[JO1] NUMÉRO 220512

https://numero.jp/interview310/p5

Interview with JO1’s Ohira Shosei - “11 people with strong individualities came together and pursue our very own expressions”

JO1 will release their 2nd album “KIZUNA”. The theme is the bonds you form with your friends after overcoming various hardships and challenges together. Along with the title track “With Us” there are 7 new songs, and a lot of songs from the 3rd to 5th single are also featured. Hence, we asked the member Ohira Shosei to explain the album. Furthermore, he reveals secret stories of the members, his thoughts on the 3rd year of the group and how he spends his private life!

I want you to see a JO1 that moves forward more aggressively

Please tell us more about the 2nd album “KIZUNA”.
The album contains a wide range of songs, such as mature songs and refreshing songs that we can express in our third year. In the album, there are songs in which we are never calming down, instead we go on and on more aggressively, and I think you can see a lot of different sides from us.

Is there a song you like?
It‘s “Walk It Like I Talk It”. There are also provocative lyrics such as “Go for it” which JO1 never had before. There are the lyrics “the stake that is pierced through / no one could hit it / they were looking up”, and we want to become “the stake that is pierced through” and we still have the desire to keep on going greedily.

What did you challenge in regard to rapping and singing this time?
In “Algorithm” I’m using a “shouting voice” and there is also a part when I’m screaming. I did that at a live concert before, but I hope you will pay attention to this.

What kind of feeling is included in the album for you?
The title is “KIZUNA” this time and it is an album that was prepared and created by all 11 members together including Sukai. Also, there is the gratitude of two years for JAM.

Speaking of JAM, last year in November you held your first live performance with an audience 2021 JO1 LIVE “OPEN THE DOOR”. It was the first time you met them face to face since your first fan meetings in January 2020.
I was really happy to be finally able to meet them. After two years of not being able to meet JAM, we have been preparing to show them the best possible performance possible when the time to meet has come. On these days, I was worried that such a wide venue would not be filled, but JAM sold it out. It was a bit hard to believe, but everyone was really there!

Also during the audition program, you said that you aim to become a performer because you enjoyed dancing in front of an audience.
During these two years, we gathered experience through music programs and live streams and even when there was no audience in front of us we did our best with the determination to turn the staff into our fans. But after all, the motivation is completely different when people are watching you. At “OPEN THE DOOR I truly felt that I had returned to the stage I loved. We still could not hear them or see their expressions because of the masks, yet the feelings of JAM reached us anyway. If the situation has become even better, I want to have even more concerts and I want to go and meet JAM worldwide.

The comments from overseas on YouTube and SNS are increasing, right?
I’m really happy that also during the online talk sessions foreign JAM try their best to talk in Japanese. We also have to work harder on studying foreign languages. I focus on studying Chinese, but the pronunciation is so difficult. I usually listen to Chinese HipHop and try my best to get a bit better.

Now in the third year, new challenges keep coming

JO1 is in their third year, and what is the current state of the group?
We have a bit more composure now and when we appear on a TV program, we know our positions such as who fools around and who recalls them, to make it funny. I’m in charge of being teased, so everyone teases me a lot.

So this is your “role”?
This is right. It is my role.

At “JO1’s All Night Nippon” Shiroiwa Ruki-san is the main personality with other members appearing every week and an enjoyable and chatting atmosphere is conveyed.
In the first year, there was surely a sense of us being honor students, but by living together our vibe gradually became the one of an all boys school.

Together with the same aged members Kimata Syoya-san, Kinjo Sukai-san and Tsurubo Shion-san you are called “S4”, right?
We simply get along. Both as S4 and as JO1 we are only complete if Sukai is there, so it feels like we are finally back together.

JO1 continues to take up new challenges in their 3rd year and in March you released “YOLO-konde” a collaboration song with Stray Kids-san. How do you feel about handling the make-up of the performance?
The concept had been “Circus” this time, so because there were 11 of us I thought of various make-ups such as the motif of Pierrots, rough or delicate images. I made samples for everyone and explained these to them. It was difficult but fun.

When you thought of the make up, what did you use as a reference?
It was the make up used in K-POP. Comebacks are made with new visuals fitting to the concept each time, so I diligently checked them. I always refer to Stray Kids-san in this regard and BIGBANG-san’s first comeback in 4 years was really cool, too. Because of the influence of my mom, I liked BIGBANG-san for a long time and I went to their lives often in the past.

Speaking of challenges, you experienced acting in JO1’s first drama “Short Program” and in the anime “Gunjou no Fanfare” you appear as a voice actor.
Getting into a role brings a different joy than when I express myself in JO1. Shinjo Kohei who I played in “Short Program” had something I could relate to, something different and gave me a new perspective on things. It is my second time as a voice actor and working with my voice is also fun. I like anime so much that I can say that when I am at home, I mostly watch anime. There are a lot of members who also like it.

Like Tsurubo-san, right? If you had to name one work of your life, what would it be?
Tsurubo is an anime-otaku and he likes anime that are a bit old, but I often watch more recent ones. If I had to choose one, I would say “To Aru Kagaku no Railgun”.

Other than anime, how do you enjoy your free time?
I often draw. I do it in a self taught manner, but when I get to the canvas it is the same feeling as if I immerse myself into cooking, and it’s really refreshing that I don’t even notice that it became late at night. I have a few pictures displayed in my room, but I just do it for myself so I don’t show them to anyone. Sometimes I draw on my bag, too, and actually use it. Once I can go freely abroad, I want to travel around European art museums and experience art there.

11 completely different individualities came together and create JO1’s new brilliance

What is something you want to challenge as a group or personally?
As a group it’s having a lot of concerts and meeting all JAM inside and outside of Japan. Letting more people know about us. Personally, this year Junki-kun appears on “Hangul! Navi” and I would like to do something similar in regard to Chinese.

And performances?
I have been dancing for a long time, but I’m still working hard to master what fits me and how to look better through trial and error. I still have a long way to go in regard to singing, so I’m learning it through listening and adopting what I consider good.

Are you the artisan type of person?
I personally think I am the passionate type. But the vocal teacher told me “I thought you might be the same passionate and excited type as Junki, but you are rather the logically thinking type like Ren-kun.” But Ren-kun’s and my personality are so different that it’s funny (laughs).

In the video in which you are dancing with the dancer and choreographer ReiNa-san, you can feel the individual dance styles of everyone.
That’s right. For example, my one is the new style hiphop, Ren-kun always had a neat style and Mame-chan dances in a 90s style. All JO1 members have different personalities and live our lives thinking that individuality is vital, so it’s amazing that we can match our dancing together just like this now. We worked hard on this.

11 individualities come together and create JO1’s very own colour. What are your future goals?
Last year, we acquired the skills to match the formation and angles, so this year’s performance will be surely better if we can use both the parts where everyone is uniformed and the solo parts where we express our individuality. Personally, in order to bring out my own colour more, I would like to emphasise more on my qualities. I hope to make the most of my strengths like cosmetics and Chinese and display my presence in the group, too. First of all, I want to give back to JAM who have always supported us while getting more people to know about us and we also hope to master singing, dancing and performing.