We asked the first team about the first CD they bought already, but in your generation, you don’t really buy CDs anymore, right? That’s why rented or downloaded things are also okay, so please tell us the first song or album that you liked. Shosei: GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE debut album GENERATIONS that I listed to during middle school. I love LDH. Ren: I haven’t bought or rented any CDs, but my mother loves western music, so I remember having a lot of CDs at home and listening to those. It was often Christina Aguilera. Takumi: That’s super fancy. In my case the first one that I bought was surely GReeeen’s “Kiseki” in elementary school. I did baseball, thus I really liked “ROOKIES”. The main actor of the movie sang that song, so I started to like it. Sukai: Just like Ren I never bought or choose anything myself, but what my parents often bought and listened to was Amuro Namie or JUJU. I don’t remember which CD it was, but Amuro-san's “FAST CAR” (coupling song of PAST V FUTURE) is the one that stayed in my mind the most because I remember it being often played in the car. Syoya: During my 1st year of highschool, I got into K-Pop und went to see a live of GOT7. At this time, the first one I bought was the mini-album “TURN UP”. Shosei: Your first one was K-pop? Wow.
What do you think has changed between the time of the debut and now? Ren: Back during “PROTOSTAR” times, we barely knew what we should do and we performed the things that were assigned the best we could, but this time it feels like we engaged everything while thinking about improving ourselves/the performances. Because during the self-restrain period, we had a lot of time to do free practise. Syoya: Yes. Also, I came to understand how to use in in-ear monitor. (laughs) Because at first I was like “hm? Hm? What’s that?”. Once in a while there are times when I also use microphones and receiver. It’s kinda I can do it now. Shosei: I get that! Syoya: Because we are a lot of members, I thought it might be helpful and refreshing to do so. Ren: The staff did, right? Syoya: Also, during taking it off, I have the feeling of being honestly sorry for dripping with sweat, so if I can I will take it off myself.
A change of your mental state? Syoya: When I’m nervous I don’t really sweat. I will feel cold and start to shake. But recently, I don’t feel nervous anymore, thus I will sweat a lot. I can perform while relaxing and boosting my metabolism. Takumi: My feelings didn’t change that much because I can only do things that I think as fun. If we go by the outward appearance, my hair has changed a bit (laughs).
Among the 6 songs from “STARGAZER”, everyone please tell us about what you are pleased with or points that we should pay attention to, no matter if it’s about the song ranking or the lyrics. Ren: It felt like that “GO” is among JO1’s songs the one with the most difficult dance. During the MV it was a cool and stylish feeling, but honestly, there are a lot of things to do, so it was quite hard. It looks like we perform it smoothly, but everyone was dripping with sweat. In the MV it doesn’t look hard at all, so you’ve done well. Takumi: -while pointing at Ren- That's a pro. Ren: Everyone is one –laughs- Takumi: Because you are our dance leader. Thank you very much. Shosei: For me it might be “So What”. I was assigned to do rap parts, but it still has an atmosphere that’s not me and also after taking the performance video it felt like it “wasn’t me” -laughs-. I feel like I showed a new me. Syoya: Just like Ren it’s also “GO” for me. There is a strong feeling of doing it as a group because you build a spaceship and there is a choreography that moves like the real thing and the mirror image on the surface of a lake. And I want you to see the formation that looks good one camera. Sukai: Personally, I also love “GO”. It is the melody line that has a dashing feeling or that I feel like, maybe that’s just my imagination, but I broad a futurist car and I outrun everyone. It would be so good if that song was used for a car CM. It’s a song that makes both the people who watch it and who listen to it feel good, so please pay attention to it. Takumi: I like... everything. Ren: Because everyone thinks like that –laughs-
But if you had to choose one? Takumi: Well.. Because “KungChiKiTa” is a song that I like since the audition and that I wanted to do, it makes me very happy that we can do it with 11 people now. I think it’s also something that makes the fans happy. Syoya: It makes me also remember things from the audition and it’s really a good song. Doing it with 11 people now has a different virtue, nostalgia and newness mix, so it became a strange feeling. The bass does its work, so if we perform it at a live, it will make everyone excited.
Is it okay to say my thoughts, too? All 6 songs are good, but the most impressive ones are the stronger songs such as “OH-EH-OH", “So What” and “GO”. For example, if we compare it to “La Pa Pa Pam”, it is done with all your power and the strength properly... Ren: comes out?
Yes Shosei: That makes me happy. Ren: The choreography was done by our Korean trainer, but because of the current situation, it was send to us via videos and 11 members carefully exanimated it and put it together, so that you feel like that makes me really happy.
The same goes for the vocals, the swaggy rap of “So What” that if you are even a little shy, you can’t do it, right? That you done that is amazing. Ren: Thank you very much. Takumi: it’s like a praise event –laughs- Ren: Luckily, everyone grew. There were also inexperienced members... Takumi: Because I have good sense. Ren: -laughs- Because everyone practised hard, that might come out.
It perfectly comes out. Is there something that has changed for you since the debut? Ren: I feel like we get along much better. During “PROTOSTAR”, even with the members I’ve met the earliest in August last year, it felt like suddenly “debuted with 11 people and became a team for now on”, even so there was some concerns. But our community life began, so now we are together the whole day, so we became like a family, thus there are no concerns anymore and it became that we talk together and exchange opinions. That’s a big change, I think.
Do you also have deep talks? Takumi: Yes, we have. Ren: Some time ago, I’ve went to our leader’s room and at first we played around, but suddenly we started to talk about the team, about the performances and passion came into the talk. Suddenly when I noticed “I’m hungry~”, it was 8 am –laughs-. The rice that Sho-kun had timed on his rice cooker was just done, so we ate it with everyone. Takumi: And then we slept –laughs-
That’s nice. For JO1’s goal to become a global group, what do you think is necessary? Ren: It’s just my thoughts, but naturally there are preferences depending on the country and culture. For example, there is something super popular in Japan, but that’s not the case in America. That’s why, if we become a group that’s liked by everyone, we surely have to become a global artist. There are a lot of artists like that, rather than aiming for someone, that’s not unique and it’s good if we have our own colours. Shosei: When “GO” was released, (it was said) that it’s K-Pop like but with Japanese lyrics, so rather than K-Pop or J-Pop, it felt like we released the genre called “JO1”. To make that JO1 genre stronger, I think it’s necessary that each member improve their own skills and grow. If it becomes that when everyone comes together, this genre can come out, we will be a better group. Syoya: I think of the 11 members, no one should be missing. Because it was an audition program that decided on the 11 members and the national producers choose 11 people who each has their own talents, it would be good if we could always get along. Ren: I started to think isn’t it the most important to get along well or that everyone is facing into the same direction. 11 people think “We want to become a group that can have activities worldwide”, so if we peacefully make matching steps, it’s not an unreachable dream. Takumi: What I think is important, is that no matter if we play in a live house in front of 10 people or in a dome with several thousand people, we do it without a change with all full power. I think there are times when you want to impress a lot of people, before you impress the person right in front of you, so I think that if you become an artist who can impress the people in front of you, regardless whether you are in the world or in Japan, you can proceed naturally. Syoya: sniff sniff... I’m impressed.
You managed to impress the person right in front of you. Takumi: I’m happy –laughs-
Kinjo-san, what do you think? Sukai: Just as stated before! Syoya: I’m impressed... sniff sniff
-laughs- The just as stated before statements continue –laughs- Sukai: I think the things I have might be important. Don’t all 11 people each have something? Weren’t we matched because of that? Even in the songs, if you can put the individuality of 11 people in one melody, I think that will be transmitted to the listeners and viewers, so if you aim for the strongest, just like Ren-kun said earlier, we shouldn’t copy someone, but we should bring out our colours. Just as stated before. Syoya: I’m also just like stated before –laughs- but while the right person in the right place does activities in their strong field, we become one when doing music. Some people are active on TV, some in magazines, some others in the radio... Takumi: Like the Avengers Syoya: Yes! There Avengers also came together from different places... Ren: Assembled they are the strongest! Syoya: like that
Kimata-san, what is your strong field? Syoya: Is it that I watch over the members? All: -laugh- Takumi: of course. Shosei: Say something else. Sukai: Rap? Syoya: I’m still a newbie. Takumi: How about fashion? Syoya: ah! I kinda like talking like that for things such as magazines. But I don’t know if I’m good at that.
How is it now? Can you still keep up or are you close to being desperate? Sukai: I’m desperate. Syoya: I’m also desperate. Ren: Full power.
Desperation and full power are a little different. Ren: Because I’m the type who thinks a lot, I’m not someone who becomes too desperate and slips, but I have also made mistakes. I was born only 23 years ago, but because I’ve made such experiences, I think it’s okay to have various types of people, but I’ll do it with all my power and I have the image of staying calm.
The unevenness seems to cover each other. Ren: Yes. That’s a team.
What do you want to show to your fans and concert attendees in the future? Sukai: One thing that I'm still not sure what to think about, but I hope that in the future some members will write and compose songs and that 11 people will be able to express themselves what they think just like that. Still our way of doing it is to desperately trying our best in making the things our own that we receive, but one day we want to give JAM something we made ourselves from the start. Also, in the case of dance such as Ren-kun and Mame-chan, there are also other people who can do it, so I want to try to make a choreography from the scratch with everyone.
That’s good. If you listen to Kinjo-san's talk, is there something that came into your mind or that you want to add? Ren: It’s a selfish thought, but I want to come into the life of various people. Takumi: A man who appears in a textbook! Ren: -laughs- That's why because there are people who see us and think something like I want to become an artist or I want to dance and I want to become someone who can be admired; thus I want to become an artist that is admired. Takumi: I understand. Ren: Right?, For example, such as not ignoring traffic lights. I want to become someone who is also admired for such things.
Like you want to become an ethically respectable person? Ren: That’s kinda thought, but yes.
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