HINOTORI

HINOTORI is a music single released by Takanashi Kiara on 26 November 2020.

Music Video

• HINOTORI - Takanashi Kiara (Official Music Video)

Lyrics

Japanese

Japanese	Romaji
瞬またたく　星ほしのゆりかご　欠かけた台詞せりふを	matataku hoshi no yuri kago kaketa serifu o
繋つなぎ合あわせた　Memory	tsunagi awaseta Memory
聖せいなる従者じゅうしゃが伝つたう　神話しんわの理ことわり	seinaru juusha ga tsutau shinwa no kotowari
祈いのりに耳みみを澄すませ	inori ni mimi o sumase
Tell me, I can hear it clearly,	Tell me, I can hear it clearly,
Tell me, 声こえなき声こえに	Tell me koe naki koe ni
荒あらぶる鼓動こどうは　弱さきずを焦こがす	araburu kodou wa kizu o kogasu
炎ほむら　降ふり注そそぐ空そらに　身みをやつして	homura furisosogu sora ni mi o yatsushite
乱みだれ咲ざく赤あかは　紅べに化粧けしょう	midarezaku aka wa benigeshou
数多あまた　重かさなる試煉しれんも　生いき抜ぬいてみせる	amata kasanaru shiren mo ikinuite miseru
I will live to keep on fighting till the dawn	I will live to keep on fighting till the dawn
たとえば　先さきの見みえない　零ぜろの境界きょうかい	tatoeba saki no mienai zero no kyoukai
迷まよい込こんだとしても	mayoikonda toshitemo
何なん度ども　繰くり返かえされる　孤高ここうの終焉しゅうえん	nandomo kurikaesareru kokou no shuuen
そこに残のこった　Answer	soko ni nokotta Answer
Don't break, I will never give up,	Don't break, I will never give up,
Don't break, 羽はねが朽くちても	Don't break hane ga kuchite mo
消けせない強つよさは　時ときの導しるべ	kesenai tsuyosa wa toki no shirube
灰花はいか　舞まい上あがる大地だいち　身みをくぐらせ	haika maiagaru daichi mi o kugurase
燃もゆる朱あけの中なか　目めを覚さます	moyuru ake no naka me o samasu
刃やいば　交まじわる切先きっさき　交かわした契ちぎりは	yaiba majiwaru kissaki kawashita chigiri wa
Lies and truth, come to light at the break of day	Lies and truth, come to light at the break of day
I've been trying to find my destiny	I've been trying to find my destiny
But they keep pushing and pulling me astray	But they keep pushing and pulling me astray
If I go wrong, what awaits me in the dark	If I go wrong, what awaits me in the dark
Could you tell me please, where I need to go?	Could you tell me please, where I need to go?
Tell me, I can hear it clearly,	Tell me, I can hear it clearly,
Tell me, 声こえなき声こえに	Tell me koe naki koe ni
漲みなぎる決意けついは　暗闇かげ　を晴はらす	minagiru ketsui wa kage o harasu
炎ほむら　降ふり注そそぐ空そらに　身みをやつして	homura furisosogu sora ni mi o yatsushite
乱みだれ咲さく赤あかは　紅べに化粧けしょう	midarezaku aka wa benigeshou
数多あまた　重かさなる試煉しれんも　生いき抜ぬいてみせる	amata kasanaru shiren mo ikinuite miseru
blazing flames, show me the path to luminance	blazing flames, show me the path to luminance
And in the next life too I promise, I will find you	And in the next life too I promise, I will find you

English translation (official)

In my flickering cradle of stars
The fragments of words long lost
Fall into place, forming a distinct memory
As a choir of devotees
Tell stories of mythology
My ears perk up as they pray

Tell me, I can hear it clearly
Tell me, the voice of the voiceless
You wake my heart and make it rage
Set aflame the scars of a bygone age

Blending into the blazing night sky
Unseen by all
My red rouge bursts into fire
No matter how many trials I face on my own
I will overcome, taking them head on
I will live to keep on fighting till the dawn

Should I find myself trapped in a void
Nothing in the horizon
a clear dead end
I can turn back the clock, I can make amends
Within my dying embers
I find the answer

Don't break, I will never give up
Don't break, even if my wings are clipped
My will won't be, it will show
the way to a new day

In the ashes covering the earth
A sign of new life, a new birth
From within the vermillion embers I rise
Our swords crossed,
a promise sealed away
Lies and truth, come to light at the break of day

I've been trying to find my destiny
But they keep pushing and pulling me astray
If I go wrong, what awaits me in the dark
Could you tell me please, where I need to go?

Tell me, I can hear it clearly
Tell me, the voice of the voiceless
You wake my heart and make it ignite
Bansh the dark of this endless night

Blending into the blazing night sky
Unseen by all
My red rouge bursts into fire
No matter how many trials I face on my own
I will overcome, taking them head on
blazing flames, show me the path to luminance

And in the next life too I promise, I will find you

Credits

• Vocals: Takanashi Kiara (小鳥遊キアラ）
• Producer/Composer: Kai Gojo (五条下位)
• Lyrics: Aya Shinno (真野綾)
• Guitar: Daisuke Bito (尾登大祐)
• Artist: Mamaloni
• Movie Animation: Calliope Mori (森カリオペ)

Production and release

In her debut stream, Kiara announced her goal to release original music. "HINOTORI" was produced in collaboration with Kai Gojo, known for his work on Touhou Project music albums including the solo circle SYNC.ART'S. Kiara selected him based on the style of music she wanted to produce for her first song.

"HINOTORI" was composed to a short deadline and recorded mid-November, just over a week before its release. The Japanese lyrics were written by Aya Shinno, with Kiara contributing the sections of English lyrics. At the recording session, Kiara suggested the addition of the breakdown before the guitar solo, beginning with the line "I've been trying to find my destiny". Gojo composed this section on the spot, with Kiara writing the English lyrics at the same time. Kiara particularly liked the musicality of the line which goes "kawashita chigiri wa", describing it as "fun to sing". She drew special attention to her whisper backing vocal on the line "don't break", which she jokingly described as "secret ASMR".

The theme of the song is about surviving and finding one's path in life. Kiara dedicated the song's final line, "And in the next life too I promise, I will find you", to Mori Calliope. Its appearance was a response to Calli namedropping Kiara ("Kusotori") in her own debut song, "Excuse My Rudeness, But Could You Please RIP?". Kiara suggested that an official English-language translation of "HINOTORI" may be forthcoming, but noted the difficulty of translating some of the obscure, "chuunibyou" language.

The word "hinotori" is Japanese for "phoenix", literally meaning "bird of fire".

The song was released on 26 November 2020 on iTunes, Spotify, and all major music outlets. The release date was chosen to coincide with Thanksgiving in the United States, a joke on Kiara being mistaken for a turkey. A voice pack was released on the same day, containing the song's off-vocal karaoke track. The music video was produced by Mori Calliope and released on the same day.

On 19 December 2020, Kiara held a Superchat reading to celebrate the YouTube music video for "HINOTORI" receiving 1 million views. Several fans produced cover versions of the song, including an 8-bit chiptune version and a jazz cover, both of which Kiara featured in the Superchat reading.

On 5 March 2021, Kiara performed a German version of HINOTORI during a "Hololive German" re-debut stream.

For the song's one-year anniversary, Kiara commissioned three remixes of HINOTORI: the Lone Alpha Remix, REDSHiFT Remix, and Astrophysics Remix. The music videos showed an official English lyrics translation by fts.

On 22 October 2022, NIJISANJI EN member Pomu Rainpuff performed HINOTORI during the first collab between hololive and NIJISANJI. Pomu included an original Japanese "mix" intended to be sung by the audience during the instrumental solo after the line "Could you tell me please, where I need to go?":

Japanese	Romaji	English translation
働くとりの最高店長 今日も仕事がんばるぞ！ 言いたいことがあるんだよ キアラ店長はかわいいよ	hataraku tori no saikou tenchou kyou mo shigoto ganbaru zo! iitai koto ga arundayo Kiara tenchou wa kawaii yo!	Hard-working bird is the greatest manager Try your best at work today! I have something important to say: Manager Kiara is cute!

HINOTORI subsequently appeared on Kiara's first album, Point of View, released on 29 August 2023.

External links

• HINOTORI - Takanashi Kiara (Official Music Video)
• 【AFTERPARTY】HINOTORI release, Voice Pack & THANKSGIVING!
• Takanashi Kiara: "HINOTORI" 8-bit VRC6 Loop Cover by FabulousReindeer
• HINOTORI - Takanashi Kiara | Jazzy Lo-fi version by Esox