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SKY-HI – On the new audition, No No Girls (Translated by shizuna)
Translated from SKY-HI's interview series with Nikkei, "Be myself, for ourselves", January 2024 printed issue that went on sale in December, 2023.
Online version shared as "Be myself, for ourselves", 106th installment on March 14, 2024.
Volume 27: On the new audition
On November 4, 2023, SKY-HI appeared as a surprise guest on Chanmina’s stage at “Buzz Rhythm Live 2023” and announced that BMSG will welcome Chanmina as a producer for an audition for a girl group, “GIRLS GROUP AUDITION PROJECT 2024 ‘No No Girls’” (hereon referred to as “No No Girls”). It was also announced that the girl group coming out of this audition will be under a new production, a subsidiary of BMSG.
On the “No No Girls” homepage, Chanmina says, “I’ve been told ‘no’ in numerous situations, even so I wanted people to listen to the voice of my soul, my singing and dancing. I’ll leave it up to you how you take it, but I think there are a lot of different perspectives and drama from people who have had a similar experience as me, people who have told themselves “No”. I’d love to hear what you have to say.” Currently, the audition is accepting applications. First of all, we asked [SKY-HI] the reason he entered this collaboration.
Chanmina and I have talked about this every time that we’ve met this year. Mina (Chanmina)’s label “NO LABEL MUSIC” and my “BE MYSELF GROUP (BMSG)” which we touch on in [the label] name, have many similar beliefs and principles – other than how you should approach art – is also the stress and problems in Japanese entertainment. The world that has rejected Mina and the world that has rejected me exist in slightly different places, but they are very close.
I consider Chanmina to be “one of the most BMSG-like artists”. At the same time, Mina strongly feels and supports BMSG’s philosophy and vision. She even came all the way to Yamanashi during THE FIRST’s training camp. I feel like that was the master plan from the start, to do something together with Chanmina.
I have always felt that it would have been easier for me to do things if there had been a senior person like me who was one generation above me. Perhaps if the ages of Mina (25) and myself (36) were reversed, Mina would have set up her company first and I would have been active like Chanmina. When I look at Mina, I get a “life I didn’t choose” kind of feeling. So, even if we may not agree on deeper matters, there is a sense of security and expectation that, at the root, Mina and I will give the same answers.
A step towards a more idealistic BMSG
One more reason why Chanmina should do this is, when I went to see “AREA OF DIAMOND” (the live that Chanmina held in March, 2023 at Pacific Yokohama Arena) I feel like it was time to move her up to another artistic phase. When we were both interviewed the other day, I heard Mina say that she still very much felt like a newcomer because she made her debut when she was 18, which made sense to me. I can understand that she feels like a newcomer because she made her debut when she was 18 [because she's young], but she's actually been active for seven years now. A new phase is waiting for Chanmina. If you want to do it, now is the time to do it. The earlier we do it, the better.
A structure in place that allows female groups to do things
Currently, all artists under [BMSG] are male. With this, internal opinions have come up, “Will you not [produce] girls?”
The majority of our employees are female, and we are more or less conscious in our recruitment to avoid any gender-age bias. On the other hand, regarding artists, when we talk about the future with the training team and others, the topic of "Did we not have to do girls?" comes up on a regular basis. Besides, recruiting only men is a very old-generation-thought, isn't it? I felt a sense of remorse that I was doing something that, depending on how you look at it, could very well be promoting a gender gap. Even though I have suffered from various [discriminations] in my life, what about people who are very committed to the philosophy and values of BMSG and have the ability to do so, but are not accepted because they are women? I’ve been concerned about it, but I can’t do it myself. In that sense, I am very grateful to Chanmina for helping BMSG to take a more idealistic step forward.
However, I wondered whether from BMSG’s side, would we ever be able to create the conditions and environment for a girl group audition. Fortunately, the number of new employees has been increasing since spring of 2023, and I felt that the organization has been getting stronger. As BMSG, we have a lot of projects going on behind the scenes, so we need to coordinate with what we have already planned. Given the timing, I thought it was now or never.
When I told my staff about the audition, I was pleasantly surprised to find that many of them were more motivated than I was. It was a great feeling to see an environment other than my own where the "wind was blowing". I think you can only strengthen the wind with drastic action if what you think and what people around you think overlaps. Then the project itself will become stronger, because the thought that was "1" will become "2", "4", "8"... and so on.
During “THE FIRST”, when asked whether he would eventually be involved in a girl group, SKY-HI had immediately replied, “I don’t think I’ll ever do a girl group”. We accepted his answer and it made sense since the group in front of him was still uncertain at the time. But now that he is in a position to produce boy groups with proven track records in this field, why have you avoided producing girls to such an extent?
I had no intention of creating a girl group myself. In the past I've said things like “If there are five Chanminas” or “If someone like Chanmina (produces)...” Ever since then, the only person I had in mind was “Chanmina”. I think that, more than anything else, Chanminna herself felt that the most, lol.
The reason I don't do it is simply because I can never, ever do it, because I really don't know [about producing girl groups]. Of course I'm looking at different groups, but in terms of experience and taste, I've only fielded male art forms in the case of groups. With girl groups, my sensitivity is so low that when people around me say, "Look at this group, they’re good" and I see them, I think they're good. When people say, "This one’s not so good", I think, "Sure". For someone like myself, the fans already know this, the first girl group member I like is Kim Chae-won from LE SERRAFIM. I like her visuals and performance. Even if she was a solo artist I feel I would have liked her regardless of whether her nationality was Japanese or American, lol. Having said that, I still don’t see it beyond just being my own thing when it comes to “girl groups”. On the other hand, no matter how much I like the boys, I look at them from a professional point of view, considering various things, good or bad.
Want to play a mentoring role
This is a digression from (and may include some parts related to) girl groups, but the word “acting on stage” is often used. I don't really feel the aesthetics and virtues of it. These are my own principles, but I don't know if that type of performer, whether idol or artist, will stick with me in the future.
There is a big difference between “acting out” a role on stage to fulfil a given role and developing a performance to define and present yourself, the two are close but very different. I’ll talk about Chanmina as an example. In “AREA OF DIAMOND”, Mina removing her make-up during “Bijin” on stage became a huge topic of conversation. I thought she was definitely conscious of where the camera was while doing that. In that sense, there is no doubt that Chanmina’s calculation was embedded in that performance. She expresses what she wanted to show and present passionately, on the basis of calm thinking [calculations]. I feel like the meaning of “acting on stage” as generally accepted is quite different [to what Chanmina did].
So in the end, again, if I am going to take responsibility or bet on something, Chanmina is the only one who can do it, lol. In “No No Girls” [special talk], Mina says "Just show me your voice and your life", and I really resonated with that statement and feeling.
“No No Girls” will be under a separate production company, but no holdings. SKY-HI says, “Put simply, it’s more hassle on the inside [company], and it’s a fact that creation doesn’t need it.” However, it will still be a gathering of BMSG (BE MYSELF) talents. Once again, what will be the division of labor between Chanmina and SKY-HI?
Chanmina will be the role that I played in “THE FIRST”, and this time I'm sort of at the back-end and a mentor to Mina. There is no doubt that Chanmina is super, but she is also a 25-year-old woman with a bit more life experience than is typical. Put it in career terms, she’s in her third year as a [fresh college] graduate, so she’s never experienced planning a big project, running it, or asking an external company to do something. Of course, I think she can do it, but I still want to play a role in saying "It's okay" or "That's not right" is all. I'll do what I can to say “It's okay” and actually make it okay, but I can't devote my heart and soul to this project in a big way. If people like Chanmina really come together, there's a possibility that I can produce [something], but I also have a strong desire to see something that exceeds my imagination. So with all of that considered, there really is no one better than Chanmina.
I'm looking forward to seeing how things will turn out, but I'm not sure how [much] I'll be involved or not once things actually start moving. It's effectively a separate company so I may not have many opportunities to meet the members of the girl group. I'm not worried about that though, as long as the girls believe in Mina, I believe in Mina, and they believe in me, then we're headed in the same direction as a result.
Please note I translate these for free and I'm not a professional, so they may not be 100% accurate.
Retranslations or sharing of the summaries is fine! For retranslations, please notify me beforehand and credit once posted!
Translations do take time to complete, so if you like my translations you can consider tipping me on Ko-Fi!
Online version shared as "Be myself, for ourselves", 106th installment on March 14, 2024.
Volume 27: On the new audition
On November 4, 2023, SKY-HI appeared as a surprise guest on Chanmina’s stage at “Buzz Rhythm Live 2023” and announced that BMSG will welcome Chanmina as a producer for an audition for a girl group, “GIRLS GROUP AUDITION PROJECT 2024 ‘No No Girls’” (hereon referred to as “No No Girls”). It was also announced that the girl group coming out of this audition will be under a new production, a subsidiary of BMSG.
On the “No No Girls” homepage, Chanmina says, “I’ve been told ‘no’ in numerous situations, even so I wanted people to listen to the voice of my soul, my singing and dancing. I’ll leave it up to you how you take it, but I think there are a lot of different perspectives and drama from people who have had a similar experience as me, people who have told themselves “No”. I’d love to hear what you have to say.” Currently, the audition is accepting applications. First of all, we asked [SKY-HI] the reason he entered this collaboration.
Chanmina and I have talked about this every time that we’ve met this year. Mina (Chanmina)’s label “NO LABEL MUSIC” and my “BE MYSELF GROUP (BMSG)” which we touch on in [the label] name, have many similar beliefs and principles – other than how you should approach art – is also the stress and problems in Japanese entertainment. The world that has rejected Mina and the world that has rejected me exist in slightly different places, but they are very close.
I consider Chanmina to be “one of the most BMSG-like artists”. At the same time, Mina strongly feels and supports BMSG’s philosophy and vision. She even came all the way to Yamanashi during THE FIRST’s training camp. I feel like that was the master plan from the start, to do something together with Chanmina.
I have always felt that it would have been easier for me to do things if there had been a senior person like me who was one generation above me. Perhaps if the ages of Mina (25) and myself (36) were reversed, Mina would have set up her company first and I would have been active like Chanmina. When I look at Mina, I get a “life I didn’t choose” kind of feeling. So, even if we may not agree on deeper matters, there is a sense of security and expectation that, at the root, Mina and I will give the same answers.
A step towards a more idealistic BMSG
One more reason why Chanmina should do this is, when I went to see “AREA OF DIAMOND” (the live that Chanmina held in March, 2023 at Pacific Yokohama Arena) I feel like it was time to move her up to another artistic phase. When we were both interviewed the other day, I heard Mina say that she still very much felt like a newcomer because she made her debut when she was 18, which made sense to me. I can understand that she feels like a newcomer because she made her debut when she was 18 [because she's young], but she's actually been active for seven years now. A new phase is waiting for Chanmina. If you want to do it, now is the time to do it. The earlier we do it, the better.
A structure in place that allows female groups to do things
Currently, all artists under [BMSG] are male. With this, internal opinions have come up, “Will you not [produce] girls?”
The majority of our employees are female, and we are more or less conscious in our recruitment to avoid any gender-age bias. On the other hand, regarding artists, when we talk about the future with the training team and others, the topic of "Did we not have to do girls?" comes up on a regular basis. Besides, recruiting only men is a very old-generation-thought, isn't it? I felt a sense of remorse that I was doing something that, depending on how you look at it, could very well be promoting a gender gap. Even though I have suffered from various [discriminations] in my life, what about people who are very committed to the philosophy and values of BMSG and have the ability to do so, but are not accepted because they are women? I’ve been concerned about it, but I can’t do it myself. In that sense, I am very grateful to Chanmina for helping BMSG to take a more idealistic step forward.
However, I wondered whether from BMSG’s side, would we ever be able to create the conditions and environment for a girl group audition. Fortunately, the number of new employees has been increasing since spring of 2023, and I felt that the organization has been getting stronger. As BMSG, we have a lot of projects going on behind the scenes, so we need to coordinate with what we have already planned. Given the timing, I thought it was now or never.
When I told my staff about the audition, I was pleasantly surprised to find that many of them were more motivated than I was. It was a great feeling to see an environment other than my own where the "wind was blowing". I think you can only strengthen the wind with drastic action if what you think and what people around you think overlaps. Then the project itself will become stronger, because the thought that was "1" will become "2", "4", "8"... and so on.
During “THE FIRST”, when asked whether he would eventually be involved in a girl group, SKY-HI had immediately replied, “I don’t think I’ll ever do a girl group”. We accepted his answer and it made sense since the group in front of him was still uncertain at the time. But now that he is in a position to produce boy groups with proven track records in this field, why have you avoided producing girls to such an extent?
I had no intention of creating a girl group myself. In the past I've said things like “If there are five Chanminas” or “If someone like Chanmina (produces)...” Ever since then, the only person I had in mind was “Chanmina”. I think that, more than anything else, Chanminna herself felt that the most, lol.
The reason I don't do it is simply because I can never, ever do it, because I really don't know [about producing girl groups]. Of course I'm looking at different groups, but in terms of experience and taste, I've only fielded male art forms in the case of groups. With girl groups, my sensitivity is so low that when people around me say, "Look at this group, they’re good" and I see them, I think they're good. When people say, "This one’s not so good", I think, "Sure". For someone like myself, the fans already know this, the first girl group member I like is Kim Chae-won from LE SERRAFIM. I like her visuals and performance. Even if she was a solo artist I feel I would have liked her regardless of whether her nationality was Japanese or American, lol. Having said that, I still don’t see it beyond just being my own thing when it comes to “girl groups”. On the other hand, no matter how much I like the boys, I look at them from a professional point of view, considering various things, good or bad.
Want to play a mentoring role
This is a digression from (and may include some parts related to) girl groups, but the word “acting on stage” is often used. I don't really feel the aesthetics and virtues of it. These are my own principles, but I don't know if that type of performer, whether idol or artist, will stick with me in the future.
There is a big difference between “acting out” a role on stage to fulfil a given role and developing a performance to define and present yourself, the two are close but very different. I’ll talk about Chanmina as an example. In “AREA OF DIAMOND”, Mina removing her make-up during “Bijin” on stage became a huge topic of conversation. I thought she was definitely conscious of where the camera was while doing that. In that sense, there is no doubt that Chanmina’s calculation was embedded in that performance. She expresses what she wanted to show and present passionately, on the basis of calm thinking [calculations]. I feel like the meaning of “acting on stage” as generally accepted is quite different [to what Chanmina did].
So in the end, again, if I am going to take responsibility or bet on something, Chanmina is the only one who can do it, lol. In “No No Girls” [special talk], Mina says "Just show me your voice and your life", and I really resonated with that statement and feeling.
“No No Girls” will be under a separate production company, but no holdings. SKY-HI says, “Put simply, it’s more hassle on the inside [company], and it’s a fact that creation doesn’t need it.” However, it will still be a gathering of BMSG (BE MYSELF) talents. Once again, what will be the division of labor between Chanmina and SKY-HI?
Chanmina will be the role that I played in “THE FIRST”, and this time I'm sort of at the back-end and a mentor to Mina. There is no doubt that Chanmina is super, but she is also a 25-year-old woman with a bit more life experience than is typical. Put it in career terms, she’s in her third year as a [fresh college] graduate, so she’s never experienced planning a big project, running it, or asking an external company to do something. Of course, I think she can do it, but I still want to play a role in saying "It's okay" or "That's not right" is all. I'll do what I can to say “It's okay” and actually make it okay, but I can't devote my heart and soul to this project in a big way. If people like Chanmina really come together, there's a possibility that I can produce [something], but I also have a strong desire to see something that exceeds my imagination. So with all of that considered, there really is no one better than Chanmina.
I'm looking forward to seeing how things will turn out, but I'm not sure how [much] I'll be involved or not once things actually start moving. It's effectively a separate company so I may not have many opportunities to meet the members of the girl group. I'm not worried about that though, as long as the girls believe in Mina, I believe in Mina, and they believe in me, then we're headed in the same direction as a result.
Please note I translate these for free and I'm not a professional, so they may not be 100% accurate.
Retranslations or sharing of the summaries is fine! For retranslations, please notify me beforehand and credit once posted!
Translations do take time to complete, so if you like my translations you can consider tipping me on Ko-Fi!