Yuya Tegoshi releases interview commemorating the release of his new song “Flash back”! “It’s my own song, but it’s cool! "I thought so (lol)"

■Yuya Tegoshi releases new song “Flash back” on his birthday! MV also released

The official interview of Yuya Tegoshi, who released his new song “Flash back” on November 11th, his birthday, has been released.

Since his solo debut on July 7, 2021, Yuya Tegoshi says, “I have been steadily accumulating music activities, even though I was prepared to lose reach and exposure.” The new song “Flash back” has become a work that can be expressed only at a time when the time is ripe, after four years of activities that have pushed forward with “overwhelming effort and a forward-leaning mind” as stated in the lyrics.

The music video for “Flash back” was also released. Please enjoy the dance scene with dancers and the powerful video.

■Yuya Tegoshi interview
Q: The new song “Flash back”, which will be released on November 11th, was co-produced between Japan and Korea. Please tell us how it came about.
Actually, we were connected through a Korean person we met through wine. At first, as friends, we said, “We’d like to do something together,” but after listening to a lot of my songs, he said, “I’ve made a demo, but what do you think?” and sent me some songs. In particular, the song that became the basis for “Flash back” was extremely cool, and I thought, “I want to sing this.”

When it comes to official work, I have to talk to the music staff, and as a new song project, we hold a fair competition, and I listen to a lot of the demos that everyone has made… but “Flash back” is the one that left the biggest impression on me. , so I decided to brush up on this. From there, a Korean music team joined us, and we played catch over and over again and created “Flash back.”

Q: It seems like Mr. Tegoshi has taken on a wide range of challenges, and that it all started with wine.
Our relationship started when I was studying to become a sommelier and attended a party hosted by my wine teacher…but it’s really interesting that you never know where you’ll meet someone. This time, I once again felt the fun of encounters.

Q: Chiaki Mayumura is in charge of the lyrics. I think Mr. Tegoshi is able to express something precisely because he understands you so well, but could you please tell me your intention in asking Mr. Mayumura to do this?
First of all, I think that lyrics written by men and lyrics written by women are different in how they are perceived by the listener and what they convey to the listener. In that sense, the lyrics this time are similar to what I’ve been singing up until now, but I’m offering it because I think it would be a completely different expression if Chiaki-chan wrote it.

Also, as a result of all the hard work I have done since my solo debut, I am now able to do jobs that were out of my reach, and have made new friends, so I am looking forward to a bright future, which is why I am grateful for the way I live my life. I wanted someone who knows how to deal with work and how to approach work to write lyrics that say, “How do you see Yuya Tegoshi now?” In particular, Chiaki-chan is a friend of mine who worked with me on a very difficult stage, and she was always watching Yuya Tegoshi fight behind the scenes…

Q: The feelings put into the lyrics are also very strong.
That’s right. I think there are parts of me that you can’t understand unless you’re watching me behind the scenes…Chiaki-chan, who knows this, creates lyrics that have a different level of persuasive power and weight. It’s interesting to hear new things written by lyricists who have never worked with me before, but they also sing with me, have provided me with songs before, and know me from the field. The lyrics that Chiaki wrote about the scenery she saw with her sensibilities have a lot of passion and weight, and you can really feel it.

Q: The composition is composed by Siwoo, Sho Udagawa, Msk Off, and The Hills, and the mix and mastering is handled by MasterKey, making it a gorgeous lineup. Have you ordered from them?
I asked them to value the sense of speed and momentum throughout each song. It sounds like rock, club music, and even has EDM-like sounds, so it’s a song that goes all out.

Since it’s a song with a fast tempo, no interludes, and even difficult breathing, I asked them to create a sound that would further accelerate that driving feeling…I guess you could say that the final chorus was a decision based on what they had sung up to that point. , the words “If you want to dream, why don’t you join me?” are the words that open up everything about yourself, so I requested that the sound be layered even more to make it more luxurious.

Q: I also felt that this is a song that only Tegoshi-san could express, as it shows off his unisex, high-tone voice. How did you decide how to voice it?
I made the decision on the spot. I especially thought about the B melody. Since the key is very high, I think that in order to reach that level, I would normally have to use a strong voice. It’s so cool to sing “How about me?” at the top of your voice during a rock song. However, this time I took a step back and wanted to express a “cool strength” by lowering the tone and volume of my voice.

I think it would be appropriate for someone like me who has fought and fought and fought so much to shout out loud, but now that many things have come true, I feel a little more relaxed. Because there are…I thought it would be better to emphasize the edge by looking at the image from above, rather than shouting loudly. Of course, I recorded various vocalizations on set, but if I were to sing “Flash back” right now, I would choose this expression.

Q: What do you think of the completed work?
Although it’s my own song, I thought it was cool (lol). It has to have a fast tempo and a sense of drive, it has to be rap-like but powerful, and the words have to be clear. For the high key of the B melody, the voice should be stepped back, and at the end, the high voice should be released with a spark.The song is just under 3 minutes long, and there are many skills needed as a vocalist. So I sang it with the feeling, “Okay, I’ll do it!”

After all, I sing the songs created by the Korean team with the mindset that “I’m carrying the Japanese flag on my back.” I can’t give a half-baked performance, and I want people to think that I can be trusted as a vocalist, even though I look like a frivolous little girl (lol).It was a big challenge, but I really enjoyed it. Ta.

Q: It seems quite difficult to sing live, but it’s a song that’s sure to be a hit.
It’s easy to imagine them thinking, “Well, I dance, right?” (laughs) However, I was like, “My pitch and speed aren’t high enough to sing while dancing, so what should I do?” (laughs) But I’m the type of person who gets more excited the higher the hurdles are, so I end up saying, “No, no, I can dance while singing,” and I’m happy that another song that makes me push my limits has been born.

Q: I’m looking forward to your performance on stage.
It’s really exhausting though! (lol)

Q: What was your intention in choosing the title “Flash back”?
The title was created by the Korean team, and I thought, “Isn’t it perfect for me?” The sound of the song felt right, and the memories flashed around me like running lights. The words that various people said to me during the difficult time when I just became a solo artist, the scenery of my first offline live show, the conference room where I first met the bandmaster Mr. Sin… Now that many things have begun to come true. That’s why the scenes from the past four years flash through my head like flashbacks. The title is perfect for the feelings I want to convey right now.

Q: In a sense, you are releasing the song “Flash back” which can be said to be the culmination of your four years on November 11th, which is your birthday.
I think there was an idea to write more songs and release them as a mini-album before the tour, but there are a lot of beloved songs that have been in stock over the past four years, so I want to cherish them as well. I’m confident that I can change the appeal of the songs at each live performance, so for the current tour “Yuya Tegoshi LIVE TOUR 2024 OVER YOU,” I wanted to take a closer look at the songs from the past.

However, when I was thinking of giving something to my fans who have been supporting me for a long time, I came across a cool song called “Flash back”, so I thought, “Okay, let’s release this on my birthday.” Decide. If I was conscious of things like Oricon, I would have to adjust the release timing, but that doesn’t matter to me… ever since my solo debut, I’ve decided on the release date based on my own judgment. For me, it’s important that the timing is positive for Yuya Tegoshi, his friends, and everyone in HONEYYY.

Q: Once again, could you please give us a message regarding the release of “Flash back”?
Now that he has become a solo artist and his activities as Yuya Tegoshi have become more fulfilling, he has been able to put what he thinks about and what he wants to do on a daily basis into lyrics and deliver them with the coolest sound. It’s a song that I can confidently present to everyone at HONEYYY who have continued to support me at the perfect time. I would be happy if you could take this as a message from me on my birthday, a day that everyone always celebrates, a day to express gratitude to my family, HONEYYY, and the people around me.

The tour I’m currently doing is called “OVER YOU” as a “challenge to surpass myself one more time.” During this tour, I am taking on the challenge of performing such a difficult song while dancing as a Japan-Korea collaboration. I imposed this on myself… so please look forward to the upcoming tour “OVER YOU”!

Q: “What is your current feeling about Yuya Tegoshi LIVE TOUR 2024 OVER YOU?”
I think we are playing the best live show ever. Recent tours have focused on singing, but this time we have a live band and dancers for the first time since our tour “NEW FRONTIER” in early 2022. Since “NEW FRONTIER,” many songs have been created, and the amount of live experience I have gained has increased beyond comparison. Also, this time, we’re doing what has become a recent standard: “swapping all the content from the first and second days at the same venue” (bitter smile), so it’s tough, isn’t it? The battle-hardened band members and dancers follow me, even though they’re yelling like they’re about to get a flat tire, and we’re all working together as one.

Even during the tour, we’re constantly brushing up on things by giving immediate feedback on things we notice during performances and making adjustments to even the smallest details…Our live performances are becoming more and more refined. It was also the timing when my own media exposure increased, so some people came to see me for the first time, and some people came and said, “I haven’t been to Tegoshi as a solo, but I want to see Tegoshi-kun live for the first time in a while.” There are a lot of people out there, and I feel like I need to show them the evolved Yuya Tegoshi, so I’m constantly raising the bar for myself (lol). “Flash back” will be added to that stage, so please look forward to it!

Q: It’s still a little early, but when you look back on your music activities in 2024, what do you think?
We did two tours with “Kizuna -KIZUNA-” and “OVER YOU,” and also had “Yuya Tegoshi Symphonic Concert 2024 Vol.3” and “Spepra Tegoshi LIVE ~Music Concept~.” Once a month on “Spepra Tegoshi ~Music Connect~ season 2”, I talked and performed with various bands and artists…It was a year full of music. I think I was able to grow even more as a vocalist, Yuya Tegoshi, by being shown various scenery in this way. As an artist, I have experienced changes in my environment and state of mind, and I think this has been the year in which I have grown the most in the past four years.

Q: Please tell us about your aspirations for 2025.
As an artist, Yuya Tegoshi, I think the only piece that has been lacking up until now is “reach and exposure.” Of course, I had expected and prepared for this from the moment I decided to go it alone, and I still believed that if I worked steadily, I would reach it someday. However, this year, we were able to broadcast it on terrestrial TV for the first time in a while, and we received requests from various sources, so I feel that we are beginning to see signs that 2025 will be brighter.

I feel that 2025 will be the year when the things that I, HONEYYY, and all the staff around me have been creating little by little will be released into the world all at once, and we will be able to reach people who have never been noticed before. I am. I hope that I can make more people happy with my performance.

TEXT BY Tomita Mai