[translation] TV NAVI 10/17
Looking back again, what kind of tour did the group have for "Sexy Zone presents Sexy Tour 2017 STAGE"?
Nakajima: If I summarize it, it would be a tour that enabled us to reconfirmed our bond. We arranged the title of the performances. I think that it was a concert which cannot be done unless there is mutual agreement. Since last year's Samapara, as the opportunities of self-arrangement of our performances increased, I wonder if there was a feeling like reaffirming the bonds of five again.
Kikuchi: It was one of the turning points for us. However it is still the 5th anniversary. I think while targeting the 10th anniversary and the 15th anniversary, it became a point to raise one gear looking at the next.
Nakajima: There were lots of drama during the past five years, it was rich so it was not only a flat course . It was very impressive to have been celebrating the 5th anniversary.
During the STAGE Tour, solo songs for each member were sung as a group. What did you think of the performance?
Nakajima: I imitated each member’s way of singing.
Kikuchi: Even if there are too much gaps, there are images of each members' way of singing. However, when I feel if there would be an interesting mood, I did not approach it. Since it was a good oppurtunity to perform with the 5 members, we consider about the balance carefully, one by one, didn't we?
Kento: As we cover songs of other members, there is great responsibility and I put my passion to the maximum when I practised. If my dance are incompetent, isn't it impolite? First of all, what is the most important to me is, it is enjoyable.
Kikuchi: This time, I was allowed to do arrangement of the performances. If I say what is new is the fact that I included a laser. It was the first time for the 5 members live concert. I thought about various things, as a result "King and Queen and Joker" laser was borned. However, before that, the use of laser has already started since "Teleportation".
After the STAGE Tour, like a compilation of the past five years, you held “Summer Paradise 2017”
What did you feel when you attended the solo concert of Fuma-kun?
Nakajima: It was really enjoyable! It was a concert which allowed me to feel how nice the music is.
Kikuchi: I am glad. I knew Nakajima was busy. Although he has a tight schedule, he came to my solo concert, I am glad.
Nakajima: Kikuchi understood the stories of every song, so I could feel the lyrics connected very well and the songs are absorbs quite smoothly. We have many solo songs. I think that is the charm of Sexy solo and we will treasure it in the future. Blending our song with senior's song is really difficult, but Kikuchi harmonized it well.
Kikuchi: Because I am also a Janiota (Johnny's otaku). I think that the songs are familiar, they are all my favourite songs. Since a long time ago, I have memorized all the lyrics in my head, so I could imagine which songs may suit every scene of my concert.
Nakajima: I see. The final song of your solo concert was “Subarashiki Sekai” of Arashi. Such finale is even opposite to my “culture”, so I was really amazed by your choice of the final song.
Kikuchi: In fact, “Subarashiki Sekai” first inspired me as the final song of the solo concert and I selected songs from the end to the beginning. Besides, the theme of the opening was my “revival” from dead and rediscover the splendor of Tokyo. For example, I selected symbols of the city such as Tokyo Tower, the expressway. I'm thinking so much of Tokyo (lol), selecting songs that suit Tokyo’s image, such as “Tokyo Sinfonietta” and “Tokyo Drive”. “Shake” also reminds me of Tokyo.
Kikuchi: My recent three concerts include “風” in the titles and the content had some similarities, but Nakajima’s live concert is different from last year. It had a little mature impression. I was indeed convinced that Nakajima Kento's existence brings pleasure to the fans, so you could say extreme things and do whaetever you likes, the audience will be pleased. There were stylish and wonderful productions, and the collaboration with Snow Man is fresh. Each of you enhanced each other's charms. This time you collaborated with Snow Man, and I collaborated with SixTONES, it could not be done if it's the other way round. This year’s solo concerts had a great success thanks to the combination.
Nakajima: Certainly, unison between you and SixTONES was amazing. (lol) I clearly felt SixTONES members’ love for you, and because they are of the same generation, the collaboration had a great harmony. For example, the flowing images during "My Lovin’ Season" shows an ideal summer vacation. I guess there are many men who wants to spend their summer like that. Even in private, to have that sparkling images emitted so much, its a culture shock for me.
Nakajima-kun with an overwhelming atmosphere as a star and Kikuchi-kun with a realistic charm... Your performance styles and viewpoints are completely the opposite.
Nakajima: I desire what I actually don’t have very much. (lol) “風 is I?” demonstrated an ideal image of youth. Seeing Kikuchi enjoying the type of youth I neither experienced in my private life nor on stage, I thought "how envious", "how nice".
Kikuchi: I am very glad with your compliments. It's probably a revelation between ideal and reality. If there are common fans of both of us, Nakajima’s character is the ideal. For example, in your live concert, they can enjoy your performance with a pounding heart and feel delighted. Because don't the girls want the loved one from 1000 years later in the future to come protect them ? My style is an ordinary person or music that can be easily found around fans and may seem quite
familiar from the beginning. It is quite realistic. Both styles have their own charms. A while ago, Nakajima said that he wants to spend youth like that. But for me, I want to express such a splendid aspect of youth through Sexy Zone. Sexy Zone is an unreachable dream (夢のまた夢) or a fairytale-like group. This is certainly one of our group's charms but there are two people like us who want to express an idealistic aspect and a realistic aspect. This is the youth the five of us are sharing. Of course, creating performances together itself is an important part of youth, but, more clearly, we would like to enjoy the youth by ourselves, too, and propose it to our fans as an ideal type of youth. It doesn’t mean that other members need to limit their own charms to adjust them to my style in the solo concert, but each of us need to harmonize as a group and propose multiple types of our style. It can be the major strength of Sexy Zone.
Nakajima: Certainly. Our next single, Gyutto may be closer to a realistic aspect of our group rather than the ideal. Our message is “even though you need to endure difficulties now, there is absolutely someone who is waiting for you. So, endure tightly (be perseverant) for the moment, embrace what is important and try our best to move forward.” This is a humanistic song from a positive viewpoint, which is based on everyday life in reality.
Kikuchi: I fortunately could collaborate with songwriters in writing the lyrics of the song. We tried to make a song which support listeners or, if I say more humbly, which is like a friend who walk with you, putting the arm around the shoulder. As the drama is broadcast at the beginning of the week from Monday midnight, the song could encourage listeners such as “let’s enjoy weekdays although the weekend is still far from now!” I wanted to write such a positive lyrics and make a positive drama like a tension of going forward together.
Nakajima: What kind of drama filming is it like?
Kikuchi: It may be similar to what Nakajima is doing for Nippon Television...raburabu documentary...?
Nakajima: Oh!? do you mean “Rabuhori”? (JMK Nakajima Kento Loveholic Ouji-sama) (lol)
Kikuchi: That’s right! Even in a dating scene... you said only uncle staffs surrounded you, didn’t they?
Nakajima: It was really funny!
Kikuchi: I also continue my monologues for a long time being surrounded by only male staffs! (lol)
Nakajima: I understand such matter (lol) Indeed, there were only men. (lol)
Kikuchi: However, I was delighted that our group’s song will be used as the theme song of my drama.The fact that the 5 members could participate in my solo work, I understood well Nakajima's word "I would be very glad if our group's song were used as the theme song of a drama or film in which one of us would be starring." The song wasn’t actually made for the drama but it has warmed the staff from the start so when I handed the producer with “I have this kind of song”, he promptly made the decision “There’s no other than this!!”
Nakajima: That’s a luck~ The B-side songs features in this single were really good too. Lately I have been listening to the songs even when I’m in the shower. I would put them on repeat while using the bath tub, and eventhough suddenly I’d feel dizzy from the hot flush (lol), I can still keep listening to them.
Kikuchi: Then this time, the MV is the work of 5 of us being presented like a documentary. It’s because there’s a camera following us all the time, our real faces were all recorded.
Nakajima: yeah I think the MV has a human-touch to it too (lol)
......Lastly, right now, do you have something that you are curious of each other?
Nakajima: How about your black hair? Has it been 2 years or so? Because you did dye your hair to black once last year.
Kikuchi: ah because I thought black hair would suit any of my clothes? Since I own a lot of black-coloured clothes, so they matched. Although it looks a bit gloomy, but it’s pretty popular (smug face) so I wonder if this is fine (lol)
Nakajima: oh I see. In some way, your state of hair kind of brought a meaning of a particular season (lol)
Kikuchi: but I think I won’t be changing it for a while.....
Nakajima: opps, so are you in the period where you have a rest for your hair?
Kikuchi: Surprisingly this summer, they get easily damaged when they are exposed to the sun. Like everyone else, I went to the beach this year too, really enjoying myself and went all out like the surfers, thats why I get a little bit worried. (Laughs) by the way just now when we were having the photograph meeting, I heard you muttered something like “I want to cut my hair”??
Nakajima: aaa I said that.
Kikuchi: Since you are still filming misekodo now, you can’t do it right away. But when you are done with it, what kind of hairstyle do you want to have?
Nakajima: something like Honda Keisuke-san’s (Japanese Footballer) hairstyle. I haven’t cut my hair that short since 2011.
Kikuchi: Yes, I also haven’t seen it for 6 years already. Sometimes when you look at your old pictures you’d feel like “ahh that was nice”. But your hair, this short, right now, is good too?
Nakajima: oh yeah, that! (lol)
Kikuchi: As example, if you do the two-blocks a hairstyle, then you let the upper part a bit longer, it will look smart and chic-ish. aaaa but that doesn’t mean I want you to do it that way (lol)
Nakajima: no but that’s how I’m imagining it right now, short hair.
Kikuchi: Since right now, my hair is black, Nakajima can change his hair color or do something to it. I feel like it would be nice if there’s someone in the group with a little bit different hairstyle.
Nakajima: Yes of course.
Kikuchi: after all, Shori will remain that way right? And Marius is basically out of our territory (lol). Matsushima will never change his hairstyle, that guy is seriously sexy zone’s girl version, his bangs is his life!
Nakajima: I know right (lol)
......This group seems like it’s a group with a bit of aesthetically pleasing girls characters. (lol)
Kikuchi: Thats not needed! (lol) But instead, I’m just saying “I want to be the one who is the most variety in the group!”. During the time when we were recording our behind the scene playing against the staff team on a (beach) volleyball match and the camera is still rolling, Matsushima said “I do not want to get dirty!”.
Nakajima: Hahahahah he definitely said that!
Kikuchi: Even when he was doing the ball service, he’d still fixing his bangs after that.
Nakajima: Those 30 year old staff-sans were giving their best and get all caked in the sand though (lol)
Kikuchi: Right! Since I think that guy won’t be changing his hairstyle even in the future, so the one who will do that is either me or Nakajima. Also it’s been a long time since I have seen you with the short hairstyle, I think you would look good in it.
Nakajima: OK. I still don’t know how I want to style it yet but..... please anticipate it!