Japanese dance & vocal group BE:FIRST spoke with Billboard Japan for its Monthly Feature interview sequence highlighting immediately’s main artists and works. The vastly in style boy band launched their second album, 2:BE, on August 28.

Ever since its formation three years in the past by way of an audition by BMSG, the file label headed by SKY-HI, the group has created numerous hits and appeared on quite a few music TV exhibits and competition phases. In 2024, they carried out two solo exhibits at Tokyo Dome and two solo exhibits in Kyocera Dome Osaka. The seven members of SOTA, SHUNTO, MANATO, RYUHEI, JUNON, RYOKI, and LEO are shaping as much as be an plain juggernaut of a bunch. Their fandom and the scope of their actions is consistently rising, however since their debut, they’ve proven a constant dedication to their singing, rapping, and dancing, and so they’ve been actively and enthusiastically concerned in songwriting, lyric-crafting, and choreography.

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

In the three years since your debut, what sort of group do you are feeling that BE:FIRST has change into?

LEO: We’ve at all times been a bunch that actually enjoys the music. We don’t consider music as work, it’s extra like we’re simply doing what we would like. Personally, none of it has ever felt like a burden for me. I’ve by no means as soon as thought “I don’t really feel like doing this now.” I believe that’s due to the form of group we’re.

I really feel like that’s one of many notable options of BE:FIRST, as a result of all of you’re actively concerned within the group’s artistic course of. But that often includes rising pains, proper? I’m positive you’ve had slumps.

LEO: Of course, there are occasions once I’ve discovered myself butting up towards an impediment, or I’ve felt anxious. But these by no means made me dislike what we’re doing. After all, I’m right here as a result of I like music, and I wish to change into a greater artist. No matter how scared I’d really feel, it’s enjoyable to carry that mic up on stage, and I really feel stuffed with pleasure once I’m listening to music. That’s at all times true, it doesn’t matter what the state of affairs.

SOTA: Our company additionally places music first, so we’re by no means given work that might intrude with our capability to deal with music. We carry on doing what we wish to do. Our work atmosphere is stress-free, and the extra songs we create, the extra our musical urge for food grows, so it’s much more widespread for us to search out ourselves struggling to decide on between a lot of completely different choices than for us to be hitting a wall. I believe all of our struggles are constructive struggles. I really feel very grateful to have the ability to work in this sort of atmosphere.

That’s actually certainly one of BE:FIRST’s strengths.

SOTA: When we launched “Mainstream,” there was a time once we have been attempting to determine how one can finest showcase ourselves as a bunch. But our company allow us to make the form of music we wished to make, and all seven of us are united in giving 100% to no matter we wish to do. These will proceed to be our strengths, and I really really feel that over the previous three years we’ve change into a bunch that’s fully targeted on music.

MANATO: THE FIRST was an audition targeted on every individual’s talents and individuality, so everybody got here to the group with their very own private strengths. Over the previous three years, we’ve developed into a bunch the place every of those strengths passes by way of the filters of our individuality to supply our group’s output. Initially, Hidaka (Mitsuhiro Hidaka/SKY-HI) outlined our group’s strategy, however from round 2023, we began to consider what we ourselves wished to do. We turned extra concerned within the artistic facet, and as quickly as we completed a music, we have been like “okay, now what should we do next?” I believe that was a giant transformation.

How do you suppose that you simply, as particular person artists or as a bunch, have developed since your final album, BE:1?

RYUHEI: Our new album, 2:BE, has a combination of songs that Hidaka wished BE:FIRST to carry out and songs that we wished to carry out. We tried a number of new issues, and I believe we’ve change into so much higher at reproducing what’s within the recordings. I really feel like, by way of the method of everybody engaged on their very own singing, we’ve taken issues to a better stage.

JUNON: Compared to our first album, on this second album, there’s a a lot smaller distinction between the way in which we sound dwell and the way in which the album sounds. Also, we did so much within the recording course of to mirror elements of our performances within the music, which you’ll be able to hear even now (earlier than we tour), so I believe it’s the form of album that can make individuals look ahead to seeing our dwell exhibits. That’s a method we’ve developed since our first album.

So you are feeling you’ve made strong progress.

RYOKI: We’ve already acquired songs carried out by sub-units of the group, there are lyrics that we’re lastly ready to jot down, and the album has a uncooked really feel to it. That’s as a result of BE:FIRST has at all times lived within the second—we’re at all times in an atmosphere the place we are able to do what we would like. I believe 2:BE reaffirms that sense of freedom to dwell within the second. “Blissful” personifies it. When we debuted, it was all we might just do to care for no matter was proper in entrance of us, however recently we’ve been in a position to loosen up a bit, in a very good sense.

So you’ve been in a position to specific yourselves extra naturally?

RYOKI: Yes, I believe so. That’s true musically, and I believe additionally in our day-to-day lives, we’ve now acquired some respiration house. Thanks to that, we are able to deal with our music, which I believe has created a constructive suggestions loop. Being in an atmosphere that gives us with freedom additionally creates obligations, however then all it’s essential to do is make an atmosphere by which residing as much as your obligations is itself additionally fulfilling. I believe BE:FIRST can do this.

SHUNTO: Quite a lot of the songs on the brand new album have a robust message. It’s an album by which these may function our strengths. The new album is actually filled with what it means to be BE:FIRST. I believe it’s a well-balanced, extremely listenable album.

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

SOTA: A very long time in the past, Hidaka talked about how there was a Okay-pop group that he significantly preferred. It was shortly after our debut, however he was saying “there’s an artist I’d like you to collaborate with one day.” There are sure methods by which we’re alike, so I assume he realized that we’d be a very good match.

What did you are feeling such as you had in widespread?

SOTA: How nicely all of us get alongside, and the temper inside our groups. We really feel like hometown associates.

RYOKI: We each have a really down-to-earth really feel. ATEEZ has a very heat vibe. That’s one thing that BE:FIRST additionally locations a number of significance on.

SOTA: Right. That focus units ATEEZ aside from a number of different Okay-pop teams. As far as music, one other similarity is that we each write our personal lyrics and participate within the artistic course of. I really feel like there’s a number of overlap within the core elements of what we deal with.

In closing, then, might you share your imaginative and prescient for the group sooner or later?

RYOKI: The musical path we wish to go in is at all times altering. But, it doesn’t matter what, I wish to hold this “Avengers” really feel.

SHUNTO: But you’ll be able to’t actually produce that Avengers feeling on goal. That selection in the way in which that we shine comes from us all combining our various strengths.

RYOKI: Everyone’s so spectacular. I like everybody in our group.

SOTA: But if we stopped having fun with creating music collectively, all seven of us working as one, then we wouldn’t must hold that seven-person strategy. Our energy isn’t actually a group-focused strategy by which, for instance, we’re utilizing synchronized choreography or we’re separating singing elements to offer songs completely different feels. Instead, for us, it’s extra necessary that we’re having fun with the vibes collectively. When we’re doing something, whether or not it’s hip-hop or funk, it’s like all seven of us are jamming. One of the issues that makes a bunch so enjoyable—certainly one of its qualities—is the sensation of bouncing the music off of one another. I believe one of the best factor would carry on making the form of music we wish to make, all seven of us.

So it must be the seven of you.

SOTA: That’s proper. If we simply did synchronized dancing, it wouldn’t make a distinction if one individual left.

Everyone: (Laughs)

SOTA: I believe it’s once we’re having enjoyable ourselves that it turns into enjoyable for different individuals to look at. That’s our best level of enchantment, the way in which we unfold the enjoyment of our music.

—This interview by Takuto Ueda first appeared on Billboard Japan