★ Romantic Paradise ★

An interview with Big Bang, Credits: mican*@bbvipz, 그놈@bbvipz,

Translations: bbjet@ygbb, and shared by KPOP JJANG:

Top = T, G-Dragon = GD, SOL = S, D-LITE = D, and V.I. = V.

──Right now, you’re working coming between Korea and Japan.
S - Yes, that’s right.

──Do you have any Japanese places you found that you like?
GD - Here (unit record company). Since we come here often, it feels as if it’s our house.

──Living in Japan, something you haven’t gotten used to?
GD - As expected, language. It feels stuffy not being able to communicate.
But because 1 month hasn’t passed since we came to Japan, it’s more that we don’t know,
rather than we haven’t gotten used to it. For example, if we don’t know the streets,
there’s a lot of discomfort regarding that but people around us have been helping us, so we’re getting by.

──Of the opposite, what’s something that fits so well that you can say, “I might be Japanese?”
GD - Shopping. Shopping is totally OK (laugh).
D -  And food. Japanese food fits my taste. It’s good.

──Japanese food you like the most?
D - I like it all, but I like especially fish and seafood.

──Korea has a lot of seafood too, right?
D - That’s right. There’s a lot, but since the place is different, the food is also a little different.

──What do you think about the Japanese music scene?
S - I felt that Japan is a music market that prides itself in the world after I came to Japan,
and I thought there’s really a wide variety of genres of music.
For me, when I’m searching for CD’s of different music genres, Japan is quick with new albums,
and is great for shopping. Also, there are a lot of chances to see overseas artists’ performances.
In that way, I’m feeling that we’re moving forward to win or lose earnestly.

──You say that this major debut single 『MY HEAVEN』was a favored song in Korea.
GD - It was part of an album that we released in Korea. In Korea, it has the title “Heaven,”
and this song received love from everyone outside of the title song.
When we were thinking at the time of our Japanese major debut,
what song would stimulate everyone’s hearts, we thought of this song.
It has emotion, it was touching, and a melodious song,
so we thought Japanese people might like it for sure. The Korean “Heaven” has lyrics that are bright.
However, Japan’s “My Heaven” was made to have lyrics that were touching and sad,
so it’s different in that way too.

──This song was arranged by G-DRAGON, what did you have in mind as the point?
GD - I put the most effort in putting in a melody that fit well with the track.
Also, I thought having the song and melody together, not separate, was important as well.

──What was singing in Japanese like?
GD - At first, it was hard because I didn’t know the meaning of the lyrics.
However, I practiced because I wanted to transfer a right feeling to everyone.
I thought that from now on, I should work harder.

──Weren’t you surprised or anything like that at the difference of the groove that comes with language?
T - Since I didn’t think that pronunciation had anything to do with giving life to the groove,
so in that aspect, I had no real difficulties that were worth pointing out.
However, it was difficult in the way that I wanted to make something that
when Japanese people heard it, they would think, “Oh, that’s not bad.”
When we were singing, if we thought that we were slacking on the accent or pronunciation of a part,
we practiced that part over and over and then recorded it.

──Thoughts about『EMOTION』?
V - We thought that was a club sound. Something that would work on the floor.
At any rate, I think it’s a song that when you listen to it,
you get attracted to it by the beat or the sound.

──The lyrics, quite sexy, it’s a song that shows the inside of the mind with feeling.
T - Look, we’re sexy (laugh). Since we’re cool (laugh).

──Out of the 5 members, who fits the best with this song’s lyrics?
S - (In a joking manner) It’s V.I.(laugh)
V - Kekeke (bitter smile)

──Does that mean that the most handsome is V.I. (Laugh)
T - Because he’s cool.
GD - (In Japanese) “Precisely” (Laugh).

──What did you think of when making your 2nd single『Gara Gara GO!!』
GD - When we release something in Korea, we always think that we want to show a new,
different side to everyone. Because of that, we promote without hindrance to genre,
and we thought we should do that in Japan as well.
So,『MY HEAVEN』had a quite cozy melody, but we thought our 2nd song should have
a strong rhythm to it. So making that difference, we wanted to show ourselves.
V - With the song as well, for『Gara Gara GO!!』we tried to make it so that
the listener can listen to it feeling happy. So that we can bring life to the exciting rhythm of that song.

──『TOP OF THE WORLD』is a calm, medium tempo R&B song.
GD - Outside of the R&B-like parts, I think that there’s inklings of hip-hop in it too. Also, there’s a dark feeling to it too.

──After these 2 works, your first album is finally being revealed in August.
Are you working earnestly on the album now?
GD - That’s right. We are in the midst of producing.
S - When our schedules for the day end, we go straight to the recording studio.
Recently, every day is pretty crazy (bitter smile).
T - Yesterday, we stayed up all night recording, too.

──What do you think it will be about?
S - We’re busily in the middle of producing, but since August is summer,
we’re including a lot of songs with a strong beat that will make the listener happy
when listening to it during summer.
GD - Since we chose a lot of songs that we ourselves liked, I’m sure that listeners will like it too.
T This album is great. I have a lot of confidence in it. (in Japanese) “Precisely” (laugh)

──Lastly, we request a message to your Japanese fans.
S - We’re having a major debut this time, but to the fans who watched us before that,
in the Indies days, we want to keep promoting to meet the expectations of our Japanese fans.
Please look forward to us.
T - This time, because we’ll be staying in Japan for a long time,
there will be a lot of chances for us to meet Japanese fans.
We also think that it will be great if we can perform on a lot of stages in Japan,
so we’re anxious. Also, more than anything, we want to surprise fans!
I want to surprise everyone so they will stop and think, “Up until now,
there were a lot of Korean singers who promote in Japan, but in Korea there’s this kind of singer!”

──Becoming BIG in Japan as well, it would be good if you could eat lots of yummy Japanese seafood.
D - No, we already ate a lot. (laugh)
T - That’s right. (in Japanese) “Tuna!” I really like it! (laugh)

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