uedanoyome

Hey there!

Finally, I got to work on a KAT-TUN interview after so long! Here they talk about their upcoming album "HONEY" and their solo songs as well as their own "HONEY" and "BITTER" sides! It's an interesting interview, also to have an idea of KAT-TUN's solo songs feels before the album release! Hope you enjoy it! 💗💙💜

Also, credits of the scans go to momo_nanami on Weibo

KAT-TUN: HONEY or BITTER

Side: BITTER

The three guys, riding a limousine in vivid coloured suits, full of adult sex appeal. Directly -talking about- their bitter (malicious) part.

His own bitter side is?

Ueda Tatsuya:

I can't deal with people who are loose on their time. It's okay if it's in private, but I can't really trust people who come late to work. If it's a kouhai I'll warn them, absolutely and I'd, too, make sure not to be late. That's natural, of course. This is why I can't understand people who are late /laugh/.

His own bitter side is?

Kamenashi Kazuya:

When I can't help but think it's "impossible", I think I sometimes close my mind. It's about being open-minded, but giving priority to improve the place's atmosphere. But some times I tend to close my mind during interviews. But I'm not closing it now! /laugh/

His own bitter side is?

Nakamaru Yuichi:

In terms of being strict on my own self, the video editing work could be it. The one video I was more particular about was the fruit cut for the Smile Up! Project. I felt that I could do it as I liked it, so I took all the time!

Side: HONEY

They talked about the feelings they put into the album and episodes about their solo productions, along with their enthusiasm for the live tour and their own honey side.

His own honey side is?

Kamenashi Kazuya:

I don't really know /laugh/. On the contrary, I'd like to be told my loving side! Though, compared to my image, I might have a more playful side, I'm not cool at all and I have a quite noisy side too. I enjoy do as I please during live concerts.

His own honey side is?

Ueda Tatsuya:

I take Manuka Honey for my throat's care. Well, it's not tasty /laugh/. But, I actually felt the results when I started taking it two years ago during "Endless SHOCK", and since then I haven't caught a cold, I get a sore throat if not.

His own honey side is?

Nakamaru Yuichi:

My own honey side is... I don't really know. I'm not anymore in the age I can say I'm cute /laugh/. I like sweet stuff. I often eat fruite tarts. There's a store I've liked ever since long ago, and I really like their hand-made fruit tarts.

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Kamenashi Kazuya:

"I want -everyone- to feel the new KAT-TUN. I'd be happy if you will love both the new songs and MV".

To say the truth, this time the recording period was shorter than usual and there were lots of hardships. There are lots of English words and feelings I don't carry in my own experience. But there also were some times I got hooked to it and couldn't get out of it. Besides, there are some studios that can have more compatibility and others that can not. Based on my own sense, of course, in a studio it makes a difference in some areas just having a microphone change. It was a lot of work making all those adjustments, but we had a rich time with that.

The lead songs "STING" and "Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" are songs which have nuances close to the past ones, but being lead songs, the way you perceive and feel about it will change. That will also give an idea of what the tour image will be.

Chara-san provided my solo song and she also took charge of the directing part. I was allowed to go to Kobayashi Takeshi-san's studio for the arrangement and it was really an amazing experience. I was also very particular during the recording session and it might have been the longest time I took in my whole history. As I worked with Chara-san to build it up, I felt like I became an "artist" /laugh/.

In any case, when you will pick it, I believe that you will feel the new KAT-TUN.

We put all our spirit in making all the songs, so I hope you will love both the songs and MV.

It's something we thoroughly faced and worked on so I'd be really happy if you got that.

Including the live tour starting on April, this will be the first step into KAT-TUN's 16th anniversary.

I hope we can get to spend time together, while sharing the album and connect with the fans through thimbles.

Ueda Tatsuya:

"The solo song for which I wrote the lyrics is a cheering song. I tried to spoil it as much as I could with "Honey"-like things".

I believe that the lead song of the Second Limited Edition, "STING", is a song that expresses the aggressive feel of the original KAT-TUN with a fashionable light sound, while the lead song of the First Limited Edition, "Ain't Seen Nothing Yet", is a song that is appropriate to our age, with its appeal and charm.

This time, it's not only the lead song, there are many songs which have an mature and fashionable feeling into them.

The theme of it is a collection of BGM songs which can be listened to in any case, hence we did it while being conscious of how to sing the songs in order to make them sound comfortable and recorded them putting a lot of attention in the singing style. Especially for the song "Prisoner" we tried various things, like trying to go a tone higher and stuff.

While the fashionable songs are all lined up, my solo song "Cantabile" might be a little different. It's the complete opposite of the album's original theme; the song started as a mischievous attempt of what would happen if I threw in more thimbles of the Jpop that Japanese people are used to listen /laugh/.

It's a cheerful song, but I had lots of troubles writing it. Trying to make a cheerful song the way you think it is tough.

But, since the theme is "Honey", I slowly tried to spoil it with it. I wrote it while quipping to myself and saying: "Improve all of this quickly! It's not spoiled!" /laugh/.

We did this album thinking it would be interesting to leave it to the professionals, and our opinions in it are almost zero, so it feels like something we haven't ever done till now and for this the tour will be both a challenge and something we look forward to.

With last year's tour for our 15th anniversary we were able to show the culmination of what we have done so far and express our feelings of gratitude, so I believe that this year's tour will mark yet another new year's start.

Nakamaru Yuichi:

"It's an adult-like and fashionable album. Even song-wise, I believe it is appropriate for our age".

This album has a mature and fashionable feeling into it.

"Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" is a calmer song which goes well if you listen to it before going to bed. I think that, song-wise, it's a song which fits our age.

"STING" video is interesting. It's a mixture of both realisting and non-realistic things. It has quite a mysterious worldview.

As I can do royalty with the group, with my solo song "Moonshot" I've been wanting to make it a more quirky song, as I did in the past few years.

The title too has is in my own meaning, but when I searched on the net the result of it was: "Trying to achieve some difficult goals".

In the past, America went to the Moon so they were achieving that kind of tough goal. As for the content, I'm currently working on a manga, so my head is filled with its story, hence I wrote the song using that theme.

In the near future AI will surprass human beings, and this is the kind of song that asks whether tough things will happen the moment it surpasses human beings or whether the world will become a more convenient place as it takes its stride. With this album, "HONEY", we will also centre on touring the whole country so I'm looking forward to it too!

Currently, we're in the middle of meetings, and the set and all the other stuff are something which reminds of bees; also the goods are in the middle of preparations: there are things you can use at home and some which look like concert's merch.

Ah! It's often said that KAT-TUN's penlights can be used as weapons, and this time... well, it depends on how you look at it, but I feel like it doesn't look like a weapon /laugh/.

Also, in the wake of the album we also have a website called "KAT-TUN PARK", so please check it out.