[OWV] Web The Television 211013

https://thetv.jp/news/detail/1052678/
https://thetv.jp/news/detail/1053568/

OWV are releasing their long awaited 1st album! “It became a good work of which I hope that it makes a lot of people get to know OWV!” (First part of the interview)

OWV, made of former “PRODUCE 101 JAPAN” trainees, reached their 1st anniversary and released their 1st album. This time we asked the members about what feelings are included in the album and what you should pay attention to.

Honda: “We have been working on the album CHASER for the past year.”

It’s been 1 year since your debut. As an artist releasing an album is a dream, but do you feel like a dream has come true?
Kosuke: I’m thankful that we can release our album in time for the 1st anniversary. At OWV 1st Anniversary Talk & Live “AWAKE” in April we already performed “My Flow” and “5th season” which are featured on the album and since then we have been preparing by deciding on single releases and writing songs.
The album CHASER was created with the theme of our path in this one year. I do feel that this album advanced together with our growth and that it’s an album that moved forward during this year. Hence, it’s really a blessing that we can release it in time for the 1st anniversary. It became a good work of which I hope a lot of people get to know OWV.

The lead track is named “CHASER” just like the album. From the intro I had the impression that it’s dramatic and an opening like the movie “Avengers”.
Kosuke: I’m happy to hear that. For each release the staff asks us “What kind of song do you want to do?” , so we strongly kept in mind that the first song had a grand theme and there was the image of “the beginning of a movie”.
Shuta: Yes, we certainly put emphasis on the intro.

Sano: I feel like that the range of expressing myself has widened.

In general there is a solemn mood, but Urano-san’s vocals were like a beacon of hope in this.
Shuta: Oh! I was entrusted with important parts before and after the chorus, but it was a good tempo and it felt easy to sing, so I think I was able to show my colour.

Honda-san, Nakagawa-san and Sano-san have a lot of melodic rap parts.
Fumiya: In the 3 new songs of the album, including CHASER itself, there are a lot of rap parts. I was conscious of using my voice in two ways, a neutral one and one with an impact while rapping. My singing parts have increased, so I feel like the range of expressing myself has widened.
Katsunari: In CHASER there are a lot of low tone parts, so I was conscious to fit my voice, my intonation and melody to the lyrics which was quite difficult.
Kosuke: I also had a lot of low parts and I was entrusted with parts that became the killing parts of the songs, so I sang while keeping this in mind. What was hard was the English lyrics. I practised those while Katsu taught me English. But these lyrics have an important meaning, so yes I tried my best.

Speaking of the lyrics, it seems like there are some Easter eggs in them.
Katsunari: That’s right. Try to find out yourself what kind of Easter eggs are there.

One of those, the word OWV is hidden in the lyrics, so we move to The Television’s common corner. So please make a composition with OWV (oubu).
Everyone: Finally—!
Fumiya: (on the spot) I’m done! I was never hit by my father.
O= otou-san - father u=uchi - me bu= butareta - hit
Katsunari: Eh? Gundam? The female character Amuro?
TN: Apparently, Fumiya’s composition is a famous quote by her
The rest: Hahaha (break out laughing)
Kosuke: I go next.
Do you know the group OWV? They debuted with UBA UBA. They seem to go to the Budokan.
O=OWV, U= UBA UBA, Bu=Budokan
The rest: oh—! (clap)
Shuta: That’s our leader! You summed it beautifully. (while saying this he and Sano still laughed)
Katsunari: I’m done!
(While looking at Urano) OWV’s noise has no brake!
O=OWV, U=urasasa - noise, bu=bureeki -brake
Kosuke: (laughs) Just like now! Shuta, you are under pressure as the last one.
Shuta: I’ve made something really cool. Something that makes your heart skip a beat like in Shojo manga. (Goes into it and acts cool)
That funny guy, he doesn’t say annoying things, that’s the flawless me.
O=omoshiroi - funny, u=urusai - annoying , bu=bunan - flawless
Kosuke: Oh—! That was good. (Claps) You overcame the hurdle.
Shuta: It’s “Don’t hesitate, it’s me”
Katsunari: It’s amazing that you can say it without being embarrassed. I want the readers to listen to this (laughs)

Thank you very much for your masterpieces. The Budokan is the goal you set when you debuted, isn’t it?
Kosuke: Yes. Right now it’s a period when it’s hard to have lives, so I can’t clearly say “by when” but we absolutely want to archive it. I hope you will wait a little longer for this. We will work hard in our 2nd year so that we can announce “We will play at the Budokan!” soon!

Revealing the feelings in OWV’s 1st album! “The strong wish of “Come with us” is included” (2nd part of the interview)

Nakagawa: “It was a real blessing to sing while seeing the faces of all the fans”

Last time we talked about the album title track “CHASER”. This time please tell us about your favourite song from “CHASER”.
Kosuke: For me it’s the first song “CHASER”. It’s a song that conveys the essence of OWV without a blur. In “CHASER”, there is the will to “chase the ones above us and to surpass them” and “Dream CHASER”, the strong wish of “come with us” as “CHASER” that we lead until the victory (the moment or place where the dream comes true) is included and the lyrics reflect this.That’s exactly the song that reflects OWV.
Fumiya: I like the 8th song “Question”. It’s a song that reflects once more on our worries and conflicts in this one year. The worries and conflicts are our background of us who appeared in an audition program and that because of the corona pandemic we weren’t able to be as active as we imagined… I think it’s a song that has a message that combines all these things.
Katsunari: I like the 10th song “Fifth Season”. I really like the title. There are only 4 seasons, but if you created a 5th one… wouldn’ that be lovely? We performed this song for the first time at OWV 1st Anniversary Talk & Live “AWAKE”. We sang it while feeling like that being in the same room as the fans is like a 5th season and it’s a song with a strong feeling.

What did you feel when you performed it for the first time at the live?
Katsunari: I sang it while thinking “I want to impress them!”, but I wondered whether I’ve been able to do so? When I’m singing it, it feels right. After all, it’s a real blessing to sing it while seeing the faces of all the fans. In the case of OWV, there are a lot of dance songs and to sing a song, while standing that calmly, might feel a bit weird, but I really like it.
Shuta: For me it’s the 3rd song “My Flow”. Just like “Fifth Season” we performed it for the first time at OWV 1st Anniversary Talk & Live “AWAKE”. We sang it at the live and we were able to feel the response. The lyrics are intense and strong, and the beat is really cool. Moreover, with the “LaLaLa'' and “NaNaNa” in the chorus, we can get lively with everyone. I think it’s a song that makes both us and everyone else excited.

Urano: “I was happy we were able to work together with a choreographer from our generation”.

The choreography was made by ReiNa-san who also worked on NCT U’s “Make A Wish (Birthday Song)”. I was surprised that she is only 19 years old.
Shuta: She is an amazing talent who is from the same generation as us, but active world wide. I was happy we were able to work together with a choreographer from our generation.
Kosuke: She is a dancer who carries the next generation on her shoulders, isn’t she? We asked her with the idea that the next generation of artists, we want to create this generation together.

What was your impression when you first saw the choreography?
Shuta: I thought it was going to be difficult because of the groove. During the first lesson, ReiNa-san taught the steps and isolations first, but her iconic swag is difficult and I didn’t know how to handle it. Honda-kun and Fumiya could do it on the spot.
Fumiya: But the swag is indeed difficult. As someone with a small stature, too, I learned from ReiNa’s dynamic and explosive passion that comes from her small body.

Honda: “We want to establish the artist image called OWV”

As the 6th song, the new song “Slam Dog” is featured. “Dog= a metaphor for OWV”, so we move to The Television’s regular unpredictable corner (laughs). Please compare the members with dog breeds.
Everyone: Again, it came --!
Kosuke: Shuta is like a Toy Poodle. Noisy and cute.
Shuta: Please write down “Shuta did a sly pose” (laughs)
Fumiya: Aren’t Shuta and Katsu-kun some kind of long and slim dogs?
Katsunari: A Barsoi! Aren’t they like Shuta? (laughs)
Shuta: The style is good, but their eyes are scary~
Katsunari: I’m a Golden Retriever.
Kosuke: Their image is huge and they take it easy (laughs)
Katsunari: That’s what you think (laughs)
Kosuke: Fumiya is that black one. That police dog. A Doberman!
Katsunari: This fits--!
Shuta: Fumiya has the Shiba Inu Ren-kun, so a Shiba Inu might fit too.
Kosuke: I’m a Toy Poodle, right?
Shuta: Absolutely not~ (laughs)
Fumiya: Aren’t you a German Shepherd?
Kouske: I might be a shepherd in the eyes of the public, but in my heart I’m a toy poodle (laughs).
The Rest: ahaha (break out in laughing)

Along with this album, OWV’s second year has started, but please tell us about your aim for the second year.
Kosuke: The aim for 2021 is “to be known by a lot of people”. In such a year we were able to release an album. Until now we are introduced as “former trainees of ‘PRODUCE 101 JAPAN’ ”. but I hope people will recognise us just by the name OWV.
For this we want to be united and raise our group strength more. Perform more lives and be more creative. And, more and more discipline and we want to establish the artist image called OWV. At the same time, I hope that it’s a year in which each one of us can make rapid progress in various fields.