On August 8, I had the honor of hosting Idolfest in Essen as the main MC. Welcoming everyone, introducing each act and keeping the energy flowing between performances was a joy from the very first minute to the last.
And then, once again, a spontaneous performance slot found its way into the program. Of course I said yes! I opened with Eternal Love, followed by a little Nakajima Miyuki block: Chijou no Hoshi and Mugi no Uta. Her songs carry so much strength and warmth, and getting to sing them for you meant a lot to me.
But the day still had one surprise left. Later in the program, Kuchisabishii and I came together for an unannounced collab: I sang Soredemo Kagayakeru no? (I Still Shine), with Kuchisabishii backing me on stage. I’ll be honest with you, this collab moved me to tears. By the end of the song I was crying, and we hugged right there on stage. Singing this song of all songs, together like that, is a moment I will keep in my heart for a long time.
If you missed it or want to relive it, you can watch the performance here:
Thank you to the Idolfest team for trusting me with the MC role, to Kuchisabishii for this beautiful moment, and to every Aien who was there with me. You make me shine.
Aisaretai, aishitai — demo yappari aisaretai. — Ai-chan