A conversation with JO1 on their first full-English EP and North American tour, their creative process working with Dem Jointz, and making music for their favorite anime.
Japanese boy group JO1 was formed during Produce 101 Japan, a reality survival show where 101 participants were narrowed down to the final lineup that debuted in 2020. They are composed of nine members: Junki, Ruki, Ren, Sho, Takumi, Syoya, Sky, Mame, and Keigo.
Since then, JO1 has racked up nine consecutive Oricon No. 1 singles and two No. 1 albums on Billboard Japan and has built a worldwide fanbase. As part of a broader push toward international fans, JO1 will drop their first full-English EP, ANIMAL, on October 2nd. Executive-produced by Grammy-winner Dem Jointz, this is the project that has seen the most creative involvement from the group so far, through songwriting, composition, production, and creative direction. To accompany the EP’s release, they will be embarking on their first dedicated North American tour, starting with Toronto, on the same day as the EP’s release.
Text by Louis Alson
Photo Credit : LAPONE Entertainment
Flanelle: “ANIMAL” is a bold title choice, especially for an EP where you’ve been the most creatively involved so far. What does this title mean to you?
Junki: With this EP, ANIMAL, we’re showing our wild side. Not animals in a zoo but animals on the safari. Once you step outside the cage, there’s a harsh world waiting, and that’s exactly why the version of yourself with raw instinct and real strength comes out. That’s the meaning behind the title.
This is your first full-English EP. How does performing fully in English differ from performing in Japanese or Korean?
Ruki: When I sing in Japanese, I’m usually focused on conveying the nuance of the words and the meaning of the lyrics in detail, but with English I became much more conscious of how the words sound, the rhythm, and the stress. With English especially, the same melody can leave a completely different impression depending on pronunciation and accent, so rather than just swapping a Japanese song into English, we put a lot of care into the groove and the expression that only English can bring out. We discovered new things about our own singing and performance along the way, and I feel that this experience widened our range as performers.
Balancing nine creative perspectives can be a challenge. How did you incorporate each member’s individual creative voice while keeping the EP cohesive?
Ren: The theme this time was about setting each of our individual personalities free, so we were thinking about how to bring even more of each member’s individuality out.
4. Was there a song on ANIMAL that changed the most between the first version and the final one? What happened in between?
Sho: That would be “SAKURA.” At the recording stage the track itself wasn’t finished yet, so we recorded just our vocals, and then Dem went back to LA and completed the song. At that first stage, I had no idea how it would turn out, so when I heard the finished version, I was truly moved.
This EP was executive-produced by Grammy-winner Dem Jointz. Was there a creative choice he pushed you toward that you don’t think you’d have landed on without him?
Takumi: Apparently “SAKURA” came to him all of a sudden. There was no instrumental yet, so he recorded just our vocals and built the finished song from there. Having the idea is one thing, but actually being able to pull that off is amazing, and it’s a song that really gets the crowd going live, so I’m glad we got to sing it.
You’ve made music for the openings and endings of popular anime series, including “IGNITE” for the opening of the upcoming season of Tokyo Revengers. Syoya, you mentioned rewriting the lyrics over and over to get them just right, since you’re such a big fan of the series. How does it feel making music for one of your favourite shows?
Syoya: Getting to be part of a series I’d always just enjoyed as a viewer put real pressure on me. A theme song becomes the face of the series, so I wanted to write something that many people would love and that would let you feel the world of the story through the song, and I kept revising it over and over until it was done. When the opening animation was finished and I saw the Tokyo Revengers characters moving with “IGNITE” playing over them, it really moved me. It came together in a way I’m truly satisfied with, and that made me happy.
The tour will kick off on October 2nd in Toronto. You’ve toured in North America before, but this will be your first time performing in Canada. Is there anything about Canadian fans or Canadian fan culture that you’re curious about?
Sky: Canada has such a strong image of wide-open nature, so I’ve been imagining fans enjoying a JO1 show with that same kind of natural energy, and I can’t wait!! I’ve recently gotten really into houseplants and I’m growing over 140 varieties, so I’m curious whether a lot of people there grow plants too!
In a previous interview, you mentioned that one of your goals was to tour the US. How does it feel to have achieved that goal and to tour very soon exclusively in North America?
Mame: This tour has a lot of performances that showcase our physicality, so I think it’s a stage where you can feel JO1’s power up close. We’re fired up for it, and since there are so many places we’ll be visiting for the first time, I want to meet as many JAM* as I can and give something back to them.
* Editor’s note: JAM is JO1’s fandom name.
Keigo: It was a goal, but this is just the start! We’ve achieved one goal, but I want to play even bigger venues and have even more people get to know us and see JO1 perform!
