If I were to describe the idea of a trend, I would compare it to fireworks. Sure, they may produce dazzling explosions of colour, but the visual spectacle, much like my awe, is often short-lived as each one comes and goes in quick succession. However, amidst the ephemeral chaos of it all, some can carve a lasting niche for themselves, and one perfect example of that would be PSYCHIC FEVER from EXILE TRIBE.
For the unacquainted, PSYCHIC FEVER is a 7-member Japanese boy group whose popularity skyrocketed thanks to their song “Just Like Dat”. The groovy tune, injected with 2000s hip-hop nostalgia, shot the group to new-found fame through its smooth choreography, which unsurprisingly sparked a dance challenge trend on TikTok.
As someone who’s no stranger to the “Tiktokification” of music, hearing such success stories time and time again has turned me into much of a jaded sceptic over whether artists uplifted by TikTok virality can cultivate a loyal fanbase willing to stay beyond just a few seconds of their one TikTok hit.
However, not only did PSYCHIC FEVER manage to break the one-hit wonder curse, but they have surpassed expectations and proved to be nothing like fleeting fireworks. Since their first brush with global success, the septet — consisting of members KOKORO, WEESA, TSURUGI, RYOGA, REN, JIMMY, and RYUSHIN — has built a fanbase endearingly referred to as “ForEVER” and they show no signs of stopping from reaching the top!
Thanks to CreatorWeek 2024, I had the privilege of having a quick online chat with the group. Now, beyond dipping my toes into PSYCHIC FEVER, I have completely entered a rabbit hole of their infectious sound and captivating personalities. I am not one to gatekeep, so allow me to share the group’s passion, innovation, and the unique essence of their journey, which has led to where they are today!
Congratulations on your first performance here in Singapore! What are you looking forward to the most about CreatorWeek?
KOKORO: This will be the very first time we are performing in Singapore, so you can imagine how excited we are!
TSURUGI: It’s great to be back in Singapore! I’ve said before that Singapore has a good mix of greenery and city life. The first time I visited Singapore last year, I felt the vitality of the country. Coming back is something I look forward to, as well as performing here would be our first time.
REN: CreatorWeek has so many overseas artists in the lineup; it would be great to meet some of them, like BINI, Shye, and Berywam!
CreatorWeek is about bringing artists face-to-face with brands and fans from the global entertainment industry to connect cultures. We are curious to know how the band got together since most of you also come from diverse backgrounds.
WEESA: We have known each other since we were in training school, EXPG in Japan. Even though we attended school in different prefectures, we were all somehow selected to be backup performers for our seniors, or grouped together, and eventually, we are now almost always together. Us being together, there is an undeniable chaotic reaction through our live performances and as a group, which I hope everyone will have an opportunity to see.
Now that you guys banded together as a group, how do you use your multicultural backgrounds to connect with your global audiences?
JIMMY: We had in mind to be an international JPOP group from day 1, so we make a conscious effort to be culturally sensitive and open-minded when we perform outside of Japan.
We also make it a point to localise our social media content so that it reaches overseas audiences. At the same time, we are learning different languages. WEESA and I have been studying English for some time now, and I am also taking up French recently. RYOGA studied Chinese for some years, and KOKORO can speak Thai rather fluently now.
Your songs have gone viral on TikTok and are loved by many international fans! Do you recall any memorable fan interactions both online and offline?
ALL: While we had in mind for ‘Just Like Dat’ to be catered for an international audience, we didn’t expect it to have such an international reach, and we were so overjoyed by this. And just like that, we have had more overseas fans engage with us. It really means the world to us. Additionally, last month, we released ‘Love, Fire’, and our video was played in New York Times Square. That was beyond our dreams and truly one for the memories.
In previous interviews, KOKORO mentioned that PSYCHIC FEVER wants to express itself in the genre of PSYCHIC FEVER. How would you describe the sound of PSYCHIC FEVER?
KOKORO: I hope we can give you a little boost in your life. Life is not always good, and we will do our best to become a group that gives people courage and dreams to help them in difficult times!
WEESA: It is “Love Dream Happiness”, but each of our songs has their own feelings and messages incorporated into them. I hope you will enjoy the songs by relating them (to) your daily life.
TSURUGI: “Love Dream Happiness” is our motto! We focus on dreams, and we are working under the theme “ignite your dream”! We believe that our raison d’etre is to bring enjoyment to as many people as possible through this theme!
RYOGA: Excitement and enthusiasm. We hope that our performance will support you in your daily life. We also aim to be a presence that can energise you.
REN: We want to convey our thoughts, entertainment, and Love, Dream and Happiness! We want to be the (ones) who can give you dreams by listening to our songs, just like we were given our dreams!
JIMMY: We want people to be energised and encouraged by listening to our music and watching our performance. Because I have been saved by music so much, I want to spread the power of happiness all over the world through our performance. It is our true joy to see your smiling faces while performing on stage, and that is why we are able to face our music with all our strength!
RYUSHIN: Many of our songs have various messages, and the lyrics can be applicable to people of any generation! Therefore, it’d be great if our songs could help them forget their hardships and relate (to) their daily lives through our songs.
PSYCHIC FEVER has participated in making their own songs and choreographies. Could you tell us what the creative process is like?
RYOGA: Choreography is not just about what’s popular at the time, but we try to incorporate our own roots as well as the trends of the day. In particular, we recently released ‘Just Like Dat’, which was created with a 2000s sound in mind, so it also includes choreography with a bit of nostalgia.
We value our individuality in creating the visuals. It is aesthetically pleasing due to its diversity and incorporates 7 different personalities, but we are creating visuals through trial and error so that we can bring out the colours of PSYCHIC FEVER the best that we can.
JIMMY: I think it is more important to understand the music, choreography, and visual themes than to make sure that everyone’s choreography is in sync. For example, for this type of music, then this choreography should be good; and if we’re doing this choreography, then the costumes or clothing should be a certain way as well to make the dancers look best. We often create works that have a connection between the music and the choreography.
For me, I think it is important to have a unified common image whether you listen to the music alone or look at the visuals and choreography alone.
You’ve collaborated with other Asian artists, such as the Thai boy group DVI and Thai artist SPRITE. What is the collaboration process like?
JIMMY: We researched and did our homework before any of these collaborations took place! We had our own playlist of local songs we listened to, and worked with a Thai music producer, Nino, who recommended artists and came up with a new beat. Relationships came about too and we find it important to get to know our collaborators. We went go-kart racing with SPRITE and got to know him before making music.
After CreatorWeek, we heard you’ll begin your PSYCHIC FEVER ASIA TOUR 2024 “HEAT”. Since this is your second tour, is there anything new you’re bringing to the shows that the first tour didn’t have?
KOKORO: There are songs that we have yet to perform on the EP, so please look forward to those! We promise you a time of towel spinning, singing and dancing together, and becoming united with everyone who comes to the show!
WEESA: We believe that you will enjoy the individuality of each member in our performance, which is one of the characteristics of PSYCHIC FEVER. We will continue to make every attempt to make each song the most enjoyable it can be.
TSURUGI: Our personalities! Because we are a group of diverse members, we have a lot of energy as a team! Since many of the songs are being performed for the first time, I hope you are looking forward to them.
RYOGA: Each member of the group stands out in their own way. Then there is the sound aspect. We rarely perform the songs we distribute as it is, so I would say the songs you listen to will be different from how we perform (them).
REN: I am going to do BEATBOX again! I want to bring a completely new way of presentation and new entertainment, and I want to bring out the excellence of beatboxing to everyone who sees it.
JIMMY: I hope you will notice the individuality of each one of us and our hidden charms! Don’t miss it, as it will give you a better sense of PSYCHIC FEVER’s potential!
RYUSHIN: Many of the songs are being performed live for the first time, so I hope fans will notice that and enjoy them with us!
PSYCHIC FEVER ASIA TOUR 2024 “HEAT” is being held in Japan, but you’ve already performed in Asian countries like Thailand and now Singapore. Do you have any plans to break into the Western market?
ALL: We would love to and are working hard towards it. Asia is very dear to us, and we still have so much more to do here. However, our overseas fans are very important to us, and we want to meet everyone at any given opportunity. We would love it if you can follow our social media accounts for updates, as we’ll be announcing more tour dates and activities in the months to come.
Last question! What is one thing you would like PSYCHIC FEVER to be remembered for in ten years?
ALL: 10 years seems very far from now. In 10 years, we want to be at the top of our game, as an international JPOP group continuing the legacy of EXILE TRIBE. We aim to do sold-out tours worldwide and win a Grammy. As PSYCHIC FEVER from EXILE TRIBE, regardless of how long it is, we are always aiming for higher.
Unfortunately, while I wished I could have kept the conversation going, all good things have to come to an end. These ten questions opened my eyes to why and how PSYCHIC FEVER are the global superstars they are today. And when it came to their performance at Music Matters Live 2024, my understanding only deepened.
Despite being the very last act of the day, the energy was anything but lacklustre as fans of PSYCHIC FEVER were brought to life seeing the group raise the temperature on stage. From what I witnessed, the crowd reached a fever pitch as soon as the group started their performance, and that fever pitch stayed high throughout their set. The passion was felt, especially when I learned that international fans flew in specifically just to watch them perform for a short 30 minutes!
So if you’ve yet to catch onto the PSYCHIC FEVER frenzy, check out their Instagram, YouTube Channel, and TikTok, and I promise you won’t regret it!
Photos by Pauline Caoile of the DANAMIC Team. Additional visual courtesy of Branded.
