Vol.1 – “What-Japanese Ver.-” Dreamcatcher making their Japanese debut! What does “What” mean to the members?
The girl group that combines the rock sounds of the bass guitar with their nightmare concept are dynamic enough to take over the the kpop world is the 7 member group Dreamcatcher who are making their Japanese debut on November 21st. Their debut song is the title song from their 3rd mini-album “AloneinTheCity” which was released in September which, when released on youtube, was viewed 1,300,000 in 10 days. The hit song “What” is being released in Japanese. Last time we talked with these girls, they were very happy and excited about their upcoming debut. Now we talked to them about the songs on their first Japanese single.
K-style: When you heard that ”What” was going to be the song you debuted with in Japan, out of all of your hit songs, how did you feel?
SIYEON: Although this is the song we were most recently promoting, it is also the one that feels the most different. I feel good about debuting with a song that has a bit of a different image from what we already had.
JIU: I think that “What” matches the senses of the Japanese fans well. The repetition of the chorus sinks into you so I think after just listening to it once, you can remember it. I think that is a good thing.
K-style: How was the recording of “What – Japanese Ver.”?
SIYEON: It is important to be able to understand the meaning of the lyrics when recording to know what emotion to put into it but I was struggling with that a little bit at first. For example the line “探してる” (to search for). I needed to find the right way to sing it to convey the real emotions of that and it was kind of hard. “I’m searching for you!” (lol).
SUA: What was difficult for me was singing strongly while still getting the accent or pronunciation correct. I thought to myself “What do I do if I can’t get the accent right but can sing it well and vice versa?”
K-style: Your outfits in “What” are all different and I love it but could you tell us a key point or thing you particularly like about each of your outfits?
SUA: When we were doing our comeback showcase, my outfit was black with gold highlights and it was really pretty but because we used it for our first stage, we couldn’t really re-use it. I really liked it so I want to wear it again but I am so disappointed I can’t wear it again. Even now, I remember that outfit.
SIYEON: My outfits are nice but personally, I think SuA-unnie has some really nice outfits. I wanted to wear her outfit as just a casual/street outfit.
GAHYEON: SuA-unnie definitely has a lot of the best outfits.
SIYEON: That’s why I wanted to steal them (lol).
HANDONG: One of my outfits was this princess-like shirt with black puffy sleeves that I really like. I like outfits that show off the collarbone and the line of my back.
SIYEON: Because you have confidence in those parts of your body.
ALL: Oooh!!
SIYEON: I wouldn’t say that about my own outfits. I have lots of slacks-type long pants. I like those a lot so that is something I am interested in.
GAHYEON: I am the shortest in the group so I am sadly not really able to wear long skirts (lol) so what I realistically like is outfits based around off-the-shoulder shirts. I don’t like feeling choked in my clothes so instead of tight, body-con outfits, I like blouses or other things that leave my neck open. I haven’t had a lot of them to wear until now so I was really excited to get to wear a lot of them for this time.
DAMI: All of my outfits except one or two were a pair of pants and jacket. Dancing in a skirt is hard so I was relieved to get lots of pants. I also got interested in jackets that add to broadness or my shoulders.
SIYEON: Ah, you’re right. Dami’s outfits were also nice.
JIU: I like outfits that give the polished image of an idol and this time was filled with those styles so I was interested in all of my outfits.
K-style: It seems like Yoohyeon struggled dancing in a long skirt. How was that?
YOOHYEON: The skirt was actually longer than I had thought it was so I ended up stepping on it quite a bit. But except for that, I really liked my outfit for this. The outfits were all matched to the member’s personalities which I think is really good.
K-style: Dami, you participated in the writing of your rap in “What”. The lines “Tick Tock Tikita” and “Tip Toe Tikita” are like onomatopoeia (sound words) and seem to be a point of interest. Please tell us your thinking in the writing of these lyrics.
DAMI: The sound “tick-tock” is the sound of a clock so the lyrics “Tick Tock TIkita” were meant to express the way time is always gradually moving and when you are busy it goes even faster. And the use of the English phrase “tip toe” was to express the feeling of sneakily escaping quickly. Since I started participating in the making of my raps, this was something I was very nervous about. When it got translated to Japanese this time, it was very skillfully expressed so I am satisfied.
K-style: What is your impression after filming the music video for “What-Japanese ver.-”?
YOOHYEON: We actually filmed both the Japanese and Korean versions simultaneously so it was very disordered. Since we were filming in the same place, I would mix up if I was supposed to be singing in Japanese or Korean.
SUA: While we were filming both version back to back, I felt like I conveyed the emotions properly and well in Korean. When we switched to the Japanese, I don’t know why but I felt like I was sad or in pain. Maybe because the lyrics we were singing contain those kinds of emotions, I fleetingly adopted those feelings for myself. I was singing the same song, same part, and yet the feel of the lyrics was different because the pronunciation changed, making how I expressed them different. It was a weird feeling.
K-style: You also recorded for your coupling song the Japanese version of your Korean debut song “Chase Me”. How did it feel to sing that in Japanese?
SUA: The melody in “Chase Me” is very fast so when we did it in Japanese, it feels like it became even faster.
SIYEON: After being taught the meaning of the words in the lyrics, I was able to include the emotion needed to sing it. The lyrics “嵐みたい” (arashi mitai – like a storm” allowed me to finally know the meaning behind the name of the senior group Arashi as well as understand another word to describe stormy weather. It was interesting getting to ask “What does 嵐みたい mean?” and learn all of this (lol).
HANDONG: Because both Japanese and Korean are foreign languages to me, I didn’t feel this was particularly difficult. Rather, because Japanese has no final consonants, it made me more comfortable to sing it in Japanese. While singing in Korean, I got yet another impression.
K-style: What was your impression after you heard your Japanese original song “I Miss You”?
SIYEON: I like my part that goes “今でもあなたが好きよ” (Even now, I love you).
YOOHYEON: I also really like that part!
SIYEON: When I first heard that part in the guide track, I liked it and thought I would be able to express it well. I didn’t expect it to actually become my part so I was very happy recording it.
YOOHYEON: I felt like I was singing something that could appear in the first part of an anime.
SIYEON: Like the movie “君の名は” (Your Name).
YOOHYEON: Yes, yes! A scene like a girl standing alone in a windy mountain came to me.
HANDONG: I really liked my starting line “I miss you ただ信じてる” (I miss you Please believe” so I was always listening to it.
SUA: To talk about Dreamcatcher is to talk about songs with a heavy beat I think but “I Miss You” seems to have a brighter atmosphere. The song has the imagery of a bright and clear sky being reflected and I feel it is very different from our usual songs until now.
K-style: Everyone seems to have enjoyed it, huh.
ALL: Yes!!
K-style: Now a question about your song title. Thinking about the title “What”, what is something your members do that make you go “What”?
SIYEON: The way Yoohyeon and Gahyeon can lay down and immediately be asleep is strange to me. The two of them usually sit in the back row of the car. I listen to music and sit in the back too. I will look back to them, however, and right after getting on the bus, they are already asleep. They even sleep well in brightly lit places.
YOOHYEON: But I can easily and readily wake up if someone says my name. But Gahyeon will just not wake up at all. Even if you shake her to wake her up, she is still asleep. It is very strange.
GAHYEON: There was even a time when someone pulled on my face and I still didnt wake up (lol).
HANDONG: Gahyeon and I are roommates so when it is time to wake up in the morning, I can’t wake her up with just talking to her (lol). I always have to shake her.
GAHYEON: But today I woke up early. Because today is the first day of our activities in Japan I think I was just very nervous (lol).
DAMI: This was more around the time of our debut but JiU-unnie would go exercising after we would finish our schedule, no matter how tired she was. I thought that was strange.
SIYEON: JiU-unnie would tell me after “Why did I do something like that then?” is how her approach to exercise was (lol).
SUA: It was like she was addicted to exercising. Dami and I also had a period of time like that.
HANDONG: The three of them had an addiction to exercise.
DAMI: I used to anxious if I knew I couldn’t go to the gym and work out…But now I don’t go anymore.
SUA: Now, because our schedules are keeping us so busy, even without going to the gym I am still feeling like I am getting a work out. When we finish all of our scheduled events after promotions, sleeping will take the place of that as my top priority (lol). To me, Handong is kind of strange. When we have a day off, most of the members will be resting as much as the can but Handong will meet up with her friends, going out and shopping with them.
GAHYEON: Even days when we have a schedule that ends in the morning and nothing until the next day, she will still decide to go out. I asked her, “Unnie, aren’t you tired?” and she replied “Yes! I just need some time to take a breather” (lol).
HANDONG: Yes. I definitely am the type of person who likes to just walk around.
YOOHYEON: Your physical strength sure is impressive (lol).
K-style: Is there anyone that your song “I Miss You” makes you think of wanting to see?
HANDONG: My parents. It’s been 4 months since I have seen them. Through social media in China, my parents are checking and staying up to date with my activities to support me.
GAHYEON: Handong-unnie contacts her parents every day.
DAMI: I’d have to say my parents too. Since we came here to Japan as soon as our Korea activities were finished, it’s been a little while since I have seen them.
SUA: For me I’d say Chris Hemsworth. He is very tall (lol)!! I want to be able to see him some day.
JIU: I would say it is my dog, Cherry, who is back at home. How much has Cherry grown…I miss Cherry.
YOOHYEON: There is a version of the movie Peter Pan I saw when I was a child where the main character Peter was played by Jeremy Sumpter. I definitely want to meet him one day.
GAHYEON: I would like…
YOOHYEON: Wouldn’t you like to meet Gang Dong Won?
GAHYEON: Actually that has already happened (lol). When I was still a high school student, I went to see a preview of one of his movies. I hurried there during my break time and there at the ticket booth, I met eyes with Gang Dong Won.
ALL: Wow (lol)
K-style: On your October 27th free Halloween concert at Venus Fort, you all wore Halloween costumes. Are there any other costumes you would like to wear next time?
JIU: When I had the yellow hair, the members told me I would suit Alice in Wonderland so I would like to cosplay as her one day.
GAHYEON: I have two. First is a vampire, second is Arare from Dr. Slump. Something scary and something cute, I want to try both.
SUA: Patrick from Spongebob Squarepants. Patrick or Jura from Mama Loves the Poyopoyo-Saurus (an anime) is what I want to do but it seems like the costume for Patrick is not sold anywhere.
JiU: If it’s you, I’m sure it would be scary.
DAMI: I want to try a character from One Piece but on the inside I know I would be okay with just any navy general outfit since I find that cool. The coat hanging from the shoulders over a white suit and a cool hat. I wanna try wearing that.
SIYEON: I want to dress as the Joker from Batman. I want to try dying my hair green with spray.
YOOHYEON: I want to try something unusual so I was thinking that I might say a pumpkin but after thinking about it I think that would be a little too weird so I’m gonna stop thinking about that.
SIYEON: Huh but that would suit you so well.
K-style: On your world tour you visited Asia, South America, and Europe. What is something unique to the fans of all of those places?
HANDONG: In Asia, fans will express themselves by clapping. But in Poland, they did the same thing by stomping their feet. At first I was surprised and confused but after I heard that is what they were stomping for, I thought “Oh, I see”.
SUA: The people in Europe and South America copied the outfits we had worn on stage. They learned the dances and that made me really happy.
GAHYEON: Asia has the “give and take” culture so there were lots of shy fans.
SIYEON: In Europe and South America, there were often moments I was worried about communication difficulties being pushed to the limit. We would speak in Korean and then it would get translated but, even before the translation was said, without knowing what we were saying the fans would react and scream for us. That made me feel so good.
GAHYEON: It gave me the feeling of receiving energy from them.
JIU: I feel like our Japanese InSomnia are very delicate. THey worry about our condition and if we got hurt on stage or not, they are looking over us with all their hearts. I really do feel that warmth.
SIYEON: At our promotions in Japan yesterday, people were crying. I feel like I will see more of that while I am in Japan.
K-style: Finally please give a message to our readers.
JIU: Japanese InSomnia! You have waited very long for our Japanese debut, haven’t you? In order for us to have a concert in Japan, we need you to listen to listen lots to our song “What – Japanese ver.-” and fully understand all of the lyrics. I am so happy we can experience this together. I am very happy Dreamcatcher is so loved and highly anticipated!!
Please do not take translation without credit
originial source: KStyle
