“Enjoying the challenge” The key to open the door to JO1’s Kawashiri Ren’s world ~1st part~
In 2019, the audition program “PRODUCE 101 JAPAN" became a worldwide phenomenon. The 11 members of JO1 made their debut as a global boys group after being chosen from 6000 people. The debut single scored the first place in the oricon ranking and in a blink of an eye the world knew about them. In their online live show, 120.000 people from all over the world participated. At the top class Asian music awards “2020 MAMA (Mnet Asian Music Awards)” they won the “Best New Asian Artist” prize which is awarded to new Asian artists whose future activities are anticipated. Also, the views of their official YouTube channel surpassed 100M views, hence the momentum of making a leap into the world is unstoppable. Other than this, they were appointed as official beauty partners for YSL and they appeared on world wide luxury brand events, so there is also attention paid on their glorious activities outside of music related ones. Entering their 2nd year since the debut, they released their long awaited 3rd single “CHALLENGER” on April 28th which has the theme of “stepping into the JO1’s unknown world”. The theme of the lead track “Born to be wild” is “the challenge of taking a step forward and overcoming”.
Kawashiri Ren is a 24 year old from Fukuoka. The core of JO1‘s overwhelming dance performances, lived in Fukuoka until he was 19 years old. In his talk, the word “world” often appears. From Fukuoka he pursued his dream, acquired the key to the world and even in the middle of a huge wave of changes, he was humbled by the reality and prepared himself to make further steps forward.
You are from Fukuoka, but how long has it been since you were here the last time? That’s right. It’s been a year since the PR for the debut single.
It’s really been a while since you were last here! That’s true. I felt like finally I’m back.
About a year has passed since your striking debut last year, but when you look back, how did you spend that one year? Hm… I think it was a “gathering” year.
When you say it was a “gathering” year, does that mean that things couldn’t move as fast as you hoped? Yes, the activities from JO1 started after the debut first with cancellation of the release event of the debut single. I think a lot of people weren’t able to do their expected activities including us. We were also active while thinking about what we can do in this immoble period. I think it was a period of “gathering” for the time when the pandemic has subsided and we can do more activities.
In that “gathering” time what did you concretely do? Something you challenged or something you shared among the members? About 3 members including me, learnt how to compose and write songs. Furthermore, I thought and made choreographies and taught that during practise to the members. I hoped that they would discover the joy of dancing and I spent time with the members that was connected to a skill up. There were also a lot of things I wasn’t able to do, but instead I thought of new ways on how to spend my time.
I feel an amazing atmosphere in which you deepened the bonds with the members while sharing new things with everyone also in this immobile time. Thank you very much. I feel that the bond between the members has become stronger.
Please let me ask you about how you grasped your “dream”. You went from Fukuoka to Tokyo, grabbed chances and made your debut as a member of a global boys group which aims for the world. More activities are expected, but what kind of thought was on your mind as the driving force behind pursuing that big “dream”? For me it is rather “a goal” than “a dream”. When you say “dream”, it feels distant or the phrase “dreams coming true” has a vague and difficult image, but if you say “goal” it feels like something realistic. It has the image that if you steadily work hard on it, you can realise it. I think “If someone works hard, they can do everything”. In order to not let the dream end as a dream, put a “goal” in the middle of your “dream”. I believe that if you achieve those goals step by step, one day you will be able to achieve your dream.
Changing your dream into a goal, those are really good words. If you change your feelings into the form of a goal, you will be able to think concretely about what actions you should take in order to achieve it. Yes, that’s what I think.
Now that you are actually working with the focus on the world, but do you have a policy within yourself that is like a “key”? I believe that if you continue to challenge, there will be some sort of wall or hardship blocking your way. However, when a wall appears right in front of you, it is fine to overcome it, to take a detour or make a hole in that wall. There are various methods to try out. I try not to forget to have a flexible way of thinking.
You have a positive way of seizing the walls of trials. That’s right. I think for me there is nothing I can’t solve. I feel that if you search for some method, you can move forward for sure, so the important thing is to look for a way.
Did you come to that thought after overcoming some bump yourself? I like dancing very much and I've been dancing for a long time. It’s my 14th year, but I felt frustrated because there were kids around me who were really good besides them being much younger than me and their dance history being much shorter. That’s why I thought I should not only continue to hone one asset, but to have various assets other than dancing. Preparing and dragging yourself to stages that you can fight. Maybe even if I couldn’t beat this person in dancing, I might be able to win if I had some surplus other than dancing. I think that’s what made me forward-looking back then.
When being in front of a blocking wall, it’s easier said than done to change your way of thinking and seize positivity. There are also a lot of people who the moment they feel someone more talented close to them, the road to the top (starts to) feel troubling and they stop themselves from realizing their hidden potential. Observe other people and make them the source of your growth. He is always competing with his past self, and this continuous enthusiasm to continue to evolve even if it’s only a little bit more than yesterday might be what guides the current Kawashiri Ren.
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