The story of "Cosplay Anthem"

On April 7th 2019 I woke up in my hotel room on Sunset Boulevard in L.A. on a massive high.

“Metal Gear in Concert” L.A. had been a resounding success. I’d got to hang out with fans after the concert and take photos with them. The concert in Tokyo was coming up the following month. I’d just been sent the audio I’d done of new recordings from Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles to check and it sounded amazing.

That morning, as I drank endless cups of tea (organic darlings!) reading comments on social media, I felt incredibly happy and grateful.

I thought about the fans of Metal Gear who had attended in Cosplay both in LA and New York and Paris and how much effort they put into it and how much joy it brought. I thought about fans in Japan too who came to my shows there in amazing cosplay and suddenly, this song bubbled up.

Now I think “a song bubbling up” sounds impossible too. Eye roll!

But when it happens (twice in my life now!) you don’t question it. I quickly recorded each line as it came so that I wouldn’t forget it. Within 15 minutes it was done. Then I forgot about it.

Fast forward to 2021. I’m actually involved in a project about Cosplay (!!) so Cosplayers are on my mind. I decided to listen to the little song from 2019. It was so lovely! I asked my husband, guitarist Bill Benfield (who does the killer guitar solo on the song!), to put chords over it so that I could ask the amazingly talented Endigo to create a full blown song out of it.

Like most of you, I’ve been thinking about all the things we didn’t get to do last year. Hang out, go to anime-cons, cough on each other!!

And of all the Cosplayers whose chance to stand in the spotlight got cancelled last year.

And of their family, friends and admirers who didn’t get to see them shine.

This song is a shout-out to all Cosplayers, and those who love them.

I hope you feel choked up as you listen to this song, and hopeful too.

For one day soon, we can all get together, in person and “admire the one, who every day just takes my breath away”.

With love

Donna