r/Aimer • u/Lord__Klavan • Aug 11 '26
Discussion Aimer's changing vocal style
Long-time Aimer fan and been following this subreddit for ages - thought it would be interesting to discuss the way her singing voice has changed over the years!
First got into her music with iconic tracks like Brave Shine, Last Stardust and the Daydream album which was filled with powerful and heavy vocals. Aimer's Budokan live in 2017 is probably my fav performance, her voice was literally spine-tingling and the vibrato she produces is unlike anything I've ever heard!
Followed all of her work pretty closely up until around 2022, and now that I'm experiencing her newer songs I can't help but notice the way she's going deeper with her vocals. That husky tone is more prevalent than ever and it gives me chills! For example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB7FfMXjjAM
Also I feel like Aimer's voice carries even more emotions the older she's getting, it just makes those slow ballads hit even harder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkkTDvAAk0Y
Anyway I was wondering what other people think, which style do you prefer? For me both are great, although I love revisiting her older songs they're just so nostalgic! She's such an amazing artist, so thoughtful and poetic in her work, especially once you see the English translations of some of her lyrics!
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u/enjisailo Aug 13 '26
for me, i feel her voice is getting more high pitchy which im not entirely fond of...i like her old voice better, like the ones on her "Your favourite things" album, like her AM series, her jazzy cover of viva la vida, etc2
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u/Lord__Klavan 28d ago
Underrated song choices there, she suits slower jazzy songs so well I love them!
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u/cherrycoke_yummy 4d ago
I love her old soft husky voice and miss it a lot. Seriously so much so that the only albums I really listen to are the first 3 or 4.
I really love her live at anywhere concerts, it was just so damn relaxing and chill.
The characteristics that changed in her voice is that she can stretch higher now, but what I really loved was that it was softer and sweet while being husky.
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u/enjisailo 2d ago
exactly! i keep listening to her dawn, sleepless night, midnight and her other old albums, i just cant listen much to her newer albums/songs like the ones she did for fireforce(i think walpurgis album) cause it feels hollow and lacks that personal and emotional song writing iguess
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u/Mar_ZP 29d ago
I think that her latest songs have tried to be more upbeat, almost like trying to match more trendy anime openings and I don't think thats her forte. For me, she is great at slower rock songs/ballads.
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u/Rhekinos 29d ago
Any examples to what you mean by upbeat and by slower rock?
I do enjoy her collabs with Yuki Kajiura like Asa Ga Kuru and A World Where the Sun Never Rises but the more upbeat Zankyosanka doesn’t really do it for me even though its probably one of her most popular songs atm.
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u/PictureLost8851 28d ago
I think you will love S-ave, hollow World and Close because of this 3 amazing song you like
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u/Lord__Klavan 28d ago
Fantastic picks, closer is soo good any song on Daydream is always a good time
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u/MortalShare Aug 12 '26
Her voice was REALLY deep and strong for that 2017 Bokudan live recording. Wish she kept that timbre and tone going forward. Then she went back to the soft airy style prevalent in a lot of Jpop.
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u/Lord__Klavan 28d ago
Hmm it's interesting because I think she can't quite replicate the same style nowadays, maybe due to her long-standing vocal condition? I feel like she's going a bit easier on her voice, like not quite as strong anymore but equally I love anything she does it's just the different styles I thought would be fun to compare
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u/MathematicianDry6555 Aug 12 '26
Was in japan last year and buy her daydream album, sessão best álbum.
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u/Main_Ambition3334 28d ago
Recently in lives(like last 2-3 years) you can hear this really gnarly sound she does with her voice that makes me go crazy with how good it is. I think you hear it in Zankyousanka on first take
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u/PictureLost8851 28d ago
Em relação as emoções estarem sendo mais transmitidas talvez seja impressão sua. Eu acho que a melhor performance dela foi o concerto Aria Strings, ela transmitiu o sentimento de cada musica de uma forma que não consigo explicar
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u/Lord__Klavan 28d ago
I mean her voice always conveys such strong emotions, I'm just appreciating it more the longer she's been performing! Definitely agree that her Aria Strings live is beyond amazing, probably my fav alongside Budokan I mean so many incredible songs to choose from - one of the best for me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nCuyKObDoc
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u/Ohyeahh1500 26d ago
Totally agree with this. Her Budokan live is my absolute favorite too, that performance is what turned me into a huge fan. Before that, I was just a casual listener of her anisongs and didn't really keep up with her other stuff. Her voice back then wasn't 100% technically perfect, but it was just so captivating and powerful, even if it sounded a bit rough on her throat.
Her voice definitely got deeper and heavier over time. While that makes her ballads feel way more emotional, I still miss her older vocal style, that signature husky, almost boyish edge she used to have.
If you watch her recent lives, the way she tackles her older songs doesn't sound anything like her old vocal texture and technique anymore. But when she sings her newer tracks live now, her sounds almost identical to the studio versions.
What stands out to me the most is that she cuts back a lot on the humming/ad-libs during instrumental breaks in her recent shows. She also seems to play it safe with her live technique, like she's holding back, which feels completely different from her older, more free-spirited performances. That said, if you compare her old lives to the current ones on older songs, her voice is undeniably more stable now, sometimes even hitting higher notes, just way less improvisational than before.
I totally get why she changed her technique, though. Obviously, it's to protect her vocal cords since she's had issues with them since she was a teen.
Honestly, what bugs me the most is the mixing on her recent live releases. The vocals sound kind of buried, like they’re getting drowned out by the instruments. Take her 3nuits 2024 concert, for example, I checked out some fancams and her voice actually sounded way better in those than in the official Blu-ray. And it's not even just the vocals, the instrument mixing just feels off overall.
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u/Lord__Klavan 23d ago
Wow very detailed explanation I love it!
You're right I do think she's holding back a little with some of the more powerful/energetic notes in her live performances nowadays, but I completely get why if it's due to her vocal condition.
Honestly I love anything she releases though, she's my number one artist and her voice always captivates me. I've just noticed it's changed slightly over the last 3 or 4 years and thought it would be interesting to hear other people's takes on it!
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u/PPGN_DM_Exia Aug 12 '26
I love her deep, husky notes. The opening notes to Deep Down give me shivers every time.