ONE OR EIGHT KEEP THE ENGINE RUNNING
BY: JESSE ZAPATERO
PHOTO BY IRVIN RIVERA
Every engine needs something to keep it running, and for ONE OR EIGHT, that driving force comes from eight individuals moving toward a shared ambition. Mizuki, Ryota, Neo, Reia, Yuga, Tsubasa, Takeru, and Souma bring their own personalities, perspectives, and strengths to a group that has never been particularly interested in standing still. With their first EP, EN-GÏNE, the Japanese eight-piece channels that restless energy into a project built around momentum, determination, and the excitement of what lies ahead.
Across six tracks, EN-GÏNE captures the different speeds at which the group operates, balancing confidence and intensity with moments of vulnerability. Rather than committing to one particular sound, the record embraces the contrast between its members and their musical influences. There is a sense of freedom throughout the project, one that allows the unexpected to feel just as natural as the familiar. It is an EP that invites listeners to discover its different sides for themselves.
But maintaining momentum requires more than keeping your foot on the accelerator. For ONE OR EIGHT, it means finding inspiration in one another, trusting the experiences that have brought them this far, and remaining open to what they have yet to discover. Their individual ambitions may look different, but their determination to keep improving connects them. Whether onstage or away from the spotlight, each member carries a personal understanding of what it means to move forward.
At its heart, EN-GÏNE is about the people and experiences that give ambition its purpose. The group recognizes the role their fans, known as 1DERZ, play in keeping that ambition alive, making the record as much about connection as it is about progress. For ONE OR EIGHT, there is no need to know exactly where every road leads. What matters is having the confidence to keep going, the curiosity to take a different turn, and seven others along for the ride.
EN-GÏNE packs a lot of different sounds into six tracks. What did you want this project to say about who the group is right now?
NEO: We wanted to show a new side of ONE OR EIGHT through this project. There are both edgy and softer sides to us, and I think EN-GÏNE gives listeners a chance to see that range.
When you’re choosing songs together, what can make all eight of you immediately agree that something feels right?
MIZUKI: Songs with a lot of energy that capture our current energy and sense of playfulness are usually the ones we can all agree on. Also, songs where we can immediately picture a scene where not only the eight of us, but also all of our 1DERZ, are having fun together at a live show.
The project moves between confidence, intensity and pure energy without staying in one lane for long. What connects those different sides for you all?
RYOTA: I think it’s how we face ourselves. Even when there are a lot of intense challenges, we keep facing them so that we don’t lose sight of our goals. We question ourselves, and through that process, we connect with who we are. I think that becomes the pure energy that carries us forward.
“V8” opens everything in just 42 seconds. What did you want that first moment to set in motion?
TAKERU: V8 kicks off an album filled with songs that we challenged ourselves to create in new ways, so it really carries the meaning of an engine starting up.
“TRANSLATE” feels incredibly direct and confident. When recording something with that much attitude, where does the line sit between performing confidence and actually feeling it?
TSUBASA: I basically don’t try to act confident. I want to approach everything with confidence, so I keep working at it until I truly feel confident.
Eight people can make a song better, but eight opinions can also complicate things. What creative decision tends to cause the most debate between you all?
MIZUKI: I think we tend to have a lot of different opinions when we’re working on the choreography and deciding how the song should be structured on stage. Since there’s no one right answer, we keep sharing our ideas and going back and forth, so things don’t always come together smoothly.
Which song changed the most between the version you first heard and the one we hear on the EP?
REIA: I think “TRANSLATE” changed the most. It was already an energetic song when we first heard it, but as we continued working on it, each of the eight members’ individual personalities came through more strongly. We made countless adjustments to the vocals, rap, and even the smallest nuances, and in the end, I think it became a song that feels like, “This is ONE OR EIGHT right now.”
What was the boldest creative choice you made on this project?
RYOTA: The direction of the music video. The concept for the “TRANSLATE” music video was about defeating yokai, and each member had their own role. I think fully stepping into those characters and acting them out was one of the boldest things we did this time.
What is one detail buried somewhere in the record that you hope listeners catch?
YUGA: For the first time, we’re not only singing the parts we’re usually responsible for. The vocal members challenged themselves with rap, while the rap members took on vocals.
The EP moves quickly and almost asks you to start it again once “Invincible” ends. How important was sequencing to the way you wanted the record to feel?
SOUMA: We wanted listeners to feel our determination to keep moving forward, as well as to realize that the driving force behind that is all of the 1DERZ who support us. After discussing it together, we felt that “INVINCIBLE” was the right song to close out the EP.
Is there something one member does musically that has started rubbing off on the rest of you?
TSUBASA: I’ve watched NEO writing and producing music for a long time, and seeing him do that inspired me to want to make music myself.
When you put this project next to everything you’re listening to right now, what do you think makes this record distinctly yours?
REIA: I think what makes us who we are is that we’re not limited by genres or borders. We bring Japanese sensibilities and culture into our music while incorporating different styles like hip-hop, pop, and R&B in our own way. The eight of us also have completely different personalities, so I think the unpredictable chemistry that comes from bringing all of that together in one project is something that’s uniquely ONE OR EIGHT.
Everything is moving so fast around yourself & the world right now, what's something you refuse to rush?
MIZUKI: Life. Of course, I’d love for ONE OR EIGHT to become a group that everyone knows as soon as possible. But when it comes to my life outside of being an artist, I want to take my time, be careful, and enjoy things at my own pace.
If the version of you we hear on this project could make one promise to the person listening, what would it be?
RYOTA: I promise that I won’t stop. I’ll keep moving forward without looking down.
Looking at this EP and everything you’ve performed this year, when have the other seven pushed you to bring out a side of yourself you didn’t expect?
REIA: I feel that way whenever I’m on stage, but I especially felt it when we started performing overseas. There are things I might not notice on my own, but when I watch the other members perform, there are moments when I think, “Maybe I can express myself this way too.” Because there are eight of us, we inspire and support each other, and I think they’ve helped me discover possibilities in myself that I wouldn’t have noticed on my own.
With so much happening around the group right now, what’s been giving you the most creative energy outside of the music itself?
YUGA: Skincare and eating sweets!
When the pressure is high and you have to deliver, what part of yourself do you trust without second-guessing?
TSUBASA: Everything I’ve done up to this point. The daily practice and all the stages I’ve pushed through have given me confidence in myself.
The eight of you spend so much time working toward the next thing, so what's a moment you wish you could stay inside a little longer before having to move on?
TAKERU: I really felt that way when we performed on the VMAJ stage. It was still early in our career, so it was our first time performing together on such a big stage. I really wished I could stay in that moment a little longer, because it also represented our dream of one day continuing to stand on stages like that.
If the group keeps the "all gas, no brakes" mentality, what do you think has to keep changing so that momentum never turns into repetition?
NEO: I think it’s important to never forget where we started. As we grow and try new things, I want us to keep that original hunger and curiosity.
This project carries a lot of confidence, so what’s the difference to you between confidence that’s earned and confidence you have to create for yourself in the moment?
SOUMA: To me, I think they’re actually the same thing. There are many times when I’ve gained confidence by reading the room in the moment and figuring out how to get the people watching us excited. I think that as I repeat those experiences, confidence naturally starts to build.
I have to ask not only for myself but for the fans: where is “Yo-Yo”? It’s so good and was such a good tease and the comment section went nuts when it was posted. We need it — any word on it?
NEO: I’m honestly so happy with how people reacted to “Yo-Yo.” I’m currently working on getting it released, so hopefully I can share more with everyone soon.
“Yo-Yo” has this really catchy, romantic feeling that immediately stood out. Is that a direction you’d want to take further with the group?
SOUMA: I want us to continue taking on many different genres while creating a sound that is uniquely ONE OR EIGHT. I also want us to be a group with a wide range of musical styles.
There are eight of you, but someone hearing this EP might connect with each of you for a completely different reason. What do you hope someone discovers about you personally through this project?
MIZUKI: I hope people can see that I’m someone who gives my all to everything I do and enjoys taking on new challenges. Of course, there are times when things don’t go well or I feel lost, but I hope people can feel me continuing forward in my own way, including those moments. And if it makes someone listening think, “Maybe I should try it too,” that would make me really happy.
RYOTA: I want people to see how much I’ve changed since the music videos and performances around the time of our debut. Of course, I still have a long way to go to reach my own goals and the group’s goals, but I want people to see that I’m continuing to grow and evolve, even if it’s little by little.
NEO: I hope people realize that I’m more than just the member who raps. I try to bring my own artistry into everything I do while still staying connected to my idol side. Through my performances and lyrics, I hope listeners can feel my emotions and get to know who I am as an artist.
REIA: I hope people can see that we’re serious not only about our appearance and our performances on stage, but also about the messages we want to convey and the music we create.
I’m still growing, and I want people to see how I continue to change from here. I want to become an artist who makes people think, “I want to know more about this person,” through music.
YUGA: Since every song on this EP is different in genre, I want people to notice the differences in the way I sing on each track.
TSUBASA: Personally, I’d be happy if people got to know my singing voice, but more than anything, I want this EP to help people around the world discover that there is a group called ONE OR EIGHT in Japan.
TAKERU: I think this project shows new sides of all eight members. I want everyone to be surprised by things like, “I didn’t know they could express themselves like that,” or “I didn’t know they could make that kind of sound,” and I hope everyone enjoys listening to the project!
SOUMA: When I was auditioning, I used to listen to songs I loved to get myself in the right mindset and prepare, so I’d be really happy if this project could help encourage people to take on their own challenges, even in some small way.
If you were a book, what book would you be and why?
MIZUKI: If I were a book, I think I’d be “An Adventure Book Without a Title Yet.” The experiences I’ve had so far are of course important, but I still want to challenge myself with new things and keep adding more pages to my story. I don’t know what the ending will be either, but that’s what makes it exciting. I want to keep writing the next chapters together with all of 1DERZ.
RYOTA: A book about a battle between three versions of myself. There’s a past version of me, the present me, and the future me in my head. I try not to forget the decisions I made in the past, while also asking myself what I’m like right now and whether I’m getting closer to the person I want to become in the future. I think it would be a book about how I continue to face myself every day.
NEO: Probably a fantasy book. I’m always daydreaming and imagining supernatural things happening in everyday life, so I think that would fit me pretty well.
REIA: To put it simply, I think I’d be “A Book Whose Ending Hasn’t Been Written Yet.”
I’ve had a lot of experiences so far, but our journey as ONE OR EIGHT has only just begun. I think we’ll continue traveling to different places around the world, meeting all kinds of people and cultures, and changing more and more along the way. So I’d like to be the kind of book that makes people think, “I wonder what happens next?” when they read it now!
YUGA: I’d be a book about the importance of taking on challenges, which is something ONE OR EIGHT values. A book that shows why it’s important to challenge yourself and gives people the courage to take that first step.
TSUBASA: I think it would be a book about my past. Honestly, my past isn’t a very happy story, but some of the things I’ve experienced have actually been incorporated into our songs.
So I think it would be a book like that.
TAKERU: I’d want it to be a book full of hope.
I believe that your life is shaped by your own actions. I think that by facing yourself and being grateful to the people around you, you can achieve the results you want. I also believe that when you work hard at something, it will come back to you in some form, and that’s how I continue to live my life. So I’d want my book to reflect that.
SOUMA: I think it would be a book full of twists and turns!
I feel like I’ve always jumped headfirst into the unknown and gone wherever life took me, so I think my story would probably be that kind of book.
