[OWV] Encore 221104

https://e.usen.com/interview/interview-original/owv-letgo.html

OWV “Let Go” Interview - Their thoughts on a beautiful ballad which hugs those who have experienced a break up with their loved one

OWV are a group made of 4 former trainees of “PRODUCE 101 JAPAN”, a Japanese audition program that became a social phenomenon in 2019. The creative concept of the 7th single the group, which aims to become an unique super performance group that Japan has never seen before, is “snuggling close”. Their intention is?

OWV’s 7th single is under the creative concept of “snuggling close”. The lead track “Let Go” is a sad ballad that is sung with the feelings of a man who can’t forget about his ex lover. It is a theme a lot of artists have sung about before, but what did you keep in mind to bring out OWV’s uniqueness in this?
Shuta: I kept in mind to have a gap in it. A sad ballad sung by seemingly strong guys. That gap is good, right? (Laughs)

Indeed, there are many people falling for such gaps.
Shuta: That’s right! We thought that it would be nice to have a heart break song sung by strong people who don’t seem to become depressed over a heartbreak. Personally, I like showing gaps, so I kept that in mind.
Kosuke: To sum it up, I think it is something akin to a weakness shown by strong people.
Shuta: Why did it seem like my words couldn’t convey (the meaning)!? But well, it fits… (laughs)

(Laughs) Honda-san, Sano-san, is there some part in the lyrics that you can relate to?
Fumiya: Hm.. I’m pretty much the type who goes bam! And switches back without dragging it out, so there isn’t really…
Kosuke: I’m the type who sends a LINE message every two minutes after breaking up…
Shuta: Eh!? For real!?
Kosuke: No (laughs) Because I never hit such a low before.
Fumiya: Yes. So rather than relating to the song, I just tried to express myself.
Kosuke: By expressing myself like this I was able to experience this kind of love of “Let Go”.

It’s like you take something from the song and give it back through the performance.
Kosuke: Yes. I hope the fans can feel something from our performance. I guess they will do so?

You also performed the song at “OWV LIVE TOUR 2022 -STRANGE-“, but what was the response from QWV?
Katsunari: We first performed it at the Tokyo shows, which had been a surprise for QWV, too, so everyone was excited how they would receive it, but I felt that the response was really good. I feel it’s good that it is a song that comforts everyone's hearts in this time when winter follows fall.

I saw your performance live and the moment when Urano-san leans back with the three others encircling him during the “I don’t want you to laugh in someone else’s arms”- part was impressive.
Shuta: This movement is wonderful, right?
Katsunari: To what image are we dancing to?
Shuta: What I tried to express was to remember the warmth of the ex-lover, (while singing) “I don’t want you to laugh in someone else’s arms”.
Fumiya: Right answer!
Kosuke: You won!
Shuta: What do you mean with Right answer and You won? (Laughs)

(Laughs) Please tell us anything else you were particular about regarding the performance.
Fumiya: Whereas the previous “Time Jackerz” was driven with a powerful performance full of vigor, this time it is more flowing but powerful expressions and the impression that the moves are to convey the lyrics.

So this was a new feeling for everyone?
Fumiya: That’s right. So far we have had a lot of performances where the one who is singing is in the middle. For “Let Go” we have a different way to show it. We are only 4 members, so we try out a lot of different formations and hope to show a lot of different patterns.

The music video is also unusual as it not only includes dance scenes but also image-cuts. What part do you want the audience to pay attention to?
Katsunari: For the first time other people than the 4 of us appear in it. We felt that by each of us acting, showing something fitting to the lyrics, the world of the song might be conveyed better. So far the main focus of our MVs were dancing, but this time the music video features dance mainly at the intro and the chorus, and all together there aren’t many dance scenes, but each one of our visuals are shown often. It has a different taste, so I hope that everyone will watch it over and over.

Is there something you struggled with during the filming?
Katsunari: Honda-kun struggled a lot, didn’t he?
Kosuke: Yes. The scene of me crying was a struggle.
Shuta: It is one of the highlights, isn’t it?
Kosuke: One tear, plop
Fumiya: But you made some adjustments?
Kosuke: Yes, in a way. The part was about “me being rejected but looking forward” and as there wasn’t really the image of me crying a lot, only one tear rolled down. The adjustment was it being just one tear. The director asked, “Do you need eye drops?”, but I said “No need!”.
Shuta: So cool〜
Kosuke: But I only remember this much, I can’t remember the rest cause I was too much into the acting.
Shuta: You know, there are actors who are getting absorbed (by their role). Despite you shedding just one tear (laughs).

You are the actor type (laughs). Are there any scenes of the other members that surprised you in such a way, or are there any particular points you want everyone to pay attention to?
Fumiya: In this regard, I think Honda-kun crying perfectly is amazing.
Shuta: I didn’t see the filming of the other ones. I only heard about him crying.
Katsunari: When I came to the studio to film my scenes, Honda-kun was also there and said “Watch it! I cried!” He looked so happy, so I thought “He is lying?”, but when I watched the video, he indeed cried.
Fumiya: Back then it felt like “he worked really hard on it”, but earlier he said “I can’t remember it”. (Laughs)
Katsunari: We asked “You cried, but did you use eye drops for this?”.
Shuta: We made a quiz out of it at first, didn’t we? (Laughs) Like did you use eye drops or how was it?
Katsunari: I believed he used eye drops, but when I watched the video, he diligently cried and I thought it was really amazing.
Kosuke: Thank you very much (laughs).

How about you, Sano-san?
Fumiya: In this video only Nakagawa and I had scenes where we appeared along with someone else. I had my filming first, so I was curious about what kind of feeling Kacchan would film it and how it would turn out. I thought “ohh〜” when I watched the result.
Katsunari: In terms of atmosphere we were a bit similar, right?

Did you have some talks beforehand to match the atmosphere?
Fumiya: We only discussed it with the producer, but we members did not really discuss it. I feared everything might feel different despite being one single video…, but I’m glad that the atmosphere is similar.
Katsunari: My filming was after Fumiya’s one, so I was able to watch his setting. It was fun to watch everyone acting. But I didn’t see Shuta’s one…
Shuta: No one was there.
Kosuke: Thus, when I saw the finished MV, I was surprised to see Shuta laying down.
Katsunari: His acting as if his right arm hurts was also really…
Shuta: It wasn’t my right arm hurting (laughs).
Kosuke: So it was no baseball elbow?
(TN: as the name suggests it’s a kind of overuse muscle injury that’s common with young baseball players.)
Shuta: It did not hurt because I threw too much (laughs).
Kosuke: But it was fun to see a new side of everyone. And the scene in which Fumiya turns around in the second chorus is good, too.
Fumiya: Everyone likes that scene.

There are also the two coupling songs “Tararam” and “Gonna Getcha” featured and both have some kind of impact. Please tell us the highlights of each song.
Katsunari: “Tararam” is a song that shines at live shows. I especially like how the transitions are made: The two verses sound like fresh pop music, but the chorus has a spectacular feel with thick and broad instruments, and I was blown away by it when I first heard it. Furthermore, more and more sounds are added from the last chorus to the end of the song, and it ends with a “bang!”. I think it will be fun when everyone gets hyped up, so I can’t wait to perform it.

How about “Gonna Getcha”?
Shuta: There are the phrases “You can do it!” And “a new world” in the lyrics which made it a song that gives a push to those who are worried about a lot. I guess they can feel better just by listening to it. Katsu-kun, you know the meaning of “Gonna Getcha”?
Katsunari: …!! It’s “I’m going to get you for sure” or “I’m going to win you over”.
Shuta: It is really like this, and it is a song that makes you think positively again. When you come to our concert, I want you to enjoy the song and forget all the bad things just for this moment.
Kosuke: The way you connected it… like a genius (laughs).
Katsunari: My translation was totally drowned (laughs).

(Laughs) By the way, are the choreographies for the songs already completed?
Kosuke: Not yet. (*at the time of the interview)

In the past there have been songs with choreographies made by Honda-san and Sano-san, but when you receive a song, do you have some images like “I want to dance like this, I want to try this formation” in your minds?
Kosuke: There are countless.
Fumiya: Those are coming to our minds, but… For example, you can make curry with carrots, potatoes and curry paste, right? But you don’t know how to make curry with these alone. When listening to the song, I know “We can do this kind of dancing”, but I can’t put everything together on the spot.
Katsunari: It’s like you can picture the choreo in fragments?
Fumiya: Yes this. I can picture the complete version but how to go there is what I don’t know.
Kosuke: Same for me.
Fumiya: Thus, I want to do my best watching recipe videos.
Katsunari: And with that you can make curry.
Kosuke: Wow, this tsukkomi was so good!? That you said “And with that you can make curry”
Katsunari: No no, not at all.
Fumiya: This is how the members raise the confidence of themselves and each other (laughs).

(Laughs) Thinking about the whole single, the main character who was depressed in “Let Go” could be cheered up by the two coupling songs. In this regard, how would you cheer up a depressed friend?
Fumiya: I invite them for a meal. Like “Let’s go to eat something together”.
Shuta: Nice. You keep them close.
Fumiya: And then we go to a gyudon-restaurant.
Shuta: I see that’s what you do. But you will finish eating soon and you won’t be able to talk about it.
Katsunari: It depends on the personality of the other one. Some people are better off being left alone. For others, I will just listen to what they say. But I don’t give much counsel. I feel it’s enough of a stress reliever for them just to talk about their problems and complaints. How about you, Shuta?
Shuta: I hug them gently from behind.
Kosuke: In this case, I will gently kiss them.

I actually imagined the other one was a male friend (laughs). Shuta: Oh, it was a guy! Well, what should I do…
Fumiya: So, how about this? You go up to him and hand him a can of coffee without saying anything. Wouldn’t that be cool?
Shuta: Yes it would be.

After the release of the new single, there is still the tour final in Nagoya and the “OWV LIVE TOUR 2022 - STRANGE - After Party” left. What is that After Party going to be like?
Kosuke: The After Party will be more of a talk with behind stories and souvenirs from this tour, and showing of videos taken in Osaka and Nagoya. We hope to wrap up the tour with OWV together, so I hope everyone will come to the After Party and have fun.