Japanese group ONE OR EIGHT, known for their explosive performances, exciting collaborations, and highly popular release of their rendition of “Tokyo Drift,” embarked on their first U.S. tour Gather in April. Hitting 10 cities across the continent, members MIZUKI, NEO, REIA, RYOTA, SOUMA, TAKERU, TSUBASA and YUGA prepared an intense setlist with explosive energy and high-level choreography. As the group first visited America last year on their fanmeet tour, their reappearance for their first U.S. tour was constructed with the goal of showcasing their album.
Before their Chicago show at Distro Music Hall, we got the chance to sit down with the group and speak to them about this tour, their career goals, and the dedicated fans who made this all possible for the group.
POP TOKKI: Can you introduce yourselves and tell us who ONE OR EIGHT are as a group?
ONE OR EIGHT: As our name suggests, ONE OR EIGHT means “all or nothing.” It represents our determination to take on challenges and pursue our dreams on a global stage.
PT: “You released your album ‘GATHER’ in January and now you’re taking it on the road. What songs from the album are you most excited to showcase on stage?”
ONE OR EIGHT: We’re especially excited to perform “TOKYO DRIFT” and maybe even a new single.
PT: Last year, you came to America on your fan meeting tour “SHUKAI.” How will this current tour be different from your fan meetings?
ONE OR EIGHT: “SHUKAI” was more of a fan-meeting tour, but this time, GATHER is a full tour centered around our album. We have a very strong emotional connection to this project because every member was deeply involved in the creative process. The songs were made with a lot of thought about what we wanted to share with our fans, 1DERZ.
PT: What aspects of this tour do you think will make it a memorable night for your fans?
ONE OR EIGHT: Because we can only meet our fans in person about once a year, I think the most memorable moment will be the instant we first appear on stage and finally get to see everyone gathered together.
PT: In ‘GATHER,’ you’ve explored various genres from hip-hop to pop. What other sounds are you looking to explore in the future?
ONE OR EIGHT: We’d love to explore sounds like rage, rock, hip-hop, and Brazilian punk in the future.
PT: You said this album “is a testament to the challenges that ONE OR EIGHT takes on.” What are some of those challenges and how do you handle them?
ONE OR EIGHT: All eight of us are Japanese, and there are still limits to how well we can communicate in English. But we want to keep challenging ourselves by visiting countries we’ve never been to before, learning new languages and cultures, and connecting with even more 1DERZ around the world.
PT: Is there a country you are looking forward to visiting in the future?
ONE OR EIGHT: We want to visit Europe, specifically France.
PT: You recently collaborated with Big Sean! Is there anything you learned from him and your time working together that you’ll apply to your future music?
ONE OR EIGHT: Mainly how we put ourselves out there. Big Sean is such a prominent figure in the hip-hop scene and the music scene, but he was still down to earth and cheered us up because we were kind of stiff being around a superstar. Being rookies, we didn’t know the industry at all, but he was there to tell us how to carry ourselves and he is such a good example of an artist. And no matter how high we go, we want to remember our humble beginnings and keep that mindset on our way up.
PT: Who are some other artists you want to collaborate with in the future?
ONE OR EIGHT: Bad Bunny and Cortis!
PT: Is there anything else you’d like to share with fans?
ONE OR EIGHT: ONE OR EIGHT is a group of eight Japanese members taking on the challenge of reaching the world. We know that challenging yourself can be difficult, but we hope our journey can encourage people to take that first step toward their own goals and remind them of the importance of trying something new.
Their energy was incredible, and no matter how hard they danced and how intensely they sang, they made sure to show the crowd the best sides of them. Compared to last year’s fanmeeting tour, ONE OR EIGHT’s discography has grown considerably, allowing for this tour to truly allow the members’ abilities to shine.
The group performed a variety of songs, from their own discography to covers. ONE OR EIGHT started off the show with high energy, immediately performing their most well-known songs. After, the group delved into a mix of solos and unit performances, all highlighting their individual capabilities perfectly. All of the solo and unit stages were wildly different. The group’s rappers, Mizuki, Souma, Neo, and Ryota, opened this portion of the setlist with a stage that showcased their rap flows and creative abilities. Yuga, Reia, Tsubasa, and Takeru then took the stage to perform their cover songs, all touching on different genres that complimented their strengths and personalities.
From rap stages to the vocal unit, ONE OR EIGHT presented these special stages in a way that was invigorating, never losing the attention of the crowd. With each song, the reactions became louder, proving that whether they perform individually or as a group, they have the talent, determination, and ability to do so successfully. Immediately following the special stages were performances of the group’s more popular songs. “KAWASAKI” and “My Lil’ Heart Attack” were standouts, with both the group and crowd being pumped up for those two songs in particular.
Before they closed the night, ONE OR EIGHT came back on stage for an encore performance of “TOKYO DRIFT,” one less focused on their actual choreography and more focused on having fun. The members were jumping around wildly, TSUBASA in particular having a great time and the other members laughing at his antics. Moments like that were rewarding to watch, reminding attendees that beneath their strong group persona is eight boys achieving their goals and having fun doing so.
What made the night truly memorable were the fan reactions. ONE OR EIGHT’s crowd in Chicago had to be one of the loudest crowds drawn in for a group of their size. Throughout the night, fans screamed lyrics alongside ONE OR EIGHT, and when the group took time to recharge by drinking water or going backstage to change their outfits, fans filled the silence with their excitement. With each reaction, you could tell the group was thankful and even taken aback by the support they were receiving.
At the end of the show, the group announced they would perform their last song and depart, but not before making a promise to return soon.
Did you see ONE OR EIGHT on their tour? Let us know on Twitter/X and Instagram!
FOLLOW ONE OR EIGHT ON THEIR SOCIALS
INSTAGRAM • TWITTER/X • YOUTUBE • TIKTOK • FACEBOOK • OFFICIAL WEBSITE
Feature Image Credit: 42West
