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LE SSERAFIM is the latest artist in Billboard Japan’s monthly feature interview series which presents various artists and works that have caught its eye. Making its debut in May 2022,  they are  the first girl group produced by SOURCE MUSIC and HYBE, the label behind BTS and countless other global artists.
 In January of this year, LE SSERAFIM released their first Japanese single, “FEARLESS,” and held a showcase event to commemorate it. In May, the group released its 1st studio album, UNFORGIVEN. The album took the top position on Billboard Japan‘s “Hot Albums” overall album chart, the “Top Albums Sales” weekly album sales chart, and the “Download Albums” chart.

 A Japanese version of the album’s title track, “UNFORGIVEN,” was released in August as their second Japanese single. “UNFORGIVEN (feat. Nile Rodgers, Ado) -Japanese ver.-” features Ado, and a Japan-exclusive track, “Jewelry (Prod. imase)” was produced by imase, generating buzz in Japan. Billboard Japan spoke to LE SSERAFIM about what’s happened in the year since their debut, their well-received album and latest single, and their first solo tour. (Due to scheduling issues, HUH YUNJIN was not able to take part in the interview with the rest of the group and was interviewed on her own at a later date.)

It’s been roughly a year since your debut. Could you tell us where each of you thinks you’ve achieved the most personal growth over the course of this year?

KAZUHA: My greatest growth has been in how much my Korean has improved.

What about you, KIM CHAEWON?

KIM CHAEWON: Before our debut, and right after our debut, I wasn’t yet in the right frame of mind to enjoy myself while I was performing on stage. Now, though, I’ve become comfortable enough to have fun on stage. I think that’s an area where I’ve grown a lot.

Could you talk a bit about what makes LE SSERAFIM unique and what your strengths are?

SAKURA: A lot of our lyrics are based on our actual life experiences, so I think our songs can encourage and resonate with people who are going through similar experiences. I think our strength lies in the fact that we sing about our philosophy of how you can live your life.

What about your live performances?

KIM CHAEWON: When we get up on stage, we try to create a live show together with all of our fans, as a group effort. For example, we put in call & response sections so that the audience can respond.

In May, you released your first studio album, UNFORGIVEN. I’ve heard that you recorded several of the songs in Japan. Did you have any insights or discoveries during the recording process?

SAKURA: On this album, there were a lot of songs in genres that I didn’t have much experience with, for example, “Fire in the belly” which has a lot of Latin-influenced sounds. So when we were recording, I discovered new voices I didn’t know I had. Sometimes it was hard, but I think with UNFORGIVEN, listeners will be able to enjoy all kinds of genres through the entire album.

What did you do to prepare for recording?

KAZUHA: We began recording “UNFORGIVEN (feat. Nile Rodgers)” in Japan, and my approach was to sing the opening words “Unforgiven, I’m a villain, I’m a” in a kind of dark, cool way. But I got some advice to try singing it with a bit of a lighter tone, and when I tried it out, the producer was also like, “right there, that’s it.” That part sticks with you, and the producer said he wanted to make it an addictive hook, so I’m glad I was able to pull off that part so well. I think the recording of this album allowed me to experience the best possible recording process, despite the time limitations we were under.

KIM CHAEWON: We didn’t have that much time for recording, so I took a lot of care to make sure my voice was in its best condition.

HONG EUNCHAE: I sang a somewhat long part in “UNFORGIVEN (feat. Nile Rodgers).” It was my first time doing that, and I wanted to do really well, so I practiced to show the best version of myself.     

I feel like your first studio album, UNFORGIVEN, was made with this desire to pave your own way, without being held back by how other people see you or what they think. The album has gained support from a lot of fans and reached the top of the hit charts. What do you think that means for you and how do you feel about the response to the album?

KIM CHAEWON: Our goal wasn’t breaking into the charts when we were preparing for the recording. We just wanted to do what we could and to express ourselves through music. That’s what we were focused on when we made the album. We figured that people would see what we accomplished and recognition would follow.

SAKURA: UNFORGIVEN dropped the day before we celebrated our first anniversary, and you can see the hard work we put in over the course of that year. A lot of people discovered us through “ANTIFRAGILE,” and I think the expectations people had for us had a good impact on us. The real test will be where we go from here. I want us to continue making the kind of music that only we can.

HUH YUNJIN: I can feel the love that so many people have for our songs and performances, and I’m so happy that the message we’re trying to share is reaching people. I want us to be a team that has a positive influence on people who see us perform, helping them courageously join hands and keep pushing forward.

Could you talk a bit about your second Japanese single, “UNFORGIVEN?” One of the songs on the single is a Japan-exclusive produced by imase titled “Jewelry (Prod. imase)” What are the highlights of this song?

KIM CHAEWON: The lyrics are beautiful. A lot of LE SSERAFIM songs have a cool, sophisticated atmosphere, but “Jewelry (Prod. imase)” is a bright, cheery song.

SAKURA: I think it’s a real ear-pleaser, perfect for listening to on late-night drives. A lot of LE SSERAFIM songs are rap-oriented songs, but when we recorded this song we tried to make our voices really shine.

KAZUHA: Usually, during recording, I break things down very precisely, like, “in this part, I’ll do this, and in this part, I’ll do this.” With “Jewelry (Prod. imase),” though, I just felt the energy and had a blast singing.

HONG EUNCHAE: The word “sparkling” appears a few times in the lyrics, and when I sang the song I envisioned beautiful, sparkling scenes and vibed as I sang.

HUH YUNJIN: I love the city pop genre, and both the music and lyrics are wonderful.

The title song, “UNFORGIVEN (feat. Nile Rodgers, Ado) -Japanese ver.-” features the Japanese singer Ado. How did you feel when the decision was made to collaborate with her?

HONG EUNCHAE:  I knew that Ado was a very well-known artist, so I couldn’t believe it when I found out she’d be collaborating on one of our songs.

KAZUHA: Ado has a truly unique singing voice, so I was excited to hear how she’d sound on her collaboration with us.

HUH YUNJIN: It was so unexpected, I couldn’t believe it. I remember being impressed with what a wonderful artist Ado was the first time I heard her. I never expected to be able to work with her.

You started your first solo tour, 2023 LE SSERAFIM TOUR ‘FLAME RISES,’ with a performance in Seoul on August 12. In Japan, you played in Nagoya, Tokyo, and Osaka. Where did the “FLAME RISES” in the tour name come from?

SAKURA: It refers to us burning the path we walked behind us so there would be no going back, our only choice would be to keep going forward. It’s also because we wanted to put on a blazing hot show.

What has the response been like?

KIM CHAEWON: Even before we debuted, we had our eyes set on putting on concerts. I was so glad to be able to put on our first LE SSERAFIM tour. I’ve had a hard time even believing it. We’re making sure to take good care of our health, and hopefully we can bring the tour to a successful conclusion.

SAKURA: A lot of concerts end with a quiet, soulful song, but we’re ending our concerts with a really exciting song that gets the audience amped up. Like the image evoked by our tour name, “FLAME RISES,” we want to be on fire up on stage. At our shows, we’ve seen the audience enjoying the show with every fiber of their being, so it’s been a thrill for us, too.

HUH YUNJIN: It’s been so fun. I’m so grateful that people have taken time out of their busy schedules to come see us. I want us to keep enjoying ourselves in our shows, staying healthy and putting on impressive performances.

Do you have any final message for our readers or your fans?

KIM CHAEWON:   I hope you put our second Japanese single, “UNFORGIVEN,” on heavy rotation, and if you come to one of our shows, I hope you have the time of your life.

SAKURA:  I’m so glad to be able to experience first-hand the love people feel for our music. We’re going to keep putting on great shows for the rest of this tour, and then achieve even further growth in preparation for our next tour, so we look forward to your ongoing support.

Tokoyami Towa debuted in 2020 as one of hololive’s fourth-generation group of virtual YouTubers, and currently boasts more than 1.3 million subscribers on her channel. The VTuber whose main draw is gaming livestreams also releases videos of herself singing covers and original music, showing off her signature strong, husky voice and wide vocal range.
Tokoyami — her name is stylized in Japanese order, surname first — recently dropped her first album called Aster, a highly anticipated project that showcases her potential as a vocalist through tracks written by a team of distinctive creators. The Startend VTuber shared her thoughts on her 12-track debut set and its production process, including how the rare collaborations with other VTubers and streamers were made possible.

What motivated you to become a VTuber?

The reason I joined hololive was because I wanted to make friends. I enjoyed watching and playing first-person shooters from around that time and although hololive is a group of “idols,” I thought it’d be interesting to be an idol and a gamer at the same time. The nice thing about gaming livestreams is how you can watch the players improve. They exchange ideas and work hard with each other to compete. I want to convey through my activities that working hard isn’t something to be embarrassed about and that the accumulation of your efforts up to that point is more important than winning or losing.

In a sense, your debut album Aster embodies the accumulation of your career up to this point. Tell us about its concept.

I wanted it to express who Tokoyami Towa is. This album also has a hidden theme that I encourage everyone to speculate about. It took me a long time to decide on it. I looked back on things like what I was feeling at the time and the work I’ve done over the years.

The lead single “ANEMONE” was written by music producer Yuyoyuppe (Mamiya Takehiro). Why did you choose this song as the face of the album?

It was really hard to decide. I thought it’d be okay to not have a lead single at all since there are so many different genres of songs on the album. But I felt that “ANEMONE” was the one that showed Tokoyami Towa’s strengths that separate her from other VTubers, both from hololive and elsewhere, so that’s why I chose it.

Could you elaborate on what you mean by “Tokoyami Towa’s strengths”?

First, I have a good vocal range. I can keep my voice steady when I hit high notes, and that’s also one of my strengths. Blistering heavy metal numbers like “ANEMONE” aren’t common in the VTuber industry, so being able to sing such songs with a strong voice is Tokoyami Towa’s signature style.

What thoughts went into the lyrics?

Over the course of my career, people have said nice things to me, and also not-so-nice things as well. I get hung up on the negative stuff sometimes, but in the end I want to decide what I want to do and live my life as I am. When I told these feelings to Yuyoyuppe, he was like, “That’s really great, let’s incorporate it.” That’s how the phrase “I want to live as I am” came about as we worked on the lyrics.

So your usual livestreaming activities and musical ones like this project closely influence each other?

It’s like of like, “Let’s use music to express the stuff I usually can’t say.” For the song “Taidana Wonder” on the album, I wanted to convey feelings like “what a drag, I don’t wanna do anything, I feel lazy, I’m sleepy” in an endearing way. I didn’t think a solid rock band sound would fit the lyrics, so when I heard Botchiboromaru’s “Otose Thunder” on TikTok, I thought the light, fresh style would be a great fit, so I asked them to write it for me.

“Antares” features nine guest vocalists. The lineup isn’t limited to your colleagues from hololive, but also includes VTubers and streamers from other agencies.

I’m an outlier in hololive in that I have a lot of opportunities to collaborate with people from other organizations. My management has given me its blessing regarding this and I think it’s one of my selling points, so I wanted to do collaborations on this album as well, which is why I approached various people from other companies and also other hololive VTubers. “Antares” was written with the collaboration in mind. I wanted to do a singalong. I thought it’d be nice to sing it together with the audience at a live show.

Do you think these collaborations are connected to what you said about first becoming a VTuber, being motivated by wanting to make friends?

Yes. As a VTuber and streamer, I want to incorporate good influences as much as I can, and before anything, I want to do fun stuff. As I always tell my fans, I don’t want to do what I do out of obligation. I want to communicate how I’m having fun and get people to have fun watching me do that. So the way I see it, the companies my collaborators belong to don’t matter, as long as what we do together is enjoyable.

You collaborate with Nekota Tsuna, who belongs to VSPO! (Virtual eSports Project), on the last song on the album called “Nininsankyaku.” How did this one come about?

Singing and playing first-person shooters are Tokoyami Towa’s two mainstays. I often get to participate in FPS gaming competitions, and when I teamed up with Tsuna, we cried and laughed together and deepened our friendship. We share good memories together and she’s now one of my best friends. That’s why I wanted to sing a song with Tsuna and asked the management about making it happen. I think our fans probably know about our relationship, so I hope we can perform together on stage someday. I’ve been listening to the song at least once a day lately. It moves me every time I hear it while I’m doing something. [Laughs]

Did Tsuna have a say in the song’s creative process?

Before the song went into production, Tsuna and I wrote out these lengthy memos about what we thought about each other. Even cheesy stuff like, “I’m stronger now thanks to you.” [Laughs] We prepared these letters, I guess you could call them, and sent them to the songwriters, who then reflected them in the lyrics for us. I think the song really captures that spirit. There’s this part where we take turns singing, and we had a great time recording it while expressing our feelings to each other.

Your first solo concert called Break your xxx is set for Friday, Oct. 13. What will the show be like?

I’ll be performing with a live band, so it’ll be a wild, fun show. I’m working hard to prepare for it right now because I want to make sure my voice won’t be overshadowed by the band’s sound, and that my feelings will reach everyone, and that both the people who come and those who join the livestream will think, “That was awesome.” 

What’s the meaning behind the title of the show?

There were times I felt anxious and depressed over the course of my career, but thanks to my fans and the management, I’m able to do live shows like this now. The meaning behind “Break your xxx” is that I wanted to overcome my gloomy feelings and gain confidence, overcome myself. I’m sure everyone goes through times of pain and hardship, but I want to invite people to break those things together at my concert. What goes into the “xxx” is up to you. Everyone is building this concert together.

Tell us about your vision for the future beyond your debut album and first live performance.

I’d love to do a second concert, of course, and I’d love to stand on stages outside of Japan. My fans in other countries were also very supportive of me when I was faltering, so I want to go express my gratitude to them.

Billboard Japan spoke with Kaori Hayashi, CEO of Hayashi International Promotions Co. Ltd., for the latest installment of its Women in Music interview series. H.I.P. has long been one of Japan’s leading concert promoters of both domestic and international artists.
Billboard Japan launched its Women in Music initiative last year in an effort to highlight women in the country’s music industry through projects including interviews by leading figures in their respective fields of expertise.

Since Hayashi took up her current post in 2021, H.I.P. promoted sold-out stadium shows for Bruno Mars (October 2022) and Maroon 5 (December 2022) in Japan immediately after the country reopened following the pandemic. For these achievements, she was recognized on Billboard’s 2023 International Power Players list. H.I.P. is producing another round of Mars’ sold-out stadium shows in Japan set for January next year.

Hayashi, who studied in London and is currently based in California, shared her thoughts on the current landscape of the Japanese music industry.

Congratulations on being recognized on Billboard’s International Power Players list this year.

Thank you. My father (Hiromichi “Massy” Hayashi) founded H.I.P. and a lot of the other names on that list are people who’ve been working in the industry since his days, so I feel honored to be named alongside them. There aren’t many female concert promoters out there, so I’d be happy if people notice me for being the next generation of the business and for being a rare woman in it who can really help shake up the industry.

So there aren’t too many female concert promoters on the whole, not just in Japan.

Right. You see a lot of women in positions like the vice-president of a record company now, but the people I talk to on a daily basis are only men. We don’t pull our punches, though. [Laughs]

Why do you think there are more men in concert promotion?

Our work is done both domestically and internationally, so we have to deal with taxing time zone differences and are under continuous pressure every day. It takes a lot of physical strength, and it can be really damaging if you’re not tough mentally. But I think there will be more women coming to the business in the future. I think this job is cut out for people who are good at multitasking.

We started this series of interviews after noticing the gender imbalance on our charts. The topic of gender imbalance in music festivals is also being talked about recently. Do you take gender into consideration when inviting artists?

To be honest, not at all. When we plan and promote concerts, we never think about what we do based on whether the acts are male or female.

An observation that’s come up a number of times while speaking to various people in this series is that there’s a tendency in Japan for women to have a hard time being accepted for asserting something strongly, unlike in the U.S. where artists such as Beyoncé and Billie Eilish who express strong convictions are popular. Have you noticed such sentiments in your line of work?

I’ve never noticed any such reactions to the foreign artists we work with, but it is true that for Japanese female artists, there is probably a higher demand for being cute and pretty rather than whether or not they have something to say. In the U.S., being assertive and having bold and flamboyant performances are considered interesting and garner attention.

What influenced your thinking behind not taking gender into consideration when making decisions?

I think I was raised not to think too much about gender. I’ve always wondered why we think about men and women in a separate way and discriminate when we’re all “from Planet Earth.” Of course, there are times I find myself not being able to communicate smoothly with conservative-thinking men. But it’s up to me to decide whether or not to associate with such men. I don’t let it distract me because it’s my choice to make.

You mentioned the lack of female concert promoters. I’m sure your presence inspires others to consider your line of work. How did you decide on this career?

I often used to accompany my father to the concerts he produced and watched him work. It was still rare at the time to see so many non-Japanese people around, so seeing him working in such an environment seemed out of the ordinary to me. I think that’s why I also wanted to do it too. When I was 18, I worked on Mariah Carey’s dome tour as an assistant. That’s when I started thinking I wanted to make it my career.

Getting started working on a Mariah Carey tour sounds amazing. Now that you’ve established yourself in the business that you aspired to, what parts of the job make it worthwhile?

Every day I keep running into some kind of wall, whether it be big or small. But when I’m able to overcome those obstacles and achieve something, I feel a sense of fulfillment.

When you hit a wall, how do you overcome it?

I never give up and keep looking for a way. If option A doesn’t work, then I consider option B, then C and even D, and just think things through.

You’ll find a way if you work really hard. You can achieve your goals  even under intense pressure. The most important thing is to never give up. My father embodied this attitude. He never ran away from the reality in front of him and overcame obstacles by facing them with sincerity.

If you could give yourself one piece of advice when you first started working, what would it be?

“Go with your gut.” At the time, I didn’t have much experience and didn’t trust my intuition. But now I know that my intuition is more important than anything else and can guide me along the way.

Before I started working, I was a student and decided to go to the U.K. because I was feeling cramped in Japanese society. I was also uncomfortable with the idea that it was considered the norm for women to do all the housework. I was young at the time and wanted adventure, so I lived in London and learned from many experiences. I also learned that in the U.K., women are equal to men when it comes to pursuing a career, and that men tend to encourage women and support their advancement in society.

I live in California now and am surrounded by many women who are mothers and business owners. In Japan, there seem to be a lot of people who think that it’s not good to let other people help care for your kids or help do things around the house, but that’s not the case in the U.S. I think a supportive environment for women is essential for them to be more active in this industry.

You’re right, the way people think needs to be changed along with working conditions because these things are directly related to gender imbalances in the workplace. Is there anything you try to be aware of to maintain a free mindset?

I try to consciously create situations that allow me to be free. For example, when choosing a partner, I choose someone who doesn’t think “women should stay at home.” It’s my choice. I try to remember that the choices are always mine.

—This interview by Rio Hirai (SOW SWEET PUBLISHING) first appeared on Billboard Japan

Fujii Kaze‘s rise to fame began when his 2020 release, “Shinunoga E-wa,” trended on TikTok. He now enjoys popularity in Japan and throughout Asia, and has recently released a new song, “Workin’ Hard.” The song was created in Los Angeles with sound producer Dahi, who has also done sound production for Kendrick Lamar and SZA, and was used as the theme song for Japanese broadcasts of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, which was held in the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan. It isn’t just a sports fight song, but a song that energizes and encourages people throughout their day-to-day lives.

This summer, Fujii embarked on his first international tour — Fujii Kaze and the piano Asia Tour — playing in seven cities throughout Asia. Billboard Japan spoke with him about the indelible tour and his new song, which represents a major turning point, as well as the process of making the song’s music video together with its director, videographer MESS.

You toured Asia from June to July. What was that experience like?

Fujii Kaze: More than ever before, I felt a spiritual connection that transcended language. I’m so grateful that they are paying attention to the content of my songs and trying to see the humanity and spirituality within. I want to keep trying to tear down those barriers between me and others. I don’t want there to be this feeling that there’s some kind of distance between us. I want us all to feel like we are one.

Were there any particular scenes that stand out in your memory?

Fujii Kaze: With each show, it felt like I myself was also being liberated. I was focused on my inner world, so I could feel the changes going on inside me. And somehow they made me feel proud to be Asian. It felt like my hometown and brotherhood was expanding. That feeling was new to me. 

Did you start working on your new song, “Workin’ Hard,” after being approached with an offer for FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023?

Fujii Kaze: Yes. Basketball is the sport I have the closest personal connection to, and it has a definite hip-hop image. The team wanted me to make a song inspired by the NBA, which brings together the finest players from around the world, just like the World Cup does. That’s why we went to Los Angeles to watch a game. The stadium often resounded with the rumbling bass of hip-hop, and that’s when I was sure that I wanted to create a hip-hop inspired song for the event.

You took on a few new challenges with the song, making hip-hop and working in a new songwriting environment.

Fujii Kaze: When I released my last song, “grace,” it felt like I’d said everything I wanted to say and done everything I wanted to do. I felt burned out. For a long time, I didn’t know what I should do next, and I didn’t feel the need to create more music. So when I received this great offer, the energy welled up within me to do something I’d never done before, starting from the ground up. I like trying new things, but the message I need to share through my music stays the same. It’s basically one single message. Because that message is so constant and unchanging, I wasn’t sure if there was any room to explore new approaches to conveying the message or any new methods I could use. I was looking for a totally new approach that wouldn’t just be rehashing what I’d already done, and this offer was the perfect fit.

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You created the demo and then worked with Dahi to flesh it out, right?

Fujii Kaze: I had the whole completed song in my head, so I looked for someone who could realize the song as-is while adding their own special magic. I only met Dahi in-person once, but we did all of the recording then. Dahi kept coming up with good idea after good idea, and unless I said “I like that!” he’d just keep going. I put out everything that was in me at that session, and then we put all of the finishing touches on online. The whole process was very smooth, and the final song went in a direction that was even cooler, more refined, and more stylish than I’d anticipated.

Singing and rapping seamlessly blend into each other in the song. What did you pay special attention to when it came to singing style and flow?

Fujii Kaze: Ever since “Matsuri,” my mindset has been all about relaxation and being laid back. It’s been important that the music I create doesn’t place undue stress on listeners, and that it conveys to listeners the relaxed mood with which it was created. With “Matsuri,” I feel really confident about the sound of the song, the way I sing it, and my flow. When I made it, I realized that this was the sound I wanted to have going forward. I debuted with “Nan-Nan,” but when I released “Matsuri,” I felt like it was a “second debut song.” I ended up almost immediately closing that chapter with my next song, “grace.” So with “Workin’ Hard,” I had to bring back so much energy and passion that you could even call it a “third debut song.”

“Matsuri” and “Workin’ Hard” were both turning points for you, but did you realize this while you were working on the songs?

Fujii Kaze: Yes, I did. “Workin’ Hard,” in particular, came after “grace” and after “Shinunoga E-wa” had become popular even outside Japan, and it was the first song I released this year, so in many ways while I was creating it I felt like I needed to make it a new beginning and to show people something new.

It’s been a while since “Shinunoga E-wa” gained widespread popularity. As its creator, what do you think about it now?

Fujii Kaze: What happened was really like a gift from God. “Shinunoga E-wa” and “Matsuri” were my favorites, too. So the popularity of them gave me the confidence in sharing what I truly felt was cool.

The music video for “Workin’ Hard” also makes quite an impression.

MESS: I started out with this mental image of a garbage man holding on to the back of a garbage truck as it drove down the street. From that starting point, I interpreted the message of the song through its lyrics, and I came to think that showing scenes of people working in different workplaces would be the best way to convey the song’s message. When I met with Kaze and talked about it, he said that was exactly what he had imagined.

Fujii Kaze: I wanted something which people who hear the song or watch the video could apply to their own lives. I was hoping to visually convey that “this song belongs to you.”

MESS: I thought of this song as a song for everyone. I don’t think “work” should just be used in reference to one’s job, but should include the housework in your daily life too, which is why in the end of the video there are the scenes of him airing out the futons and hanging up the laundry.

Fujii Kaze: Who would have thought I would end up beating the futon at the last hook? I saw some comments that they are glad the video includes chores as well. That hadn’t even occurred to me, so big kudos to MESSY.

What’s the meaning behind the artwork illustration you made, MESS? 

MESS: This cover art shows all kinds of characters taking care of garbage using a bucket brigade style to express that no matter what our jobs are, no matter what our environments are, we’re all “Workin’ Hard.” If you look carefully, you’ll see that the knots on the garbage bags are all hearts. The bucket brigade can also be seen as how our love, praise, and consideration for others are passed on from person to person, reaching people far away. I think I was able to make a video to even better express this message.

Fujii Kaze: Without a doubt, the visuals really expanded the world of the song. I think the song has really been supported by the video, and I think they’ll continue to synergize and help spread this message.

—This interview by Tomonori Shiba first appeared on Billboard Japan