Interview: BALLISTIK BOYZ
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BALLISTIK BOYZ is a seven-member dance and vocal group who is a part of the popular sub-group EXILE TRIBE. These seven extremely talented members perform physically demanding acrobatic dance routines while singing emotional and thought provoking lyrics. Thanks to their performance skills and unique charm, one could say they rival any top-tier global artist.
Ken: First of all, thank you so much for letting us do this interview. We are big fans and love what you bring to the Japanese music industry.
BALLISTIK BOYZ: Thank you so much for having us.
“Riding firmly on that constant flow from the previous two releases, we wanted to make a song that surpassed last year's summer tune.”
Ken: Compared to your previous summer release, “SUMMER HYPE”, what was your thought process when coming up with “SUM BABY”?
Ryuta Hidaka: The release last year, “SUMMER HYPE”, was well-received, along with the following release, "Animal," which was also loved by many non-fans.
So while riding firmly on that constant flow from the previous two releases, we wanted to make a song that would surpass last year's summer tune. So, this time we came up with “SUM BABY”.
Yoshiyuki Kano: From the previously released “SUMMER HYPE” we wanted to show our more adult side along with a hint of playfulness and wanted to instill an image of a summer song that everyone could enjoy!
Ken: How difficult is the choreography for ” SUM BABY”?
Miku Fukahori: The choreography that we built around this release is so easy that anyone can dance along with us!
Rikiya Okuda: It’s not difficult at all! it's actually very simple!
Ken: What is your personal favorite track off of "SUM BABY"?
Riki Matsui: “SUM BABY”, of course!
Masahiro Sunada: “SUM BABY”! It's a song that grips that summer feel with a very catchy melody!
Ken: Do you have a favorite story in creating your newest single?
Ryuta Hidaka: While shooting the music video of “SUM BABY” we were able to take pictures while enjoying the summer feeling, such as going into the pool and having a BBQ together.
Ryusei Kainuma: "SUM BABY" has been recorded more often with the goal of surpassing the work of "SUMMER HYPE" which was released last year. We have been focusing on part division so that each member can stand out without having a fixed concept, so to speak. So, for example, during the first run of the song, each member sings all the designated parts (rap, vocals, etc.) by themselves first and then we divide those parts.”
Also, since it is a song that is mainly sung toward women, we made it while pursuing a bit of realism, such as being more conscious of the voice component and singing with a tone that makes it feel as if a woman is in front of us.
Ken: Before you were members of BALLISTIK BOYZ, what was the audition and prep work like being in PROJECT TARO and Vocal Battle Audition 5? Was the prep work more difficult before you were a member of BALLISTIK BOYZ?
Rikiya Okuda: I studied abroad in NEW YORK due to PROJECT TARO! In that process I developed new dreams and goals, including not only dance but also vocals/rap!
I am very proud of the experience of studying abroad because no one could ever replicate it!
Ryuta Hidaka: It was very difficult to become a member. In the past I've auditioned many times, and every year I would dream that this year would be the year I was chosen.
After many years of singing and dancing training and part-time work on a daily basis, even then I was of course anxious.
Ken: Your debut release was an album; was there any added pressure or relief when that was decided?
Miku Fukahori: It was a new type of debut, so it was more fun than anything else!
Yoshiyuki Kano: During the time we didn’t debut yet, even if we put out various songs, I was a little scared of how they would be received by those who listened to them!
Ken: Are you in competition with any of the other groups in Jr. EXILE?
Yoshiyuki Kanou: There are many things that I can study, very much both from my seniors and as a group;
we want to be able to catch up and overtake them even a little with our individuality and efforts.
Ryusei Kainuma: In the huge project "BATTLE OF TOKYO", which the Jr.EXILE generation is doing, "fighting/competing" is the main theme of the project, but on the contrary, in private, the four groups have very good camaraderie! Lol.
Of course, there are things like "This person and this person are on good terms!", but even with everyone together, above all, the senior members care about their junior members, so I think that a very good relationship from the beginning of the project was there.
“I always think it's absolute to write song without lying to my dreams, goals or feelings.”
Ken: Do you have a process or certain mindset when creating your songs? If so, would you like to share that process?
Rikiya Okuda: I always think it's absolute to write songs without lying to my dreams, goals, or feelings. I don't think people will want to hear anything that they haven't thought of or experienced, so I always try to be honest with myself when dealing with music!
Miku Fukahori: I always try to record while imagining the content of the lyrics of the song!
Ken: While working on the BATTLE OF TOKYO album, what was the most fun to work on?
Masahiro Sunada: I enjoyed interviewing various magazines with the senior members, which is really rare to do!
Ryusei Kainuma: First of all, I've loved anime since I was little and just thinking that I'd be an anime character really got me excited!
However, the animation seems to have various settings and is quite detailed, so I sang while imagining the completed character design from the production stage and challenged to shoot the music video from there. There were many difficult things but I was most happy to actually see the process until it was completed!
Ken: Before you were a member of the BALLISTIK BOYZ, were any of you guys fans of EXILE?
Ryuta Hidaka: Yes, I was a fan of EXILE. I longed to be in EXILE and got my dream of becoming an artist from that.
Riki Matsui: Yes, I was a fan of HIRO-san.
Ken: How long does the choreography process of a song take to master and was it difficult to do during the ongoing pandemic?
Riki Matsui: This upcoming release, “SUM BABY”, was choreographed so that anyone could imitate it so it wasn't that difficult to plan, but the shooting was postponed due to the pandemic and it was harder in other respects as well.
Masahiro Sunada: We thought about all the choreography by ourselves but this time we created this work with the image of a simple choreography that everyone can imitate!
Ken: Most of your music is upbeat. Do each of you prefer the dance style of music that you perform or do you have a different style you prefer?
Miku Fukahori: I often listen to ballads and covers of various songs.
Ryuta Hidaka: My favorite dance style is HIPHOP.
I love 90s era music and heavy HIPHOP especially.
Ken: What song(s) had an impact on you growing as a group?
Riki Matsui: I think we changed a lot as a group with “Animal”. It's a song that all the members love and their individuality mixes well. It was also the moment when we released “Animal”: we saw a brand new path.
Yoshiyuki Kano: It would have to “Animal”!
Unlike the songs I've played so far, I thought that the R&B style was stronger and it suits us. When we released “Animal” it was very popular and gave us confidence for our future work!
Ken: What are some challenges you have faced as an artist? How have you overcome them?
Masahiro Sunada: I struggled with how to liven up the performance and talk when performing live abroad.
However, I felt that I was able to overcome it by trying various challenges.
Riki Matsui: Rap skill.
When BALLISTIK BOYZ was formed, I liked rap and listened to it all the time.
I didn't have much experience and I was definitely behind the others so it was always my number one challenge. When I felt like it, I immediately bought all the recording equipment and practiced it almost everyday. I noticed that I used to do it until 6 o'clock in the morning. It's still my number one task, so I've been training at home as long as it doesn't interfere with my work.
“I wrote lyrics with a ballad taste and expanded the genre of music to a new form in a good way.”
Ken: How did the pandemic affect the way you approach your beats and composition for your music?
Masahiro Sunada: The way we deal with music has changed in a good way so I think it's a better work than ever!
Rikiya Okuda: Originally I wrote and composed vocals and rap mostly for a HIP HOP taste of music, but after the pandemic continued, I wrote lyrics with a ballad taste and expanded the genre of music to a new form in a good way. It was an interesting challenge that I took on!
Ken: Which artist would you say is your biggest inspiration? Also are there any international artists who inspire you guys as well?
Miku Fukahori: I want to be an artist who can sing and dance like Chris Brown.
Rikiya Okuda: There are many but I would have to choose Travis Scott!
His unique worldview and live performances are overwhelming, and as a strong point with his rap, he can also be a fashion icon and collaborate with brands.
Ken: How many languages can you each speak? Have you ever thought about incorporating that into some of your songs?
Masahiro Sunada: Three can speak English, one can speak Portuguese, and the other can speak Chinese!
Ryusei Kainuma: There are three English speakers, one Portuguese speaker, and one Chinese speaker!
Most of the songs have English lyrics because I can speak English! I do it based on overseas standards, such as making songs and flows like overseas style, and since there are members who can speak English, Portuguese, and Chinese, each of the rap songs is composed through various songwriting. We are also trying to mix the languages as much as possible!
Ken: What did you think about seeing yourself animated for your video “VIVA LA EVOLUCION” for the BATTLE OF TOKYO EP?
Ryuta Hidaka: It’s a strange feeling to see myself animated but it made me happy.
I’ve personally liked anime and manga since I was little so it was a blast!
Yoshiyuki Kanou: There hasn’t been this style of music video beforehand so it’s very refreshing.
Ken: “44RAIDERS” leans a bit into gaming culture; what are some of your favorite video games to play?
Ryuta Hidaka: I really like Kingdom Hearts!
Ryusei Kainuma: I, Ryusei Kainuma, am a very big video game fan... Recently I’ve been addicted to the game Apex Legends!
Ken: For international fans, how they usually discover J-pop is through anime. First, do you guys watch anime, and if so, which would you say is your favorite?
Yoshiyuki Kanou: I watch a lot, actually! I usually watch Weekly Shonen Jump and other Shonen styles of anime, but I was really surprised by the finale of Attack on Titan!
Ken: How far in advance do each of you prepare for your live performances? Do you prepare more as a team, individually, or a mixture of both?
Miku Fukahori: I often start rehearsals about a month beforehand.
Ryusei Kainuma: If it's a live concert I'll prepare a month or two before!
It depends on the members, as in how they do the individual practices, but we do group practices as the main practice. The reason is that everyone sings and dances, so it's important to align and unify our intentions!
Ken: Is there a venue you performed at that you’ll never forget? Also, is there a dream venue that you would like to perform at?
Masahiro Sunada: I want to perform at Madison Square Garden someday!
It's been a dream place since I lived in New York!
Rikiya Okuda: What I will never forget is the Apollo Theater in NEW YORK!
Unfortunately we weren’t able to keep winning throughout the year, but until then we were able to keep winning so I'm still happy, and I don't think there are any Japanese people who have reached that level, so as a group I was happy that judges accepted our dance power that much.
I also want to do a live concert at Madison Square Garden in the future!
Ken: What tracks are your favorite to perform live and why?
Ryuta Hidaka: It would have to be "Animal".
Many of our songs are cool, upbeat songs, so the intro of “Animal” has that style in it.
I like the feeling that the atmosphere of LIVE concerts bring, along with the stage changes. It brings my energy up and levels up my singing and dancing ability.
Riki Matsui: “Life Is Party”.
This is one of the songs through which we can feel united with the fans.
When I performed this song live for the first time, a new sense of fun and unity at the venue permeated my heart, giving me an experience that I can never forget.
Ken: What would you say is your group's most difficult song to perform?
Yoshiyuki Kano: It’s “Animal”! There are so many places in the song that use falsetto and mixed vocals. It's difficult to put out without voluntarily being in vocal pedagogy!
Rikiya Okuda: For me it would also have to be “Animal”! The choreography is precise and delicate so I think it's difficult to remember!
Ken: Who is the one artist you would love to work with in the future?
Masahiro Sunada: It would have to be Post Malone and Ty Dolla Sign!
Because they are my favorite hip hop artists!
Rikiya Okuda: Mine would be Post Malone as well!
His style of music and worldview are really cool and I've always been inspired by his music!
Ken: What song have you created that you wish had a music video? What type of music video would you film?
Miku Fukahori: “Strangers” has a completely different atmosphere from our usual songs so I would like to shoot a slightly mature music video.
Riki Matsui: “HIGHWAY” and “Chasin’”.
This would be done by Me, Rikiya, and Ryusei.
It’s mainly a rap song, so I'd like to have the video with me lip singing while riding in a car. LOL.
Ken: Do you have a message for your international fans?
Ryusei Kainuma: I haven't been able to meet because of the ongoing pandemic but, talking on behalf of the group, we want to see everyone in the BBZ Family soon, so please look forward to it!
Yoshiyuki Kano: Thank you for your support!
I'm very sad that we can't see you, our fans, after all this time, but we'll do our best to meet you as soon as possible!
Ken: Once again, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule and we look forward to your upcoming releases!
BALLISTIK BOYZ: Thank you it was our pleasure!
Be sure to check out their official website, along with their Twitter, and Instagram!
