*This was originally posted on OneHallyu on April 5th, 2018.
"Thoughts about Pour Lui's "Stop messing around"
--This will be the first time that Pan and Momoland will stand on a stage with Aya.
Pan: When we joined, Aya wasn't in BiS anymore, so I saw her like any other member of Gang Parade. It feels strange, but for me and Momo, since we started with Saki-chan, this feels more like a trade.
Momoland: That's what kind of feeling it is.
--All 6 of you are taking dance lessons, but how do the 3 Initial members feel about Aya's growth?
Peri: It was a long time ago that Aya was here, so I forgot (laughs). This time, I'm in charge of the choreography, but Aya gives advice on the details we don't notice. While in Gang Parade, she had various experiences and I feel like she's grown up.
Gojira: She's started saying very precise things. Pour-san was going to make Aya the Dance Instructor when the 5 of us started, but she would say "it's good!" no matter what we asked (laughs).
Peri: Yes, yes, yes! That's all she really said! She's really grown.
Aya: Once I became in charge of checking everyone's dances, our expressions became more rich. Since I was so happy about that, I meant to say 'I'm glad!
Kikka: But your supposed to give advice and impressions, so it felt like "That's it!".
Gojira: It's so nostalgic. I thought you grew allot when thinking about it. Now you make precise comments about timing and hand movements.
Aya: But I was happy that everyone Powered Up.
--Aya-san, what do you think about being in BiS again?
Aya: First of all, I heard from the Researchers, not the Members or Watanabe-san, that Pour said she was retiring. I guess the other members knew about a month ahead of time, but I found out then. In a previous Interview, Pour-san said the group was falling apart, but I was a Gang Parade member at the time, so I thought "I should do my best not to lose". At that time, Pour was unintentionally seen as rivaling BiS, so when I heard that Pour-san, who was the core of BiS, would retire, I was like "What?".
(*I'm not sure what Aya means that Pour was rivaling BiS. Was this coming from fans?)
--Although I don't know the situation in BiS, as Aya said, she didn't understand why Pour-san would retire at that time.
Aya: Yeah. As soon as I became a part of BiS, I had a dream of being in the top two position with Pour-chan. Even after I went to Gang Parade, somewhere in my heart I felt that I still wanted to make that dream come true. So my straightforward feelings towards Pour Lui is 'Stop messing around'. What was that about when you said you would crush us? So a while back in some interview, I said 'I want to continue being in Gang Parade', but it's because after hearing about her graduation there was something on my mind, or I guess I can say there was a change in how I felt.
(*Aya uses the phrase "Two Top" which is a type of formation in Soccer where two Forwards are placed at the front. There's also a "Three Top" formation. She could be referring to a W Center)
--Since you couldn't decide where you belonged, you felt conflicted about what you wanted to do.
Aya: Actually, before the WACK Fest, Watanabe asked me "which do you prefer?".
Peri: Is that so?
Aya: Yup. At the time, my head was messed up with various things like Pour-chan, so I said "I'm sorry! I don't know!". Then Watanabe-san said, "Give it a little more thought" and I answered "I understand. I think", but then at the event 3 days later, it was announced the Rental Trade would end (laughs).
Peri: (laughs) He didn't wait at all!
Aya: I found out later, but Saki said Watanabe asked her the same thing. Since I wasn't able to make a decision, I wasn't able to make a good comment at the time of the announcement, so it ended up being "I'll do my best no matter where I am". In conclusion, I joined BiS after passing the Audition. Then suddenly, I was traded to Gang Parade last April. It was announced that I would return to BiS this March. I understood the goodness of both groups and thought that I love both groups. When asked "which do you prefer?", I couldn't make a decision. I'm looking forward to the new BiS activities and I'm glad I could be here.
"Released from the curse of BiS"
--I think that Pour Lui's graduation is an important moment for the group, but I wonder if the grown up Aya returning is not a negative. If I listen to everyone's story, I don't feel too much loss.
Gojira: It is a bit lonely. But I'll decide on my own.
Peri: It feels more like "Thank you for all your hard work", so it's not negative at all. It's more like "Please entrust BiS to us".
Kikka: Yup. You can say it at last. I didn't have that kind of story at all, and I felt like it might become weaker, so I was worrying. When we made the retirement announcement, it was said with a refreshing emotion, and kind eyes. I thought I was glad when I saw it.
--You had been trapped by the image of the old BiS, so you could say you were released from "the curse of BiS".
Kikka: That's right. Indeed, the curse disappeared and we've become pure.
--Up 'till now, you were speaking a bit darkly (laughs).
Kikka: No, no, no (laughs). At the time, I could see Pour was set free, so this decision was really good for BiS and Pour.
--None the less, I think the atmosphere became "What about BiS?" within the Idol Industry. Kamiya will return to Gang Parade and it will be said that nobody has the old soul of BiS. Meanwhile, the Double A-side Single "Whole Lotta Love/DiPromise" is the Major re-debut release, but only the 6 members of the new system sing Whole Lotta Love.
(*I think she might have meant "What about BiS's place" within the Idol Industry, but the above translation seemed more literal)
Peri: They're 2 contrasting songs.
--As a matter of fact, "Whole Lotta Love" is the first BiS song without Pour Lui's voice. Becasue I couldn't imagine such a thing happening, personally I was nervous listening to it. But as I listened to it, it was BiS after all. Does BiS say they think it's BiS again?
Peri: That's a nice way to say it!
--For everyone, because it hasn't fundamentally changed, it's not a new group feeling either.
Peri: I prefer to say this is the upgraded version of BiS.
--I see. Have the 6 of you talked about something in recording?
Kikka: We never got together and talked.
Peri: There were discussions about small details, like how to sing the rap and how to hold a microphone.
Kikka: That's right. We discussed how to present the choreography on the stage.
--How would you like to present the new BiS?
Peri: Up to now, I haven't had much time to think about how to sing, so for the first time, I've decided to stick with that.
--As for the direction of the song, it has a similar intensity to recent songs like "Socialism" and "I Can't Say Nooo!!!" so the Rock sound remains unchanged and fits with BiS's current style, but you're also trying something new like Rap. I feel like it comes from a place that only 6 people living and working together could create.
Gojira: As opposed to "DiPromise", "Whole Lotta Love" is sung by the 6 of us, so I think they wanted to add new things when we started as 6. While recording, Mastukuma-san (Kenta/scrambles) requested that "we sing like Thee Michelle Gun Elephant", so we sang with a higher tension than usual. I didn't think rap would fit with the new song, but I want to do fun things. The lyrics also use phrases from the time of the old BiS a little bit.
--I think the symbolic one is the phrase "I have to go" that was also used in "BiSBiS". Changing the phrase becomes a turning point of the group as it becomes comical as "I have to go, I'm singing too much Melody, Wasshoi!".
(*Wasshoi is difficult to translate and has several meanings, so I didn't attempt it. However, this entry will shed some light on it's origin:
"Wasshoi" is considered to have developed in Edo, originating from the phrase "Wajo Dokei", meaning 'to unify the people's hearts together and be full of enjoyment'. This "Wajo Dokei" was shortened to "Wajo", then changed to "Wakasho" (meaning to carry harmony), and finally changed to "Wasshoi", meaning 'to stay with harmony')
Gojia: "I have to go!" isn't a feeling full of determination, but "I have to go, Wasshoi!" is something that's more cheerful (Laughs).
Peri: It's the new "I have to go!" isn't it.
Aya: Because these 6 people have to go.
Pan: Before, after we got tons of blisters on our feet it was 'We have to go!' but I thought 'So for these six members that's the kind of "I have to go" (laughs).
