Billboard Japan

Billboard’s “International Power Players” list recognizes leaders who are driving the success of the music business in countries outside the United States. Universal Music Japan’s president and CEO, Naoshi Fujikura, was chosen from the music industry leaders of the world for inclusion in the list a fourth consecutive time, making this his fifth appearance. Billboard Japan interviewed Fujikura in recognition of his selection in which he looked back on his decade as the company’s president and the challenges it faces in its global expansion.

This is your tenth year as president of Universal Music Japan. During your time in office, the company has recorded record profits. Looking back, what are your impressions of this past decade?

Trending on Billboard

A lot of things happened, but the one thing they all share in common is “connection.” When I was first appointed, Japan had less visibility within the industry as part of its global music strategy, so coming into UMG it was always important to me to push the narrative forward around the overall importance and commercial scale of the Japanese music market.

Working under the leadership of Sir Lucian Grainge definitely helped with this, as before he took over as global Chairman & CEO, Lucian had run UMG’s international business for many years and he was very familiar and supportive of our dynamic physical-led market. One of the major benefits of working very closely with UMG’s leadership team in Santa Monica and around the world has been that we have had access to strategic insights around the broader shifts in the global industry, helping us to shape our own path over the last decade to stay ahead of the curve, navigating the arrival of streaming in the marketplace, and maintaining our physical business. 

At the time, industry people would say things like, “Physical product sales are going to continue to decline, so we should just get rid of that whole segment.” I felt the need to strengthen our connections with the head office in various areas of my work. Back then, in 2014, Apple Music had yet to arrive in Japan, and CDs accounted for 80% of sales. Japan also had a price maintenance system, so products could be sold at set prices. That’s why I told people that in Japan, we were going to put our weight behind both growing our digital business for the future and continuing to support the traditional physical sales market. When I first took this position, I was traveling to the US on what felt like a monthly basis, taking advantage of every opportunity to explain the Japanese market to my new colleagues, introduce our artists, and integrate our vision for the future of the market into UMG’s global plans.

You were trying to help them understand the situation in Japan?

Right. My English wasn’t the best, but I would meet directly with overseas colleagues and reiterate that in Japan, unlike the rest of the world, there was still high demand for physical products, so we weren’t going to switch over completely to streaming, but instead advance on both fronts. Ultimately, we put out multiple million-sellers, like DREAMS COME TRUE THE BEST! Watashi no Dorikamu in 2015 and Hikaru Utada’s Fantôme and RADWIMPS’s Your Name in 2016. Thanks to successes like these, they came to understand that our approach was the right one. I think these successes also led to us signing new artists such as BTS (for Japanese language recordings) in 2017 and King & Prince in 2018.

What do you mean?

We are a global company, and we’re often seen as being focused on digital sales, but our track record of successes showed artists that we also still place importance on physical sales and we have the power to move significant physical units for our artists. I think that helped us connect with new artists and make UMJ an attractive home for Japanese domestic and Korean K-Pop talent, with broader ambitions for both regional and global success.

Spotify was launched overseas in 2008, but Japan was a latecomer, with Apple Music and LINE MUSIC becoming available in 2015 and Spotify arriving in 2016. You took office during a time when the situation in the U.S. was very different than the situation in Japan.

Right, so I think the fact that we had that kind of success is connected to our efforts to grow for the future. Universal Music Japan and the former EMI Music Japan merged in 2013, the year before I became president. Every aspect of how these companies did business was different, so when they merged there were initially a few voices of frustration and confusion, and the company needed to find better ways to “connect” with employees. When I took office, I wanted to remember everyone’s faces and names, so I made a chart in my office with photos of every employee alongside their names.

How many employees did the company have at the time?

I think it was around 500 or 600. Thinking back on it now, there were probably some more efficient approaches I could have used, like putting them on magnets, but at the time I did it by putting the photos on four sheets of butcher paper and writing their names directly on the paper (laughs). I thought it would truly be a waste to end up with the company divided between two antagonistic “ex-EMI” and “ex-UMJ” factions, so whenever I met someone in the elevator, or anywhere in the office, I tried to address them by name.

One of the major initiatives we conducted over the past ten years was having the employees become full employees. Previously, the majority of our staff were contract employees, and because of that it felt like everyone was focused on playing it safe, avoiding any potential failure, in order to keep their contracts from being terminated. I was one of them, and I sometimes felt like I was applying a short-term perspective in my work. Furthermore, starting in 2015, the business of the music industry was on the brink of a major shift as the rise of streaming began to increase consumption and access to music globally, even though this came later to Japan.

For physical CDs, the sales peak for a product is when the CD is released, but with streaming, the number of streams will rise over the course of several months. In some cases, people will continue to listen to a song or album years after it’s released, sometimes even decades if it is a catalog song or album from an artist. Because hits can take all kinds of different shapes, I didn’t think our approach of having employees rotate every year or two and focusing exclusively on single fiscal year periods was a good match for our long-term growth as a company, or for us to innovate and help lead UMJ and the industry into the streaming age.

Did changing over to full employees have a major effect on the atmosphere in the company?

There was a huge change in the year when we switched over to full employee status (in 2017). We held an all-company meeting where we announced that anyone who had been working at the company for a year or longer that wanted to become a full employee could do so. I expected there to be huge cheers from the audience, but it was surprisingly quiet (laughs). I thought people would show their happiness right there on the spot, but I heard later that, after the meeting, those in attendance were happy to be able to tell their families and partners the good news.

At the same time, I didn’t want people to lose their drive upon becoming full employees, so we reviewed and revised our HR evaluation system and established a multi-label system to grow our domestic business. Employees on the same label would compete with each other and help each other reach new heights, and I think that is what helped us to produce all of these different hit artists.

And the last important “connection” is the one we’ve been establishing with listeners and fans. Our business is a B-to-B-to-C business. We provide people with music through retail shops and streaming services. However, the nature of fandom has changed over the last decade. That is why we opened the world’s first Universal Music Group concept store, UNIVERSAL MUSIC STORE HARAJUKU, as a place where fans can come together. Last year, we worked to bring music to people using experiential events, other than just traditional live shows, such as producing shows that combine fireworks with Disney music and music from diverse artists like King & Prince. We have also done these experiential events with international acts including Queen and Bon Jovi.

Just like the rest of UMG, we always strive to be the company of choice for artists, and with our successes in breaking new artists, embracing streaming technology ahead of the curve, as well as nurturing the traditional lucrative physical business here in Japan, our market share has also grown consistently. I think we’ve now been able to achieve ten consecutive years of market growth because of our track record in breaking new artists and also because our artists recognize our commitment to helping them have long careers, connecting them to the world outside of Japan as part of the world’s leading music company. This has made them want to stay with Universal Music Japan for the long-term..

Is there any advice you give to employees about how to remain the company of choice for artists?

UMJ’s creed is “Love People, Love Music, and Deliver Excitement.” I always tell employees that, no matter what department they are in, it’s important that they never forget that they joined our company out of a love for people and music. At the global level, as well, UMG places great importance on its message: “We are the home for music’s greatest artists, songwriters, innovators, and entrepreneurs.” It’s important that we continue to focus our efforts on putting our artists, labels and businesses first so that we continue to push the entire industry forward for the benefit of our artists.

Mrs. GREEN APPLE has demonstrated a tremendous presence in this year’s Billboard JAPAN Hot 100. What do you think is the key to their hits?

It may seem like a trite answer, compared to the kind of answer you might be hoping for, but, at the end of the day, it just really comes down to their talent. First and foremost, we’ve kept on believing in the great music written by Motoki Ohmori and the talent of the whole band. I think that’s what’s led to this success.

They did two days of shows at Yokohama Stadium in July, and later this month (October) they’ll be playing eight days of shows at K-Arena. They don’t set aside time as “input time” to create new work. They don’t stop. They just keep on going, and looking at them, you know you’re looking at a new superstar phenomenon that will continue to grow and inspire fans in this new era.

In September 2023, we launched the Global Japan Songs excl. Japan chart, which ranks Japanese music that’s become a hit overseas. I feel like the Japanese music industry has kicked it into higher gear as we can now see the global success of hits by artists like Fujii Kaze and imase. Physical media sales still account for a lot in Japan. Do you think there’s any potential for physical media sales in the global market?

I do. We’re now exporting CDs and vinyl records of the Japanese versions of albums by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones to the U.S. and the U.K. I think there’s more demand for physical media. Fujii Kaze, Joe Hisaishi and Ado have toured the U.S. in the last year, selling out large venues and arenas and as discovery and demand grows, there will hopefully be opportunities to reach those fans with physical media too, like K-Pop artists have experienced.

In July, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry released its Report on Music Industry Business Models for a New Era. Do you think that collaborations with the national government are going to be accelerating going forward?

In April, as a member of the music industry, we gave a presentation to the LDP’s Special Committee for the Promotion of the Cool Japan Strategy. We want to keep on taking on new challenges, and working together with diverse artists, so it’s very reassuring to know that people in various positions are supporting the sharing of Japanese talent and culture with overseas audiences.

Japanese anime and games have achieved some degree of market share worldwide, but for music, there’s still a long way to go. What challenges do you think the Japanese music industry still faces?

Maintaining a high level of originality. There’s no substitute for ONE PIECE. There’s no substitute for Jujutsu Kaisen. There’s no substitute for BTS. It’s extremely important that you can’t just swap out an artist or collaborate with someone else to make a hit. K-pop has an originality, such as in its group choreography and visuals, that transcends language barriers to move people’s hearts. That’s why carbon copies of BTS or NewJeans fail.

Another key challenge in localization is communicating with fans in various languages, including English. I think that an important part of globalization is close coordination not only inside the company but also with overseas promotion and creative teams. At UMG, one of the core strengths of the company is that it has huge global reach. Offices in sixty countries and all of our markets and business units work in unison to create the best possible environment for artists and projects to succeed.

BTS changed their name from Bantang Sonyeondan to BTS. They made music for the Japanese market, and they made English songs. Step by step, they expanded their reach and audiences, and built a loyal army of fans around the world.

There is no single formula for achieving success for an artist. Instead, I think you’ll now see a lot of different paths to reaching that level. For example, Fujii Kaze’s first wave of global recognition was in Thailand, before catching on in other markets. There are always a lot of different potential scenarios, and it’s important to take immediate action whenever you see the seeds of a future hit starting to sprout.

One last question: Which do you think constitutes a hit, a song that 100 people listen to 100 times, or a song that 10,000 people listen to one time?

This might seem like cheating, but both. We live in an age where there is no single standard of value—not just in music, but in many areas. As far as whether a CD that 100 people each bought one copy of could be called an equal hit as a CD that one person bought 100 copies of, I don’t even know myself.

I’ve asked a lot of different people this same question, and most people who work in record companies or management pick “100 people listen 100 times.” But when I ask people in the media, most pick “10,000 people listen one time.” I think it’s fascinating how people have the same shared understanding of actual hit songs, but this gap when it comes to the actual definition of a hit.

That is interesting. If I can ask you a question, then, do you think if the sensibilities of music companies and the media were better aligned, it would result in bigger hits being made?

Hmm, I’m not sure. I think for each artist there are times when they’re listened to one time each by 10,000 people and other times when they’re listened to 100 times by 100 people.

I agree completely.

—This interview by Seiji Isozaki and Naoko Takashima first appeared on Billboard Japan

RADWIMPS frontman Yojiro Noda took the stage at Tokyo Garden Theater for his first concert as a solo artist under his real name on Sept. 27. This show, aptly entitled “Yojiro Noda welcomes you to WONDER BOY’S AKUMU CLUB,” marked the release of the album by the same name — WONDER BOY’S AKUMU CLUB — and treated fans to a glorious evening with guest acts kZm, Awich and iri.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The 39-year-old hitmaker had previously teamed up with each of his guests, with rapper kZm — pronounced Kazuma — collaborating on “EVERGREEN” off Noda’s solo album, and rapper Awich and singer-songwriter iri collaborating on “SHIWAKUCHA” and “Tokyo,” respectively, off RADWIMP’s album FOREVER DAZE from 2021.

Noda’s solo project had dropped two days before the show, meaning the people who came that evening were die-hard fans who bought tickets before they knew the full scope of his album. His followers probably also knew that he had recently been leaning into hip-hop. So while not too concerned about the potential difference in level of interest in the audience, it was interesting to see how Noda’s fans, who knew him as the face of a veteran J-pop band, would react to the rappers opening the event. But the crowd clapped eagerly along to the first track kZm performed on stage, “Aquarius Heaven,” and the excitement was even greater than expected.

Trending on Billboard

“Most of you probably don’t know me, but I’m kZm, a rapper from YENTOWN,” the MC introduced himself after finishing his performance of “Aquarius Heaven.” The 30-year-old rapper went on to explain that he’d only listened to hip-hop before discovering RADWIMPS when he was in junior high, and that he’d been a fan of the band ever since. He told the audience that Noda had been a kind senior artist and friend ever since they’d gotten to know each other, and was met with a cheer from the crowd when he noted, “I heard Yo-chan would be going on stage by himself today, so I came to support him.” kZm’s respectful monologue showed a sign of respect for Noda and his effort to make this a special evening. From there, the rapper gave a solid performance, with the audience cheering from the intro to “DOSHABURI” and the excitement continuing throughout the set, right up to the last song, “Sakebi,” which he said was one of his favorites.

Next up was Awich, who got the crowd jumping from her first track, “Remember (Solo ver.).” After finishing “Are you serious?,” the theme song for the Netflix series The Queen of Villains, she introduced herself, also saying, “I imagine a lot of people here are seeing me for the first time.” The 37-year-old rapper went on to explain that she is also a member of the hip-hop collective YENTOWN, like kZm, who introduced her to Noda. She said she wrote a song with the RADWIMPS singer and asked to take part in the band’s arena tour in 2021, and the experience of touring the country helped her mentally prepare for her own headlining concert at the prestigious Nippon Budokan in 2022. “(Noda) leads us and I’m truly grateful for his generosity,” said Awich. The “Bad B**** Bigaku” MC, who has since broken out of the rap scene and is now active in a genre-bending way, had full control over the room as she ran through a fierce set from “Kakurembo” (Hide and Seek), performed after mentioning that RADWIMPS have a song of the same name, up to the last song, “LONGINESS REMIX (Soo ver.).”

The final guest, iri, performed a short-but-sweet set consisting of “friends,” the four-to-the-floor number ideal for large venues, the similarly danceable “Corner,” and “Wonderland,” which got the crowd raising their hands in unison. The compact set showcased iri’s smoky voice and her breezy performance captivated the audience. “Yojiro-san’s album is so cool and I was talking with DJ TAAR about how amazing it is,” the 30-year-old singer said, her words brimming with respect for Noda. “So cool that I’ve been really looking forward to his show, and I’m really grateful to be able to sing like this at such a fabulous time.”

The current Japanese rap scene has gained wide popularity as a new youth culture, and since both Awich and kZm are stars of the genre, it feels somewhat uncomfortable highlighting “the band scene” and “the rap scene” as if they are incompatible. But to be honest, the impression is that while it does happen underground, in the mainstream, bands and hip-hop artists in Japan still have a long way to go in coming together in a notable way, as can be seen from the fact that the number of street-born rap acts appearing in mainstream rock festivals not being that high. So from that standpoint, it might be fair to say that the enthusiastic way the audience welcomed the three guest acts at Noda’s show without making them feel out of place was something special.

The “Grand Escape” artist made this possible because he had approached the rap scene early on in his career. WATTER, the DJ who supported Noda during his headlining solo set, is an artist close to 5lack, a rapper featured on Noda’s “Hilight” released under the name illion in 2016. The “Zenzenzense” hitmaker’s strong curiosity and love for music and people, evident from such works as “TIE TONGUE (feat. MIYACHI & Tab Zombie)” from 2018 and “DAI-DAN-EN (feat. ZORN)” from last year, were an important backdrop to this precious night.

Yojiro Noda

Takeshi Yao/Billboard Japan

After the fine opening performances by his three guests, Noda appeared onstage for the main set. As this was his first concert as solo artist Yojiro Noda, the audience didn’t know if he’d be performing with a live band or DJ until that day, but as mentioned above, he took the stage with WATTER for a DJ set, which at that point promised something novel. From the time the venue opened, there was a space surrounded by a gauze curtain in the center of the stage, and Noda kicked off his set with “SHEETA” from within that space. A team of dancers performed theatrical choreography inside and outside the gauze curtain, creating a mysterious atmosphere. These dancers were members of choreographer Seishiro’s team, and they also appear in the music video accompanying RADWIMPS’ “NINGEN GOKKO” from 2022. The concert was clearly being supported by the creatives that Noda had built relationships with over the past few years, just like Awich and iri.

At the end of the vintage soul-tinged performance of “PIPE DREAM,” Noda emerged from behind the curtain and finished the song by playing the piano. “Please give a big round of applause to the three guest artists, kZm, Awich and iri,” said the singer-songwriter, and elicited huge cheers from the crowd by asking, “I want to make this a party where we can all savor this brand spanking new album together. What do you say?” The five-stroke-roll dance beat of “PAIN KILLER” showcased the compatibility with kZm’s raps, and Noda showed off his own clever flow in “PEACE YES,” not to be outdone by the rappers. Hip-hop-like elements were incorporated in the staging as well, with the screen behind the singer highlighting a section of the lyrics of the track by visually sampling the cover art for the album RADWIMPS 4 that has the song with the same word (”Iindesuka?”) as the title. The breadth of his melodies is also worth noting, as evident from the way he built up a celebratory mood by putting a gospel chorus together with breakbeats on “HOLY DAY HOLY” and created a melancholic ambience on piano for “KATATOKI,” his collaborative track with Atlanta rapper J.I.D.

Yojiro Noda

Takeshi Yao/Billboard Japan

“Before, I thought that if I were to do a show as Yojiro Noda, I’d be doing something completely different, like playing by myself, or with a band, or with an orchestra. But I made songs mainly using beats this time and was really worried,” Noda opened up to the crowd. “Right now I’m so incredibly happy that everyone’s listened to the album and my favorite musicians are supporting me. Thank you for coming.” After expressing his gratitude, he mused, “Since kZm is here, we have to do this one,” and the rapper came back onstage to perform the remix version of their collaborative number “EVERGREEN” together. The two artists’ well-coordinated performance set to the anthemic track was one of the biggest highlights of the day. Noda then performed “STRESS ME” featuring rap verses over a post-trap beat, and sat on a sofa to sing “BITTER BLUES,” which vividly conveys his current, genuine sentiments. The team of dancers appeared again for “WALTZ OF KARMA,” followed by the introspective “HAZY SIGH,” and the memoir-like mood of the solo work was faithfully recreated in the show.

During the second half of his set, he expressed his gratitude to HOLLY, the producer/beat maker from Portugal who had been DMing beats to Noda for several years and had motivated him to make his solo album. He then thanked the audience again, saying, “Standing here today, I felt like I can continue my musical journey from now on. Thank you, I owe it to you.” The stage then floated up into the air to the intro of “HYPER TOY,” and Noda sang the lyrics “We’re Wonder Boys on a runner’s high” over an exuberant hyper-pop track featuring the most electric guitar in the album, like the Wonder Boy he clearly was. Before the last song of the main set, he said, “I’m a little embarrassed, but can I sing this song for the finale?” and went on to sing “LAST LOVE LETTER,” which is also the last track on the album, and closed his first solo concert by communicating his love through the lyrics: “If we were to meet, could it be now? Cause I don’t think can wait any longer.”

Yojiro Noda

Takeshi Yao/Billboard Japan

The excited crowd wanted more, of course, but the singer had performed all 13 tracks off the album, and there was no mention of an encore in the set list that had been distributed to the press. However, Noda appeared on stage after a brief break. He sat down at the piano and touched on the news from that day that Sayuri, a singer-songwriter that he had written and produced a song for in the past, had passed away. He chose the song he had written for her, “Furaregaigirl,” for the encore, and sang through to the end while tearing up during parts of his performance. He finished his concert with the words “Thank you, Sayuri,” and the venue resonated with heartfelt applause.

—This article by Atsutake Kaneko first appeared on Billboard Japan

Japanese dance & vocal group BE:FIRST spoke with Billboard Japan for its Monthly Feature interview series highlighting today’s leading artists and works. The hugely popular boy band released their second album, 2:BE, on August 28.
Ever since its formation three years ago through an audition by BMSG, the record label headed by SKY-HI, the group has created countless hits and appeared on numerous music TV shows and festival stages. In 2024, they performed two solo shows at Tokyo Dome and two solo shows in Kyocera Dome Osaka. The seven members of SOTA, SHUNTO, MANATO, RYUHEI, JUNON, RYOKI, and LEO are shaping up to be an undeniable juggernaut of a group. Their fandom and the scope of their activities is constantly growing, but since their debut, they have shown a consistent dedication to their singing, rapping, and dancing, and they’ve been actively and enthusiastically involved in songwriting, lyric-crafting, and choreography.

Their musical journey is reflected in their second album, 2:BE. Billboard Japan spoke to all seven members of the group about what went into the creation of the new album.

Trending on Billboard

In the three years since your debut, what kind of group do you feel that BE:FIRST has become?

LEO: We’ve always been a group that really enjoys the music. We don’t think of music as work, it’s more like we’re just doing what we want. Personally, none of it has ever felt like a burden for me. I’ve never once thought “I don’t really feel like doing this now.” I think that’s because of the kind of team we are.

I feel like that’s one of the notable features of BE:FIRST, because all of you are actively involved in the group’s creative process. But that usually involves growing pains, right? I’m sure you’ve had slumps.

LEO: Of course, there are times when I’ve found myself butting up against an obstacle, or I’ve felt anxious. But those never made me dislike what we’re doing. After all, I’m here because I love music, and I want to become a better artist. No matter how scared I might feel, it’s fun to hold that mic up on stage, and I feel full of joy when I’m listening to music. That’s always true, no matter what the situation.

SOTA: Our agency also puts music first, so we’re never given work that would interfere with our ability to focus on music. We keep on doing what we want to do. Our work environment is stress-free, and the more songs we create, the more our musical appetite grows, so it’s a lot more common for us to find ourselves struggling to choose between lots of different options than for us to be hitting a wall. I think all of our struggles are positive struggles. I feel very grateful to be able to work in this kind of environment.

That’s truly one of BE:FIRST’s strengths.

SOTA: When we released “Mainstream,” there was a time when we were trying to figure out how to best showcase ourselves as a group. But our agency let us make the kind of music we wanted to make, and all seven of us are united in giving 100% to whatever we want to do. These will continue to be our strengths, and I truly feel that over the past three years we’ve become a group that’s completely focused on music.

MANATO: THE FIRST was an audition focused on each person’s abilities and individuality, so everyone came to the group with their own personal strengths. Over the past three years, we’ve evolved into a group where each of these strengths passes through the filters of our individuality to produce our group’s output. Initially, Hidaka (Mitsuhiro Hidaka/SKY-HI) defined our group’s approach, but from around 2023, we started to think about what we ourselves wanted to do. We became more involved in the creative side, and as soon as we finished a song, we were like “okay, now what should we do next?” I think that was a big transformation.

How do you think that you, as individual artists or as a group, have evolved since your last album, BE:1?

RYUHEI: Our new album, 2:BE, has a mixture of songs that Hidaka wanted BE:FIRST to perform and songs that we wanted to perform. We tried a lot of new things, and I think we’ve become a lot better at reproducing what’s in the recordings. I feel like, through the process of everyone working on their own singing, we’ve taken things to a higher level.

JUNON: Compared to our first album, on this second album, there’s a much smaller difference between the way we sound live and the way the album sounds. Also, we did a lot in the recording process to reflect aspects of our performances in the music, which you can hear even now (before we tour), so I think it’s the kind of album that will make people look forward to seeing our live shows. That’s one way we’ve evolved since our first album.

So you feel you’ve made solid progress.

RYOKI: We’ve already got songs done by sub-units of the group, there are lyrics that we’re finally in a position to write, and the album has a raw feel to it. That’s because BE:FIRST has always lived in the moment—we’re always in an environment where we can do what we want. I think 2:BE reaffirms that sense of freedom to live in the moment. “Blissful” personifies it. When we debuted, it was all we could do just to take care of whatever was right in front of us, but lately we’ve been able to relax a bit, in a good sense.

So you’ve been able to express yourselves more naturally?

RYOKI: Yes, I think so. That’s true musically, and I think also in our day-to-day lives, we’ve now got some breathing space. Thanks to that, we can focus on our music, which I think has created a positive feedback loop. Being in an environment that provides us with freedom also creates responsibilities, but then all you need to do is make an environment in which living up to your responsibilities is itself also enjoyable. I think BE:FIRST can do that.

SHUNTO: A lot of the songs on the new album have a strong message. It’s an album in which these can also serve as our strengths. The new album is really packed with what it means to be BE:FIRST. I think it’s a well-balanced, highly listenable album.

“Hush-Hush” is a collaboration between yourselves and ATEEZ, right?

SOTA: A long time ago, Hidaka talked about how there was a K-pop group that he particularly liked. It was shortly after our debut, but he was saying “there’s an artist I’d like you to collaborate with one day.” There are certain ways in which we’re alike, so I guess he realized that we’d be a good match.

What did you feel like you had in common?

SOTA: How well we all get along, and the mood within our teams. We feel like hometown friends.

RYOKI: We both have a very down-to-earth feel. ATEEZ has a really warm vibe. That’s something that BE:FIRST also places a lot of importance on.

SOTA: Right. That focus sets ATEEZ apart from a lot of other K-pop groups. As far as music, another similarity is that we both write our own lyrics and take part in the creative process. I feel like there’s a lot of overlap in the core parts of what we focus on.

In closing, then, could you share your vision for the group in the future?

RYOKI: The musical direction we want to go in is always changing. But, no matter what, I want to keep this “Avengers” feel.

SHUNTO: But you can’t really produce that Avengers feeling on purpose. That variety in the way that we shine comes from us all combining our varied strengths.

RYOKI: Everyone’s so impressive. I love everyone in our group.

SOTA: But if we stopped enjoying creating music together, all seven of us working as one, then we wouldn’t need to keep that seven-person approach. Our strength isn’t really a group-focused approach in which, for example, we’re using synchronized choreography or we’re separating singing parts to give songs different feels. Instead, for us, it’s more important that we’re enjoying the vibes together. When we’re doing anything, whether it’s hip-hop or funk, it’s like all seven of us are jamming. One of the things that makes a group so fun—one of its qualities—is the feeling of bouncing the music off of each other. I think the best thing would keep on making the kind of music we want to make, all seven of us.

So it has to be the seven of you.

SOTA: That’s right. If we just did synchronized dancing, it wouldn’t make a difference if one person left.

Everyone: (Laughs)

SOTA: I think it’s when we’re having fun ourselves that it becomes fun for other people to watch. That’s our greatest point of appeal, the way we spread the enjoyment of our music.

—This interview by Takuto Ueda first appeared on Billboard Japan