ethereal like Diana Ross, and as carefree as Faye Wong. Their kind of music just gets me in the zone, and my new sound is a direct result of it.

What would you say your songs are about, and what’s the inspiration behind them?

To me, my music is really just about being human. Being yourself. Belonging to yourself and your truth in all areas. The lyrics I write, and songs I compose can literally come to me from nowhere. I’ve been on trains half-asleep, and suddenly something comes to mind. It’s like a beat, and that slowly turns into an idea, which I then make a sound for. Slice of life is how I can best describe it. Sunsets, cities, weather, places, events, feelings, even scents and memories. Those are what really inspire the music.

What is your creative process like?

It can vary. Sometimes a beat just comes to me, and I have this ability to just know what note is what without reading the sheet music. I often make the sound and have somebody jot it down for me and then either they play it back or I do. Then in my head while lying down the basics, harmonies and new tempos come in. All of these components. Words, the mood of the song. Sometimes I even get excited and spend the night at the studios, trying to record and perfect things. At times I record myself singing, then me playing the keyboard, then the drums, then the guitar, and have them mixed for me. If I like the sound, we move on. I get right in there with the producers and we mix. I am so hands-on with my work, so I am thankful that my team allows and enjoys it. I love it when they check me and say that while my vision is good, this or that would be better. The second opinions are everything.

So aside from singing, you also record the instrumentals? What do you play?

On some tracks yes, others no. I can play the guitar, piano, drums, bass, flute, cello, and the harp. I did most of the instrumentals on Digital Distortion though! I don’t know if I will ever do a full album of that again though. It was super hard.

Do you miss playing with TRAPNEST?

Constantly. Always and forever. TRAPNEST is as close to me as my right hand. It’s a huge part of me. I find it difficult to think or speak about at times. I know it’s been years since the accident, but it still hurts me. We can’t all be on one stage together like we used to be anymore. I really miss that. I’d love to relive it. That would be great… Perfect.

Will there ever be a revival for TRAPNEST?

I honestly can’t say. Who knows what the future holds for us? But I really do hope so, even just for a show. It would be magical for us. I miss sharing that energy with the guys.

Do you still keep in touch with the remaining members of TRAPNEST?

Of course! Naoki, Takumi, and myself speak daily. We try to spend time together whenever we can, but with Takumi living in one country, myself in another, and Naoki constantly traveling to teach music, it can get pretty tricky. But we do the best that we can! Naoki’s actually in town this week, and is coming to hang out at some point.

Where is your favorite place to perform?

I can’t name a specific location, because each venue and location offers its own unique thing. Every show, big or small is significant. But I do prefer smaller hall concerts to dome ones. I like the intimate feeling of them, and feel more of the fans’ energy there. I feel like i can connect with them better, and take the time out to actually speak to them during the show.

What is your favorite song to perform?

Starless Night. While Wish was the song that really propelled the band into a whole new dimension, Starless Night was deeply personal to me. We’ve touched fans with it, won awards here as well as overseas with it, and it just reminds me of a certain part of my life. A part I’d never trade.

What is your dream collaboration? 

Ah! I am about to be exposed as a fangirl, but I’d really love to do a song with Hwasa! I really enjoy working with Korean artists because they are hardworking, and they know how to spice things up and experiment. Don’t get me wrong, I love working with Japanese artists too! At the moment something is in the works, so i have to keep my lips sealed! I’ve worked with Lee Hi and CL in the past, and I would love to collaborate again. Other Korean artists I think I’d enjoy working with are Hyoyeon, Sunmi, and Jackson Wang. As for western artists, I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked with several already, but I am really interested in making something with Jhene Aiko, Summer Walker, who I am absolutely in love with right now, Ari Lennox, Ariana Grande, Post Malone, Jesse Rutherford, Khalid, and the list could honestly go on forever. 

Looking back on your career, what would the present you say to the past you?

Present me would tell past me not to worry so much. That it really does get better, even if it doesn’t feel that way. I think the past version of myself would have benefitted from hearing that not everything was on her, and it isn’t life and death. That she could do it, and to move forward in life, confidently, boldly, and with love. Oh, and also don’t wear that tacky green dress to the award show! They are going to eat you alive!

What is the most rewarding aspect of your career?

My fans. Thank you thank you thank you. From the bottom of my heart. I love you. Aside from matters of my immediate family, I don’t want to be seen as an idol or star to my fans. To me, my fans are my family, and I’d be nothing without them. I get on the stage for them because they energize me and really push me. I am living my dreams because of them. They made me. There have been times where I say “Ah, you really can’t do this anymore.” And am ready to give up. The fans have really pushed me and made me feel like I can do it. They let me know that it’s alright. I’m sorry that I cry so much at shows! I really do try to make every show as intimate an experience as I can, which is why I like to stop and sit down and just really connect with the audience for several moments. I care more about them than I do money and numbers. I would take them over anything. Thank you.

Reira was also willing to let us get a more exclusive scoop on her personal life. She’s secretive, yet she still somehow allows herself to speak freely about her personal life. The singer smiles through this part of the interview, and often apologizes to us for getting so excited.

Last year you had a child. May we ask how they are doing?

Yes, I did! My child is doing very well. Happy, healthy, and hitting milestones. I am very proud of them! There’s a whole new type of love that comes along with bringing a life into this world. I often feel like if I did nothing else right in this lifetime, my child is the silver lining to everything.

As you’ve likely seen, people are wondering if you gave birth to a son or a daughter. Care to respond to that question?

I’ve seen the question circulating, and I understand people’s desire to know. People equate being a public figure with being a fountain of public knowledge. Please don’t misunderstand me, I love my fans, and want to be as connected as possible, but my child is my world. I want to protect their peace. All I will say is that I gave birth to the love of my life, and couldn’t be happier.

You also got married, congratulations! Much like the identity of your child, you have also managed to keep the identity of your husband under wraps. Why is that?

I did, thank you! Well to put it simply, I believe that the spotlight isn’t the place for a marriage. My husband and I like to keep as much to ourselves as we can because we prefer a simple life without external interference. When we aren’t working, we strive to live and raise our child as normally as we can. With me being a public figure, it really opens us up to cruelty, speculation, scandals, and a cornucopia of other things that everyday families aren’t subject to. I think that’s mainly because people don’t often see celebrities as real people; they see caricatures, living these glamorous lives, when in fact, it’s not like that at all. It can be lonely at the top, and when you have a family there, it can be detrimental to those you love. Suddenly and unfairly, the spotlight is thrust on them for better or worse. That’s not fair. I only want to give my family light. We are happy to keep this private part of our lives to ourselves, and will likely continue to do so.

That seems to be a wise decision, however, your relationship has been a hot topic online for four years and running now. There’s been no shortage of alleged partners for you, but one in particular seems to stand out more than others. Netizens speculate that you and Taka of ONE OK ROCK have settled down together, and have started a family. So what’s the truth, if you don’t mind sharing?

Well to start, I can’t wait until he sees this! [laughs] Am I really that scandalous?  I find that rumors such as this one, tend to take on lives of their own, with little to no assistance. Taka is actually one of my closest friends, and the relationship that we have is so unique. Not only is he wildly talented, but he also has this wicked sense of humor, and is a person that I really respect, and often seek out for advice in regards to both my career as well as my personal life. I’ve always admired his tenacity, and find him to be nothing short of a delight to be around.  My husband and him are also very close as well, and we all often spend time together. I am the type of person who likes to surround myself with people who see me for who I really am, and who make me feel good. That’s him. Truthfully, I have very few close friends, so when I find one, I latch on. I think the reason people see Taka and I together so much is because it’s a story that sells. It’s what the paparazzi want you to see, so you see it. Business is business, and what better way to generate revenue than to speculate over friends? It’s juicy, and it’s a story. I can honestly understand why people assume things about us though. We don’t take it seriously at all, and laugh about it a lot. At the end of the day though, Taka has his own life, and I also have mine. When we see each other, we share our lives the way best friends do. It’s really as simple as that.

What has been the hardest thing for you to balance during your career?

I think my home versus family life, and being true to myself.  I’m a very all or nothing kind of person, so what can sometimes end up happening is that I wind up temporarily more committed to one thing over the other. That doesn’t mean I check out and don’t care. I’m still very much present, but not as much as I’d always like to be. As for my authenticity, that’s been a struggle because I’ve started two albums while experiencing one thing, only to complete them in a different season of my life. To me those albums felt like nothing. I trashed them. Started over even f it frustrated me. I never want to put out something I am not one hundred percent proud of. I never will.

What about people who tell you you’re wrong for continuing to work?

Antiquated, tired, played out, debunked, dead, ignorant, regressive, and annoying. It’s 2020. What roles do we all play? You have to ask yourself that. Where’s the stone tablet that states we either have to be this or that? It’s nonsense. Humans can’t really multitask, but that can’t and shouldn’t stop us from trying. Nobody tells a man that he shouldn’t go to bars after work when he has a wife and children at home. Nobody tells him he can’t be more than one thing. Men aren’t boxed in, and women shouldn’t be either. I’d like to remove the stigma surrounding working mothers. We still do a wonderful job raising our kids, and no, we don’t suddenly forget how to do anything else once we bring a life into this world. The world and times are changing. Your mentality really has to keep up and adapt. Understanding and acceptance are really the keys to solving a lot of the problems we have.

What’s the most amusing rumor you’ve heard about yourself.

I can’t pick just one, but most of the funnier ones are about who I am dating, married, having an affair with, or who I have dated. They’re baseless, but I do love a good story! Like the one about me being in a serious relationship with Gackt back when TRAPNEST just blew up. I’d never even met him before that, but we ran into each other at an event after that article surfaced, and laughed about it. We joked about doing it just to see what the media would say! Like a prank! [laughs] It’s so embarrassing to admit now, since it was so silly!

What’s next for you?