"Top Yell NEO 2022 Spring" Interview with Maeda Kokoro

Maeda Kokoro, who says she feels herself growing while going through the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking back on her activities up until now, she talks about her trademark short hair, the birth of a junior group, and her fiery enthusiasm for BEYOOOOONDS’ first Budokan performance. 

——It has been three years since your debut, but does it feel like “It’s already been three years?” or “It’s still only been three years?” 

MAEDA    I feel both. We’re already in the fourth year since our formation and it feels like time is moving really fast, but my days have also been extremely fulfilling since I became a member of BEYOOOOONDS. Even during periods when we couldn’t see each other due to the pandemic, we kept in touch, and did projects via YouTube, and spent time working together, so I think that that time was also very important for us. It was frustrating that our tour was canceled, but I have heard that there are many people who discovered us through things like “Vitamin ME” and “Fure Fure Everyday” in the midst of that situation. So I think that that was an indispensable—not idle—time.

——The COVID-19 pandemic started not long after your debut, and there were many opportunities to perform solo. Were there points of growth which you felt through that? 

MAEDA    There really were. Having the opportunity to do solo performances of J-POP songs through “The Ballad” (the Hello! Project concert that was held in 2020) was a big deal for me. I’ve constantly felt that I have to catch up with everyone else in terms of my singing, that I have to work harder at it, and when I first heard that we would be singing solo in that [tour], I was very anxious about whether or not I would be able to do it. Also, I’m a very nervous person and my heart would race before I went on stage, so I had been creating my own routines to ease my nerves. On the opening day [of The Ballad] I was so nervous that my body wouldn’t stop shaking, but as I went along I was polished by the pressure, I think… I felt myself grow. The stage is really quiet when you’re alone, and the sound of your walking echoes, so at first even just walking around made me nervous (laughs), but now my feelings before I go on stage are completely different. In a good way, I’m no longer nervous. There’s still plenty that I want to work at, but I think I’ve become a little more confident. 

——Reconvening from there and performing as a group again, it seems like you would feel various changes. 

MAEDA    We were each increasing our skills little by little through the solo performances, so when we came together I felt everyone’s improvement, and I think that BEYOOOOONDS, who was one again, had grown. When everyone came together again, I felt that I had to put in even greater effort and work even harder.  

——Who is the member that you felt the most change from? 

MAEDA    I really feel like Okamura Minami’s way of dancing has changed. I think music has been a really big influence on that; though you may not expect it from her cute appearance, she listens to hip-hop music together with Kiyono Momohime, and the way they both express themselves is cool in a different way from everyone else. I felt a new dimension in that, and I also want to watch and learn from them. The two of them are leading the way in challenging various things and making them their own, and that’s being put to good use in their music and performances. I think that that is a driving force in everyone wanting to find their own hobbies.

——And then BEYOOOOONDS, who had previously been Hello! Project’s youngest group, became seniors with the formation of OCHA NORMA. Has there been any change in your feelings?

MAEDA    As BEYOOOOONDS, we’re not thinking too deeply about things like changing something about ourselves or becoming more like “older sisters.” We think the fact that we’re really bright and energetic and the fact that we can deliver happiness are good qualities, and we want to continue to value freshness going forward, so even though the members of OCHA NORMA are young in age we’re doing our best with the desire to not be defeated. Hello! Project has a culture of passing down history from seniors to juniors, so I really think that we have to properly convey what we learned from our seniors, that we have to show [our juniors] those things. I felt once again that I need to do better in that aspect. I love Hello! Project, so I want to do my best to be able to make that connection. 

——You have a great desire to connect with your juniors. 

MAEDA    After all, our seniors are extremely kind. They watch our performances and give us advice, and they’re all just really warm in general, so I also want to be a senior like that. I still haven’t been able to talk to everyone in OCHA NORMA that much, so I hope to be able to talk to them more. Lately, if we are in a big room backstage, there are times where we [BEYOOOOONDS] are the most senior members there (laughs). 

——You are gaining more juniors outside of OCHA NORMA as well, do you feel like interacting with your juniors is a strong point of yours?

MAEDA    It’s not so much a strong point, but everyone is cute and I love them (laughs), so I’d like to get to know them better. Everyone is amazing. Regardless of whether or not they just joined [Hello! Project], there is so much which I respect about them and so much that I can learn from them, and we’re rivals, or rather we’re companions, irrespective of being seniors and juniors, so I also want to continuously absorb [good points] from everyone. 

——The junior you’re currently interested in is…?

MAEDA    Well there are a bunch that I’m interested in, but I really like Tsubaki Factory’s Kasai Yuumi’s singing voice. I feel like Hello! Project hasn’t had many voices like hers until now; she has a voice that is uniquely her own and whenever I listen to her sing I find that super cool.  Because of that, I have also been thinking about what singing in a way that’s uniquely my own would look like for me. Also, ANGERME’S Hirayama Yuki. She just joined, but her performances are so finished that it’s like I can feel her presence when I watch her. I’m really excited about how much cooler she will become within cool ANGERME. She usually says that she’s nervous, but when I watch her perform I don’t get that feeling at all, and I think that’s cool as well. 

——Looking back from when you joined the group, is there anything that was a turning point for you?

MAEDA    I feel like everything about me has changed since I joined BEYOOOOONDS. Our debut song “Megane no Otoko no Ko” in particular is an extremely important song for me, I really feel that if it wasn’t for that song I wouldn’t be who I am today. When I was active as a trainee, I would often feel anxious wondering about what my “character” was, but this song was what led me to cut my hair short, and in being given the boy role it was like I had found my position. I think that was a moment where I really felt a change.

——At that time, did you feel at a loss about cutting your hair?

MAEDA    Until then my hair had been long, but, personally, I’m not too certain that it looked good on me. At the time we received our member colors as well, more than feeling like “This color would be good!” I wanted to know what the people around me felt would be good, and wanted them to choose a color that suited me. So it was from there that I was able to discover that I suit sea blue, or that I like short hair. At first I was nervous, but I wasn’t reluctant, I felt up to doing anything, and since I’ve cut my hair, I often get told that it looks good. And now I also feel like it’s a perfect fit for me, so I think it was a good opportunity. 

Furthermore, every member of BEYOOOOONDS is very kind and full of love, and I have tons of respect for all of them. Being in that kind space is what makes me feel that I also want to be kinder to everyone. That we lift each other up, that I am able to feel that I want to be kind because everyone else is kind,  I think we’re building a really great relationship.

——That’s precisely the reason that, even though everyone’s individuality is strong, you all can unite as one group. 

MAEDA    In the past there have been times when our rehearsals were a bit chaotic and disjointed, but now Takase Kurumi keeps them organized for us, and Hirai Miyo points out important details when it comes to our dancing. And it’s not that the responsibility is left to the two of them. We’ve all gradually become able to talk to each other about how we feel we should do things, and everyone’s kindness comes through in that as well, so no bad feelings arise as a result. We have grown up in appearance, but internally we have also become more independent (laughs). This is going to sound like I’m talking about kindergartners (laughs), but I feel that small things like properly saying “thank you” and “I’m sorry” to one another are really important, and I think that’s why we are able to cherish each other and BEYOOOOONDS. 

——And it has been decided that your first Budokan performance will be held in April. How do you feel now?

MAEDA    Budokan is really a stage of our dreams, so I’m already happy (laughs). From the beginning I had been imagining what it would be like to stand at the Budokan as BEYOOOOONDS. I thought to myself that it would be the best show, with us singing and dancing glitteringly together while incorporating skits (laughs), so I’m so glad we’ll finally have the opportunity to show off how amazing BEYOOOOONDS is. And we’re confident in our ability to make people happy, so we hope that even more people can feel that at such a large venue like the Budokan.

——It’s a stage you have stood on many times as an opening act, but are your feelings now different from then? 

MAEDA    As the opening act, our purpose was to liven up [the crowd] for our seniors’ concerts, so when I think about being up there for our own show the excitement doesn’t stop (laughs). In addition, before I joined Hello! Project, I used to go to see Morning Musume perform at the Budokan, so the fact that I’m going to stand on a stage that I had been watching as a fan is a miraculous feeling, and even now there are times when I can’t believe that I’m a member of Hello! Project. I’d like to perform with great care, and with that joy in mind. It’s also a place where I’ve competed in karate tournaments, so in that aspect it’s a stage that holds a lot of memories for me. I’m super duper excited, and right now I’m not feeling much anxiety, though of course there are things that I'm reflecting on, such as improving my skills and increasing my physical strength. But overall I just feel like “Bring it on!!!!!” I want to work together with everyone to get ready and do my best. 

——From now on, are there any goals you’d like to achieve or things you’d like to do as a group?  

MAEDA    It feels kind of fanciful, but we’ve had many opportunities to act, and we’ve put on several plays, and I really love things like TV dramas and movies, so I’d like to try doing something like that with BEYOOOOONDS. Juice=Juice has done a drama before.

——There’s also “Suugaku Joshi Gakuen.”

MAEDA    I love it, I’ve seen it in full! Recently, I had the awesome experience of being able to watch the cast and crew of “Mayonaka ni Hello!” as they acted and filmed [for the drama]. I like to watch the behind the scenes of dramas and movies, so I had fun marveling at everything while we were shooting. Even after it aired, I watched our episode over and over again (laughs). Someday I want us to [be part of the main cast in a drama] as well, and I think that our expressive power could improve through the experience.  

T/N: Please consider picking up a copy of Top Yell NEO 2022 Spring for this interview as well as lots of great others! And thank you for reading this far!