Ohira Shosei x Kawashiri Ren x Kawanishi Takumi
I want to make sure continue to give surprise and impress everyone - Kawashiri
About 1 year and 4 months have passed since the debut and JO1 who had entered their 2nd year and started their 2nd chapter. The opportunities to see them on TV, in magazines or on radio steadily increase compared to the first year and you understand that their field of activity has widened. Of course the activities as a group increase and also the solo ones, and it seems like Ohira Shosei, Kawashiri Ren and Kawanishi Takumi who all made rapid progress have been influenced in various ways through their own activities.
Ren: The three of us each have done acting jobs, but each time we had lessons from an acting teacher. Back then, the teacher told us “Acting is not just saying a line from yourself, but the reaction is also important.” When I heard that actually it is a conversation, so that if the other one says this, then I should say my line in this way which means that I have to react in a way that is appropriate for the scene, I thought “I see.” and at the same time I realised that it also applies to performances. For example, our understanding of the lyrics and the understanding of the listeners are of course different. I convery the things I want to convey diligently, but once more I felt that the song depends on the recipient. That’s why, I recently think that it might be interesting to leave some margin and let the listener imagine instead of including everything that I want to do or that I want to convey.
I realised that it’s also important to take it easy - Kawanishi
Takumi: That’s more interesting, isn’t it?
Ren: Certainly, there are some things that I want to convey, but I think it’s good to do that in a different way and with different tools. I feel that also among the members, there are different ways to grasp the songs and I hope that we value this part. I started to think it’s not just handing over, but also receiving.
Shosei: I see. I’ve learned something!
Ren: Takumi has a lot of solo activities, doesn't he? His expressions during each performance are amazing, so I’m wondering if there are any hints (on how to do that).
Takumi: The hint is that I get myself (emotionally) involved in everything. I get emotionally involved in movies and dramas and when I see someone depressed I feel their pain as if it’s my own. Thus, when I listen to a song, I become emotional and that might be why my expressions come out naturally.
Shosei: You also often watch movies and such.
Takumi: I think it’s connected to this. But I don’t really understand it either (laughs) However, it’s funny, isn’t it? That I don’t understand either. There are things that come out naturally and there are parts that I decide to absolutely do like this.
Ren: Shosei has such a side, too.
Shosei: That’s right. I’m doing it naturally.
Excitement, anxiety and ambition, I feel all of them - Ohira
These three people connect everything, the influence from the outside, and their own arising feelings, to JO1’s activities. What kind of feelings might they embrace now that they have reached the 2nd year as JO1?
Shosei: We have reached our 2nd year, our 2nd chapter as JO1, but I feel excitement, anxiety and ambition, all of it. I want to aim even higher as JO1, and because INI (the group born from PRODUCE 101 JAPAN SEASON 2) were added to the same agency, I try not to lose to them and together I want to work hard.
Takumi: It happens that I get anxious about the future, too, but I forget about this when I'm working like this. That’s why, first, I want to do the best job I can do right now.
Ren: In my case, the meaning might be a little different from the original one, but it’s “Keep your guard even after a victory”. Right now, with the efforts of the staff, we can appear in various TV programs, release music and thanks to the support of JAM we have quite the presence in rankings and SNS trends. That’s almost all not from our own power. I think it will be wasted in an instant when we are arrogant saying “That’s because we worked hard” or careless. We have to put more effort into it more than last year while we have to be thankful for the support. It would be bad if people lose interest in us, so I want to continue to put effort into giving surprise and impress everyone while we also enjoy (what we are doing).
Shosei: I think JO1 is still improving.
Ren: There are mostly first time experiences, so everyday is a chance to be able to grow. Because in the genre of music that we make, there aren’t many winners or losers and there is also no upper limit. But I think each member has their own challenge. Because Junki and Sho-kun are good at singing and me, Mame or Shosei always danced, each one of us has his own strengths and weaknesses. Yet I think that if we have things we are not good at we can grow from those like I have room to grow in terms of singing and Sho-kun has room to grow in terms of dancing.
Shosei: I think each member has his own challenge, but I’m still not good at dancing, singing and rapping, so I’m training a lot. However, if I do it recklessly, nothing will change, so I try to train while keeping in mind “what could be the problem?”. Also, while moving around in the car, I watch the videos of foreign artists and creators and I get inspired by those.
Ren: I really like games. That’s why I feel like I’m playing a game right now. It’s like… I train a lot and level up, I get a skill point for dancing, I get a skill point for singing, to remember the technique of facial expressions in MVs. If I feel “I’m not good enough at this”, I will train and get the points. After all, there are also hard things during training, so I try to do it in a good mood.
Takumi: To say something serious, it’s also important to “take it easy”. I want to be active for a long time, so I realised that it’s important to take it easy, too.
Ren: It’s a bit different “to work hard” and “to work too hard”, isn’t it?
Takumi: For example, some time ago, we trained until really late at night. It wasn’t even night anymore, but morning (laughs).
Ren: The schedule was too tight and we had no other choice.
Takumi: There was also a practise on the next day, but everyone was so exhausted that we couldn’t practise. This had no reason, right? (laughs) The thought to “take it easy” happened. We did too much. It had been too much.
Shosei: We also train on our own. Takumi-kun also came to the studio while I practised alone some time ago, didn’t you? I thought “Takumi-kun also practises alone.” (laughs)
Shosei is the type that if he has something he wants to do, he will act on the spot - Kawanishi
Ren: I know that in his room Takumi sorts out and trains, but since our company has a studio, he stays back and practises after we all practised together. He is someone who barely brings his passionate side to the surface, but I think he works hard.
Shosei: Inside of him, there is a hot flame. He is really cool.
Ren: Shosei too. During the time of the album “The STAR” he was worried about singing and rapping. Me and Junki told him “Your deep voice is charming. Because we often do the high note parts, but we can’t do deep voiced parts as cool as Shosei. That’s a weapon only Shosei has. If you polish that, we will be able to make more enthralling songs”. After he said “I got it. I will try to do it.” he started to listen songs from various rappers, to watch videos, to humm the songs from other artists and to polish his weapon.
Takumi: One time, I could hear it from his room. The three of us live on the same floor. By chance when Ren and me passed his door, we heard him singing. Shosei practised the part "Forever like a star" of ''REAL”’ at his entrance, but when we laid our eras on his door and listened to it, we thought he was so good and accidentally we rang his bell. (We told him) “This was really good.”
Shosei: That made me really happy. Ren-kun’s inquisitive mind is amazing, isn’t it? He always looks above and always understands what he is still missing. This is amazing.
Takumi: Ren-kun’s best part is his dynamism!
Ren: That’s also amazing about Shosei (laughs).
Takumi: Even if there is something I want to do, once I think about it, I end up stopping. Yet if Shosei has something that he wants to do or a place where he wants to go, he moves on the spot.
Ren: (looking at Shosei) Your dynamism is amazing! (laughs) So, Mame and Shosei said that they want to learn acrobatics in order to increase their arsenal. Because we are not people who can do acrobatics properly, I thought it would be nice to be able to do fascinating things if we had members who could do that. After this, about two days later, they gave the application form for acrobatics lessons to the manager.
Shosei: I signed up, but because we are too busy, I can hardly go (laughs).
Takumi: Shosei is a bit of another level, but I think you both have that drive to take action.
Shosei: Speaking of this, when I studied in America, I only decided one month in advance.
Ren: When I went to Tokyo, I might have decided on it the day before too. I thought “I have to go here tomorrow”.
Takumi: For real? That’s impossible for me! (laughs)
Where could be the origin of their stoicism of them who each one has their own passionate feelings and continues to work hard? When we threw that question at them, they answered “the members”.
Shosei: It’s also part of my personality, but I am inspired by the members each day, so I want to do better. After all, Ren-kun and Takumi-kun are amazing. Their expressions while performing are great and when you listen to their voice base, their singing is also cool. I repeatedly listen to the amazing parts of the members in JO1’s songs, but recently I really like Ren-kun’s “come into” part in “Freedom” and I keep repeating it.
Ren: I was really puzzled about that. Should I use falsetto? Or stretch it? I was worried, but I ended up stretching it (laughs)
Takumi: I am inspired by Junki-kun. Even when there is something awful, he faces it and moves forward for the growth of the team. Also when the practise starts, Junki-kun will say “Yeah Let’s go!” and that’s when I feel that everything starts.
Ren: Junki is the spearhead, isn’t he? In my case, it might be more the member’s existence than one of the members. Originally, I wasn’t a competitive person at all and I was rather the reserved type who didn’t reveal his own wishes. Not sure if I can say it about myself, but I’m quite nimble, so to an extent I was able to do a lot of things. Since I was a child, my parents made me do a lot of things, but I always managed to do them to some extent, so I grew bored and quit… Then, I met a so-called genius who just had started dancing. Besides their history was much shorter than mine and they were younger, they were so good. So, this kind of destroyed the confidence that I had somewhere, and for the first time I thought “I don’t want to lose”. But you can’t win with dancing only. However, if you put together all other aspects but dancing, you might be able to win. Geniuses can beat various people in dancing, but that’s something I can’t do. That might be my origin. I can’t win with just dancing or just singing against the members currently, but if we combine everything, they might think “Ren-kun is amazing”. In the group I’m among the elder brothers, so I don’t want to show an uncool self to my little brothers, so I end up being competitive.
I don’t want to show an uncool self to my little brothers, so I end up being competitive - Kawashiri
These three people are aiming highly while being motivated by the members. A hidden fighting spirit is always burning inside of them.
Takumi: Most recently, I was full of a fighting spirit against myself during “KCON:TACT 4U” (a K-Culture online festival). We performed “Dreaming Night” for the first time, but because it was the first performance I was really nervous. Because it was the first impact or something like a shock, I thought it’s something that it (should) remain inside the viewers. Because I wanted to give that impact, I was burning with a fighting spirit.
Shosei: I recently started to wear an orthodontic mouthpiece. When I take it out, it really hurts. My fighting spirit is burning to find out how to remove it without pain (laughs).
Takumi: I’ve heard his shriek, saying “wah”,“it hurts” when he was removing it at the dresser in the practise room (laughs). Then (I thought) He suddenly started to wear a mouthpiece, too? Well, that’s Shosei’s dynamism! He suddenly looks good? That’s impossible for me!
Ren: I felt my fighting spirit when I thought “As expected from Keigo!” At the talk corner of “KCON:TACT 4U” when we played games a bit, we laughed at the judgement of Sho-kum who was the referee of the first round. When I thought it would be funny to do the same thing in the second round, Keigo told that to Sho-kun with gestures from the sidelines. Sho-kun understood that well and created laughter. When I saw that, I was jealous at Keigo, but at the same time I thought “as expected”.
Takumi: That was funny!
They are like minded people who secretly carry a passionate flame in their hearts. That’s why they had a lively discussion when they talked about what they want to do in the future.
Ren: I’m not good at rapping, but you two are good at it. That’s why I would like to learn it, too, and make a rap song with the three of us.
Takumi: Me too. If it’s the 3 of us, it would be more a hip hop song.
Shosei: As a unit, I want to do a song with a harsh sound.
Takumi: Our rooms are on the same floor and I want to do something in private, too. Yet, you two have an amazing dynamism, so I wonder whether I can keep up.
Ren: Shosei remodeled his veranda and decorated it, didn’t he? He put some artificial grass on it and some kind of hammock.
Takumi: Eh, he remodeled it? The dynamism is amazing!
Shosei: I love to take a walk, but I can’t go out because I don’t have time. On the veranda you can also enjoy it.
Ren: It would be nice to chill with everyone on the veranda. Also, when I can’t sleep, I take a midnight excursion on bicycle. Furthermore, the three of us are the members whose hairstyles changed drastically. I would like to try something that not many other people have done like a neon green.
Shosei: I want to dye my hair black and let it grow again. The atmosphere would change a lot, but it would give an accent to the group, so long black hair!
Takumi: I might be like Shosei. I also want long hair. Or maybe I’ll cut them short. Perm would be nice too.
Ren: Takumi sometimes wears sunglasses with his private fashion and it looks so good on him. That’s why I would like him to wear sunglasses on stage, too.
Shosei: I think you two would look good in sunglasses and I want you to wear those on stage!
Self Liner Notes (all members)
REAL
Shosei: The theme is “to meet a new you”, so I hope to show that we are more powerful than before. In the MV we are dancing ravenously, too, which is really cool and I think the quality of the MV is higher than ever. The highlight of the MV is the part when Mame-chan, Shion and I come together. This and also my weapon of the deep and breathy rap are expressed best in “REAL”.
Ren: In the last chorus there is a dance when two of us come together which is really noteworthy. The theme of meeting the unknown is expressed in the dancing and the lyrics, so I hope you will check it out. Regarding the singing and how to vocalise it, there are still things I fail at, but my voice trainer told me “Your way of singing is something that steadily changes”. I will train more and become better!
Takumi: There is the story of finally reaching your imagined future and dreams, and we sing it with the feeling we are not alone and together with all JAM we finally reach a wonderful future. I’m in charge of starting the song, but I think more than ever I got into the mood. So that we can give an impact we did some trial and error with the songs and performances, so I hope you will pay attention to it.
Syoya: The JO1 members, each one had their own dreams since before the audition. There were a lot of members who weren’t able to follow their dreams like they hoped to. Finally, we made our debut and we started working on the dream of aiming for the world. It’s a song that reaffirms that. In the MV we are dancing while facing a rotating high speed camera, but the spec of the camera changed midway, so it was difficult to look cool. My eyes are rolling. (laughs)
Sukai: In the chorus of this song there is the “dun dun dun dun dun”. Our usual dance instructor thought of a change in the choreography fitting to this. I quite like it. The MV has the concept of meeting and mirrors and I think people will really enjoy it. Furthermore, my way of singing “This is no dream, so real”. Please make sure to pay attention to this. It’s cool (laughs)
Junki: The hope to make our imagined dreams and our goals, our unrealistic dreams and our huge dreams real by our own effort and hard work. Also, there is the message that JO1 wants to be like this. There is the choreography that expresses that we face ourselves in the mirror, but there is the image that the self you see in the mirror isn’t a dream but something that is real, too, so please pay attention to it.
Keigo: “REAL” has the concept (seeing) you in the mirror, but for me it’s a song about reflecting and creating your ideal self. I really like performance and I worked hard to bring out sexiness. I watched the performances of various artists, trained while watching myself in the mirror and researched expressions, facial expressions and how to bring out my voice. The highlight is the choreo when I’m hugging Mame-chan!
Ruki: I think it’s a song that brings out a new colour of JO1. There is quite a lot of rapping and on the dance side surprisingly there are fewer parts when everyone is dancing together. Impressive is also that there are many parts where one by one the pairs change and dance. The lyrics of the song depict the way we spend time worrying and growing to reach our dreams and it’s a positive song that pushes you forward. It feels like our current “real”.
Shion: Compared to before, it’s a song with a lot of rap parts. At the very end of the song the members become 2 member pairs and sing, but we also dance in these pairs. It’s something that JO1 hasn’t done before, but the dance itself was quite new too, so I hope that people will think it’s something fresh. I might say it each time a single is released, but it’s new JO1 different from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd (single).
Issei: In the “REAL” MV, scenes when the members are reflected in the mirror or on the water surface are used. Personally, there is a part at the end of the chorus when there is only the sound of the chorus and I think the dance at this part is the highlight. It’s cool and neat to see how many sounds are taken up in the dance and how we are performing all together, so I hope you will pay attention to it.
Sho: Since the debut we are always continuing to challenge, and after releasing the album “The STAR”, we thought we completed the first stage with the 3rd single “Born To Be Wild”, and this song that is the lead track of “STRANGER” has lyrics to let you find yourself that has never been here before. I would be happy if you could relate to what we sing about and to the excitement of there are still a lot of things waiting for you ahead.
Freedom
Shion: It's a song that is meant to fascinate as the theme song for the CM of “LIBRE” from YSL BEAUTY. The dance might surpass “Speed of Light” which was our most difficult one until now (bitter laughing). However, in a part of a chorus there is a dance that only uses the legs and it might be easy to imitate by the viewers. There, we are dancing sexily so please pay attention to our facial expressions, too.
Issei: Following the title “Freedom” became a song that includes the message that JO1 gave various possibilities. It’s the perfect melody for YSL BEAUTY’s “LIBRE” for which it is the theme song. Also, the dance of the song has the most place changes. There are formation changes that make you think “They are changing again!?”, so for us it became a song that requires a lot of stamina not only for dancing but also for moving (laughs).
STAY
Syoya: When I heard the song, I thought it’s a song that could be used in a Pocari Sweat CM (laughs). A kind of nostalgic feeling… I think it’s human that you want fun times to continue like this forever, so it’s a song that expresses that. Also when I take pictures, i ask people to stay at a good place and them. What I want to last forever is the time before sleeping. I want to be asleep all the time (laughs).
Ruki: I thought it’s a summer song and I felt that the expression of capturing this one moment on camera seemed cute. The shutter sound is included here and there, but I sing the part when I click the shutter and (sing) “click, that’s nice”. I love theme parks, but the whole time was fun when I went for a job to USJ with the members and I didn’t want this time to end (laughs).
Dreaming Night
Junki: That song is really good. I love it! It’s the opening song for the drama “Love Phantom”, but it’s a sweet song that doesn’t lose to the sweetness of the drama. The theme of “Even in my dreams I always want to be with you” is cute, isn’t it? The choreography is also very cute, so I hope you will imitate it. When the song was played in the drama, I was really surprised and happy.
Sho: Actually, we recorded the song quite eine time ago. That’s why our way of singing is a little different from the other featured songs. After all, when the recordings pile up your way of singing and your skill change, but that song is really catchy and it’s a different way of singing than usually in a good way, so I think it’s a song that has a presence. The choreography is really cute, and even in the middle of the choreo everyone is super excited (laughs).
ICARUS
Shosei: Takumi’s wing part in the beginning is really cool and with the 11 members we form a big wing, so I would be happy if you pay attention to this part of the performance. I really like to add my own rhythm to the rap parts. I did the same this time, but when I relistened to it once more, I understood that “next time I should try it like this” so I felt like I can still grow!
Ren: This song is the answer song to “MONSTAR” which was featured on “The STAR” and I hope you pay attention to the lyrics. The point of the performance is after all the wing-like choreography. In the first chorus there is the flow from me to Takumi, but our surroundings often say that our voices are similar. This time we practised and tried out a lot, so I think we are both getting more powerful.
Takumi: I’m in charge of starting the song, too, but I tried various things. Speaking of the performance, there is the part that starts from the face down and then it’s raised, but I was particular about the details of whether I should raise my head slowly or quickly. The choreographer advised me “the atmosphere comes better out when you do it slowly” and I’m singing it in my own arrangement, so please pay attention to it.
Blooming Again
Sukai: I think it’s a song where the heartfelt strength in the lyrics is carried by the melody. I sing the beginning of the song, but when I sang it like I wanted to, the songwriter told me “that’s good.”. But the songwriter is someone who talks directly, so it was a little scary… I did my best (laughs) . I'm nervous about starting the song, but I’m happy. Also, what’s the best is the phrase “remember it the main character is you” that Takumi sings!
Keigo: I feel that in the chorus the message of “You can shine if you freely do the things you want and what you like” and I really like that. If I apply that to myself, joining the audition had been my choice, but it was also selfish… but because of this I can shine and “my dreams” and “bright days” are expanding. It’s a song that made me feel once again that I have to work hard on my chosen way.
Talking about JO1
A corner where one thinks and talks about JO1 from a third party’s perspective. Suzuki Fuku, who was shocked by one of their pre-debut performances talks about the member’s characters and charms, and Kazuki (s**t kingz) who has choreographed for countless artists in Japan and abroad talks about JO1’s dancing.
Suzuki Fuku
An actor who has appeared in a lot of movies, dramas and stage plays. Born on 2004.6.17. Appears in the “Saber + Zenkaiger: Super Hero Senki" that celebrates the 50th anniversary of Kamen Raider and the 45th one of Super Sentai.
I want them to become more and more famous worldwide.
“The passion of JO1’s fans is amazing”. The one who said that is the known actor Suzuki Fuku who likes JO1. He recommended JO1’s songs at various places, commented on instagram livestreams and sent off passionate cheering like JAM. We asked him about JO1’s charms while he said "It's still a long way to go for me".
The occasion for me to start liking JO1 was “PRODUCE 101 JAPAN”. Actually, I didn’t watch it from the start, only the last 3 episodes. Because it had become a popular topic somehow, I thought about starting to watch it, but what shocked me was the final performance that I watched in real time. “It’s amazing that they haven’t even debuted yet.” I thought that these members were already amazing, but a group formed by members once again chosen from these would be (even more) amazing and that’s when I started to support JO1. Auditions like “PRODUCE 101” and “PRODUCE48” were popular, so at the time of the debut they were widely featured and popular. However, naturally the debut song (attracted attention), but I think it’s amazing that also the next song (Oh-Eh-Oh) and the one afterwards (Shine A Light) attracted attention. Of course the songs and the members are cool, but they are not losing to the original “PRODUCE 101”... I’m not sure whether this way of saying fits, but I think that’s because even after their debut, their humor in variety programs, each one’s unique personality and charm manifested.
I appeared along with the members on TV programs and events various times. The first ones I met were Kawashiri Ren-kun and Kono Junki-kun and back then I told them directly “I’m your fan”. Both of them were really polite and kind and what you see in TV programs and videos is just like they are. I haven’t decided on who is my favorite member, but in the beginning I especially thought that Tsurubo Shion-kun is cool and when I met him for the first time, my heart was beating so fast “Shion is here!” (laughs). One time I met all JO1 members at TGC, when I went to greet them backstage, Sato Keigo-kun danced “Maru Maru Mori Mori”. This made me so happy.
TN: This song is a children's song, released in 2011 which was performed by Suzuki Fuku and Ashida Mana who were both child actors at that time.
By the way, my favourite songs are “YOUNG” and “OH-EH-OH”. JO1 has various kinds of songs, but if I had to choose I like the ones with just cool styling and a cool dance. Even for me as a man, the gap of JO1’s usual soft personality and their cool and stylish feeling when they are performing is charming. Especially Kimata Syoya-kun is such a soft person but very masculine on stage. Because I don’t really have a masculine image, I admire him. It’s not just me, but also at school there are a lot of guys who like JO1. Everyone is saying that their performances and songs are really cool. To be honest, I started to take dance lessons about half a year ago. I like singing and I started to think that it would be nice to be able to dance too, but actually I’m thinking “I want to dance as cool as JO1”. I thought it’s because there are a lot of choreographies I want to imitate, but if I actually try to do them, I can’t do it as cool as them… I truly felt how amazing JO1 is afterall. That I started to dance was right at the time when “PRODUCE 101 JAPAN SEASON2” started and when I saw them working hard, it felt like they inspired me. It’s the same (how I feel) towards JO1. It’s not something you can just devote yourself to because someone tells you to. I also like acting and singing and dancing which I started recently, and there are a lot of other things that I like or want to do, so once more I thought I want to devote myself to those as seriously as them.
In my school there are friends who like JO1 and I always talk with them about JO1, but I hope that around me the number of people who I can talk to about JO1 increases. They have already won an award abroad, but I want them to become more and more famous worldwide. I’m always watching JO1’s activities and they make me think “I have to do my best, too.”
Kazuki
A member of the dance performance group s**t kingz and he has created the choreographies for songs of Nissy, EXO-CBX, Da-iCE and more. The “s**t kingz Dance Live 2021 ~ Just weird guys who love dancing~ (literal translation of the tour title) will take place on September 16~20 in the Kanagawa Kannai Hall big hall and on October 1~3 in the Osaka Morinomiya Piloti Hall
As a group JO1 embodies the ideal performance.
The performance style of JO1 has attracted the attention of professional dancers and choreographers, as they are a big group with 11 members and all of them are also vocalists. Kazuki, a member of the dance performance group s**t kingz who hasn’t just choreographed for artists in Japan but also for K-POP artists, has high hopes for their performances.
What I thought when I was watching JO1’s performances was that they seem to get along well. Performing with a huge number of people can be a weapon in the point of impact and power, yet it’s also something really difficult. Even when you think about it simply, when matching two people and matching 11 people, 11 people will be more difficult. Also, if the movements are the same but the mood is off, it won’t look neat, but in the case of JO1 it’s nothing like that. I don’t know how they normally practise, but for example if a choreographer is constantly watching them to every detail, they won’t do well until everyone agrees on “Here I want to show this”. Generally speaking, to align the mood, practising with everyone and agreeing on what to do in the scene is really important, so I think they all practise together and I think it’s ideal that the members get along well with each other. Another thing is, that it might be a big factor that they were made from a korean style audition. In the audition, the team performance was one of the things that were judged. Moreover, the team members and team composition change with the judging and because it was an audition you couldn’t stand out all alone but you had to win with your team. During this, a consciousness as a team… the importance of cooperation is something you discover. I think that the attitude of “practising as one team” that was fostered back then, is kept alive like this in JO1. It’s good that they are not like a machine in that regard, isn’t it? If you look at them from the bird’s eye perspective, in their movements each one’s individuality comes out while they are doing a clean performance that’s not out of sync. As a group they embody the ideal performance.
Speaking from the standpoint of a choreographer, I have the impression that each time they use formations well. Especially because all 11 members are also singing, it is easy to get bored if you put one of them in the center one by one. In this case, JO1 doesn’t just expand from the middle, they use the depths, shift the point of view from left to right and suddenly one person from this big group becomes the main character, these kind of variations are plenty. Each one’s coolness adds to this, so each time I’m excited “What could come next?”. Before you notice it the song is over. It feels like watching a story and you don’t get bored. I think it’s this ability that attracts people even if they don’t know much about singing or dancing, they can think “that’s kinda cool” or “that’s kinda amazing”. Also, their choreographies are catchy but also precise. In this era, it’s very important to be catchy, but especially the easiest movements need a good dancer to be done well, so a catchy choreo is actually difficult. Also, if it is just catchy, it will lose its coolness. I think that especially because JO1’s choreographies balance this accurately, and they have the skills to express it, they attract so many people. Speaking of “Dreaming Night” that has a recently released practise video, the movements are rapid, but the members don’t seem busy. Of course I think there is also the skill of the choreographer, but even when there are a lot of movements, in order not to look busy, it’s not enough for the members just to move around. It’s necessary to align the timing of the movement and landing, that the movement before is clean, that the pace is steady and so on… I think the power each of them has can complete the formation that the choreographer has intended.
By the way, if I did a choreography for JO1.. I would like to make something sexy. They have a pop image, so without damaging this merit and the way they are, I would like to show new different expressions that they didn’t have before. With a big number of people, you can create the form of various things. For example, 10 people form a bed and one of them lies down on it. You can create a set and stages just with the members, so I would want to make use of that, too. If there are 11 of these cool guys, it can become something really cool.
When I hear “JO1 has released a new song”, I’m always excited “What will come this time?”. Of course, the fans might be like this, too. It’s JO1 who each time makes you excited and doesn't betray the expectations, so I’m convinced that the fans are increasing steadily. I’m a dancer myself, so I’m really happy to see artists like JO1 who focus on performances. So, I hope for them to become a group who charms more and more people worldwide in the future.
Creator Voice
CJ EMN producer
Jeong Yoo Jin
Q: In this work, what kind of JO1 did you want to portray?
If the singles and the album in 2020 highlighted the innocence of young boys chasing their dreams, from 2021 on we want to show a JO1 that has grown from boys into young men. They are already shining, but they don’t remain at this place, they continue to advance towards a new world without being afraid of the challenges. In “STRANGER”, we tried to show that while they are exploring, adventuring in a different world, they discover a different self through unfamiliar situations and their experiences. There is also that meeting the “me” in a new world, can feel like meeting an unknown person, but by facing this unknown “me”, you achieve change and progress, and the colours that JO1 shows become diverse.
Q: How do you see the member’s approach towards their music?
Let’s say it is as if the young boys who were innocent are creating their own colors. It looks like that on their own they look for what could suit them while coming in contact with a lot of music. I can see them having moved from just singing the song, to trying to understand the song on their own, wavering about what kind of songs they want to sing and create and wavering what kind of music would fit not just to themselves but also to JO1, and I feel like from the heart they are really trying to get close to the music.
Choreographer
Yu Seung-hyun
Q: Please tell us about the dance for the songs featured in this piece of work.
“REAL” is a performance that expresses an invisible dream and a reality that actually unfolds. As a point, there is the scene when the members hug each other and when they hug, they do it with one hand during the lyrics “dream” but change it to both hands during the lyrics “real”. It expresses that it’s not a dream, it’s real and the feeling that you and I want to be together. And, my personal favourite “ICARUS” has the concept of a butterfly flying freely. It is planned with the idea of the members who had been trainees. shedding their pupa skin and fly freely on the stage using their wings and also in the performance the wings are portrayed, I think you will enjoy the performance watching the members grow as artists on stage.
Q: What did you keep in mind while creating JO1’s dance?
I think JO1 is a group in which you can easily understand each one’s charm. It’s not simply a sword dance group (a group in which the choreography is in sync) in which 11 people dance the same, but the individual colors are different and well harmonised. When I made the dance, I looked at the singing parts before and I created the choreography with a sense of the member in charge of this part thinking of how to express the song well.
Q: How do you see the member’s approach towards their dancing?
They made a big growth as an artist while experiencing the production of new works, and each time I see them in lessons, I’m surprised. Seeing them growing while respecting the choreographer and the production staff and searching for their very own colours, the “desire” to come up with new JO1 performances appears each time. In the case it’s hard to coach or do the lesson at the location, Ren and Issei do most of the choreography lessons, but this is a really hard and difficult work. Each time, I am thankful for Ren and Issei for controlling the scene so well and even though they are also members, I think it’s the other members believing in them, that it became that their performances have such a high degree of perfection.
In charge of lyrics, music and arrangement of “STAY”
Full8loom
Q: In the song you made, what is portrayed?
I wanted to portray a boy standing in a fresh green landscape with flower petals dancing in the air. In order to record the brilliant now, you ‘click’ and press the shutter because this moment right now is too fleeting, but a picture is eternal. Likewise, also as a songwriter, I tackled this piece with the idea of leaving a song with the image of the JO1 members singing with the voice of a young boy at his most shining and beautiful time. I hope it becomes a song that is like a present that comes into the mind of the members and their fans. It was the first time that I worked with JO1, but I was surprised by their vocal abilities. They expressed it sweetly, and made the best of the strengths and the atmosphere of the song. I hope you will listen to each part of the song, while carefully investigating the harmony of the warm and beautiful lyrics and the delicate singing of the members who express those.
Q: Please tell us about your impression of JO1 that you got via this work?
It was the first time working with JO1 and because our languages were different, I was a little worried about doing the direction during the recording, but I’m thankful to all members for their good and hard work and my satisfaction is bigger than ever. Especially, that instead of “That’s good”, they said “(Let’s do) Another take, another one” and focused on their parts until they got the desired results, left a deep impression on me.
in charge of the music and arrangement of “ICARUS”
Teito
Q: What is portrayed in “ICARUS”?
It’s a work that I made in cooperation with SKINNER BOX who I had worked with for MONSTAR. As the title says, just like wings of Icarus the meaning is “Even if my two wings melt, I will be rushing to you right now” and like JO1’s greeting (GO TO THE TOP JO1), I wanted to portray JO1 soaring high into the sky without hesitating to take the win whether it be love or their dreams. When I created the beat, I personally imagined Ren-kun’s dance line. I like his delicate expressions. I wanted to portray a graceful and controlled dance line over a strong beat and in the hook of the song they finally become a butterfly and take a flight. The song became better than I imagined it and I felt how hard they had worked on preparing it. Ah! Speaking of this, right before the first chorus, please listen carefully to Ruki-kun’s 君のもとへ (towards you). During the recording, after several takes, we told him “(Do it) with the intention of telling it to the fans” and he sang like this. We used the take after telling him this, so I hope you will feel his thoughts when listening to his singing.
Q: What do you feel in terms of the members' evolution?
I feel that all the members have grown to a surprising amount each time we record. This time, the most impressive thing was that before the recording Ren-kun had studied the meaning of Icarus and interpreted it. I was moved when I heard that. Also, Syoya-kun changed the rap flow on the day of the recording after the request from the composers, but I’m thankful that after many takes and hard work, he excellently completed the rap. Sukai-kun and Shion-kun who cheered for Syoya from the side and helped him were also really cool.
in charge of the lyrics, music and arrangement of “REAL”
e.one
Q: What is portrayed in REAL?
It’s a song that begins with the thought “Rather than showing the word the ‘result’ of effort, how about showing the ‘process’?" I wanted to portray the story of not “me”, but “us” growing up and who we are now. Also, I think that the dream of the members and the fans is continuing and growing at this time. Based on this matter, in terms of sound, I tried to express a feeling of peace and fullness instead of excitement and opulents.
Q: What do you feel in terms of the members' evolution?
I was in charge of recording with JO1 for the song “Design” that was featured on the single “CHALLENGER” for the first time, but everyone’s manners were good and in every aspect I got a good impression, including their attitude towards the recording. This time, the progress of the song happened online and unfortunately, I wasn’t able to meet the members directly, but despite the song has a different feeling than “Design”, they completed it well and seeing them passionately engaging with it convinced me that they are a good group now but you can expect more from them in the future.
in charge of music and arrangement of “Blooming Again”
Lee Min-Young (EastWest)
Q: In the song you made, what is portrayed?
On the sound side, I wanted to bring out a rock feeling. I try to express more energy than in common ballads, a rockish rhythm, a lyricial guitar sound, and I played the guitar myself to give it more of a feeling of love. From the message point of view, the basic concept was “hope”, “overcoming” and “comfort”, but that said, I worked with a focus on the lyrical and emotional aspects rather than a completely bright impression. I hope that the listener will admire it while feeling the ups and downs, starting from the quietly starting intro to the with energy exploding ending. I think Junki’s and Ren’s adlibs in the final chorus are very fascinating.
Q: What do you feel in terms of the members' evolution?
Basically I think all members have wonderful skills as singers and performance power. They are 11 people who survived a fierce competition, so they are equipped with basic talents, but I feel they constantly try to develop those. What I’m feeling as a writer who has worked with them since their debut piece, is the evident effort that the more they keep on releasing music, the more they eliminate bad habits and create conditions that allow them to show off their abilities.