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mottoyomitaiThis group cross-talk dives into their new album KIZUNA, and we get some insight into what to look out for on the new album!
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JO1 all-members group cross-talk!
From now on, and for always.
The lead song for their 2nd album is “With Us”. What do the 11 of them think about the 2 years they’ve spent together, and their future?
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What kind of album is your second album, “KIZUNA”?
Yonashiro: Just like the title says, it has songs written about the bonds between us*, and it also has the theme song for our drama; in total, there are 7 new songs.
[ T/N: “Kizuna” translates to “bonds” ]
Kinjo: There was a period where I had taken a break (from the group), so I look forward to being able to take part in group activities for the first time in a long while through this album.
Yonashiro: Ah, yes, it really would be your first activity in a while. It’s a 2nd album that holds that kind of meaning too; I think it’s an album where you can really feel our strong desire to start again from square one.
Ohira: There are songs that contain a message of “Let’s take a step forward together and do our best” now that Sukai’s back, so I think you’ll really be able to get a sense of our bonds.
Sato: For me, it would be nice if through this album, we could convey how well we get along, and our teamwork, to everyone.
Tsurubo: I think as compared to our first album, you can really see how we’ve grown, not just in our singing and rapping, but also in our visuals and the way we present ourselves.
Please tell us about songs to watch out for, or your favourite songs.
Kawashiri: Up till now, the MVs for our lead songs have always been shot in a cool manner, but for the lead song this time, “With Us”, it’s a happy-sounding song so there’s parts with a bit of acting, and I felt that the members’ natural expressions during the dance performance were really relaxed, so please definitely watch out for that.
Kinjo: It might be a bit weird for me to say it, but I’m in charge of the first chorus in the songs “Ryuuseiu” and “ZERO”, and I think that they’ve got a different vibe from our songs up till now.
Shiroiwa: For me, I felt like I discovered a new me, and a new JO1, through the song “Walk It Like I Talk It”. It’s a really intense song, so after we danced to it I was really exhausted, but even that is pretty fun and there’s a sense of accomplishment that comes with that. I felt that that also showed our growth, and I think it shows off a new charm of ours. Not just for this song, but overall, I think it’ll be an album full of realisations like that.
Please tell us some episodes from the recording and MV filming.
Kimata: We filmed “With Us” in denim outfits during the season when there was a lot of pollen and dust flying around, so everyone had to wipe it off while dancing.
Kono: Many of us suffer from hay fever allergies, so many of us were sniffling as we danced (laughs). We had to do floor dances on outdoor soil, too, so we did get pretty muddy as well (laughs).
Kimata: I personally don’t have hay fever allergies, but even then I found it pretty rough, so I think it must have been pretty tough for the members who have hay fever allergies.
Kawanishi: I remember it being pretty tough when we had to go to a distant location to shoot during the period when the temperature changes were intense, but I think we managed to get really good shots there. For this album, including “With Us”, we shot 4 MVs and PVs, you know.
Mamehara: There are many songs, so before embarking on this we were a little uncertain, but I think it was great that we were able to put out good work for it. Also, I’ve recently been going for vocal lessons, and I’ve been practicing a lot while fumbling around on my own, and I’m currently in the process of finding my own style of vocal and vocal range, so during the recording I tried my hand at various things.
Kono: Even from my perspective, I did feel like Mame found his own style of singing. I think it’s important to search for your own unique style within JO1, but Mame was really focused on it since the start, and I feel like he’s been steadily bringing out his own style. This time we didn’t have a lot of time to work on the album, but we worked hard at practices with the mindset of wanting to do our best within a short timeframe, and I was particularly satisfied with our recording of “With Us”.
Your documentary movie “Mikansei” has also aired. What have you felt, looking back afresh over the past 2 years since debut?
Ohira: That 2 years went by really fast.
Yonashiro: Me too. The movie covered our tracks from our debut all the way to our first concert with a live audience, but for me it truly did feel like the 2 years passed as quickly as the length of a single movie (laughs). It’s like we ran through them like, whoosh!
Ohira: Yeah!! It really felt super fast (laughs)
Yonashiro: Once we finished our activities for one single we’d start preparing for the next one, that was how busy it felt.
Among all that, as expected, were there any trying times during the self-quarantine period for COVID-19?
Yonashiro: We were unable to have any concerts right after we debuted, and we couldn’t even stand in front of an audience, so we did feel a sense of frustration, but since the situation’s gradually begun to calm down and we’ve become able to do some activities, I’d like to steadily work at them without rushing our way into it.
Ohira: At the start it was really frustrating, but I think everyone slowly shifted into a mindset of, “We’ll use this period to improve our individual skills” as we practiced, so rather than feeling like we’d come to a stop, it was more like we were moving forward.
Kinjo: I was unable to take part in the concert with the live audience, and was unable to directly meet JAMs, so it feels like there was this blanked-out period I have no memory of. So as I was watching the movie, I really strongly felt that I wanted to give a cool performance in front of JAMs as 11 members this year, and fill up that empty space in my memory. As I watched the live footage, I could really sense how hard everyone was working, and when I saw the staff coming together as one to support JO1 I was extremely moved to the point of tears. That’s why, with this album on hand, I’m incredibly looking forward to doing a concert.
Tying into the theme of “bonds (KIZUNA)”, please tell us about some episodes where you strongly felt your bonds with the other members.
Mamehara: On the first day of the MV filming, Syoya-kun, Junki-kun and I had to go in early. I went in at 3.30am, and then the next was at 4am, and then 5am. When we were done filming those bits, there was a bit of waiting time before the next shots would be filmed, so the three of us went back to our accommodation facility that had a hot spring, revitalised ourselves in the hot spring, and then returned to the MV filming venue; that was pretty fun.
Kono: That was fun!!
Kawanishi: For me, recently I wanted to do laundry but didn’t have any detergent, so I called Sho-kun and went to get some from him; that’s when I really felt a bond. In the end, in times like these the number one person you can definitely rely on is Sho-kun (laughs). After that, it’d be Junki-kun, maybe.
Tsurubo: For me, when we’re filming something all together and I make a joke that falls flat, it’s a huge help when someone picks up on it, so I really feel the bond then.
Kawashiri: For me, h~m. It’s hard to say when I felt the bond in particular since we spend every day together, you know. I wonder what there is…. Ah! We always get around by car, and it’s sort of fixed as to who sits where. When we instinctively leave the window seat for someone else, I really feel the bond. But recently, there was a time when Shion ran a little late, and I tried sitting in his usual spot to see how he’d react. All of us tried to predict his response, like maybe he’d say “hang on, Ren-kun” or “that’s my seat”, but in the end he said some alien-sounding thing like “all right alskfjlkh”, so we all burst out into laughter (laughs).
Was it meant to be some kind of objection?
Tsurubo: I was late, so I did think someone would be sitting at my seat, but because they usually leave it open for me I was confused, and that’s what came out of my mouth as a result. As expected, if you always have the same seat, it calms you down, like you’re at home or in your hometown (laughs).
Kawashiri: Among the members we have different preferences, like some like the front passenger seat, some like sitting right at the back. Leaving those special seats for each other also makes you feel the bond (laughs).
Tsurubo: You totally forced a connection to “bonds” there, didn’t you? (laughs)
Ohira: For me, recently I hurt my neck, and everyone was worried for me more than I had expected, which made me happy. I like things like that.
Tsurubo: Literally nobody would dislike that though (laughs).
Ohira: I like being worried about. When I was a child, when I got scolded by the teacher, everyone would come over after and ask if I was okay, and there were times when I cried because of that. It wasn’t that I was crying because I got scolded by the teacher, but more like I was crying because everyone was worrying about me.
Is there anything you keep in mind in order to maintain activities as a large family of 11 members?
Tsurubo: I always make sure to say “good morning!!” or “good work!!”. In the end, greetings are really important.
Shiroiwa: I think it’s to be considerate of others. Even as the years pass, you should be considerate to others. If I look at the expressions of the members, I can pretty much tell their mood for the day.
Sato-san seems to take on the role of getting everyone hyped up, by teasing and such; do you do that while observing the other members?
Sato: Eh, I don’t.
Shiroiwa: (bursts out laughing)
Kawashiri: He’ll make us laugh when he feels like it (laughs). But, I think that’s part of Keigo’s own thoughtfulness.
Sato: It’s not that I do it consciously, but I always feel like I want to make everyone laugh.
This is your 3rd year. What kind of year will it be for JO1?
Shiroiwa: Recently, we’ve been talking a lot about how this year will be important. It’s still the first half (of the year), but our individual activities have been increasing, like how I’ve become the (main) personality for “All Night Nippon X” and how Junki has a regular appearance on “Hangul! Navi”, so there’s been a lot more changes than I’d expected. I don’t want to stop this momentum, so I’d like to race on. I think it’s a year of challenge, where we can show how much we’re changing. I’d like to try out many new things while having fun.
Kawashiri: Last year when we had our first concert with a live audience, that was really fun, you know. The faces of JAMs that I saw from the stage also looked really happy, and I also felt happy looking at those faces, so this year I want to go and meet even more JAMs.
Kimata: I also want to do a lot of JO1 concerts, and go to many places.
Kawanishi: I want to stand in front of many JAMs, and I want to let each and every one of them enjoy themselves.
Mamehara: I also want to stand on all sorts of stages, and perform a lot in front of everyone.
How about your personal goals?
Kimata: I want to improve my own value even more, so I’ll do my best at all sorts of jobs.
It was attention-grabbing when you amazingly cleared the spicy food challenge on “Ariyoshi Zemi”.
Kimata: It was spicy, but it was actually pretty tasty, you know. I love eating, so any food-related job is a treat for me. I’d be happy if I keep getting asked to do more of them. I could probably go for something a little spicier. I also can eat quite a bit, but definitely not at the level of a food fighter…
Kawanishi: I’d like to be known by even more people as JO1’s Kawanishi Takumi. For that purpose, I’d like to try out lots of different areas such as TV and magazines, and others.
What kind of programmes would you like to appear on?
Kawanishi: What kind of programmes are there? (asks Kimata, who is next to him)
Kimata: For me, I get really nervous when it comes to TV work, you know.
Kawanishi: Yeah, me too.
Tsurubo-san also appeared on the “Gochi ni Narimasu” segment of “Gurunai”, which became a hot topic.
Tsurubo: If many more people came to know about me through that, then I’m happy.
Why did you eat two of the blood orange catalana dessert?
Tsurubo: Ah, that was simply just because I needed to balance the budget (laughs).
Mamehara: I’m turning 20 soon, so I’d like to unmask myself and become more manly. For that purpose, I’ve been working hard at muscle training recently.
Kono: Personally, I’ve been pretty conscious about health recently. As part of that, I’ve started on autophagy recently, and I recommend it because it gets your body in really good shape. I think we’ll get more chances to appear overseas as JO1 from now on, so I think it would be good to work on our language skills, including hangul, so that we can communicate with overseas JAMs.
