First of all, I would like to start with looking back. If you could express 2020 in one world, what would it be? Shuta: It’s “close”! I’m talking like (Koike) Yuriko...(laughs) TN: Koike Yuriko is the Governor of Tokyo Katsunari: You called her by her first name -laughs- Shuta: By having to adopt social distancing, on the contrary the distance between hearts of the members became smaller. During the self restraint period, we communicated via phone or games, and OWV’s relationship became more close. Fumiya: For me it’s “color”. I think that both as a group and as an individual, each one’s colour has taken a root. It’s not completed yet, but the direction of OWV has been decided.
What do you think, Honda-san? Kosuke: “Progress.” Because we made progress and it was a year in which we earnestly faced our way. I feel that 2020 became a year of making progress with preparations for the next one. Shuta: I’m excited for Katsu-kun’s interesting answer... Katsunari: It’s “breaking”. We debuted with “UBA UBA” and in 2021, first of all, there is the resolution of “breaking the shell even more” in “Ready Set Go”. Kosuke: A really good choice -laughs- Katsunari:: Also, I feel like it was a year in which I was able to break my own shell. From the first glance, I’m often told that I’m “cool”, but my real me is quite the playful type. I’m starting to let my guard down towards the people around me. Shuta: He became more frank than before.
On December 24th you released your first photobook “Asphalt”. Katsunari: It became a book that is able to show our real selves and the us which has taken a different route in life. Shuta: The two covers also show different sides. The Amazon limited one is a bit wild. Katsunari: That’s the usual impression of OWV. Shuta: The normal one has the natural OWV, right? Kosuke: The me on the cliff -laughs- Fumiya: The one who says “Sousuke, I like you~” -laughs- When you look at the boy group scene, OWV might fit into the adult category, but we are still in our early 20s. When you look at the whole world, we are still young. That youthful us, the adult us, both is included in the same time. TN: They both made a reference to the Ghibli movie “Ponyo” because the original name is “Ponyo on the cliff” and Kosuke has red hair like the main character Ponyo Shuta: To introduce OWV, the first photobook is perfect!
On January 20th, you will finally release your 2nd single “Ready Set Go”. Katsunari: There will be 3 songs which were selected from 20 candidates. It was smooth until it was narrowed down to these 3 songs, but we struggled choosing the title song. Kosuke: It was decided that we will do a “sexy” and “adult-ish” concept, but because the 3 songs all have a different charm. No matter which song we choose, it wasn’t strange (all songs would have fit as the title track)
The lyrics for “Ready Set Go are also amorous, aren’t they. There is “an unheard of kiss” which made me think “what’s that?”. Kosuke: That also became a killer word for us. Shuta: We imagined that -laughs- Kosuke: We are in the middle of imagining that... I think part of the charm is that in the overall sexy lyrics there are words included that have such an impact.
It‘s exciting that the song starts with a quite high tone. Katsunari: That is the main reason why “Ready Set Go” became the title song. The key and the melody are good~ Kosuke: As a result, it became a song that showcases our strengths. Katsunari: Because “UBA UBA” had a “cool OWV” concept, there were a lot parts that were highlighted by the performance, but this time we hope that we can draw out a new charm. Even in the MV you can look for sexy dancing and expressions, so please pay attention to this while watching.
The lyrics of “Na Na Na” seem hard to memorise. Katsunari: It’s a song that gave me quite the hard time during recording. There are a lot of raps and it’s almost all in English. This time we recorded while inviting a native speaker who taught us how to sing. Because we worked it out quite stoical, the quality of the songs should be higher than last time.
What’s your favourite point? Katsunari: Towards the end, when Honda-kun and Fumiya sing over another. Kosuke: That, I like it too. Katsunari: The line distribution that wasn’t used before became a charm of the song. Shuta’s main vocals, needless to say... Shuta: Thank you very much for thinking of me -laughs-
The lyrics of “Scattered” are also quite good. Shuta: When we listened to it for the first time, the lyrics were in English. By the way, after the lyrics were translated to Japanese, it seems like it became Katsu-kun’s favourite song -laughs- Katsunari: Shouldn’t it be me who says that? -laughs- I thought it’s a song that became even more attractive by making the lyrics in Japanese. To say it myself again -laughs- that’s how good the lyrics are.
“Latte that was passed on by mouth” made me worked up. Kosuke: Those lyrics have a similar impact as “an unheard of kiss”. Shuta: “Ready Set Go” is the confidence from the guy’s side, but “Scattered” is the opposite. It was completed as a work that can give you a taste of aggressive OWV and the passively waiting OWV. Fumiya: During “UBA UBA”, the sexiness that makes OWV was intentionally excluded. That’s why this time, we return to our origin. From now on we will express the things that we want to represent. Kosuke: “Intentionally excluded” means that Fumiya didn’t try to be sexy, but it leaked out anyway. Fumiya: I can fix this. Because I can control my sexiness -laughs-
The concept of “Ready Set Go” is 色気 (sexiness/charm/desire), but what is sexiness to begin with? Fumiya: “Sexiness” and “sexy”, the perception can change, right? Katsunari: I get that. Fumiya: Shuta might not get it... Shuta: I get that! I understand it! Absolutely! Katsunari: It’s like abstract or concrete... Shuta: Sexy is abstract and sexiness is concrete, isn’t it? Fumiya: Sexy is stylish. Katsunari (while high fiving Fumiya): That’s it! Shuta: Sexiness is kinda nouen. Kosuke: Isn’t it youen (fascinating)? Nouen (farm) is where you make milk... Shuta: Sorry...
-laughs- What do you think is a requirement for someone to have sexiness? Fumiya: Something like they have calmness... isn’t it that? Shuta: Like people who have composure? Kosuke: Well, then Shuta is the absolute opposite -laughs- Katsunari: He’s loud in the daily life and walks fast and such. Shuta: It’s that time again! By the time we succeed, I will have composure... Kosuke: Shuta, we were asked about right now. Fumiya: When he is about 40 years old, his naturalness and sexiness will come out for sure -laughs- Kosuke: People who shed a lot of tears might be sexy. It’s not the tears that you show to people, but the big number of tears that you shed in your heart. I think by the tears you shed, you can polish your heart and it make you sexy.
This will be the last one, but what kind of year do you want to make in 2021? Katsunari: I want to make it a year in which we will become a group that my siblings, my friends and my fans can be proud of supporting. Shuta: I want to increase the opportunities to meet the fans directly in 2021. Because in 2020 due the influence of corona, we could barely stand in front of people. Of course, I also want to increase the opportunities for people to see us in media or social media, and I want to bring happiness to a lot of people. Fumiya: Next year I also want to go to the regions (places other than Tokyo). I’m from a lightly populated area in Yamanashi, so I would like to tell a boy who dreams in the countryside like I used to, that “dreams come true”. Kosuke: Because 2020 was the year of the debut, I want to make 2021 a year for everyone to know about OWV. “Ready Set Go” is the start dash and I would like to continue to dash forward! The aim is placing first in Oricon and Billboard! I want to make a 2021 in which we connect it to our goal of reaching the Budokan.
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