[EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW] From Japan to the World: BE:FIRST’s New Legend Begins in LA

audition stage. Looking back on the three to four years from your debut to the world tour announcement, what are your thoughts?

(LEO)
Thank you. First off, we are just super happy! We feel grateful to be able to go to all these different cities and get to see BESTY(their official fandom name) from all over the world. Looking back on the last three or four years, so much has happened, but it’s also flown by. We’ve been so focused on whatever goals or challenges were right in front of us. I’m thankful to be where we are now, thanks to all the support from everyone, and especially BESTY!

BE:FIRST’s songs often feature powerful lyrics. From their debut single ‘Gifted.’ with lines like ‘There can be nothing above us/We just gifted’ to tracks like ‘Slogan’ from the album ‘2:BE’ with bold declarations such as ‘A spaceship carrying an entire country/Always a winner, this is Slogan’—these aren’t lyrics that can be sung half-heartedly. Do you ever feel conflicted when performing such strong material? And how do you maintain the confidence to match the power of these lyrics?

(SOTA)
Yeah, for sure we have some struggles. We do, but every time, we’re making lyrics while picturing BE:FIRST at our absolute best. I guess we all work hard to be artists worthy of that image, and that’s why we might seem so strong. To make our ‘BE:FIRST image’ a reality, we don’t just rely on confidence, but we focus on letting the songs boost our confidence. So, I think the reason we can always look ahead and be so driven is because BE:FIRST’s lyrics are always pushing us forward.

While BE:FIRST aims to expand globally, I’ve noticed you maintain a strong focus on Japanese lyrics. Why have you prioritized Japanese lyrics when many artists pursuing international audiences opt for English songs?

(JUNON)
When I’m writing lyrics, I’m not really focusing on making it specifically “Japanese”. But as BE:FIRST, we definitely care about the Japanese lyrics. As we’re a Japanese group aiming to reach the world, it’s got to be in Japanese, and we gotta make it big in Japanese, that’s how I feel. Japanese is a pretty tough language, but that’s why it is critical for us to write in Japanese. We’re all about that “Made in Japan” vibe!

With your world tour, you’ve reached a significant milestone, but this seems more like a new beginning than the completion of a goal. What has enabled all seven of you—with your different ages and backgrounds—to work together toward the same vision?

(RYUHEI)
It’s super simple, but we believe that with us, with these members, we can head in the same direction, towards the same goal!

In an interview, SKY-HI, the president of your agency, mentioned that ‘When one group takes on overseas challenges, it might not necessarily generate profit, but the company can maintain balance by having other groups drive domestic sales in Japan.’ With the timing of your world tour coinciding with HANA (BMSG’s new 7-member girl group debuting April 2nd) and MAZZEL’s ‘J.O.K.E.R.’ gaining popularity (BMSG’s second boy group who debuted in 2023), do you feel like you’ve ‘left Japan in good hands’ with the BMSG family while you take on international stages?

(MANATO)
We’re super grateful to be going on a world tour, but it’s not like we’re thinking, ‘Okay, we’re leaving Japan to you guys.’ It’s more like, we see this world tour as an opportunity to level up, so when we come back and do shows in Japan, we can show everyone an even more evolved BE:FIRST!

Unlike your domestic dome tour, this tour will likely be a performance aimed at a broader “audience” beyond just fans. What expectations do you have for interactions with audiences from different countries?

(RYOKI)
Performing for audiences outside of Japan is a new opportunity to connect through our performances with people who’ve grown up with different cultures and backgrounds. I think of it as a whole new opportunity for us as a tour. We’ll definitely get to experience firsthand the unique vibes from each city, which is totally different in every moment – the way they approach live shows, how they enjoy them – all of that is gonna be a really amazing experience for us!

Your new song, “Spacecraft,” has been described as “dance where you can see the sound,” and I feel that the fusion of dance and music is BE:FIRST’s charm. Do you have any advice for audiences to appreciate BE:FIRST’s music more deeply during the tour?

(SHUNTO)
It’s not just the lyrics, but we’re also a group that’s really particular about the beats. As a matter of fact, one of our members had won dance competitions. So, I definitely want people to listen while they’re dancing and getting into the rhythms and beats!