PSYCHIC FEVER Discuss New Album ‘DIFFERENT’ in Interview

Billboard JAPAN interviewed PSYCHIC FEVER in London around the release of their second album, DIFFERENT. The group discussed the making of the album, how touring has made them view music as borderless, and the value they place on their individual differences.

To start out with, let’s talk about your new album. DIFFERENT, your second album, dropped on July 10. In the four years since you debuted, you’ve built up a lot of experience in Japan and overseas. How do you think your interpretation of “different” has changed over this time?

RYOGA: With DIFFERENT, we wanted the album to reflect what we’ve been feeling over the past four years, and the ways we’ve changed and evolved. We’ve played not only in Japan but in 15 countries around the world. Over those shows, we’ve realized that all seven of us look different, think differently, and express ourselves in different ways. Each of us has our own way of performing and our own strengths. That is unusual for a modern boy band, and that variety is a good thing and one of PSYCHIC FEVER’s strengths. That is why we were able to make DIFFERENT.

JIMMY: Just a month after we debuted, we went to Thailand for six months of hardcore training, and then people started sharing “Just Like Dat feat. JP THE WAVY.” Around then, we realized through our fans that overseas audiences viewed each of us as unique and distinctive. Up until then, we felt we needed unified objectives and a unified concept. Our overseas experience showed us that all seven of us have individual qualities, and we wanted to put that into our album. We also wanted to share a message with listeners that it is okay to be different, that everyone is unique, and that it is important to cherish every person.

The album covers a wide range of genres, but it never loses that core “PSYCHIC FEVER feel.” Was there anything you focused on when making the album to make sure it came out like that? Were there any particular standards?

JIMMY: We began working on the new album at the start of our fourth year together, after trying out all kinds of genres, so we focused on music that resonated with our roots. Hip-hop and R&B got us into dancing, and we always admired African-American music. I am part Nigerian, so my roots are intertwined with Afrobeat. We chose genres that related to us and that we had close ties to. We pared away different elements to focus more tightly on our roots, which makes for a fresh-feeling album.

On the album, you each express your own different individuality. Are there any parts where you think that a certain member’s character really comes through?

RYUSHIN: Until now, WEESA and KOKORO have been the main vocalists in the chorus sections a lot of the time, but on “Into You,” Ren takes control of the chorus. REN has sung the chorus before on “Best For You,” but with his singing on “Into You,” not only does the PSYCHIC feel come through, but there is also a great J-pop vibe. It instantly feels like a totally different song. When a different person sings the chorus, it expands our expressive range, and I think that is one of our great strengths.

Did you discover any new aspects of PSYCHIC FEVER’s appeal through the process of making the album?

REN: We tried our hand at Afrobeat for the first time. When I listened to the finished song, I thought that it was Afrobeat, but it also had a strong PSYCHIC feel to it. All ten songs on the album, including the R&B, hip-hop, and dance music tracks, feel like PSYCHIC FEVER. Through the new album, I discovered we have our own sound that only we can create.

I feel like the lyrics to the songs on DIFFERENT also resonate with people in all kinds of different environments and situations. When you were writing the lyrics, was there anything you paid special attention to when it came to putting yourselves in the listeners’ shoes or striking a chord with them?

JIMMY: Our music turns our experiences, ethnic roots, and different ways of thinking into messages that we share with listeners, turning them into positive energy. When writing the lyrics, I focus on keeping a good balance of Japanese and English.

WEESA: I pay attention to staying true to life. Different listeners get different things out of the lyrics, but on the new album, I tried hard to write lyrics with that true-to-life feel. I pick the English and Japanese lyrics carefully while keeping it catchy. Catchiness is important for both languages, and I want overseas listeners to experience how fun the Japanese language is.

People often talk about how music is an art form without borders. Have you had any experiences that made you feel that way?

TSURUGI: When we played “Just Like Dat feat. JP THE WAVY” at different venues in the US, local audiences sang along with the Japanese parts. It demonstrated the power of music. A lot of listeners learned what our lyrics meant through our music and commented on how fun learning Japanese was on their socials, which made me feel that music has no borders.

So, you’ve realized that one of PSYCHIC FEVER’s strengths lies in the differences between its members. Is there any message you want to share with the world using this strength?

JIMMY: I want to tell people there is no need to compare yourself to others or to feel inferior. We were not all that great when we started out. We practiced hard and delved into what we loved, and we successfully did it as a group. Individuality comes from turning what you love into a strength and doing something different from everybody else. PSYCHIC FEVER does not really have a concept, which is a good thing. Instead, it is a group made up of the strengths of each member, much like the Avengers featuring Iron Man, Spider-Man, and other superheroes coming together to make the team strong. We try to make music that people with different backgrounds, ethnicities, and environments can all enjoy.

Since we’re all in London, I’d like to ask a question about London, actually. One of the likes in the song “Uh Oh” is “No idea where I’m going tmr, Paris NY LA, next is London.” Was there some special reason that you put London last?

WEESA: I wrote that part. Lately we have had a strong connection with London, and every time we go, I get inspired and want to put on even more shows here. I want to play in all the cities mentioned in the lyrics and in other countries too, but because we have had many opportunities to go to London lately, I put it last.

Is there any final message you want to share?

KOKORO: I would really like to perform in the UK. We just released DIFFERENT, and we are going to show what it means to be PSYCHIC FEVER, so you will not want to miss it.

—This interview by Mami Kondo first appeared on Billboard Japan