“Travis Japan Talks New Singles & World Tour: Interview”
Travis Japan continues to develop their attain in its house nation and world wide in 2025, taking up challenges on a world scale. The favored boy band is presently on the street selling its second album VIIsual — which topped the Billboard Japan Scorching Albums chart after dropping in December — touring to eight cities across the nation for the home Travis Japan Live performance Tour 2025 VIIsual tour that kicked off in January. The group can be set to tour Asia and the U.S. for its second world trek this summer season.
Billboard Japan caught up with the six members (Noel is presently taking a break for well being causes), who proceed to enhance themselves by studying from one another, and requested in regards to the attraction of their new songs “Say I do” and “Tokyo Crazy Night.” The group additionally regarded again on their world tour from final 12 months that took them to 6 cities across the globe and shared some takeaways from the expertise.
Might you share your impressions out of your first world tour, Travis Japan World Tour 2024 Highway to A, which occurred final fall?
Shizu: We toured six cities world wide to advertise our first album Highway to A, and have been capable of work together additional with our followers exterior of Japan. I felt like I’d been given a really invaluable expertise. The venues weren’t precisely massive, however I used to be glad we have been capable of present the attraction of Travis Japan that may solely be expressed on these sorts of phases. We had quite a lot of enjoyable on tour, studying the native languages alongside the best way.
Shime: It was our first time doing it, so in fact I used to be trying ahead to it but in addition slightly frightened about how it might go. However once we really bought on stage, the viewers bought actually excited and cheered a lot. Our followers taught us a number of the native languages in-between songs, and we discovered quite a bit on that world tour.
Chaka: We’d been ready to do a world tour since our debut in October 2022, so when it lastly turned a actuality, we boarded the aircraft with a mix of anticipation and nervousness. It was a totally new setting for us, however we went on stage with the boldness that our followers had given us, and the leisure that we’d constructed up. Above all, I believed it was fantastic that we have been capable of join with folks by leisure. We may have executed higher in sure elements, however I believe it was a really fruitful tour.
Genta: After experiencing the world tour that the seven of us had been aiming to do, there have been positively some enjoyable elements, but in addition quite a lot of troublesome elements. However as the opposite members stated, we gained quite a lot of expertise and the whole lot we went by made us stronger. I’m actually grateful that we have been capable of present our performances on stage with the assist of our followers and workers who’ve stood by us. I used to be additionally comfortable to have skilled the tradition and meals of every nation we visited. I strongly felt that I would like us to maintain increasing our attain and achieve extra expertise.
Machu: It was our dream and an enormous purpose that we’d been working in the direction of, so I used to be actually comfortable that it got here true. Up till then, we’d been getting responses by social media from our followers abroad who couldn’t come to our home excursions, however once we have been capable of talk with them straight of their house international locations, we realized as soon as once more simply how many individuals have been supporting us. It was a extremely fantastic alternative.
Umi: It actually hit house how massive the world is after we did our world tour, and I may really feel firsthand simply what number of followers have been ready for us. I had a extremely nice time, however concurrently felt that I want to check languages extra.
You’re entering into new genres with “Say I do” and “Tokyo Crazy Night.”
Umi: It does really feel like “Say I do” is a form of track we’ve by no means executed earlier than. We don’t have many songs the place we open up like that to the love curiosity, so I used to be comfortable we may sing lyrics like that, and that karaoke-friendly sound is basically good, too.
Machu: The lyrics are simple, aren’t they? It’s a love track that actually will get the message throughout.
Shizu: I believe it’s pleasant as a result of it’s pop and makes use of sounds that make folks really feel comfortable.
Shime: I additionally suppose the lyrics are actually good. The half that goes, “The illumination in my heart lights up every time I see you,” I’m wondering if our followers suppose like each time they arrive to our exhibits. I believe there are elements that everybody can relate to.
“Say I do” is the theme track for Honnou Change, the drama sequence starring Chaka.
Chaka: Once I learn the lyrics, I may think about the scenario within the drama, and I really feel that (the lyrics and drama) are strongly linked. There are two individuals who love one another, and the lyrics are filled with each their emotions and the messages they convey to one another. I additionally suppose it’s cute that there’s a growth within the lyrics. Expressing that form of really feel is a brand new facet of TJ. It’s enjoyable discovering we are able to specific issues like this too.
Genta: We put apart our “weapons” (dance) for the primary time within the accompanying music video and arrange an organization referred to as Doki Doki Ren’ai Sodanjo (Racing Coronary heart Love Session Heart). We work there as staff and resolve folks’s issues.
“Tokyo Crazy Night” is the theme track for the drama sequence Tokyo Camouflage Hour, starring Machu.
Machu: It’s retro-style metropolis pop and so cool, and matches the drama it accompanies. It’s additionally a style we’ve by no means tried earlier than, so I believe our followers will have the ability to see a brand new facet of us.
Shime: I actually just like the refrain. The melody of the refrain, the rhythm of the track, and the background sounds all go rather well collectively, and it’s quite a lot of enjoyable to sing. It’s a cool track, so we’ve got to sing it in a cool means, nevertheless it’s simply so enjoyable. I would like our followers to sing it at karaoke with cool expressions on their faces.
You’ve got a second world tour lined up this 12 months.
Machu: Throughout our first trek, we straight sensed how a lot so many individuals assist us, and having skilled which means quite a bit. This time, we are able to plan forward from the rehearsal stage and embrace issues like, “Let’s make a section where we sing together with the crowd” so we are able to kick up this 12 months’s world tour a notch from final 12 months’s. I wish to ship quite a lot of thanks once more this 12 months too.
Genta: We hope to have the ability to ship Travis Japan’s efficiency to extra folks, whereas making use of the expertise we gained final 12 months. The theme songs for the drama sequence starring members have additionally been launched, so I wish to convey the attraction of these new songs as properly.
Chaka: I’m going to take the sentiments and love we acquired from everybody on our home tour, the performances we wish to present and ship, plus our fantastic songs, put all of them in a carry-on case and board these planes!
Machu: What the heck do you imply? Sounds such as you’ll get stopped on the safety checkpoints.
Shime: [Laughs] I wish to unfold a number of happiness. We’ll all work onerous to placed on exhibits that may make you’re keen on Travis Japan’s performances and leisure much more.
Shizu: Each time we carry out throughout our excursions and occasions abroad, the variety of folks we wish to see once more will increase, and it looks like our household is rising. I’m certain there will likely be followers from every nation who will likely be coming to our exhibits for the primary time, so I wish to give it my all to make them really feel like they’re a part of our household too. We wish to make this a tour that folks wish to come again to, and in addition wish to create an area that makes us wish to return.
Umi: With the ability to carry out for native followers on our world tour is a extremely massive deal for us. There are issues you’ll be able to’t perceive till you are feeling the eagerness of the native followers straight, so we’ll carry out with the identical energy as everybody ready for us, and it’d be nice if we are able to make them proud of our dancing and singing.
Travis Japan World Tour 2025 VIIsual
Jul 25 – Hammerstein Ballroom – New York, NY
Jul 27 – The Grove of Anaheim – Anaheim, CA
Taipei – coming quickly
Hong Kong – coming quickly
Bangkok – coming quickly
–This interview by Atsuo Nagahori first appeared on Billboard Japan
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