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SKY-HI – Changing gears with the world in mind, what BE:FIRST wants (Translation by shizuna)
Translated from SKY-HI's interview series with Nikkei, "Be myself, for ourselves"
Original interview, 96th installment from September 7, 2023.
Other than CJ 4DPLEX, I have been approached by many other people. One of the many reasons I started D.U.N.K. is because I wanted people overseas to think, “Out of all Japanese artists; Japanese agencies; in the Japanese entertainment industry, this is the place (BMSG) to work with.” I have been working towards this goal for a very long time, and I think it may be starting to bear fruit. I feel that everything that I have done has not been in vain; a lot of things are connected. I feel like there is one more thing that will lead to the future, that is why it was important to accept this project.
I think “a change in perspective”, while true for artists themselves, is also true for a company – to raise its horizons at this point.
No one in BE:FIRST, whether among the members or in the company, views them as a newcomer anymore. Especially within the company, they are older (in seniority) than most of the employees, lol. Not so senior as to say they are veterans, but there is at least something like a sense of seniority. The good and bad of that is a fine balance. For example, if we were to work overseas now, we would be a “Newcomer in their second year of debut”.
If we don’t tighten up our awareness one more time, that we are what we appear to be from the outside, it could lead to a big incident. What’s important is we tighten up our perspective, become more aware of what we’re doing, while having fun. What this “awareness” means is that we go out there, aware of our numbers, aware of our influence. If we start receiving offers overseas, I think that awareness is even more important.
To have influence means to have the power to influence society in some way. In other words, a “responsibility” if you will. Right now, it’s a period where people who have a deep sense of responsibility towards the world are considered cool. Such an era began globally a long time ago, but being in Japan, where social consciousness is not very high, it bugs me.
I get the impression that the meaning of “social responsibility” of entertainers is often misunderstood by the public. You don’t have to be a saint, but [as an entertainer] it’s important that you have a sense of perspective, a sense of responsibility and some tension, and a strong respect for others. In that sense, I think BE:FIRST is starting another phase, as a newcomer to the world.
Their 2nd single is finished. I’m thinking of releasing a few more singles before MAZZEL’s first album.
In BE:FIRST’s case, the response to “Boom Boom Back” has been the best so far, but they didn’t get here without their debut, “Gifted.”, the hit “Bye-Good-Bye”, and their first album “BE:1” creating a highly complete discography. Additionally, we posted a special performance video of “Milli-Billi” on YouTube. It feels like everything is coming together.
In MAZZEL’s case, I think a minimum of three singles would solidify their stance, and I think that’s how we’re going to do it from here on. There needs to be sufficient communication – MAZZEL with themselves, and MAZZEL with the world. I think that’s where they’re different from BE:FIRST’s debut, the level of consistency. With repeated exchanges, I’d like to firmly establish a way of presenting themselves, and a stance that suits their qualities with them.
Going back to what I said before, I don’t want artists to become bored as they proceed with activities. No matter what happens, it is absolutely necessary to create an environment where artists feel “it has to be here, or I’d hate it,” so I need to think really carefully on that. In an age where we don’t know what will sell, it is more important than ever to treat each release / music seriously.
Please note I translate these for free, so they may not be super perfect.
Retranslations or sharing of the summaries is fine! For retranslations, please notify me beforehand and credit once posted!
Original interview, 96th installment from September 7, 2023.
Other than CJ 4DPLEX, I have been approached by many other people. One of the many reasons I started D.U.N.K. is because I wanted people overseas to think, “Out of all Japanese artists; Japanese agencies; in the Japanese entertainment industry, this is the place (BMSG) to work with.” I have been working towards this goal for a very long time, and I think it may be starting to bear fruit. I feel that everything that I have done has not been in vain; a lot of things are connected. I feel like there is one more thing that will lead to the future, that is why it was important to accept this project.
I think “a change in perspective”, while true for artists themselves, is also true for a company – to raise its horizons at this point.
No one in BE:FIRST, whether among the members or in the company, views them as a newcomer anymore. Especially within the company, they are older (in seniority) than most of the employees, lol. Not so senior as to say they are veterans, but there is at least something like a sense of seniority. The good and bad of that is a fine balance. For example, if we were to work overseas now, we would be a “Newcomer in their second year of debut”.
If we don’t tighten up our awareness one more time, that we are what we appear to be from the outside, it could lead to a big incident. What’s important is we tighten up our perspective, become more aware of what we’re doing, while having fun. What this “awareness” means is that we go out there, aware of our numbers, aware of our influence. If we start receiving offers overseas, I think that awareness is even more important.
To have influence means to have the power to influence society in some way. In other words, a “responsibility” if you will. Right now, it’s a period where people who have a deep sense of responsibility towards the world are considered cool. Such an era began globally a long time ago, but being in Japan, where social consciousness is not very high, it bugs me.
I get the impression that the meaning of “social responsibility” of entertainers is often misunderstood by the public. You don’t have to be a saint, but [as an entertainer] it’s important that you have a sense of perspective, a sense of responsibility and some tension, and a strong respect for others. In that sense, I think BE:FIRST is starting another phase, as a newcomer to the world.
Two months have passed since MAZZEL’s debut, it’s time to think about what’s going to happen next.
Their 2nd single is finished. I’m thinking of releasing a few more singles before MAZZEL’s first album.
In BE:FIRST’s case, the response to “Boom Boom Back” has been the best so far, but they didn’t get here without their debut, “Gifted.”, the hit “Bye-Good-Bye”, and their first album “BE:1” creating a highly complete discography. Additionally, we posted a special performance video of “Milli-Billi” on YouTube. It feels like everything is coming together.
In MAZZEL’s case, I think a minimum of three singles would solidify their stance, and I think that’s how we’re going to do it from here on. There needs to be sufficient communication – MAZZEL with themselves, and MAZZEL with the world. I think that’s where they’re different from BE:FIRST’s debut, the level of consistency. With repeated exchanges, I’d like to firmly establish a way of presenting themselves, and a stance that suits their qualities with them.
Going back to what I said before, I don’t want artists to become bored as they proceed with activities. No matter what happens, it is absolutely necessary to create an environment where artists feel “it has to be here, or I’d hate it,” so I need to think really carefully on that. In an age where we don’t know what will sell, it is more important than ever to treat each release / music seriously.
Please note I translate these for free, so they may not be super perfect.
Retranslations or sharing of the summaries is fine! For retranslations, please notify me beforehand and credit once posted!