OWV, releasing new songs with the theme “a day in summer” “Broadening our image” - Interview -
The 4 member boy group OWV will release their 4th single “Get Away” on July 28th. The concept of this release is “a day in summer”, featuring M-1 “Get Away” being a summer song that you want to listen to at “midday” in summer, M-2 “twilight” being a mid-tempo ballad that makes you feel the “evening twilight” and M-3 “Bling Bling” being a dance song with the motive of a “tropical night” in which a low beat is distinct. At WEB The Television an interview with the members Honda Kosuke, Nakagawa Katsunari, Urano Shuta and Sano Fumiya was carried out. We asked about the highlights of the new songs and their feelings towards the fans after reaching one year since their formation.
Didn’t the songs become perfect for the summer this year?
The new song “Get Away” has quite a different image. Were you surprised? Kosuke & Katsunari: (at the same time) eh… Katsunari: I will go first. (Laughs) When I heard this refreshing track and the positive lyrics about “how to enjoy this summer” even in the corona pandemic, I thought it was the perfect song for this year.
Honda-san, what were you about to say? Kosuke: No, it’s the same as Katsu said. Until now a lot of OWV songs had a strong impact and a cool image. I thought that it’s nice to have a “summer song” like “Get Away” to broaden our image. When you change the sound, the way you sing also changes. Shuta: That’s right. We are singing it while valuing the tempo. I try not to forget the flow and the beat because if you sing it without losing the groove, you will sing too fast. Katsunari: It had a R’n’B like feeling, but at a good tempo… that’s what I said yesterday! (Laughs) Shuta: You got me (laughs) the hook is difficult. It’s easy to become light hearted. Katsunari: Ah, I thought so too. Shuta: Because if it’s too light hearted, it will become childish. So I try to bring out some deepness. What kind of feeling does the choreography have? Fumiya: From the melody you would think, it’s a free song, but it’s well choreographed until the end. Rather than just getting everyone together and showing a formation, it’s relaxed and easy going. I think we will have fun together during a live performance.“Crazy” is a unanimous vote…!
In the chorus there are the lyrics “Wild crazy sexy cool”, but I would like you to give each word to a member… Katsunari: Dividing those! Sounds fun. Kosuke: everything fits me~ what should we do? (Laughs) Let’s start with Honda-kun! Kosuke: Well, it can be only that. Katsunari: Eh, I wonder if that is okay? Kosuke: Could it be cute? Katsunari: No not that (laughs) I can’t choose between two options.Let’s go on 1,2. 1,2… Katsunari, Fumiya & Shuta: Wild! Katsunari: That was dangerous! Because I was thinking about Crazy, too. Kosuke: Wrong! Crazy is that guy (laughs) I am wild. Yes, because my catchphrase is wild & mild.
Let’s go with Crazy next. Kosuke: We can say this on the spot. 1,2! Kosuke, Katsunari & Fumiya: Urano! Shuta: This was a unanimous vote! Well, I’m not sexy. Katsunari: You are neither wild, sexy or cool (laughs) Fumiya : From now on you can go with “crazy yellow”. Shuta: I think of crazy in a good sense as I’m always having a good time and I’m someone hyper. Kosuke: You understand this in an instant. For the rest it‘s the same.
Sexy is…? Kosuke, Fumiya & Shuta: Nakagawa! Katsunari: Me? I thought it’s Fumiya. Thank you very much.
So, cool is… Kosuke: It’s Fumiya. It’s also reflected in his member colour. Katsunari: I see. Cool can also mean “ikemen” so I was thinking of that, too (laughs) Kosuke: So you thought that Fumiya was sexy and you were the cool = handsome one. You made a good ending (laughs)
You ended it (laughs) I would also like to ask you about the coupling songs. In “twilight” Sano-san’s singing sounds different, it is impressive. Fumiya : Is that so? It’s the first song that is so mellow and it was a challenge for me, too. That’s why I was somehow more anxious than normally. Until now, I used to sing using a lot of breath, but after consulting the members,too, I sang with my natural voice. Everyone told me “It’s good”, so I’m glad that I challenged it. Katsunari: Isn't the voice in your head and the one others hear different? Fumiya had been puzzled about this, but no matter how often I listened to it, it was really good, so I hope he would continue with this singing style. Fumiya : Y-yes (laughs)
“Also, “Bling Bling” is a song that has OWV’s king’s way. Fumiya & Kosuke: That’s right. Katsunari: We thought so, too. Fumiya : It’s the 4th single and I think it has sharpened OWV’s character even more. Kosuke: I absolutely agree. Fumiya : I feel like that gradually an unrefined power became clear. Katsunari: There is sexiness and matureness. These kinds of things gradually come out in the 4th single.
Well, the single “Get Away” is about “a day in summer” with three different kinds of songs, but please tell us your summer memories! Kosuke: What comes into my mind on the spot, is the summer last year. The shooting of our solo program “OWV road”. The 4 of us got into a small car and went on a drive which was a lot of fun. Fumiya : This has been fun~ In my case it’s something from long ago, from the time of my 3rd or 4th year of elementary school, but I won GariGari-kun ice 3 times in a row! TN: After eating the GariGari-kun ice, you are sometimes lucky to find a message on the stick that you get another one for free. Katsunari: That’s awesome! Fumiya : You won too often, you didn’t need a 4th one (laughs) Kosuke: Amazing~ A luxury problem. Fumiya : You should have told such an amazing story as a closing (laughs). During my middle school year, I went to see the fireworks with friends when something fell on my back. It moved a lot, so when I thought “What’s that?” and looked, it was a giant centipede! Well, it’s the worst memory. It was scary. It's been a trauma until now. Shuta: I don’t really have any summer memories… Because I never left the house in summer. The single one I have is a memory of an injury. With my father I went snorkeling, and I touched a beautiful fish right before me and when I got out of the sea, there were cuts in my fingers. It really hurt. So I put a sea plaster on it. Katsunari: What is a sea plaster? Shuta: A thick plaster so that no water reaches it. Katsunari: You lived for 24 years and that’s your only summer memory? (laughs) Shuta: I barely went out because I get a sunburn fast and in the summer holidays I studied everyday, so what I like since I was a child is to fill the bathtub with cold water and go into it with a swim ring and a plastic duck to get a taste of the summer feeling.A hard year for both us who let you wait and the ones who waited for us
Urano-san, please create wonderful summer memories this year (laughs) Well, one year has passed since the formation of OWV, what do you think about it? Kosuke: Rather than “it was fast”, it feels like “Already a year has passed.” There was nothing but new things and a lot of things we worried about… A year in which the challenging days piled up… It was an intense year.
You were worried? Kosuke: I wasn’t worried about my way of living as OWV, but it’s been a situation in which we couldn’t meet the fans, so with that in mind we members talked for a long time about our music, our performances, our concept while being worried. But it was also a time where we did a step up and when we learnt something.
How did your feelings regarding the fans change? Fumiya : At the live concert on April 11th, we were finally able to meet the fans, but until this point our performances and words only got out online. That’s why, I felt the simple gratitude of “I’m very sorry for letting you wait” and “It’s reassuring to know that in this situation where we are unable to meet, you stayed at our side until now, and thank you very much.” Because I think it’s been a hard year for both us who let you wait and for the people who waited for us.
But Honda-san cried during the live… Kosuke: I thought the same as the members, but after all, the feeling of “finally we see each other” was huge… There had been a lot of anger and stress because of Corona and it has been a hard world to live in, but I was thankful that we were able to do what we wanted to do. Like Sano said, the feeling of “being thankful” for the fans who waited for us the whole time, was pouring out of me and I was touched. Of course, there are still a lot of fans we weren’t able to meet yet, but I feel the same gratitude to the fans who cheer for us online and I want to meet them soon.
It’s been a hard year. For OWV various things piled up, but in this time, the SEASON2 of the program PRODUCE 101 JAPAN which led to OWV’s debut took place. Katsunari: Everyone was shining. Some of them overlapped with us back then. Kosuke: I also appeared in related programs, but when I saw the trainees I strongly felt “You have to do your best!”
Honda-san made the surprise announcement in the related program that INI’s Kimura Masaya-san had been his junior in school (laughs). Kosuke: Actually yes (laughs) Everyone didn’t say it, but there are quite the relations to the guys who appeared on SEASON2. People who have the same dream are connected.
For the trainees who didn’t become debut members, OWV’s hard working existence will give them hope. Kosuke: I would be happy about that.
Besides this, because there is the precedent of OWV, also the watchers can watch SEASON1 more comfortably. Kosuke: I’m happy if you think like this. But we hope rather than “OWV from PRODUCE 101 JAPAN” we hope that people will say “Those guys appeared on PRODUCE 101 JAPAN.”
In September you reach one year since the debut, but please tell us your goal for the second half this year. Kosuke: We want to do a tour. We can’t say it for sure because of the influence of Corona, but after all we want to have a tour. Shuta: Because there are a lot of regions where we couldn’t go! We want to see everyone soon!
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