Interview: LIL LEAGUE
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LIL LEAGUE are a six-member dance, vocals and rap boyband with an average age of 16. The group formed as part of iCON Z 2022 ~Dreams For Children~, the largest audition in LDH history. Out of 48,000 entrants, the members of LIL LEAGUE were among 19 finalists in the men’s category. The name LIL LEAGUE was chosen to represent the group’s hope that their youthful energy and momentum will create a unique new vibe. In celebration for the release for their latest album ‘TRICKSTER’, we were able to interview this up-and-coming group!
Ken: First of all thank you so much for letting us do this interview, we are big fans and love what you bring to the Japanese music industry.
LIL LEAGUE: Thank you so much for have us!
K: Last year LDH debuted three other groups in the same year as you guys, what was that experience like? Was there a good bit of friendly competition to see who can be the best?
Iwaki: After thinking about the struggles we have gone through up till now, I would think the desire to not lose was the strongest. I think this was demonstrated and led to our friendly competition during our audition period. Since we had won the Grand Prix and were able to debut first out of the other groups, I would like to work to live up to the expectation of the three groups that were able to win their debuts.
I hope that our fans will use this album as an opportunity to look forward to LIL LEAGUE’s future.
K: With the release of your new album ‘TRICKSTER’ coming out this month. What are you looking forward to most about this release?
Okao: This album is filled with hints of our activities not only in the year since our debut but also for the future, so I hope that fans will listen to it and will see the possibilities for our future. We also hope to continue to grow as artists, so I hope that our fans will use this album as an opportunity to look forward to LIL LEAGUE’s future.
K: What is your personal favorite track off of ”TRICKSTER”?
Iwaki: "GATEWAY". It is not an overstatement to say that it is the theme song of our first hall tour "LIL GATEWAY," which was held last year, and I think it is a song that looks great performed live. I usually sing instead of rap, so I think it is a song that brings out new colors of LIL LEAGUE.
Okao: "Monster". This is the second single we released, and it is a dark song with a rock band atmosphere, a complete change from the pop songs we have released in the past. I like the lyrics because there are many phrases that give me courage.
Nanba: It would have to be “Coloring Book. It is the first song we released and depicts a blank canvas that we are going to color together with our fans. I would like the readers to pay attention to the lyrics.
…the time we spent discussing how to fill the album with our future selves was memorable.
K: Do you have a favorite story in creating your first album “TRICKSTER”?
Iwaki：Because this will be our first album, we had a lot of discussions with the staff to make the content of the album our own, and since we arrived at the release with many twists and turns, the time we spent discussing how to fill the album with our future selves was memorable.
K: I love the theme of ‘Lollipop’ as it is one that you don’t hear about when you become an artist. What was the thought process of going through this track?
Nanba: The theme we wanted to deliver was “front and back,” so we created the song with the motif of “Lollipop,” meaning “candy,” which looks cute at first glance, in mind to express the dark world behind it. The song expresses the other side of the glamorous world of artists, which is not usually depicted.
K: As most of your songs have an upbeat sound. Can you describe what it was like creating the song ‘15minutes’, which takes on a slow tempo composition approach?
Iwaki：This song uses a ferris wheel to express the frustration of wanting to tell someone your feelings but not being able to. Mr. SHOKICHI, who wrote the lyrics, wrote the words in a direct way that suited our age, and I think the song is more convincing because we are teenagers singing it.
K: Before you were members of LIL LEAGUE, what was the audition and prep work like being in iCON Z Dreams For Children? Was the prep work more difficult before you were a member of LIL LEAGUE
Okao: I feel that we spent a lot of time looking for the personality of the group. Since we originally lived in different places, we all communicated with each other and tried to understand each other. We had discussions every night and worked hard to find our strengths.
K: Before you were a member of the LIL LEAGUE, were any of you guys fans of EXILE?
Iwaki：I was a fan. My parents taught me about them, and I learned how fun and cool they were through singing and dancing. My introduction to this world of the music industry was just recommended by my parents, but it is true that my intuitive feeling that they were cool at that time has continued to this day.
K: Which Jr Exile group would you like to collaborate with in the future?
Okao: It would have to be THE RAMPAGE. We had performed together at the time for our final audition, and they gave us a lot of advice at that time. I definitely want to perform with them because I want them to feel that we have grown since our audition.
K: Do you have a process or certain mind set when creating your songs? If so, would you like to share that process?
Nanba: We value giving our best in each and every performance. We work hard to improve our skills every day and constantly update our own performance, so we try to give a new sense of ourselves every time.
We also try to create a lot of our own stories in the choreography, so rather than learning the choreography, we focus on the next step.
K: How long does the choreograph process of a song take to master and was it difficult to do during the ongoing pandemic?
Iwaki：We have had many opportunities to have the same choreographer work on our songs since our debut, and each time I feel that they bring out new aspects of LIL LEAGUE. They understand us and our songs very well and bring out the best in each of us. Therefore, the choreography goes smoothly. We also try to create a lot of our own stories in the choreography, so rather than learning the choreography, we focus on the next step.
K: What song(s) had an impact on you growing up?
Okao: It would be "Rollah Coaster". The song was assigned to us during our audition, and it was a big influence for us to find our own identity in this pop and catchy song.
K: Which artist would you say is your biggest inspiration? Also are there any international artist that inspire you guys as well?
Nanba: It would have to be the Korean group BIGBANG. We study their live performances very closely and receive a lot of inspiration from them. There is no doubt that the entertainment they provide for their fans has influenced the image of the type of artists we aspire to be.
K: For international fans, how they usually find out about J-pop is through anime, first do you guys watch anime, and if so what would you say is your favorite?
Iwaki: I watch not only classic anime such as "Sazae-san," "Crayon Shinchan," and "Doraemon," but also recently “Demon Slayer”.
Okao: "Crayon Shin-chan" is my starting point.
Namba: I have been watching "Doraemon" since I was a child. I also like "Dragon Ball.
K: How far in advance do each of you prepare for your live performances both as a team and individually?
Iwaki：Practice usually begins as soon as we are told about the live performance. We all live in a dorm, so in our spare time we talk about refining performances.
I would like to stand on this stage by ourselves someday.
K: Is there a venue that you performed at that you’ll never forget? Also is there a dream venue that you would like to perform at?
Nanba: It was when we were the opening act in the dome tour for our senior group EXILE. It left a strong impression on me that I could stand on the dome stage before my debut. I would like to stand on this stage by ourselves someday.
K: What track(s) are your favorite to perform live and why?
Okao: It’s the song "HYPE UP," and we've posted a video on YouTube (below), explaining the fan call, so I hope to get everyone excited at the show.
K: What would you say is your group's most difficult song to perform?
Iwaki："Coloring Book". It is a bright and fun song, so we need to enjoy ourselves from the bottom of our hearts. In addition, being able to continuously hit the high notes throughout the song makes it difficult to perform.
They are the origin and the pinnacle of EXILE TRIBE, so I would like to be able to work with them someday.
K: Who is the one artist you would love to work with in the future?
Okao: I would like to collaborate with EXILE, the senior of LDH. They are the origin and the pinnacle of EXILE TRIBE, so I would like to be able to work with them someday.
K: Do you have a message for your international fans?
Nanba: Thank you for your support. We would like to eventually become a global artist, so right now, I will cherish the present and deliver our music to you all. Please wait for the day when we expand into the world.
K: Once again, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule and we look forward to your upcoming releases!
LIL LEAGUE: Once again thank you for having us!
