Origin

This character combines mouth (口) on the left with a sound hint (今, pronounced "kin") on the right. The mouth component makes sense for the meaning since singing and recitation are things done with the mouth. The right side doesn't contribute to the meaning but instead provides a rough guide to pronunciation — the character is read "gin" in Japanese, which echoes the sound of that component. Together, the shape represents the vocal act of reciting or singing something aloud.