B-PASS 2014.09 (Yonghwa parts)

Korean: http://justjyh.com/xe/183541?l=ko

-It's been a while! Since you haven't been to B-Pass for a long time, let's have a plenty of conversation. Let's start off with your 8th single "Go your way" as a whole. What's the concept of the single?

YH: The lead song, "Go your way", is full of cool and refreshing feeling. I think it'd be fun for rock festivals. The tempo is always upbeat, so I think it's very suitable for rock festivals.

I thought, because it's a summer release, slow songs won't do. I consciously put that into consideration when writing this single. Isn't it more fun to listen to upbeat songs in the summer for the listeners, too? (In Japanese) I consciously had that in mind when writing this..

-The pronunciation seems difficult (laughs). When were each of these made?

YH: "Go your way" was written before the Korean album "Can't Stop (Late February)" was released. I'd say it's already been a year since I wrote the 2nd song,"Control". I was going to include it in the previous Korean album, but I didn't.

JH: There were many complications so we didn't include it.

JS: In the end, we brought it to Japan like this.

YH: Because "Can't Stop" is a mini album, it doesn't have many tracks. 

JS: Also, if you compare it with other songs in "Can't Stop", "Control" has a somewhat different vibe. We had taken it out then, and selected it for this single as it fits its concept.

-That means, you don't differentiate it as it's "for Korea" and "for Japan" after writing it, do you?

YH: Fundamentally, we don't. I used to write it that way, too. Then we adjust it during the arrangement process.

-Let's listen to it one by one now. The title track "Go your way" is written and composed by Yonghwa.  What's the image you had in mind when writing this song?

YH: Everybody goes through depressing or stressed out days. It tells them to overcome that, go where you want to go, do what you want to do, take a vocation that you want. 

-"Don't Stop" is repeated in the chorus, which reminded me of "Can't Stop" that you released just previously in Korea (laughs). You said this was written before "Can't Stop". Were they completed at a similar time frame, or are they related in some way?

YH: Hmm....Not...in particular (laughs).

-Do you always have the thought of "not stopping" in your mind?

YH: I realized now that you tell me. I guess so.

-In the lyrics, there's a part that says "Until I'm finally there, Go your way". Until where do you want to go?

YH: I'd say until the point I can't control myself. You have to pursue something until you can feel, "Ah, this is my happiness."

(omit)

-Compared to your debut, you participate more directly in your music. Do you tend to write the chords that you can play more easily?

YH: Sure. But I'm still getting some advice here and there as I write songs.

-The second track, "Control" is also written by Yonghwa.

YH: Right. Minhyuk and Jungshin also wrote it together.

MH: No, not really....because I didn't write much, there's no credit. Yonghwa hyung gave me the idea, too, so I thought I'd try. But it didn't work out well. In the end, Yonghwa hyung helped us and the three of us wrote it together.

JS: It was a great experience.

-Though you're not in the credit, this is MH and JS's first participation in Japan.

JS Right. When we went to a hotel at some touring location, I felt like writing lyrics. Hyungs write many songs themselves, but I don't have enough know-how, so I was stuck. That's when we came up with the idea of writing it together with Yonghwa hyung and MH.

YH: You were first the one who said you wanna write, right?

JS: That's right. You were very busy, too.

YH: I think each of you came to say it.

JS: We began writing like that. First it was written in Korean, so it was hard to turn it into English later (laughs).

-You said "hotel", was it somewhere overseas?

All: It was in Japan.

JS Was that our Zepp tour last year?

YH: It was around the year-end, so it's Arena tour.

-More specifically, how did you write it together?

JS: It's difficult to combine all three of our thoughts at first. So we first wrote roughly on our own, then Yonghwa hyung organized it as we went as the composer. When I show him that I felt this from the melody, he saw it and checked it in front of me, "This is good, this doesn't work." 

YH: The three of us lay down on our stomach in JS's room, saying "This is that" and so on.

JS: When we combined our lyrics together, we began writing it in the computer.

-Is it Yonghwa who changed it into English?

YH: Yes, that's correct.

-Which part do you recommend?

YH: Isn't the intro pretty nice?

JS: "Dadadat da~ lalalala~ darara~darara~" (sings intro) The guitar overflows~

JH: It was difficult for me, that intro. (laughs)

-The lyrics here discuss "Control"ling yourself.

MH: YH hyung always is conscious about including new perspectives into the lyrics. Before we wrote the lyrics, he gave us a homework to "Think of the theme that doesn't involve romance."

JS: When I first heard this melody, I could only think of themes related to romance. I was going to write a love song, but hyung said he doesn't want something common so we united our theme before writing it.

MH: At first, I began writing "Don't control me, don't interfere in my way". But JS wrote well and when YH hyung finished it up, it became "No one can control me" like it is now.

(omit)

-The order of our discussion is mixed up, but like the 2nd track "Control", CNBLUE has had songs that sang of dilemma in your heart. For example, "Robot" or "Don't Care", and also "Wake up" in the first album. 

YH: That's right. "Robot" is the representative case, and "Time is over" also has some elements of that. You can't write it unless you actually have those kinds of thoughts.

-It's difficult to understand directly because most are in English, but I think it's quite courageous to include an opinion that sounds like you're dissatisfied or rebelling against something.

YH: I actually like these kind of lyrics. Our recent songs were mostly love songs, so I wanted to write this kind of theme to change up the taste. But if I only write these things, it seems like I'm complaining. Also, most hit songs tend to be love songs (laughs). But if I aim to write a hit song, it seems like I wrote without my heart, it doesn't feel like I wrote it at all. Many times, I rewrite them from the beginning. Indeed, you have to have some piece of your genuine heart when you write lyrics.

-If you have many lyrics that show dilemma, does that mean you're quite dissatisfied in your daily life?

YH: I include them in the lyrics so I don't hold my dissatisfaction inside (laughs).

-There aren't many songs like this in original songs in Korea, right? The songs that include your own opinions.

YH: There are some in the "Present" album we released last year, but we never sang them on TV or anything so they aren't widely known.

-I guess many complications exist in the Korean major scene. I think it's awesome that you can release this kind of voice now, even though it's in Japan.

JS: Definitely, it's a little (difficult) to release this kind of lyrics as the title track in Korea...

YH: (Resolutely) No, if we want to, I think we can release them. But I think the timing is very important. I want to begin trying it out.

-Since you're "oppas" in your home country (laughs), you can try that kind of music, too.

YH: (Grabs head) Ah~! I'm old~!! I was 20 just a while ago~~!

JH: You're only in your mid-20s.

YH: 26 in Korea this year. 25 in Japan.

JS: (Softly) I thought I was old for turning 24 (in Korea).

YH: In a short while, I'll be 30 soon.

JH: Yeah. It's in a blink of an eye, hyung.

YH: I'll have more leisure next year. Relax and go on a trip perhaps.

JS: That's unlikely, hyung.

YH: Sigh~ (big sigh) Really...now's the time to "Go your way".

All: Hahahaha!! (explode into laughter)

MH: Now's the time for "Control".

YH: Instead of "Can't Stop", it's "Can Stop"

JS: "You can stop us" (laughs)

JH: Let's title our next single "Can Stop".

JS: "Tell me how to stop~"

YH: "I wanna know how to stop~ Why are you so busy~"

JH: "Age isn't everything~ The world is wicked~"

YH: We can write this and sing it in a minute. (laughs)

-Since you didn't just get old, but have accumulated age, I think you would continue to have new frontier coming at you. First, you have two huge summer festivals, Summer Sonic and a-nation in front of you. It's quite a strenuous schedule for three days in a row, Aug. 15 to 17.

YH: Ah~ I'm contemplating. Both are our second appearances. At first, I was so so nervous, but I'm not very worried this year. I'm wondering how to show us in a short period of time. Last year in Summer Sonic, we actually had many mistakes. But I'm confident we'll do well this year! I think we were too excited for our first Summer Sonic.

(omit)

YH: We were exaggerating so much. I'll use my head less this year.

-At Summer Sonic last year, you were up at the same time as Linkin Park. This year, CNBLUE is the headliner in Tokyo, so you're against Arctic Monkeys.

YH: But I love Arctic! Among those who perform on the same day, I wanna see Superfly.

-The main artists for a-nation are Japanese, so it'd feel somewhat different, right?

YH: No matter which one it is, rock festivals are so much fun. Before, I used to be tense thinking, we need to try hard so they'll acknowledge CNBLUE. This year, we'll step away from that and just enjoy the festivals ourselves. I'm brainstorming what to do about the set list.

This is what I think rock festivals are. Though we experience large tours like Arena tours, (at rock festivals) our fans come to a place that's not our solo concert, watch us on an entirely different stage with other musicians, watch other bands, and expand our knowledge of music together that cannot be experienced elsewhere. Please anticipate!

-Summer Holiday-

The theme of our talk this time is on "Summer Vacation", as this is a summer edition. We discussed memories from school and ideal summer vacations!

YH: When you turn third year in high school in Korea, there's this thing called College Scholastic Ability Test, so everyone has to study very hard. In that summer, all of our classmates lied that we're studying and went to have fun at Haeundae (huge beach in Busan). We all wore our class t-shirt that we made and played as much as we want. It remains as such a good memory even now. It was so much fun, I still can't forget it. We ended up being caught by our teacher so it wasn't a happy ending though (laughs). We're from that place and many people knew our teacher, so it was easy to get caught. Whenever "summer vacation" comes up, it reminds me of this incident.

-All boys?

YH: I was in an all-boys classroom, so regrettably no girls (laughs).

(skip)

Ah, I really wanna go to Hawaii. (Rapping) Buruburu, Hawaii Hawaii

JH: I wanna go to Okinawa.

YH: Oh, you haven't been there?

MH: No~ Hyung's been there for filming a drama.

YH: Ah~You haven't been there. It's great! The ocean is emerald green! It was so beautiful.

MH: Whoa, how nice.

YH: Isn't there something like udon in Okinawa?

-Okinawa soba, you mean.

YH: That's delicious.

-Many bands end their concert tours in Okinawa.

YH: That's be the best!

JH: Live live live at Okinawa

YH: Isn't Okinawa similar to Jeju island? No, the ocean color is definitely different.

JH: Both are close anyway.

JS: Perhaps have the Japanese fans come to Jeju island and have them watch our concert?

YH: If they come, Haeundae is the best, Haeundae. This is a country that has a spectacular place like this!

JH: Haeundae is Korea's Las Vegas!

YH: (Straight-faced) I'm sorry, Japanese fans. Haeundae is the best in the world!

JS: A while ago, we had a concert in Busan in a long time. The night after the concert, we all slept at YH hyung's place. His home is close to Haeundae so he gave us a tour, and I was so surprised. Unlike before, the scenery changed a lot and there were so many tourists. Haeundae is in Busan, and everyone's Korean. But it's such a great resort place, I thought this is nice, no need to go overseas.

YH: I think it's a landmark of the Republic of Korea. It's completely a future city now! (Completely in Busan dialect)

(skip)

-Any memories inside that beautiful nature?

YH: (from the side) Valleys, valleys!

JH: The sea was right in front of where I lived...

YH: (from the side) There are leeches in the valleys!

JS: Ugh, leeches?

YH: Sure, in the valleys~

JS: (Softly) Indeed, it's Busan...