“This time, through many different parts, I think it really benefited me too”
Interview:
—— You’re soon going to be running your solo activities, how do you feel now?
I’m nervous but expectant at the same time. I’m very anxious to see exactly what type of solo did I create.
—— Do you think the things that you wanted to do appeared in this solo?
Yes. I’ve been thinking about it all the time. Everything I wanted to try out will be fully included in this single.
—— This solo has been produced and edited by your ways, so what is it that you wanted to do the most?
Things that Tohoshinki hasn’t tried before. For me personally, I’ve always wanted to try out R&B and rock genres. With this in mind, I’ve been working hard in trying to make music.
—— The first song “Intoxication” is one that carries the R&B flavor. How was this song created?
This song was created during the musical Mozart in Korea. In terms of time, it took about 1-2 hours a day, taking about a week to complete. It was then revised and fixed when we took it to the recording studio.
—— It must have been hard to handle both the musical and composing right?
It was alright. The world of the musical and my own composing world are completely different. You can actually say that I found it to be more relaxing.
—— What do you want to express from this song?
I want to create the feeling of a sexy, more mature adult. Although it is rather different compared to my image from before, I want everyone to experience a song that corresponds more to the stage.
—— Speaking of sexy, it can totally be seen. It actually might even be close to a feeling of sultriness.
Speaking of rock music, there are quite a lot of music that are one looped, which can make many different melodies. But it has to suit me though because one loop has a very wide range to experiment with.
—— The use of strings gives the song a great feeling, it’s a song that people can sing along to easily.
The chorus has such a feeling. In this case, both the strings and the guitar were used in the recording. Electronic sounds were also added. I just went along with what I felt like using, and the result turned out well. Also, there is a bit of a sexy feeling, with a bit of sadness. Using this song, I wanted to express the emotions of a heart-broken man, and I feel that it is worth listening to.
—— Also, were you involved in the arrangement of the strings, guitars etc?
I was in Korea during that time, so I could not be personally involved. However, I did ask the producer to send me the recordings so that we could discuss and confirm it.
—— So this means that your personal thoughts were also included in the production process?
The verse with “Tell me what you want” has electronic sounds, and initially it was very soft (in volume). As the dance for this part is very intense, and I wanted to express the change in mood, so we increased the volume of the music. It was also my suggestion to add the “Hey hey” part.
—— I see. So your efforts are really injected into the arrangement this time.
Yes, I feel like I have learnt a lot from this process, so I was really happy when it was finally released.
—— H.U.B.’s lyrics were also very sexy and used a lot of passionate words.
I feel that, to suit the rock environment, these lyrics are more suitable. When the tune first came out, I tried humming it, and the lyrics “Touch me baby” just came out naturally. I think that such lyrics just suit the whole atmosphere of the song. So, I suggested to the lyricist to use such words creatively in the song. There is a lot of English words in the song as well, as it seems to have a more “Western Music” feel.
—— Which part of the lyrics do you especially like?
“Yuubi kara karamete karada jyuu made”(Trans: Starting from the fingers and entwining through the body). Also, the line “Himitsu no mitsu wo mitsuketeku” (Trans: Looking for the secret honey) was also made to rhyme due to my suggestion.
—— The “Mitsu” part rhymes well
Yes. “hi MITSU no MITSU wo MITSU keteku” Even though the meanings are different, but the pronunciation is the same. H.U.B san totally understood my suggestion, so I’m happy.
—— The last part of this verse “Yureru koe ni iki so Beautiful” (Trans: The sound of your shaking breath, so beautiful) is great, but it sounds a bit pornographic. (Laughs)
Yes, it really is a bit pornographic.(Laughs) Please listen to it well. (Laughs)
—— Let’s continue talking about the song. The completion of this song will have a big impact right? Maybe it helps to draw a clearer picture of the world, and it is a very sexy sound.
Because it is an R&B song, if it cannot use the tune creatively, then you will not be able to sing the song well. This is why I placed a lot of emphasis on this to complete the song. To me, there are many other challenges faced, recording the song in a changing atmosphere.
—— Were there difficulties?
It is not an easy song to sing. But due to the fact that it was my own tune, so it was smoother for me to sing it. Just that, it is important to put a lot of feelings into such a song, and I also focused on those parts where I needed to put more emotions into.
—— The song’s dance is also more exquisite, you can imagine the dance once you listen to the song.
When I was writing the song, parts of the choreography already appeared in my mind. So, I was thinking about it while arranging the song. Truthfully, those sections were also done according to my initial idea. Those parts that fit the strings atmosphere, felt a little greasy (Laughs). On a whole, it is not a very intense dance, and it has a bit of a controlled feeling. This gives it a more modern feel, and I want to show it to everyone quickly. I hope that everyone can see my dancing side.
—— Then, the song that shows off your vocals best, “Kanashimi no Yukue” is a very sad song, right?
This time, we are combining R&B which is a style I like, together with another style I enjoy but is extremely different, and that is the ballad. Put together in the same single are songs that give people a totally different feeling. But both song’s shows a man’s feelings. “Intoxication” was written to incorporate part of what a man sees, while “Kanashimi No Yukue” is a man’s softer side, or it can be said that it is a song that expresses his inner feelings.
—— So you’re saying that both song’s have a different feel, but have similarities.
That’s correct. Even though the song wasn’t written by me, I personally picked it from about 20 – 30 different songs. If you listen to it, you will notice that there is no harmonizing, or mixing of sounds. It is only one sound from start to end.
—— Ah, I see.
And there isn’t much rhythm, only piano and strings. I feel that in this kind of music, I can just immerse myself in the feeling and sing. Although I used the 2nd and 3rd verse was done in falsetto, I felt that if the 2nd verse was done in my true voice, it would be better, so I tried changing it, and the result was good.
—— Because the arrangement is so simple, it is a song that cannot be sung well without your own determination. From this angle, we feel that it was completed very well.
I tried my best. (Laughs) But I feel that if the arrangement is simple, the feelings are more obvious so it’s easier to sing. I feel very happy when I sing songs accompanied by only the piano or guitar.
—— The “breathing sounds” seem to add to the feeling of the song.
Ah, before the mixing, I already asked them. To leave the breathing sounds and slightly wavering voice in.
—— Which part of the lyrics leave an impression on you?
“Shiawase wa Owaru yori Kawaru houga Bokuni wa samishii.”(Trans: Happiness to me, compared to ending, change is even lonelier.) I felt for this line from the start. I feel like, ah, so it’s like that. Everyone will think about their own romance when listening to this line.
—— This song is about an ended relationship, right?
Yes, it shows the fragile side of a man who slightly regrets it. Men tend to have this kind of side. Although they look strong and hide their sadness, sometimes they want to show their soft side as well.
—— Are you like that too?
Yes. Because men and women are the same (laughs). Therefore, I want to express this feeling in the song.
—— Your works this time show a good range, do you feel that shows of your unique points?
I feel that it doesn’t lose out to previous works. It’s been a while since releasing a single in Japan, and I hope that everyone can hear music that belongs solely to XIAH Junsu.
—— So will you be continuing to write more songs in the future?
I will, I’m really addicted to writing songs now. To be able to sing my own songs makes me very happy, and it is also very meaningful. If there is a chance, I hope everyone can hear it.
—— So, how did you feel about appearing in your first musical?
Extremely happy. It is very challenging compared to other genres, and it was a good challenge. And I got to meet many people and learn a lot of things. I feel blessed.
—— Do you also want to try acting?
Because this is a musical, I feel like I can still do it. If it’s just acting…I still don’t know for now. But what I am really interested in is still music.
—— But in terms of expression, what you learn in acting can still be applied in music.
Ah, that’s true. An artist should be good at both singing and acting. For faster songs, you need to look happy while dancing, and for ballads, you need to show feelings to improve the performance. For this, (acting) will be a good experience. Actually, when I was doing the musical, I did a lot of different vocal exercises as well.
—— Lastly, please say something to our readers.
For the fans who have been waiting for me, I give you music and a stage that belongs to XIAH. Please look forward to it.
A Pure Artist with the Ability to Produce his own Music.
XIAH Junsu is a singer with a unique voice, and a pure artist the ability to produce his own music. This much anticipated solo “XIAH” proves this well. To showcase the attraction of his dance, he challenges something that even some western artists will fail at, and the R&B influenced “Intoxication” was completed. Also, a song that suits the Japanese audiences, a ballad “Kanashimi no Yukue.” These two songs are totally different, and was done this way to showcase his charm. This talented piece, is for everyone who is waiting anxiously for it.
Profile
XIAH Junsu, Born 1st January, 1987 . One of the members of Tohoshinki, a vocal group who uses Korea and Japan as their main platforms to reach out to the whole of Asia. Aside from his Solo Activities, he is also working with Jejung and Yuchun as part of a 3 member team. This unit will be performing in Osaka’s Kyocera Dome as well as Tokyo Dome.
Favorite Music
“What have you been listening to recently?” We asked. He enthusiastically replied that he’s been listening to Korean musical songs and such.
I have also been listening to various CDs. Because of my participation in musicals. I have also been listening to such music. Like the “Phantom of the Opera” etc. They are all very good, so I cannot pick a favorite. Classical music and R&B has a very different kind of appeal to me. Because there is a lot to learn from it, so I try listening to it. Aside from that, I have also been listening to Boyz II Men. Even though I have heard their songs previously, but I recently started to listen to them again. The harmonization between each member is very good. There is also Brian McKnight, JOE, Ne Yo and many others. I rarely listen to female singers, but I really like Beyonce and Whitney Houston. To learn more about my music arrangement, I listen to Timbaland, and I learnt a lot from him.
Don’t forget to read part 1:
100514 WHAT’s IN? WEB Editor’s blog – Inside story with Junsu
source: [xiahking]
translation credits: Supernike911@tohosomnia.net & Ssunsett@tohosomnia.net
shared by: tohosomnia.net
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