Tsutaetai Koto/I Wanna See You

"Tsutaetai Koto" is an upbeat pop rock song, about a person not being able to tell someone they like them. The author talks about not being able to say things like 'I Like You,' or 'Thank You,' to the subject as they are too shy, despite spending a night together in a parking lot talking and holding hands until dawn. The author thinks of all the people who don't say anything, then decides to express her feelings in song.[3]

The song's lyrics were written in her first year of high school, and the music later in her third year.[4][5] It was the first song she wrote after entering high school, and was her attempt to encourage herself as she had not made any friends yet.[6] Abe found it hard to record due to four years passing, but recorded it anyway since she liked the 'keep trying' message to the song.[5] Abe wrote the lyrics at a time when she found it hard to express feelings, and hence did not have many close high school friends.[4] The song's message is that if you like someone, it is better to tell them this instead of doing nothing about it.[7] Abe found herself influenced by the simple-styled lyrics of Japanese rock bands Bump of Chicken and Asian Kung-Fu Generation, who she listened to often at the time.[5]

"Tsutaetai Koto" was used as the music variety show Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ's June/July ending theme song.[1]

Music Video

Abe in the music video.

A music video for "Tsutaetai Koto" was shot by director Masaki Ohkita.[8] It shows scenes of a sad-looking Abe Mao sitting down in a parking lot, as well as Abe energetically singing the song with a band. The sad version of Abe also stares off at the sea at the beach, and stands alone in an empty room, where she attempts to use the phone. Abe considers the sad one the version of herself who can't express her feelings, and the one performing the song the one who can, cheering the other on.[9]

As of April 20, 2010 the music video for "Tsutaetai Koto" has been viewed over 722,000 times on popular video-sharing website YouTube.[10]

"I Wanna See You" is a pop rock song about the author missing the person they like, talks about how the person laughs at the funny things she says and admits she still likes him despite him being a little annoying at times.[11] Abe wrote the song in her third year of high school, about a boy who lived in a different prefecture to her that she visited by bus.[5] After writing the song, when she told the boy how she felt, his answer was, "But...I have a job."[7]

The song was originally released as an acoustic demo on iTunes (it was the fourth and last of her acoustic demos to be put up, on November 12, 2008 (2008-11-12)).[12] It was later used in Calpis Water commercials featuring Umika Kawashima, from March onwards.[1]

All songs written by Mao Abe.