Hello everyone welcome to the Otaku Corner. So it turns out people like my Top 11 Miku Hatsune songs list. Well, let’s make it a thing now. From now on if its vocaloid’s birthday I’ll do a top 11 song list for them however it has to be an official vocaloid (I won’t do fanmade vocaloids) and it has to be a vocaloid I’m familiar with or a fan of. And with that said today is Meiko’s birthday. Now for those who don’t know that much about her Meiko is who I like the call the Original Diva. Meiko was the first female vocaloid to have a character model and came out in 2004 (3 years prior to Miku). For many people Meiko is kind of like the big sister of all the vocaloids out there who’s a party girl but at the same time someone who does take her work seriously and is a tough girl not afraid to take control of a situation. She can be harsh at times but deep down she’s a kind person who cares about the people around her. When she first came out everybody was using her and was quite popular but once Miku and the others came out spotlight slowly began to diminish and this is mostly due to the fact that she has old voicebanks that seriously need an update and I’ve heard she’s very hard to tune. Not sure if that’s true or not but that’s what people who have used her told me. But even so Meiko does have a lot of songs and today in honor of her birthday I’m counting down what I consider to be her top 11 songs. Why top 11? Because even when I’m not in character I too like to go one step beyond. Now once again this is all my opinion so feel free to agree or disagree all you want. Just do it in a respectful manner. With said let’s count down Meiko’s best songs.
#11. Change Me
https://youtu.be/ganC5mnQy7g
https://youtu.be/ZtN8RJgiioM (live)
Looking back I wouldn’t exactly call this song one of her best but this song does hold a special place in my heart. This was one of the songs that really got me interested in Meiko because up until this song all I heard were mediocre songs that really weren’t that good but this song really got me interested in her. The story is that Meiko is confused about who she is and hoping anyone can help her out hence the title of the song Change Me. The melody of the song is good, I like the dance Meiko does as it does demand your attention and the message of the song is good too as a lot of people can relate to the song. Sometimes people are confused about who they are and often require the help of other people to shape who they are thus we change a person through each our interactions with said person. The song serves as a good moral lesson telling us to associate with people who are gonna change us in a good way and not in a bad way. So while not one my favorite Meiko song this is the song that really helped me get interested into Meiko’s songs and for that it holds a special place on the list. Moving on.
#10. Amazing Grace
https://youtu.be/yExN2R9tXAI
https://youtu.be/YxaQirDyNio
Yeah someone actually made a cover song of Meiko singing Amazing Grace. . .in English. . .using her version one software. Now while I admit it can be hard to understand her at a few spots keep in mind this was version one and she was never meant to sing English in the first place so I can only imagine the hours of frustration and stress the producer went through to get this song done. With that being said I think it still sounds good. Meiko just sounds so powerful and emotional in this song as you really do feel like she’s doing her best to sing this song in a language she hasn’t really mastered but she says “hey I’m a professional, someone gave me a song, and I’m gonna sing it the best I can” and she delivers. But the real selling point for me in this song is the fanmade music video (the second link) where we just see how important Meiko was to the other Vocaloids. I really think this video captures the soul, thoughts, and feelings of the song. The video shows that in a way Meiko is like the mother or big sister to all the Vocaloids that came after her as we see how she inspired everyone. Rin wanted to dance and sing like her, she made Luka feel welcome, got Kaito interested in singing, comfort Len after people called him a shota (he hates being called that), and was Miku’s senpai. Just look at how after she finished her concert the first thing she does and run and hug Meiko and says thank you for everything. This song and video reminds us that whether we realize it or not Meiko is kind of like the heart and soul of Vocaloids and without her we probably wouldn’t have the others. Thank you Meiko for being such a good role-model to the other Vocaloids.
#9. Noise
This was the first song that Meiko sounded absolutely perfect to me. The song from what I can gather is that Meiko is in pain and wants the world to hear her pain and help but no matter how hard she tries or yells her voice keeps getting drowned out by the world’s noise and she has no choice but keep moving while keeping her pain bottled up. Like I said before Meiko sounds absolutely amazing here. Her voice comes in clear and doesn’t sound pitching at all. The guitar and drums are great and the message is surprisingly good. I didn’t really think that much about it after hearing the song but I heard how other people could relate to it and got me even more interested in the song. Now it’s one of my favorite songs not just because Meiko sounds great but because the message she delivers with it.
#8. First and Last
A song made by MineK and you better get used to seeing this name because a majority of the songs on this list were made by him. Anyway MineK is one of the few producers out there who uses Meiko and they do a good job using her as they really drew out just how great her voice can be. The First and Last is about Meiko recounting memories from the past with some guy she was dating and how it all just fell apart in the end leaving her sad and lonely. This song is also symbolic with its title. Meiko was the first vocaloid to appear but as time went on she became the least popular vocaloid and wound up in last place. I think that’s what the song is trying to tell us. We were dating Meiko and everything was going great but we all just kind of fell out of love with her and left making her feel sad and lonely but in the end we see her smile hinting that she’s found another fan and is healing. Her voice sounds really unique as you really do hear the sadness in her voice and the mixture of jazz and piano is a great combination that goes great with her voice. It’s a song that touches the soul and makes you wanna reach out and touch Meiko.
#7. Nostalgic
https://youtu.be/FAAG3OOqIaw (eng. subtitles)
One of Meiko’s more popular and well-known songs Nostalgic is a song where Meiko is feeling nostalgic about her past and how she would like nothing more than to return to the past and live out those glory days once again. Yeah are you seeing a running theme with Meiko’s songs. A lot of producers love to focus on how she’s a fallen star. I do like the fast-paced intense tempo the song sets for itself and her dance through the song is amazing to watch. When I first played this song on Project Diva I kept getting distracted by her performance because it was so mesmerizing as if she was putting on a live concert right in front of us (it’s awesome). Both versions of the song sound great. If I had to choose which one I like the most it would have to be the V3 version. While the older version is good too it sounds like she’s using autotune while the V3 version sounds like her natural voice and I prefer the natural voice over autotune any day of the week. In the end this is a great song with a lot of energy and I hope we hear it at concerts in the coming future.
#6. Mellow Yellow
One of Meiko’s newest songs to come out and no I’m not talking about that other Mellow Yellow song out there. This is an entirely different song. Meiko after all these years is thinking about calling it quits and it’s understandable why she would be thinking along those lines. She’s always in last place on the polls and barely anyone uses her anymore. But as she’s thinking about quitting she keeps seeing flashbacks of her younger self who reminds her how much she loves singing and that she shouldn’t give up something she loves so much. At the end Meiko continues to sing no longer worrying about quitting. I do like the rock music as Meiko goes great with it and the lesson is good as well. If you love something and it’s your dream to make it come true don’t stop doing it no matter what. While it’s true a lot of people don’t use Meiko anymore she still has a fanbase who love her and as long as she continues to sing the fans will go nowhere.
#5. Flashback
This song is beautiful. The song brings out Meiko’s best qualities and character. It’s enough to make you fall in love with her all over again. Once again Meiko’s voice sounds so clear and realistic here. When I first heard this song I was blown away not only by the piano at the beginning but by her voice as well. It captures me and sends me on a journey into the past just like the title of the song says. Nothing more to say about this song other than I really enjoy listening to it.
#4. Christmas Night with Me
MineK makes a return and just in time for the holidays. It’s Christmas and Meiko wants you to spend it with her all day and night. Who are you to deny such an offer? I love the melody in the song and how happy and excited Meiko sounds as if to say she’s really looking forward to being with you on Christmas. It’s also a song that really puts me in the Christmas spirit. I don’t know there’s just something about the energy and excitement in this song that just makes me happy and excited about Christmas. If you’re tired of hearing the same old Christmas songs over and over again than try something new and listen to this song. You’ll love it.
#3. A Piece of Happiness
Here’s another song from MineK that just makes you feel happy. This features an older and more mature Meiko who’s simply enjoying life from the littlest of things such as hanging out with friends, eating snacks, and doing anything else she enjoys. All of these things in her mind are pieces of happiness that bring joy to her life and I think that’s what the song is telling you. That in life there are all sorts of things that bring us happiness such as hanging out with friends, doing an activity, or doing anything that brings joy in our life can be considered pieces of happiness and we should treasure those things. Once again Mieko sounds great here all cheery and happy and I do like the saxophone in the background. All I can say is find your pieces of happiness and treasure them always no matter what.
#2. Chu Chu Chu
Once again MineK. Like I said you better get used to seeing that name because when it comes to making Meiko songs no one does it better than him. In the song Meiko is going on a romantic getaway with Kaito and the song is just about her singing about her excitement and feelings about the getaway. It’s cute, there’s a lot of energy in the song. Meiko once again sounds great and it’s nice to see her happy and enjoying herself as opposed to some of her other songs where she’s struggling with something. The real selling point for me in this is the melody. There’s a lot going on in it but not once does it sound out of control or hectic. I think it does a good job capturing Meiko’s feelings about the getaway and how excited she is to have some alone time with Kaito. It’s a fun song with a lot of energy that captures Meiko’s true feelings and it’s just nice to see her enjoying herself. She’s earned it.
And the number Meiko song is. . .
#1. Piano x Forte x Scandal
https://youtu.be/mWl0XQwZSRY
https://youtu.be/LIvfTbt51fY (live)
Yep, sorry to be so cliché but this really is the best song that Meiko has ever sung. Everything about this song is great from the lyrics, themes, singer, melody and of course live performance. I love the lyrics with the adult theme in this song as Meiko compares herself and the person she likes to different types of music that are the exact opposite of each other but how she would love to skip over those differences and just indulge herself with him. The piano in this song is amazing and really blows me away everytime I hear it. That jazzy music with the piano in the center of it all with Meiko’s singing and clear voice only helps to make the song great. For the longest time this song was the only song that Meiko sang in live concerts and there’s a good reason for that. This song perfectly captures Meiko and shows us that when used correctly Meiko can be a powerful vocaloid when given the right amount of time and patience. Even if you don’t know the lyrics you can at least get an idea of what she’s feeling and still be mesmerized by her singing. Not focusing on the past or the future but the present Piano x Forte x Scandal serves as Meiko’s best song telling us to focus on her here and now and showing us that Meiko can still put on an amazing performance that will blow you away.
Well that’s my list. I hope you enjoyed and if you want leave a comment below. Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj, and happy birthday to the original diva herself Meiko, https://youtu.be/DEjNiNlynmw.
All videos, pictures, and music are not owned by me and belong to their respected owners. All rights reserved.
Thanks for reading. As always feel free to leave a comment, feedback, or request down belong or send to iamprojectnitsuj@gmail.com.