Vol. 1 - JO1‘s REAL With the momentum of their previous release “CHALLENGER”, JO1 unleash their 4th single “STRANGER”. The simple truth about them who are going back and forth between dream and reality = REAL. All together there will be 2 interviews and in Vol.1 there are Ohira Shosei, Tsurubo Shion, Kawashiri Ren, Kono Junki & Shiroiwa Ruki.
The lead track REAL of the new single is about the things you have dreamed of becoming “real”. Naturally, the lyrics of the song are impressive as they are about the JO1 members. When you listened to the song for the first time, what did you feel? Ren: I really like the lyrics “There is no dream, so real” in the chorus. This job that I dreamed of is no dream anymore and I’m really thankful that I can do this for real. Also, I hope that this time we can give dreams to a lot of people, that’s what I thought once again when I saw these lyrics. Junki: Just like Ren-kun said, but to say it differently we are still in the middle of working hard on holding up our own high goals as JO1. After listening to the song, the things we have dreamed of, we are going to change them from dream to real. I strongly feel that I really want to do what is sung about in the song. Ruki: We have been active as JO1 for more than 1 and half year, but I still get surprised when I see magazines with us on the cover in the konbini or when I see a member appearing on TV. Yet when we listened to this “REAL”, even we felt that dreams can turn into reality. It reminds me of a lot that we came across on our way to here.
It’s been a turbulent 1, 2 years for everyone. Ruki: The change was too huge and there are still things I’m not comfortable with however (laughs) But I think there are a lot of JAM who listen to this song and work hard towards something with us together, so I think it became a song that can give those people supportive push forward. Shosei: I think it’s a song that represents JO1’s current state and all JAM supporting us. Shion: My very first impression was that there is a lot of rapping. Junki: You said that (laughs) Shion: But I feel like it’s a song that I liked more each time I listen to it. What is the reason for this? Shion: I wonder why… Practising it became more and more fun. There is the image of a blazing fire becoming bigger, so I want JAM to hear it first. Ren: When you hear it, it will surely be conveyed, right? I’ve heard there is also a part where the members dance in pairs. Ren: That’s right. The hugging choreography where two members form a set, is for example an expression of your current self and the still unknown self. Also, the beginning of the song is started by just Takumi and Mame. It is the first time that not everyone is starting it, so I think that was an interesting challenge, too. Junki: At the time of this interview, we also haven’t watched the finished video yet, but I’m really looking forward to the MV of this song. We were already saying how good it was when we watched each shot. Ren: Also in the MV an unknown world is portrayed and water and fire exist at the same time… Ruki: In the same room there are 3 Shions. Ren: The impossible world, the unknown world were captured in a very beautiful footage. Is there something that left an impression on you at the MV shooting? Shosei: There was a stage over a water surface, but there has been a bridge made for us so that we can go there and the elaborate set left an impression. Also, the scene when Ren walks surrounded by fire which is seens in the teaser, is also amazing. Ren: It was amazingly hot? (laughs) Junki: But when I was about to cross the bridge to get to the stage, some members got carried away and tried to jump over it… These members were Shion, Keigo and Ruki! (laughs) Shion: We all slipped and fell (laughs) Junki: But the most weird one might have been Keigo. During the break he suddenly lifted up the mirror ball that had been at the set and talked like Sazae-san. (laughs) Ruki: That had been really funny Shosei: It was crazy (laughs) Ruki: When we entered the stage, Keigo didn’t realise there had been water, and said “is the shooting starting?” and ran on it at full speed (laughs) Ren: Keigo is crazy. He has to go back to “real” soon (laughs) Junki: Keigo back then had completely gone somewhere (laughs) Next I would like to ask about the songs other than the lead track and we have 5 songs, so we have one song each? Shosei: Well, I start with “Freedom”. It’s the theme song for the perfume “LIBRE'' from YSL Beauty. The result is very elegant. It fits perfectly to the image of YSL BEAUTY and it’s a song that has a new kind of sexy for us. I think everyone can imitate the choreography of the chorus “My freedom, freedom”, so please pay attention to it. The choreography of this song has the most formation movements in JO1’s history. Ren: True, everyone is running around (laughs). Both the title of the song and the name of the perfume “LIBRE” is “Freedom”. That’s why I feel like we are running around freely. Junki: There are also some free movements. Right, Ruki? Ruki: Ah~ At the beginning of “Freedom”, I’m the one who leads everyone in a line, but there was no specific choreography and I thought I could do it freely. That’s why because it’s a song for a perfume, I made the gesture of sniffing my wrist. It became a really good shot, but… it’s wasn’t used (laughs) Ren: The staff is also free~ (laughs) Ruki: I’ve said that, too. When I saw the finished MV, I thought it’s quite free (laughs) I was rather confident about it… Shosei: It means that Ruki-kun can’t show this sexiness yet (laughs) Ruki: This me will introduce “Dreaming Night”. This song is just cheerful. I think there will be a lot of people smiling, of course us who sing and also the people who watch it. After watching the already released practise video, everyone imitated it which made me happy and it’s cute. Junki: We are also dancing and enjoying it. Ruki: It’s a bright and cheerful song, so I hope you will listen to it a lot. Which one will be introduced next? Junki: I’m next. It’s “Blooming Again”. This song is a ballad in which everyone can enjoy JO1’s soulful singing. It’S a really beautiful melody and when I listened to it for the first time, I was moved to tears. I hope everyone listens to it and it’s a song I’m confident about. My recommended part is the instrumental melody at the end of the chorus. I really like it. Shion: That’s divine. Junki: It cleans your soul. I would be happy that when you listen to this song, it makes you take one step more and bloom again. Only two songs are left. Kawashiri-san and Tsurubo-san, what do you think? Ren: “STAY” is a summer song with a refreshing and slightly nostalgic feeling that reminds you of the summer. Personally, (I feel like) finally such a summerish song has come. It’s a bittersweet concept of wanting to capture and preserve this moment in a photo, isn’t it? We will also release the first MV made by the members “STAY MV [SUMMER VER.]”, so I think this summer will be really fun! I’m looking forward to this. Tsurubo-san, please introduce “ICARUS”. Shion: The highlight of the song is that it is the answer song to “MONSTER” that was featured on our first album. but if JAM voted for their favorite JO1 song, it would surely be one of the top places. What I want you to pay attention to in the choreography is when Ren is lifted up! I hope you will watch it because it’s a faithful reproduction of the lyrics. Ren: There is a Greek myth of Icarus, isn’t it? According to my research, it’s about a boy who wants to reach the sun and when he becomes an adult he works hard to create wings out of ? and finally has the means to go to the sun, but when he gets too close to the sun, his wings melt and he drops down… I wanted to express this fleeting feeling and originally there wasn’t this choreography, but I requested to put in the movement where I was lifted upwards. It is possible to change the choreography on your own? Junki: No, we had quite the discussions about that. It was like We want this, no, we can’t change it on our own. That’s how it happened. Also, the ones supporting Ren are me, Shion, Syoya and Ruki! Ren: I’m sorry! But really, we make it happy because of everyone’s hard work. Ruki: Basically, Shion is always supporting. At the beginning of “ICARUS” when Takumi is lifted, he supports and also when Takumi is lifted in “Dreaming Night”. Junki: Sukai and Shion, right? Shosei: They are really working hard. Shion: I got the perfect attendance award. But I’m not that happy about it (laughs). Ruki: One day I want to lift Shion. In reference to the lead track “REAL”, please tell us about a place, a person or a situation wheneveryone shows their "real'" self! Shion: I show it pretty much always and everywhere. Ren: Shion is always like this. Ruki: I don’t know about me, but Shosei had a kinda scary story recently. Shosei: Why this!? (laughs) But it was really scary! Ruki: Some time ago, Shosei’s mother came to stay overnight. So I said “It’s nice that your mother comes”, but Shosei said “I wish she would return home soon”. But our mothers communicate with each other on LINE. From my mother I’ve heard that if Shosei had to live separately from the members, he said that he wanted to leave with his mother. I was surprised because it was right the opposite of what I heard…. Like which one is the real Shosei? Shion: Okay, let’s get this straight. The one shown to us is the real one, right? Shosei: No, of course the one I show to my mother. Ren: He is a bit smug with us. Junki: So cute (laughs) Shosei: It’s scary because it’s something I wasn’t aware of at all (laughs) Do you know anything else? Either about yourself or the other members. Ren: It was when I played games with Junki in Sho-kun’s room. I felt like we just played games without thinking about anything. Junki: That’s right. You could hear his fighting spirit coming out or rather his rarely heard “ta~noshi~ (so~ fun~) (laughs). Ruki: When JO1 go into Sho-kun’s room, they turn into beats! Before we moved, I lived in the room above Sho’s one, but for some time in the middle of the night I often heard suddenly a “waaaaah” (laughs) Junki: Speaking of this, it’s something I heard from Sukai, but when we suddenly got off the next day, in the moment that message came, he could loudly hear Ruki’s scream from the room next door (laughs) Ruki: That’s Sukai exaggerating a bit, really! Junki: Normally Ruki is quiet, but that’s actually the real Shiroiwa Ruki. (laughs) What do you think of the real side of Kono-san and Tsurubo-san? Junki: Shion might be the only one in JO1 who can always show his natural self. Shosei: It’s not that he is not nervous. But what surprised me a lot was some time ago at the YSL event while there were a lot of reporters and important people, he said 3+3=8 (laughs). Junki: We were prepared that Shion might say something. That’s why it was like , yes, he said it-! Wait wait!? (laughs) Ruki: But that wasn’t real, but a slip (laughs) Shion: I’m sorry! Ruki: No, it’s also the fault of us who couldn’t follow (laughs) Ren: Indeed! Have you been able to show your real self always and everywhere since the past, Tsurubo-san? Shion: No, when my debut has been decided, I was told by my friends that I have to be silly. At that time, I thought I can’t do do it, but when I tried it a bit once, it became my second nature (laughs) Ren, Junki, Ruki & Shosei: hahaha! Shion: It might be impossible now not to be silly (laughs). But Junki-kun is also quite real? Ren: No, he is surprisingly not. Junki: I also don’t know my real self… I think I’m the most real when I enter my room. Ruki: That underground kingdom? Junki: Don’t say underground kingdom (laughs) Ruki: I went into his room once, but all the laundry was hanging and it was really dark, so it was like someone living underground (laughs) Junki: Hey! It’s because there is good indirect lightning (laughs) But, yes, indeed, I’m the most relaxed in this underground kingdom (laughs). Ruki: Thus, you seem always excited, but you are quite the thinker and you are not that intense. I guess surprisingly you are the type of person who has quite the gap with your character. Junki: That’s right. Nevertheless, I’m not saying I’m not real when I try to raise the tension… After all, I don’t get myself (laughs)
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