GOT7
Welcoming their 5th year of debut in Japan
GOT7’s past and future
In 2014, from the debut showcase held in Ryogoku Hall, mini magazine has always been following the members who have been advancing with all their might! They have now grown in artistes with popularity not just in Japan and Korea but around the world too, and we have brought to you the GOT7 love where their existence to one another is like family, together with the charms of their 4th mini album “LOVE LOOP” that has just been released!
— You have just released the mini album “LOVE LOOP” right
YJ: If you listen to this together with the MV at the same time, due to the synergy of the dance and the song, I think you will understand the song more deeply.
YG: The MV has a fresh image which is something that we are trying for the first time. Because the MV this time uses special effects, it feels like you are watching an animation, I think the people who watch it will enjoy it.
MK: It is the first time for me watching this type of MV too!
YG: This is the teaser! (he showed the MV on his phone)
JB: We’re in a middle of an interview, you shouldn’t be playing around with your phone~ (laughs)
MK: The shooting of the MV took 2 days.
BB: Eh, wasn’t it 1 day!?
YJ: Mark was the main lead and the rest of us were just extras, so it took longer for Mark (laughs)
— The 8 songs in the album are more mature and there are also ballads, which one do you like?
YJ: For me it has to be “LOVE LOOP”. As everyone liked the song, it became the title song, so I think it’s a song that represents us this time.
BB: Me too! Most of our songs till now are full of energy, but “LOVE LOOP” is more relaxed, less powerful and more mature, and the nice part is that it doesn’t feel like we are trying too hard to impress. I like this type of songs all along.
JY: “SUPERMAN”. It’s refreshing when you listen to it, and the way we sang it feels nice! And the melody of “REMEMBER ME” is nice too so I like it.
MK: I like “SUPERMAN” too. It’s a song that fills you with strength.
YJ: And the song “Memo” that I wrote too! Because I have an emotional attachment to it! What about JB hyung?
JY: Wouldn’t it be the song that you wrote (“YOUR SPACE”)?
JB: It’s not though?
JY, YJ: It’s not!?
JB: As this album is especially outstanding, so it’s hard for me to say that this song is good.
JY: Because JB hyung is an artist, so he is not usually satisfied with the result (laughs)
YG: I like “YOUR SPACE”. It’s a style that I like. The last part is really good!
JY: The maknae gave it much thought (laughs)
JB: If I have to choose 1 song, because it’s the summer, I recommend “#SUMMERVIBES”!
— You had a comeback in Korea with “ECLIPSE” in May. Is there anything that left an impression?
BB: Thanks to the Ahgases, we received 1st place 3 times!
YG: It was a song with a tough choreography.
YJ: Actually, we changed the choreography many many times right until just before filming the MV.
JY: The song “PAGE” is good too right~
— Did everyone give their views on the choreography?
YJ: Yugyeom gave the most ideas.
— How do you manage to write songs while being so busy?
BB: When our schedules end, I shut myself in the studio to write songs.
YJ: We are doing our best all the time. We work hard no matter how tired we are.
MK: We do our best to write songs while thinking about Ahgases.
YJ: I record down things that are on my mind regularly, and I write songs by choosing words or themes from those.
— When you complete a song, do you ask for opinions from one another?
YJ: I let everyone listen to it.
BB: We listen to the songs without knowing who wrote them. Then we vote on which song we think are good.
JY: That’s right, Because we don’t know who wrote them, we judge them fairly.
— Let’s change the topic. For the members who have a pet, the moment when you think that “I want to boast about my kid”.
YJ: My Coco is cute all along, but it has become cuter and cuter recently~ Coco likes me very much too, that other day when it saw me after being away from a while, (it) was so happy that (it) peed~
JB: Eh, were (you) ok?
YJ: It was not me! It was Coco! (laughs)
All: Hahahahahaha (burst out laughing)
BB: I have 4 cats at home, they are full of aegyo and are really cute and I upload these on my SNS, and they listen well to what I say. These make me think that the cats really brought me happiness~
MK: My dog Milo is still young, but it brings its toy to me and pesters me to play with it. When I throw the toy, it slides across the floor and fetches me the toys in its mouth, and that is really cute.
— How about JB?
JB: As this is something that is too private, I’m not able to answer (decisively)
All: Eh~~! (laughs)
— 5 years has passed since the group has been formed, what has changed and what has not changed?
MK: Lately we don’t really fight/quarrel anymore right
YG: We are even more united than before so we don’t really fight/quarrel anymore. If there is something that has changed, perhaps it’s that we meet outside more often? (laughs)
— What do you guys fight over in the past?
YG: Like the temperature of the aircon.
JB: Like the flavour of the chicken and oden.
YG: It was the really minor stuff. It’s mostly about food, rather than saying that it was a fight, it was more like there was someone who sulks about it (laughs)
MK: Because we know one another really well now, there’s no such thing anymore right (laughs)
— Who sulks the most?
JB: Ah~ that would be Jinyoung?
All: Hahahahaha (laughs)
JY: Well I guess it’s me~ I often sulk over matters related to food (embarrassed laugh) For me, I’m the type who reacts in a big way even for the small stuff.
MK: That’s right (laughs). For example, Jinyoung is the type where even though we do the same things to the other members, only he would react in a big way and be like “why are you doing this to me” (laughs)
— You guys have a really good relationship, at which moment that you thought “I like GOT7!”?
YJ: Right now, when the members chat like this it really feels like we are family, and when we work, everyone does their best. And when something good happens, everyone would be in a good mood.
MK: Every day.
JB: When BamBam and Yugyeom tell me off. At our age, there isn’t anything that you really get told off by someone for, so when the younger members tell me off, I think that this is what GOT7 is about.
JY: Like what Youngjae said, I think doing things like spending time together, fighting and being together is really nice.
BB: Being able to joke around with the members is nice too right.
The 6th year of GOT7!
Ranking the members
Question 1
The member who responds the fastest on SNS?
JB >> Mark
Jinyoung >> ?
Mark >> Yugyeom
Youngjae >> BamBam
BamBam >> Yugyeom
Yugyeom >> JB, Mark, myself
JB: The one who responds the slowest is Jinyoung!
YG: Jinyoung hyung doesn’t read the messages
JB: In our group chat, the last one to read the messages is Jinyoung so we have to press him to read the messages.
JY: I don’t look at my phone much. But I’ll pick up if I get a call!
Question 2
The most popular member?
JB>> Yugyeom
Jinyoung >> Yugyeom
Mark >> Yugyeom
Youngjae >> Yugyeom
BamBam >> Yugyeom
Yugyeom >> Jinyoung
JY: Yugyeom has such charm that it’s like we are “Yugyeom and friends” (laughs)
YJ: He’s tall too.
BB: He has a high nose bridge too.
JY: I really want to learn a tip or two from Yugyeom on how to be popular.
YG: I think it’s Jinyoung hyung who is handsome in everyone’s eyes.
Question 3
The member who likes the outdoors the most?
JB >> Mark
Jinyoung >> Myself
Mark >> Jinyoung
Youngjae >> Jinyoung
BamBam >> Mark, Yugyeom
Yugyeom >> Jinyoung
YG: I think Jinyoung hyung goes hiking.
JY: I like mountain climbing. Because it’s a way to keep healthy.
BB: I’m definitely an indoor person! Staying at home is the best! (laughs)
MK: Or rather, isn’t every one of us more of an indoor person?
Question 4
The member with a keen sense of aesthetics/beauty?
JB >> BamBam
Jinyoung >> BamBam
Mark >> BamBam
Youngjae >> BamBam
BamBam >> Jinyoung
Yugyeom >> BamBam
JB: Actually, although lately Jinyoung is starting to pay attention to it but he can’t catch up with BamBam no matter what (laughs)
YG: For example, I think for Jinyoung hyung it’s about doing up his hair nicely, and for BamBam it’s about wearing accessories and how to coordinate his outfits.
Handwritten messages from the members
Translation and magazine scans by @apple_5840.