"THE MUSIC DAY 2024" now available for viewing! A compilation of enthusiastic comments from top artists (3)

■Sandaime J SOUL BROTHERS, DISH//, BE:FIRST, ILLIT, Kato Seishirō, and Kikkawa Koji express their feelings in their own words!

“THE MUSIC DAY 2024” was broadcast live for approximately eight hours starting at 3:00 p.m. on July 6th.

The main host was Sho Sakurai. The theme for 2024 was “surprise.” On the day, some of the artists’ comments were also broadcast, livening up the show.

“THE MUSIC DAY 2024” is available for pre-order on TVer. Be sure to tune in along with the comments from each artist.

■ Third generation J SOUL BROTHERS
J SOUL BROTHERS III performed “BLAZE,” which was just released on July 6. In addition, ELLY performed “Lose Yourself” with Tanaka Juri (SixTONES) and RYOKI (BE:FIRST) in the “Worldwide Rap Song Tribute Collaboration Medley,” and “Pump It” with Tanaka Juri (SixTONES), RYOKI (BE:FIRST), MAYUKA (NiziU), and RIMA (NiziU).

Q: What are the characteristics of “BLAZE”? What are the points to look out for in today’s performance? What would you like people to pay attention to?
NAOTO:This is the strongest hip-hop element in the history of Sandaime. And as you can see from the performance, the vocalist Imaichi Ryuji usually raps, the chorus is only ELLY’s rap, and the end is a continuous loop, so the hip-hop development is new musically. I think the dance is very close to what everyone is originally good at and has been doing since they started dancing, so I think it’s the performance that is closest to our true selves. There was an a cappella-like part in the middle, which is something that Sandaime has never done before, and dancing a cappella without a beat is quite new and quite difficult, so I hope you will pay attention to it.
Takanori Iwata:Since the song has a strong concept, I dyed my hair blue today. The other members are also expressing this song with very “aggressive” fashion, so I think it will be a very conceptual performance. I also have grills on my teeth (dental accessories), so pay attention to my smile. ELLY also wears grills..
Naoki Kobayashi:We are really happy to be able to deliver our brand new song to everyone on TV so soon. We will be touring at the end of the year with this song, so we are full of energy in the dressing room so that people will want to see our performance and want to see more.
Q: ELLY will be appearing in the “Global Rap Song Tribute Collaboration Medley.” What kind of conversations do you have with the people you’re performing with?
ELLY:I was really happy that everyone was saying, “I’m actually listening to the songs I do solo,” and even downloading them. This is my first time performing outside of a group, so I hope everyone enjoys this first opportunity.

■DISH//
DISH// performed “Itsudatte HIGH!”, the theme song for the dance video contest “LOVE Dance – High School Dance Video Festival 2024”, held on the Nippon Television information program “DayDay.”

Q: What points would you like viewers to pay attention to in your “Itsudatte HIGH!” performance?
Takumi Kitamura:LOVE Dan – High School Dance Video Festival 2024 –“I think the opportunity to collaborate with high school students on the assigned song “Itsudatte HIGH!” is quite special in itself.
Q: Please tell us the thoughts behind “Itsudatte HIGH!”
Kitamura:The time that students are spending is time that we can never get back. I’m sure that in your teens, you have that feeling of confusion that you only had back then, and that fun that we can’t feel anymore. Because that’s a thing of the past, we can only speak from our own experience, but I’m sure that you’re spending that kind of time right now. That’s why I wrote the lyrics with the hope that high school students, junior high school students…any students, don’t get depressed or down, and always stay HIGH.
Q: This time, it’s a collaborative performance with the Tokyo Hosen Gakuen High School girls’ dance group members.
Masaki Yabe:I want to give the high school students something that will make them think, “I’m glad I did this,” and I think I can get some energy from them, so I’m really looking forward to it.
Kitamura:I hope it will remain as a fond memory for them. Of course, it will reach everyone watching on TV, but equally, I hope it will be a way to give back to everyone who shares the same stage with them.
Q: The final of your hall tour is coming up soon. Is there anything you’re looking forward to in the summer of 2024?
Shusei Tachibana:I go to the beach every year, but last year it was raining and I couldn’t enjoy the beach, so this year I want to go to the beach no matter what. I’ve only been to the beach once with the other members a long time ago, so if I could go to the beach with the other members, I would like to go. (Izumi) Daichi hates the beach, so I think I’ll drag him along (laughs).
Q: Please give a message to the viewers.
Kitamura:Being involved with “DayDay.” in “Always High!” is one of our most memorable moments in the first half of this year. In a way, I think this is the goal and end point of this project, so I want to show it well.

■BE:FIRST
BE:FIRST performed “Masterplan”. In addition, SOTA and three “childhood friends” performed King & Prince’s “ichiban” and BE:FIRST’s “Boom Boom Back” on a special stage, and RYOKI appeared in the “Worldwide Rap Song Tribute Collaboration Medley”.

Q: What are some of the highlights of this performance, your costumes, etc. that you would like to convey to viewers?
MANATO:“Masterplan” has been performed many times, and I think it’s about to reach its climax, but it’s a song that has definitely colored “our year” with a more hip-hop feel. Above all, today’s costume is the first and last one, so I want you to see the performance including it.
Q: SOTA, Kaito Takahashi (King & Prince/the “taka” is officially spelled with a はしごだか) and KAITA will appear on the special stage with the three “childhood friends” performing King & Prince’s “ichiban” and BE:FIRST’s “Boom Boom Back”. What did you three talk about in preparation for your appearance on stage?
SOTA:When we were kids, we were really into dancing, and we often talk about how there were a lot of really cool styles back then. The genres of dance we did at the time were completely different for all three of us, but when we met again after leaving the kids group, we somehow found that our styles were similar, which was very emotional. I’m really happy to be able to do this live, so I’m going to give it my all!
Q: Ryoki will appear in the “Worldwide Rap Song Tribute Collaboration Medley” and will perform “Lose Yourself” with ELLY (J SOUL BROTHERS III) and Juri Tanaka (SixTONES), and “Pump It” with ELLY (J SOUL BROTHERS III), Juri Tanaka (SixTONES), MAYUKA and RIMA (NiziU). Please tell us your thoughts on this medley.
RYOKI:I really love the song “Lose Yourself,” and I never thought the day would come when I would be able to perform it on terrestrial TV in the form of a cover, so I was really looking forward to it. I’m really grateful to have been given this opportunity, and I’m also really happy to be able to perform with artists as a collaboration that transcends the boundaries of our agency. I think this will be a special stage that only lasts today, so I hope you’ll look forward to it, and I’ll give it my all!
Q: Finally, please give us a message for our viewers.
JUNON:We’ve been performing “Masterplan” since our Dome concerts, and we’ll do our best today to give our best performance yet!

■ILLIT
ILLIT performed “Magnetic.”

Q: What points would you like to convey to viewers about the performance and costumes of “THE MUSIC DAY”?
YUNAH:Pay attention to the facial expression challenge (in “Magnetic”) and the pink outfit.
IROHA:Please also pay attention to their cute pink costumes and the choreography for the chorus of “Magnetic.”
Q: Please tell us your thoughts about the song “Magnetic” that you will be performing today.
MINJU:It’s very cute and I think it’s a perfect song for us.
MOKA:“Magnetic” is the title song of our debut mini-album “SUPER REAL ME,” so I think it’s a song that will help people get to know us as a group, ILLIT.
Q: You’ve been extremely successful since your debut, dominating global charts, but what do you think has changed the most since your debut?
WONHEE:I felt so grateful to have had the opportunity to experience so many incredible and honorable things.
MOKA:It was amazing to see so many people singing and dancing to our songs, and hearing them all over town. To be honest, even now, I still feel so strange when I hear our songs being played outside.
Q: Since your debut, have there been any episodes or incidents that you think have strengthened the bond between you members?
YUNAH:Rather than anything specific, I think we’ve become someone who is always there for each other and supporting each other.
IROHA:We spent every moment together, every day, and our bond grew stronger.
Q: Do you have any behind-the-scenes stories from the dressing room or anywhere today?
YUNAH:I was drinking water and spilled it on the floor.
WONHEE:I thought for a long time about whether to have salmon or beef for lunch, and then I decided on salmon.
IROHA:Since MOKA is from Fukuoka Prefecture, she taught me some tongue twisters in the Fukuoka dialect.
Q: What are you looking forward to while you’re in Japan?
MINJU:We look forward to having the opportunity to show our performance in Japan.
WONHEE:I’m really looking forward to meeting all my fans in Japan. I’m practicing hard so that I can give all my fans a great performance.
Q: Finally, please give a message to the viewers again.
MOKA:I’m really grateful that you’ve listened to our songs so much. I think there are still many people who don’t know about us, so we’ll try our best to show you our charms. I hope that through this performance, we can show the charms of ILLIT to many people.

■Kato Seishiro
Kato Seishirō sang Hirai Ken’s “Hitomi wo Tojite” in the “Let’s sing! Songs that changed me” corner.

Q: What are some key points you would like to convey to viewers?
Kato Seishiro:It’s a well-known song, and I think it’s playing in my head with Hirai Ken’s voice, but if I can sing it with my own feelings, I think I can deliver something. However, I’m too nervous, so I don’t know how far I can go… But I hope I can deliver it with all my feelings.
Q: Please tell us again why you are singing “Hitomi wo Tojite” and your feelings about the song.
Kato:The main reason is that it is one of the songs that really supports me now. My beloved grandmother passed away, and I had a lot of personal farewells and encounters over the past year, and it all became very heavy and I was a little depressed. At that time, when I suddenly listened to this song with headphones, I thought, “On the contrary, even in this situation, there are days that I have to use it as a driving force to overcome, and if overcoming it turns into strength, even if it is a sad farewell, it is an encounter.” I’m sure the person who said goodbye would not be happy if I kept dragging it on, and I thought that I had to get stronger and overcome it, and become a bigger person. From there, I listened to “Hitomi wo Tojite” once a day, and it became a routine. So, even though I thought it was difficult to sing, I chose it because I thought it was a big challenge for me. Singing Hirai Ken in front of an audience on a live broadcast is a big challenge for me, and I also put a little bit of expectation into myself that if I can overcome this, I will become a little stronger again.
Q: While listening to his songs, was there anything you noticed about Hirai Ken’s singing style?
Kato:He has a very smooth singing style, but I think he has a sense of rhythm and groove to the song. I was inspired by the fact that he never loses that sense of rhythm when singing.
Q: Finally, please give a message to the viewers.
Kato:I’m not a singer, I work as an actor, and I do sing in musicals, but I would like to convey what I can about Hirai Ken’s world in my own way.

■Koji Kikkawa
Koji Kikkawa performed two songs, “Over the Rainbow,” the official support song for the Japanese water polo team, Poseidon Japan, and “I Want to Be Shot by a KISS and Sleep.”

Q: What are the highlights of this edition?
Koji Kikkawa:“Over the Rainbow” is the official support song for the Japanese Water Polo Team, Poseidon Japan, so by singing this song, I hope everyone will get to know about the Japanese Water Polo Team. As the lyrics say, this song is filled with the hope that someday they will grab their unreachable dreams.
Q: Mr. Yoshikawa, you used to play water polo yourself. Are there any parts of that experience that you use in your performance?
Yoshikawa:Water polo is an extreme sport, but it doesn’t smell of sweat. It’s “flexible.” I think the fact that it’s a sport that requires a lot of flexibility and suppleness is what makes it different from other sports. My body was also developed through water polo, so I think that the things I’ve developed through playing water polo since I was young are still useful to me today.
Q: This year marks the 40th anniversary of your debut, Yoshikawa-san. What are your thoughts now and what are your aspirations for the future?
Yoshikawa:There isn’t much good news these days, so the best thing would be to use music to cheer people up and have fun together.
Q: Please tell us any stories that happened during rehearsals.
Yoshikawa:I’ve put on about 5kg for the next movie, so my body feels very different when I do cymbal kicks. From what I saw during rehearsals, I think the chances of hitting the ball are about 20% to 30% (laughs).
Q: Lastly, please give a message to the viewers..
Yoshikawa:Music has the power to cheer everyone up, so let’s have fun together and get energized!