[Individual Interview] Seongmo (former Supernova) talks about his thoughts behind the mini-album ”Ittsu no Hoshi” commemorating his 15th anniversary since his Japanese debut, and his vision for the future

Seongmo, who debuted in Japan as "Supernova" on September 9, 2009, is celebrating his 15th anniversary this year. He will release his 5th mini album on September 9 to mark the 15th anniversary.
In the interview, they talked about the production process and episodes from the 5th mini album, questions related to the number "5", and their vision for the future.
Q. You seem to be busy with your acting career and events, so how did you go about creating this mini album?
This time, I wasn't just working on the album, I was also working on the unit group "250 (TWO-FIFTY)", filming for a TV series, and events at the same time.
So, I was a little disappointed that I didn't have much time to concentrate on making the album, but this time I worked with professional staff that I've had a long relationship with.
I was able to work in groups, so I was able to make the album even though I was busy. Everyone worked really hard, so I'm very grateful.
I used to write all the lyrics by myself, but this time I decided everything from A to Z together with various staff members. I wrote the lyrics in Korean and then translated them into Japanese.
I translated it into Japanese and corrected any parts that didn't fit the melody. A lot of staff members were involved, so the level of Japanese I had used up until then was completely different from what I had been able to understand.
The lyrics are written in different Japanese, so I really want people to listen to them a lot. Rather than lyrics, they're written in a way that feels like a letter, so I want people to read the lyrics.
Q. Why did you choose the title of the album "Ittsu no Hoshi"? I decided on the album title myself. Up until now, I just knew what the title was.
I used to give titles that were easy to understand, but this time I made it so that people would think, "What does this mean?" just by hearing the title.
I thought, "I wonder what's going to happen next." I was looking at a photo of me that my fans said was really good.
The light reflected in your eyes looks like a star... You can only see stars when you look up at the sky. Some people make wishes on the stars, and I remember a dog that went to heaven.
But I have dolls of dogs at home, and they remain in my head and heart. The stars also show the direction, don't they? So, where is the "light" for you through the stars?
I wanted to convey that there are stars in the sky, but there is also starlight reflected on the ocean, there is moonlight, and there is also light in my heart. To all the fans who are looking at my photos,
The stars are shining in your eyes. In our lives, there are not only bright times, but also dark times. There are many trials, and the coronavirus infection
But it's not over yet, and we don't know what kind of trials we'll face in the future. So, I hope you'll always be brave and do your best together with everyone at Juliet.
Q. The title song "Bridge to Tomorrow" was written in the Supernova era as "Get
The song was written by Naoto Kine, who has worked on songs such as "Wild," and the lyrics were written by Seongmo, who participated as a unit.
The song was provided by Daisuke "DAIS" Miyachi, producer of "250 (TWO-FIFTY)". "MY OWN STORY" and "LIFE WITH
MUSIC! was written by Sachiko Saegusa, who has released hit songs such as the Dragon Ball theme song "DANDAN Kokoro Mikareteku," and is the theme song for B'z's "Calling" and "Liar! Liar!
The song was written by Akihito Tokunaga, who has participated in the production of many songs such as "r!" and "Ultra Soul" and is currently active as a support member for Koshi Inaba's solo tour and B'z.
How was it working with such a great band? The songs I've released so far were written by Japanese artists who provided the songs while I was in Korea, and by my Japanese staff.
I had been communicating with the artists, but this time I made time to meet them in person and talk to them over coffee. Even when I can't move due to my schedule, I'm happy to be able to hold a live performance.
They came to see me, and in the dressing room I told them, "This melody is good. I want to create this kind of atmosphere." When we communicated directly, I was able to answer any questions that came to mind right away.
I realized that it's important to communicate properly on your own. Q. Please tell us about the title song "A Bridge to Tomorrow."
Korea and Japan are close, but far away. You have to get on an airplane and cross the ocean.
I'm 37 now, and since my debut in Japan I've been going back and forth between these two ages. I don't know if I'll be able to keep singing until I'm 40 or 50, but I'm sure I'll be able to keep singing until then.
The song before the verse is "A bridge to tomorrow," and I expressed my desire to aim for the "other end of the bridge" that will one day connect to the other. Q.
The music video was created by Miho Kinomura, who has been the creative director since Supernova's debut.
I heard that you served as the live director. How was the shoot? A long time ago, when we were shooting the last album released as "Supernova," we all got on a bus and went around Shinjuku to shoot.
But the director said he wanted to include a scene in this music video where I was in a taxi driving through Ginza. Ginza is a shining, bustling area, isn't it? So I was driving a taxi.
When I shot that scene, the music video for the song "Mata Kimi to..." that I shot for "Supernova" about 8 years ago suddenly came to mind.
I thought the atmosphere was similar. At that time, he had a sad expression saying goodbye (because he had to do military service), but this time, he had overcome whatever came his way.
It expresses my feelings that I am still running alone in Japan. When I was in Supernova, I couldn't speak Japanese like I can now, so I couldn't even take a taxi, and I just wanted to go somewhere.
I didn't have time to think about it at the time, but now I'm in a taxi in a glamorous city, and I acted with an expression that says, "I've come this far." It's the most memorable part of the PV, so I'm glad I acted with that kind of expression.
I would like everyone to see it. Q. Did you take the jacket photo at the beach? I only took the photos in the studio, but this time I wanted to take a natural photo, not a contrived one.
I felt very relaxed when I took the photos. Up until now, I've spent a lot of time on makeup to look cute, but I wanted to keep it simple and not worry about that.
I wanted to show my true self to everyone, not as some glittering idol would. Q.
5th mini album, solo debut in 2015, 15th anniversary of debut in Japan,
"250 (TWO-FIFTY)" is also celebrating its 5th anniversary, and has a lot of the number "5" in it. Do you feel like there's some kind of destiny associated with the number "5"?
Nothing in particular... My favorite numbers are 1 and 3. But I noticed that there are a lot of numbers with the number 5 this year, so I thought I'd write one for the album.
I thought it might be good to use it on the jacket. The number 5 (go) can also be pronounced as "go", so in English it becomes "GO". It means "Let's go", so it's like "Let's go tomorrow".
I want to use the number "5" more, with the feeling of "Let's go" and building a bridge to the future. So, the word "5 (GO)" is used a lot, and I don't think it's a good word.
I think it will feel like a fresh wind is blowing. Q. From here on, I would like to ask a question about the number "5".
Human sensations are also expressed through the five senses, so I would like to ask you about those five senses.
1) Touch: What is your favorite touch? I like to touch my dog's back. This has been scientifically proven, and if a human touches their dog for about 15 minutes, both of them will develop hormones.
It is said that the secretion of sebum calms the mind and helps people live longer. So, it is good for both humans and dogs, but 5 or 10 minutes is meaningless, and if you touch them for 15 minutes, they will produce a lot of sebum.
So when I get home, I hold my dog and pet him for 20, 30, or 40 minutes, even while watching a movie. 2) Sense of smell: What is your favorite scent?
This is dog shampoo. When I hug my dog and touch it, the scent is so strong, and when I touch it after shampooing, the scent really comes out, so that's the scent I like the most.
Before, I had a favorite perfume scent, but I'm tired of it now. So I like dog scents. I like the natural scent that comes from dogs. Not cosmetics or anything like that.
3) Vision: What do you like to see? The sea. I think it's really good for the human eye to see blue and green, and it's probably good for your health, but I like to see scenery. Mountains and the sea.
I like to go to see places that are not man-made, natural places. So, although there are delicious places and places to have fun in Seoul, I like to go to places that are not man-made, such as mountains and the sea.
I always go there when I come back to Korea from Japan. It's healing. If I can go there even for a little while, I can rest my mind and feel motivated to work hard again.
4) Hearing: What is your favorite sound? I like the sound of water falling into a pool of water. When I can't sleep, I fall asleep listening to that sound. I've always liked that sound, and also the sound of the wind blowing and the trees rustling.
I also like the sound of leaves rustling. I just like the sounds of nature. I guess that makes me feel old (laughs). 5) Taste: What's your favorite food these days?
I really like meat and sushi, but recently I've been really into hitsumabushi.
But only when I'm eating it... Hitsumabushi leaves me feeling satisfied even after I've finished eating. I've decided that I'll definitely eat it when I go to Nagoya, both in terms of nutrition and in terms of my heart.
I think it will satisfy the desires of many people. You can eat Hitsumabushi anywhere in Tokyo, but I definitely want to go to Nagoya to eat it, so I'm going to Nagoya for promotion.
If I have the time, I'll go and eat Hitsumabushi. I'm working hard to achieve that (laughs). But that doesn't mean I eat it every day. I've really had to endure and endure until I reached my limit.
Sometimes I feel more satisfied when I go out to eat. Q. If you could give yourself five rewards for working hard, what would they be?
Seongmo: Of course, "Hitsumabushi." And then, "Travel." And also, I don't have any material desires.
, "Whiskey." When I finish all my work for the day, I want to open a glass of whiskey and drink it while saying, "Ah, I've done well." Also, after listening to this album,
I want to hear people say, "You did a great job." I also want to hear people who listen to it tell their friends, "You should definitely listen to this." And I also want to hear "good results."
It would be nice to give myself a present, like a reward. I hope to achieve great results this year, both with the album and the TV series.
You're still achieving good results. Seongmo: But I want to improve even more, so I'm not satisfied yet.
Q. What are your five favorite words? Seongmo: My favorite is definitely "It'll work out somehow" (laughs). And also, "I love you" from you guys. The "I love you" that our fans say is so cute.
I learned that "I love you" is a better way of saying it than the Korean "Saranghe (I love you)" and I like that phrase. Another phrase that has caught my attention recently is "Yukoai no Sora".
There is also the expression "sunlight filtering through the trees." It is an expression that does not exist in Korea. In the comments of fans, they wrote, "The sunlight is really sparkling and the sunlight filtering through the trees is beautiful," so I thought, "sunlight filtering through the trees is beautiful."
I wondered what "日" meant and looked it up, and I realized that there is no such expression in Korean, but there is a word in Japan that can express it, so it became my favorite word.
- You read your fans' comments carefully. Seongmo: I read your comments carefully and I learn Japanese from them.
My fifth favorite word is "Itadakimasu" (laughs). When I say "Itadakimasu" and see the food in front of me, I think it's finally time to rest and eat.
I like this phrase because it expresses my gratitude to everyone who prepared this food. Q.
Please tell us five things you've been into lately.
Recently, I've been into clothes. I like to coordinate and wear reasonably priced clothes.
I'm addicted to it. When my fans ask me, "What brand is this outfit?" I usually answer by the brand name, but now I get the response, "This is really cute, what brand is it?"
It's popular in the Korean entertainment industry to say, "This is a 2000 yen item." It's popular to wear affordable brands in a way that suits you.
That's one of the things I enjoy. The second is to "find delicious restaurants in Korea." When my Japanese friends or fans come to Korea, I want to tell them about them.
I'm looking for a place where I can enjoy the food. Before, I only went to certain restaurants, but recently I've been trying out different restaurants. I can't tell until I've actually tried them.
I take photos of restaurants that I think are delicious or that I want more people to know about. So, recently I've been storing a lot of food photos on my smartphone (laughs).
The third thing I'm into is "going to the movies." I stopped going to the cinema because of COVID-19, so it's been five years since I last went, but since then I've been going to the cinema at least once a month.
I have a free movie ticket on my smartphone, so it would be a waste not to use it (laughs), and since I am also starring in a movie, I want people to watch the movie I worked hard on at the cinema.
This feeling grew stronger, and I started going to the cinema in person. It is also the actor's wish for people to watch their films on a big screen with good sound.
The fourth is to "find a good restaurant in Japan." I often go to Korean restaurants in Japan, and when my brother came to Japan, he was from Korea but he was Korean.
I was only feeding them food... I've been working in Japan for 16 years, but even if they asked me where to go, I didn't know and couldn't recommend anything. So, when I have time, I searched for places and said,
I'm addicted to searching for places like that because I make plans like, "I'll go here." Another thing is, "studying Japanese." I've been appearing in a TV series, so I'm a little bit
I'm getting used to it, but I want to study Japanese more deeply and improve my level. Q. Besides being a singer, you've appeared in a number of Japanese TV series as an actor.
Looking back at your career as an actor, what do you think? I can only say that I was lucky. I quit singing and acting because of COVID-19.
I thought I had no choice but to do this, and I was unsure of what kind of work I should do, but I was blessed with good opportunities in Korea and was able to spend my time shooting TV series and movies.
Now I think, "I'm on a Japanese TV series!" and I can only say that I was really lucky. So, in order to keep this luck going, I will work harder on my Japanese and overcome the difficulties.
I am trying my best to overcome these obstacles. I want to become an actor who plays Korean roles in Japan. It is still just the beginning, so I am doing my best as if I have just debuted.
Q. What would you like to try as an actor in the future? I want to try a role that is different from the character image I have had up until now. Not a kind person, but a cold, bad person, or something like that.
I want to play a character who holds the key to an episode of Llama. I want to play a character that makes people think, "He's a really kind person, but he was a bad person."
Q. Do you have any plans to expand into other countries besides Japan?
Now in Japan, as I said before, I am so well known that people think, "When you think of Korean roles, you think of me."
If I can become able to do that, I think I can think about other things. If I get an offer and have the mental space, I can do it, but I'm not thinking about it right now. First of all, I want to do Japanese
I want to focus on getting used to the work environment. Q. I think you have a vision for your future, but do you feel like you are progressing smoothly according to that vision? Where do you want to be in five years?
What are you working hard to achieve that? I think I'm only at about 5% of my vision for the future. I haven't achieved a sense of accomplishment yet, and I'm very motivated, so I'm always available to help out.
I feel like I want to be involved. I'm 37 now, so I think I'll be able to judge my vision for the next five years, like "Am I at 50%?" or "Am I at 70%?"
I think I would quit if it was still around 5% or 7%. Anyway, I'd like to try my best and see how far I can go. Q. Please tell us about your future plans. BS
I will also be appearing in the NHK drama "Danchi no Futari," and I want to let you know that I will not end with the works I have released so far. In fact, I have been approached about many other things.
But for now, I'm going to focus on my 5th mini album and then decide. Q. I'm looking forward to seeing your future success!
Finally, please give a message to your fans.
I think it's thanks to all the fans who are always by my side supporting and promoting me that I'm able to do this kind of work.
I am also grateful to everyone for allowing me to appear in a TV series in Japan. The most difficult thing for me is getting on an airplane, but recently the plane has been shaking a lot.
But I don't want to lose the place that everyone has made for me, so I always gather courage and overcome the difficulties. I'm working hard and smiling while filming, so please take care of your health and don't let the heat get the better of you.
Please come to my event if you have time. Even if you don't have time, I'll come to your house on TV.
I believe that we can meet and be together, and although I don't know how far this road, this bridge, will continue, I want to tell you that we should walk slowly together.
Thank you. 5th mini album "Ittsu no Hoshi" Title: Ittsu no Hoshi Release date: September 9th (Monday) Record contents: 1: Shining star
~JP ver.~ 2: MY OWN STORY 3: Bridge to Tomorrow *Lead song 4: LIFE WITH MUSIC!
5: Shining star ~KR ver.~ Format: TYPE-A Product number: TSSM-1001 CD + M card with MV (5 designs) TYPE-B
Product code: TSSM-1002 CD + M-card with photo (5 designs) TYPE-C Product code: TSSM-1003 CD <Event information>
[Release event dates and locations] Monday, September 9th, Tokyo: Tower Records Shibuya
18:00～ Mini Talk & Live 18:30～ Two-shot Instax Photo Session 20:15～ High Five Party
★September 12th (Thursday) Osaka: Tower Records Umeda NU Chayamachi Store ＜Part 1＞ 16:00～ Mini talk & live performance
16:30～ Scheduled handshake event 17:00～ Scheduled autographing session ＜Part 2＞ 18:30～ Scheduled mini talk & live 19:00～ Scheduled two-shot Instax photo session
20:15～ Scheduled autographing session ★September 13th (Friday) Nagoya: Tower Records Nagoya Parco Store ＜Part 1＞ 16:00～ Scheduled Mini talk & live
16:30～ Scheduled handshake event 17:00～ Scheduled autographing session ＜Part 2＞ 18:30～ Scheduled mini talk & live 19:00～ Scheduled Instax photo session
20:00～ Scheduled autographing session ★Saturday, October 12th (scheduled) Tokyo: Tower Records Shibuya store 15:30～ Scheduled autographing session 17:15～ Scheduled handshake event
[Pop-up shop details] ★Store: Tower Records Shibuya store, 5th floor (1-22-14 Jinnan, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)
★Event period: September 9th (Monday) to September 22nd (Sunday) ★Event contents: Goods sales / panel displays, etc. ★Goods sales overview [Sales stores]
Tower Records Umeda NU Chayamachi Store (6F NU chayamachi, 10-12 Chayamachi, Kita-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture)
Tower Records Nagoya Parco Store (6F, Nagoya Parco East Building, 3-29-1 Sakae, Naka-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture) ★Sales period
September 9th (Monday) to September 22nd (Sunday) ★Product lineup ・3 types of acrylic blocks (random) ・Pen (Ice Blue) ・Pen (Blue)
・Acrylic coaster with pedestal Click here for details:
Tower Records Shibuya Official Website https://towershibuya.jp/news/2024
/08/31/203266 SeongmoOfficial site https://sungmo-official.jp/contents/846980 <Future plans>
[TV Series Appearances] 110th serial drama in the first half of 2024, "Wings on a Tiger" Premium TV Series "Two People in the Danchi" [Event to be held to celebrate 15 years since debut in Japan]
September 7th (Sat) Osaka: Shinsaibashi SUNHALL September 8th (Sun) Tokyo: Club eX / Shinagawa Prince Hotel
For details, please see here: https://sungmo-official.jp/contents/773300 [Event appearance] September 14th
Appearance at "World Music Festival 2024 in Pacifico Yokohama Waterfront Park"