[OWV] B-PASS 220326

OWV
You…
The new single “You” by OWV who celebrated their 2nd formation anniversary this spring has arrived. We asked about their first mid tempo ballad title track which depicts “beginnings” under the motive of budding buds. The 4 member’s gallant and warm singing encourages the listeners.

Finally there is the feeling that we moved a step forward to our ideal

Before we talk about your single “You”: Your oneman live “OWV ONEMAN LIVE 2022 -and I” has just finished, but if you look back at it, how was it? (The interview took place in mid-february)
Kosuke: It felt like we finally got close to the kind of live that we wanted to do. Until now, even though there were things that we wanted to do in our heads, our skills for those lacked so they were unreachable. But by making those things reality in this live, I felt like we finally took a step forward towards our ideal. Furthermore, we also felt frustrated as we had gotten Covid… Back then, we caused a lot of trouble for QWV. Once more, we also believed that we will work hard not to cause any trouble for them anymore.
Shuta: It was our first live show in 2022 as OWV, so I thought that we can’t corners for this, and we challenged it with the feeling that we will show everything we got right now. Because OWV is a “live artist” who can showcase our abilities the best at an live, we felt like this is something we could not compromise on.
Katsunari: I think we faced each content diligently and wanted to show what we are particular about. Especially because we were able to do a live that were satisfied with this time, next time, we want to make something that makes the people thig “This is even better than last time”. We want to make a live show that lets the online audience feel like they could spend a meaningful time (with us), too.
Shuta: And to sum up this talk…
Fumiya: Wait a second, I haven’t talked yet!
Shuta: You are right. I am sorry (laughs)
Fumiya: Also, I feel like Shuta is not in the position to sum up.
All: ahahaha!
Fumiya: All 4 members aim and want to do the same thing, but in this era where a lot of boy groups appear, we always discuss together how we differentiate ourselves. In this the group image to what we all aim for has solidified, so I think that’s why it became a live in which we could well show what we were going to do to achieve it.

What is this group image you are aiming for?
Fumiya: To say it ourselves is a bit embarrassing but… A group who has something like the 4 heavenly kings. A group in which one is the frontman and the others tow along might be also fine, but we said from the start that we want to aim to be a group in which each one of the four members is strong.
Katsunari: Groups with a lot of members can make their dance look better and more powerful, right? But I think there is a way of performing that only 4 members can do, and I want us to embody this.
Shuta: Yes. However when I first heard that we will be only 4 members, I was worried about the small number.

But now, I think you are showing what only the four of you can do, and OWV as anything other than these four members has become unthinkable.
Kosuke: I’m happy to hear this.

Let’s move to talking about the single. The lead track “You” is simply a super good song. I feel that it is a song with the perfect timing in various ways.
Shuta: To be honest, we thought of choosing a song that follows the previous OWV’s concept of strongly taking the victory this time, too. But there was the suggestion from the creator team “What if you challenged this song?”. We decided on this song, as our second year had started and we thought it would be good to show a new side of us. We believed that this song would be a good way to send our gratitude with a gentle message that is like an embrace “thank you for being at our side” .
Kosuke: The previous album “CHASER” was aggressive, so the suggestion was “How about showing that gap?”. Sure enough, we also anticipated how OWV would sing this song, and we were very curious about QWV’s response. The demo we listened to first was sung by a foreigner, so we also looked forward to how the song would be in Japanese.
Shuta: “You” did not become “anata”, right? (laughs)
Katsunari: Cause the (length of the) letters did not align, right? (laughs)

It is a mid tempo song, but very catchy.
Kosuke: That’s right! There had been other candidates, but “You” was stuck in our heads.
Shuta: When we listened to it after the Japanese lyrics were added, they just fell in place inside of me. Because they have the meaning that we will make a new start this spring and they have the feeling that a new OWV will be running through 2022… right?
Katsunari: That’s a comment that does not sound like someone who just tried to summarize everything (laughs)
Everyone: ahahaha
Katsunari: When I first heard the song, I thought that the track has a wide and inclusive sound. There is a floating feeling, so when I listened to it without paying much attention to the lyrics, a picture of cherry blossoms blooming on a warm day flooded in my mind and I thought it could be a positive song. But when I read the Japanese lyrics, there are lyrics with a nuance such as “I’m on the brim of expectation” or “I am holding on to this hint of a new beginning”, which changed my way of looking at the song completely.

Certainly, each one of those words contains a little bit of sadness, right?
Katsunari: That’s right. It also feels a bit mature.
Kosuke: It is lovely that the beginning of love is expressed by a budding bud. It is true that love starts that sudden. It made me remember that I was like this in high school too! I was in love!
Fumiya: Why are you saying cute things all of sudden? (laughs)

It is a love song with a story that reminds you of the past, isn’t it?
Kosuke: That’s right. OWV had love songs already before, but we have been often singing about our current feelings, so I feel that this time we took another step forward and through this song, we hope to express a lot of things.

I feel that we took another step forward this time

The MV has turned out very beautifully.
Shuta: In this MV there are a lot of scenes that focus on us individually. Also, as you said, it is simply very beautiful. The overall finish is mature.

This time you all tried acting, right?
Kosuke: You were holding flowers and staring at them.
Shuta: I pictured it in my head.

The beginning of love?
Shuta: Right. I remembered that kind of love.
Kosuke: Which one?
Shuta: I can’t say it~
Katsunari: No, you were never in love (laughs)
Shuta: I~ was~ so~ I ~ did~!

Thank you very much for your usual bickering (laughs). By the way, which member had good facial expressions?
Shuta: First Fumiya’s solo cut was filmed and it was wonderful. I think at first after not seeing the other member’s filming, it could be difficult to get a feeling of what the mood is like, but he has made some great facial expressions. They were melancholy and wonderful.
Kosuke: Shuta absolutely hates to be the first one.
Shuta: Because I’m the type of person who gets a feeling of the mood by watching others.
Katsunari: You are the type who learns from the mistakes of others.

It is the type of the youngest child in the family.
Shuta: Because I’m OWV’s strongest maknae! (laughs)

It’s a type of song you never had before as a title track, but is there a member who fits to the image of the song?
Kosuke: Fumiya's image is (strong) in the song. It’s also because of the dance, which starts this time with him.
Shuta: He looks down a little in the beginning.
Kosuke: Yes. The other three members come closer and express the petals. Fumiya also sings the hook part of the song, and the concept color of the song is peacock blue, so in this way he is the one who fits it the best in my opinion.
Katsunari: The song’s fluffy and dreamy feeling also fits well to Fumiya’s breathy voice.
Shuta: Yes! I thought so, too.
Fumiya: But I felt it fits Honda-kun.
Kosuke: …!
Shuta: Honda-kun seems happy. There is a small smile (laughs)
Fumiya: The part when Honda-kun sings in the beginning is very good. My voice tends to sound neutral for some reason. Hence, I hope to bring out a dependable and approachable vibe like Honda-kun has. Also, Katsu-kun, too.
Shuta: Hey you forgot someone important!
Katsunari: He seems happy to be teased (laughs)
Shuta: (embarrassed laughing)
Fumiya: No matter how hard I try it, I can’t bring out the same mood as Honda-kun or Katsu-kun, so I think they are amazing, and Shuta’s voice, whoich always comes out in full power in the chorus, is also really wonderful. I think Shuta’s and Katsu-kun’s voices shine in the chorus.

Once more, the individuality of you four has come forward, right?
Fumiya: Yes, I think so.

And, the two coupling songs are also wonderful. “Sound The Alarm” is a song that makes you feel the typical OWV so far.
Kosuke: Right! We thought about making it the lead track at first.
Shuta: You can also feel it in the terms of lyrics.
Kosuke: Yes. It also follows the flow of the previous OWV songs. But it is a song in which we dance like we never did before. We performed that song at the previous live, but there is no time in this song to pause for a second. We asked YORITO-san who had also done the choreo for “Bling Bling”, but this time we were told that we have to learn more than before.
Katsunari: It was really like they said. It was the hardest choreography.
Shuta: We said so for “Get Away” and “CHASER”, too, but each time the hardness level updates, doesn’t it?
Kosuke: But it really fit well. YORITO-san has a really gentle face, but what they do is incredible (laughs)
Katsunari: But you can feel that they have pride in their work and skills. I’m thankful for being able to experience such a high level of work, and I learnt from them.
Fumiya: It would have been no surprise if the song became the title track, but it was made the second song on purpose. The coupling song has no restrictions and it is a song with a tension that says “Go for it!”. It is also very fun to sing.

It is also great that in this song you sing messages such as “creating my own way” which reflects the group name or “the common is boring”.
Fumiya: It is great, isn’t it? Personally, I want to keep on performing this song.
Kosuke: There is also a lot of rap and it is really cool, so I am really looking forward to it improving us at lives.
Katsunari: It has THAT’S OWV feeling, right?
Fumiya: Because the single before “You”, “Get Away” as the “opposite OWV”.

Next up is “TALK TALK TALK”. This is another highly addictive song.
Shuta: It is one that shines at lives, right? We can also wave the penlights together.
Kosuke: That’s why we performed it as the last song of the encore at the live this time.
Shuta: It can bring a smile to everyone’s faces, right?
Kosuke: Yes. It is a song I want to sing with everyone, once the fans can shout again.
Shuta: At the end of the live, I called “Let’s TALK in our hearts” for this song but… Could you hear it?
Kosuke: Hm, were these words something important?
Shuta: Those were the words straight from my heart!
Katsunari: I thought you were just trying to make them laugh.
Fumiya: You said it at the very last moment, didn’t you?
Shuta: Yes, I took my time (laughs). I was so frustrated that I could not talk to everyone in the venue. Thus, I said “Let’s TALK in our hearts” and hoped that the feelings would reach QWV but… They barely noticed.
Kosuke: They did. I think that QWV might have understood it even if you had not said it and you can talk in your hearts!
Fumiya: I thought that if we sing this song, this will be conveyed (laughs).
Katsunari: The aesthetic of not saying anything.
Shuta: But there are also things that can’t be conveyed when you don’t say them! If you don’t say you like something, this can’t be conveyed!

I want to continue to release OWV songs first and foremost.

That’s right. Let’s talk more and more (laughs)
Fumiya: We often think of lives first, so also for the songs we place an emphasis on how we can entertain QWV at lives. In this song there is the impression of something fading out in the end. This was done with the intent of adding the nuance that this moment should continue forever.
Shuta: There is a lingering feeling, right? It is another song I want to cherish at lives.

Besides that there are still restrictions, it is becoming gradually more able to hold live performances with an audience.
Kosuke: That’s right. We are thankful for this. Once we can tour the whole country, I want to have a much longer tour.

Also when this time comes, it would be good to have of course a growing stock of songs that can charm with their performances and that shine at lives.
Katsunari: I agree. Because it is surely better to have a lot of different songs.
Fumiya: However, I feel that it is different from doing too many different things and becoming a jack of all trades and master of none in the end.
Shuta: I want to continue singing songs that make the listeners aware of OWV’s key point. That’s why I want to continue to sing a lot of songs like the coupling track “Sound The Alarm”.
Fumiya: Yes. That’s something I want to keep in mind in our second year.

So, is there anything you want to start or challenge as a group this spring?
Kosuke: I would like to step up by having lives at even bigger venues. I have started to think more about what we need to do to achieve this. As a goal for 2022, I want to make it important that as many people as possible listen to OWV’s songs and see our performances. I want to do my best to challenge a lot of things so that people will know about OWV’s charms.
Shuta: OWV has a lot of good songs, even when I listen to them myself. That’s why I want to continue to release OWV songs first and foremost.

Earlier you mentioned that in this era the boy groups are increasing, but once big events can be held again, it is likely that there will be more interactions between you and these groups, right?
Shuta: That’s right. We want to be a group that leaves the other groups speechless.

Also, is there anything you want to do in private?
Shuta: Don’t you want to go and see the cherry blossoms together?
Kosuke: I want to do Hanami. If it wasn’t for Covid, I would want to do it.
Shuta: We could also drink a bit.
Katsunari: You can’t drink.
Shuta: That’s right however (laughs) We lay out a blanket and joke around that if we can catch a falling petal with our left hand, our wishes will come true!
Fumiya: Can I just request a location?
Katsunari: Your mother can make us bentos
Shuta: Why? (laughs)
Kosuke: Because she can handle mornings better than anyone else?
Shuta: You don’t have to ask my mother, I will make bentos for you!

You seem happy somehow (laughs)
Shuta: Cause I’m the type who works hard when I get asked for something~ Katsunari: Ah, also back to the group talk, but I want to go and perform at school festivals. When I was a student, a rapper came and it was really exciting. Since I saw this, I want to appear as a guest of a school festival after becoming an artist myself.
Kosuke: It seems exciting when an artist comes. It could be awesome at a boy’s school.
Shuta: It would surely be exciting when the audience can cheer again! Wild voice will sound, I think?
Kosuke: We want to become an artist who is not just loved by guys, but also by girls and older people, right?

Sano-kun, do you have something you want to do this spring?
Fumiya: hm… preventing hay fever!
Everyone: ahahaha!
Shuta: This is important! (laughs)

In the morning
In relation to the coupling song “Sound The Alarm”, how do the four spend their mornings?

Everyone, can you handle mornings well?
Shuta: Fumiya is weak in the morning, right?
Fumiya: Yes. Honda-kun and Katsu-kun seem to sleep at noon.
Kosuke: Because I’m the type who gets lively at night.
Katsunari: I get it. It’s absolutely like this.
Fumiya: I’m fine once I wake up however…
Shuta: I’m strong in the morning! When there is a schedule where we sleep in the hotel, Fumiya leaves the hotel door open. So, I wake him up in the morning. Last time, I also went to his room right at 6 am. Then, he looked at the time and said “ah, okay”, so I went back to my room. And, around the meeting time at 7 am, I went to check on him again, and he was sleeping! This guy!!

Ah, he slept a second time…
Fumiya: I already left the morning completely to him…
Shuta: I seem to be like his snooze function.

I see, it’s Urano-kun himself (laughs)
Fumiya: That’s why, well, I don’t even set an alarm at such times. I don’t wake up anyway.
Kosuke & Katsunari: hey hey hey
Fumiya: That’s why I’m using a very loud alarm clock at home. Most likely you can even hear it in the next two houses, too (laughs)
Katsunari: Isn’t it super stressful? (laughs)
Kosuke: Shuta still lives at home and his family wakes him up, right?
Fumiya: I guess with a kiss from his mother.
Shuta: No, there are no such Cinderella-like things!
Katsunari: …. but that’s Snowwhite?
Everyone: ahahaha
Shuta: Stop it, it’s embarrassing! (laughs)
Kosuke: They never failed to wake you up?
Shuta: It happened that I forgot to tell them when I have to wake up however

So that means they wake you up?
Kosuke, Katsunari & Fumiya: Ah!
Shuta: No, it’s different! I just tell them just in case!
Katsunari: If you start to be super late once you live alone, it will mean that it was just because of your mother.
Fumiya: If this happens, I will give you my alarm clock as a moving gift (laughs)

Ahahaha. How do you wake up when you are sleepy?
Katsunari: I will wake up for sure when I take a shower.
Kosuke: Right. But I sometimes fall asleep, too, while showering.
Shuta: That’s how sleepy you are (laughs)
Kosuke: These two (Fumiya & Shuta) are always awake.
Katsunari: They are always talking, even in the car.
Shuta: There are episodes we haven’t talked about yet. And if there is something interesting, we will talk about it in interviews like this.
Fumiya: This is just us adjusting the stories (laughs)
Shuta: Right. We even talk when we meet at 5 am (laughs)