[EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW]: ONE OR EIGHT on Their Comeback, Favorite Tracks, and the Places They Want to Share With 1DERZ
Photos courtesy of Avex Music Creatives Inc.
Ahead of their September 16 EP release EN-GÏNE , the eight members of ONE OR EIGHT, aka “1OR8,” Souma, Mizuki, Tsubasa, Reia, Ryota, Takeru, Yuga, and Neo took time out of their schedule to share their favorite tracks, fun stories and special places. This year has been an epic year for this talented J-Pop group. Starting with the release of GATHER and the success of “TOKYO DRIFT” in January, continuing through their first international tour and ensuing docuseries, the group recently released singles “YANKEE SQUAT” and “INVINCIBLE,” which are featured on EN-GÏNE. The energy and charisma that this octet brings has only escalated since their debut, and the tracks on this EP is no exception. With every word, it’s clear that the connection the group feels with their fandom, 1DERZ, especially with “INVINCIBLE,” a song dedicated to them that serves as a thank you for their love and support. Read onward for other words they have for 1DERZ, funny revelations, advice, and stories from the heart of ONE OR EIGHT.
Q: BEFORE WE DIVE INTO THE COMEBACK, WHAT'S ONE GOOD THING THAT'S HAPPENED TO YOU RECENTLY THAT YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH 1DERZ!
Mizuki: I’ve been really into soba lately. I had ume-oroshi soba for lunch the other day, and it was so good that it made my whole day! So, everyone, make sure to treat yourself to something delicious for lunch and have a great day!
Tsubasa: I’d say the start of the new soccer season!
Q: “INVINCIBLE,” THE LEAD SINGLE FROM THE ALBUM IS SO GOOD! I’VE HEARD IT’S DEDICATED TO YOUR FANS. CAN YOU LET US KNOW A BIT MORE ABOUT IT AND HOW YOU FEEL WHEN YOU SING THIS SONG?
Yuga: This song carries the message that no matter what happens, we can overcome any challenge as long as we have our members and 1DERZ by our side. I believe that together, we can become invincible, so whenever I sing this song, it fills me with warmth and naturally brings a smile to my face.
Neo: “INVINCIBLE” is a song dedicated to our fans, 1DERZ. It’s about that feeling of becoming stronger when you have someone believing in you, even when you’re going through difficult moments. When I perform it, I feel a strong connection with the audience because the song is really about the relationship between us and our fans. It reminds me that we’re not doing this alone.
Q: THIS ALBUM HAS SONGS THAT HIT THE HEART AND THE HIPS. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SONG ON THE ALBUM AND WHY?
M: “INVINCIBLE!” This song is about how ONE OR EIGHT and 1DERZ are invincible when we’re together. It’s a song that gives me courage whenever I listen to it, so I’d definitely recommend it to everyone!
Ryota: “TRANCELATE.” I really like the concept, and the story behind the song fits us perfectly. You’ll have to watch the music video to see what the concept is all about!
N: My favorite song on the album is “INVINCIBLE.” It has a different emotional weight for me because of what the song represents. I also love the fact that it’s a song that can make you feel something while still being something you can perform and enjoy live. That balance is really important to me.
Reia: “INVINCIBLE.” Most of ONE OR EIGHT’s songs so far have been upbeat and high-energy, while songs like “TRANCELATE” and “YANKEE SQUAT” show sides of us that we haven’t been able to express before. But I feel like “INVINCIBLE,” with its mid-tempo ballad sound, has a special place among our songs. The lyrics also have a positive message that gives you hope and makes you feel like moving forward.
Y: “INVINCIBLE.” I really love the sound and the meaning behind the lyrics. It’s the kind of song that naturally makes me want to move along to the music.
TS: “YANKEE SQUAT.” There’s a message we want to convey through this song: we create our own place, and we’ll make it a place for you, too. I really love those words and what they represent, which is why “YANKEE SQUAT” is one of my favorite songs.
Takeru: “TRANCELATE” is my favorite! There’s a line in the lyrics that means, when we’re standing on stage, we don’t need a translation—we can prove ourselves through our performance alone. I really love that message. The choreography is also the most challenging one we’ve done in ONE OR EIGHT’s history, so I hope you’ll pay attention to that as well!
Souma: “YANKEE SQUAT.” I often listen to it before practice or whenever I want to get myself hyped up. I really love the concept of creating our own place and the energy of the song. It’s definitely a song I always want to include in our live setlists!
Q: COMEBACK PROMOTIONS CAN BE PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY DEMANDING. DURING THE PREPARATION FOR EN-GÏNE, WHAT DID YOU DO TO STAY HEALTHY AND MOTIVATED?
Y: For my health, I make sure to go to bed early, wake up early, and wash my hands and gargle. I also enjoy my skincare routine, which helps keep me motivated.
RY: I’m always excited to learn new ways to express ourselves and new styles of performance, and to share them with our fans and as many people as possible. Knowing that people will get to hear our music and see our performances gives me something to look forward
Q: HOW DOES THIS COMEBACK DIFFER FROM YOUR PREVIOUS RELEASES IN TERMS OF MUSIC AND STYLE AND WHAT DO YOU MOST LOVE ABOUT IT?
N: I think this comeback shows a more complete version of ONE OR EIGHT. We’ve always had a strong energy and performance-focused sound, but this time we explored more sides of ourselves, both musically and emotionally. What I love most is that it still feels like us, but at the same time, it feels like we’ve grown.
S: Following our previous release, GATHER, this EP represents us starting our engines and moving forward together with 1DERZ, the fans we’ve connected with through GATHER, while enjoying music together. We’re also taking on genres we haven’t explored before, so we hope you’ll give it a listen and enjoy it!
Q: WHAT SONG FROM THE ALBUM ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO PERFORMING LIVE THE MOST AND WHY?
RE: “TRANCELATE!” We’ve only performed it live once so far, and we haven’t released the music video yet, so I’m really excited to show it to everyone as soon as possible!
TS: “I<3 IT!” It’s such a hype song, and I can’t wait to perform it at festivals and get everyone fired up!
Q: WAS THERE ANY MEMBER THAT CONTRIBUTED SOMETHING NEW OR UNIQUE TO THE COMEBACK PREPARATIONS?
TS: This time, even though I’m one of the vocal members, I challenged myself by taking on a rap part. I struggled with finding the right tone and figuring out how to deliver the melody, but I think we managed to create something really good in the end.
TA: I think everyone really challenged themselves during the filming of the “TRANCELATE” music video. There was a lot of acting involved this time, and we each expressed different emotions throughout the video. I hope you’ll pay attention to that when you watch it!
Q: ARE THERE ANY FUNNY OR MEMORABLE MOMENTS FROM FILMING THE COMEBACK MUSIC VIDEO?
RY: There’s a scene where we’re attacked by a Rokurokubi, and we had to do some wire action. It was really difficult to get the hang of the movements and figure out how to perform the wire action naturally.
TA: Filming “TRANCELATE” was really fun, but also a little scary. Yokai appears in the video, and the actors had incredibly realistic makeup. If I ran into them somewhere at night with no one around, I’d honestly be pretty scared!
Q: IN REGARDS TO THE DOCUSERIES THAT WAS RELEASED FOLLOWING YOUR FIRST HEADLINE TOUR, CAN YOU SHARE WITH US WHAT MOMENTS MADE YOU LAUGH OR CRINGE THE MOST?
M: For some reason, I felt really embarrassed watching my own episode! Haha. When I watched the other members’ episodes, I was like, “Oh yeah, this happened!” or “I can’t believe we did that!” But when it came to my own episode, I was so embarrassed that it was actually a little hard to watch! Haha.
TS: There’s a segment on the show called the “Ichibachi Challenge,” where we take on different challenges. I tried to eat a hamburger in just three bites, but I completely failed!
Q: WHO WOULD BE MOST LIKELY TO ACCIDENTALLY REVEAL A SPOILER - AND DID THEY?
RE: Souma! The reason is that when we did an Instagram Live together before, he accidentally spoiled something without even realizing it. Since it’s already happened once, I feel like he might do it again! Haha.
S: I’d say either me or Tsubasa! During a livestream before, I was so excited to let everyone hear our new music that I ended up playing the unreleased song “MONSTER.” So I’d say I’m probably one of the members most likely to accidentally spoil something! Haha.
Q: WHICH TWO SONGS WOULD YOU EACH RECOMMEND TO SOMEONE HEARING YOU FOR THE FIRST TIME AND WHY?
M: “TOKYO DRIFT.” I feel like this song really represents ONE OR EIGHT. We see it as our introduction to the world as ONE OR EIGHT, almost like a greeting from us, so I’d definitely recommend “TOKYO DRIFT!” “365” is another one of my favorites. It’s a song about the 365 days we share with 1DERZ. It’s easy to listen to, but it also has a meaningful message, so it’s definitely one I’d recommend!
RY: “TRANCELATE.” I recommend “TRANCELATE” because it shows a new side of ONE OR EIGHT that you haven’t seen before. “MONSTER” is a powerful track with an intense, in-your-face energy.
N: I would recommend “TOKYO DRIFT” and “INVINCIBLE.” “TOKYO DRIFT” represents the energy and attitude of ONE OR EIGHT really well, while “INVINCIBLE” shows another side of us and our connection with 1DERZ. I think listening to both gives you a good idea of our range.
RE: I’d honestly recommend all of our songs, but if I had to narrow it down to two, I’d pick “TOKYO DRIFT” and “YANKEE SQUAT.” I want more people to discover Japanese Yankee culture through “YANKEE SQUAT,” while “TOKYO DRIFT” is a song that many people may already be familiar with. The choreography is also fun and catchy, so it’s a song you can really enjoy and move along to!
Y: “YANKEE SQUAT” and “INVINCIBLE.” Both songs are for 1DERZ, but what I love about “YANKEE SQUAT” is its message that we’ll create a place for 1DERZ ourselves. “INVINCIBLE” is also one of my favorite genres of music, and I really love the lyrics.
TS: “TOKYO DRIFT” and “YANKEE SQUAT.” I recommend these because they represent the current ONE OR EIGHT really well.
TA: “TOKYO DRIFT” and “YANKEE SQUAT.” I think “TOKYO DRIFT” is the song that introduced ONE OR EIGHT to the most people. And “YANKEE SQUAT” really captures what ONE OR EIGHT is all about, so I’d recommend these two!
S: I honestly want everyone to listen to all of our songs! But if you like high-energy tracks, I’d recommend “YANKEE SQUAT” and “Young & Reckless.” If you prefer more mellow songs, I’d go with “365” and “INVINCIBLE.”
Q: AFTER THIS LAST TOUR, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT YOU LEARNED ABOUT YOURSELVES OR ABOUT YOUR OTHER MEMBERS THAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW BEFORE?
TA: I realized just how important sleep is! We were traveling so much that it was hard to get enough proper sleep, and it made me realize how challenging it can be to give your all in a performance when you’re exhausted.
S: Whenever we had a day off during the tour, I’d usually go out or go shopping. But I noticed that Neo and Ryota often stayed at the hotel, which made me realize they’re actually more of the indoor type than I thought!
Q: IF YOU COULD EACH SPEND A DAY SHOWING 1DERZ A PLACE THAT REFLECTS WHO YOU ARE THE MOST, WHERE WOULD YOU TAKE THEM AND WHY?
M: Yokohama! I’m from Yokohama, and it’s where I grew up and spent my childhood. It’s the place where I feel most relaxed and comfortable showing people around, so I’d love to take 1DERZ around Yokohama and show them some of my favorite spots!
RY: Tokorozawa, my hometown. I could show you some of the places I used to go when I was a trainee, as well as some of my favorite spots that I used to visit often!
N: I’d probably take them somewhere in Tokyo. I think Tokyo reflects a lot of who I am because it has so many different sides to it—fashion, music, street culture, technology, and everyday life all existing together. I’d want to show them the places I actually enjoy rather than just the famous tourist spots, and spend the day eating, walking around, listening to music, and just talking.
RE: Somewhere with beautiful nature and a relaxing atmosphere! I don’t usually go to places like that, but I’d love to spend a leisurely day there with 1DERZ—just talking, going to a café, and enjoying a nice, relaxing day together.
Y: Rather than a specific place, I think it would be best to have 1DERZ follow me around on one of my days off. If I had to choose one thing, maybe a skincare appointment?
TS: A shrine! I really love Japanese culture, so I’d love to introduce it to as many 1DERZ as possible.
TA: A dance studio! I feel most like myself when I’m dancing, so I’d definitely take 1DERZ to a dance studio.
S: Asakusa! I used to go there a lot when I was younger to eat and hang out at arcades, so I’d love to show 1DERZ around and take them to some of the places I used to visit.
Q: THOUGH IT HASN’T BEEN THAT LONG SINCE YOU’VE TOURED, ANY CHANCE WE’LL SEE YOU STATESIDE AGAIN SOON?
N: Definitely. We’ve already had some incredible experiences in the U.S., and every time we perform there, we feel how much potential there is for us. I can’t announce anything yet, but I really hope we can see our American fans again soon.
M: Absolutely! We’re always looking for opportunities to go meet 1DERZ around the world. When the time comes, we’ll be there to see you, so please hang tight and wait for us!
Q: ANY LAST WORDS TO 1DERZ AND KRAZE READERS?
TS: To all the 1DERZ who always support us, and to everyone discovering ONE OR EIGHT for the first time through The Kraze, we’ll continue taking on new challenges and reaching for a global audience. We hope you’ll continue to support us!
RY: Thank you so much for always supporting ONE OR EIGHT. We’ll continue to work hard every day and bring you lots of great music and performances. We hope you’ll enjoy watching ONE OR EIGHT continue to grow and evolve. Thank you for your continued support!
Thank you so much to Avex Music Group and 42West for coordinating this interview. But most of all, thank you to ONE OR EIGHT for sharing your thoughts and insight. Congratulations on this comeback and we look forward to seeing you next time you’re stateside!