It's only onwards and upwards for BALLISTIK BOYZ from EXILE TRIBE. 

Throughout the last year, the seven-piece J-pop act have been making their way through Asia, extending their music and talent across the region. Most recently, they joined forces with Thai superstar Gulf Kanawut for their latest track 'All I Ever Wanted'. In fitting fashion, the single comes as the group's heartfelt of gratitude and love to their fans' constant support as they continue on their journey of achieving their dreams. It's a love letter to those that matter backed by an infectious hip-hop beat.

It comes as their latest project with Thailand's HIGH CLOUD Entertainment as they continue their mission to meet and connect with their fans outside of Japan. In their recent visit to Singapore, Bandwagon caught up with BALLISTIK BOYZ from EXILE TRIBE to talk about working with Gulf Kanawut, living in Thailand, their dream collaborations, and what's next. 

How are you finding Singapore so far?

This is the first time that we, BALLISTIK BOYZ are here in Singapore. We’ve had a short time here and there is so much more to see and do, so we would love to be able to come back soon.

Are there any particular places or experiences you had during your time in Singapore?

On this trip, we saw the Merlion, and went to Sentosa as well as the Night Safari at Mandai. We also went to Marina Bay Sands. We want to check out the infinity pool at  Marina Bay Sands the next time, and Universal Studios Singapore!

Tell us what is ‘All I Ever Wanted’ about. Could you elaborate on the inspiration behind the song and its significance to you?

‘All I Ever Wanted’ is a collaboration with Thai artist, Gulf Kanawut. This song is us wanting to show our appreciation to everyone who has supported us. The song is all about reaching one's desired destination where it is only fulfilling when it is shared with those we love. It goes beyond individual achievements. Success is more meaningful when it becomes a collective experience with our fans, us as members, our family and friends. Without any of them, all these goals or dreams would not mean a thing. 

What do you hope your listeners take away when listening to this song?

This song means a lot to us because it reminds everyone that you are not alone. There will always be people supporting you (and us supporting each other!), but always remember to be grateful to one another.

How was it like working with Gulf Kanawut? What were some of the highlights you guys had while working on this song?

We were introduced to Gulf Kanawut by HIGH CLOUD Entertainment CEO and producer, F.HERO. Gulf has not only worked in Thailand but also in Japan and other parts of Asia. We too, have the desire to work in not just Japan, but also we have restarted our overseas activities and we want to continue to work globally. That is a dream that we share with Gulf and we thought it would be great if we could strive for that together and achieve greater heights.

We first met Gulf at a cat cafe during the shooting of our YouTube series ‘New School Breakin’. We wanted to get to know him better and he loves cats! We had a lot of fun during this session.  This time round, we came back to Thailand and filmed the music video for ‘All I Ever Wanted’ together. He was very kind during the filming and we learnt a lot from him working together which has encouraged us to do better too as a group.

What were some new things you learned while working on ‘All I Ever Wanted’?

RYUTA: I was able to improve my English language skills because I was able to record while at the same time learning from members who can speak English, to pronounce better and those who guided and directed me.

YOSHI: I thought that if I were to trim down my English pronunciation, it would be much better. However, I realized once again how difficult it is to sing with emotion while being conscious of pronunciation so I learned a lot!

RYUSEI: There was much to learn from Gulf Kanawut as he is an Asian superstar. For example, his personality and dreams have helped me learn what I need to make my dreams come true in Asia. Event though this may be a small lesson, I believe it is necessary in order to make them come true.

MIKU: Personally, it had a higher key than any of the songs I've sung so far. I can now hit more high notes.

RICKY: The recording was done in Thailand, so I learned a lot about how things are done. The atmosphere during recording sessions was completely different from that in Japan!

RIKI: The recording was done in the studio with just the members, so we all shared our opinions and worked together to improve the songs, which was a great team effort.

MASA: It is the way of pronouncing English while singing. I struggled a bit with the different things to pay attention to when pronouncing the words, but it was a good learning experience.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by BALLISTIK BOYZ official (@ballistik_fext)

Who are some other artists you hope to work with in the future?

RYUTA: JUNGKOOK, DPR IAN, official髭男爵, SKY-HI.

YOSHI: I have collaborated with TRINITY and Gulf Kanawut, I would like to try to work with female artists as well, such as MILLI, Bowkylion, and others. I wonder what the work would be like if we collaborated.

RYUSEI: There are so many artists I would like to collaborate with that there is no end to the list. However, we have a strong desire to collaborate with artists who are close to our vision of the "world" that we envision, and we hope to find them as we work around the world.

MIKU: I would like to make a song with Yellow Claw.

RICKY: In the future, I would like to collaborate with artists that have a strong Hip Hop flavour. We had a great collaboration with Trinity and Gulf Kanawut, so I would like to collaborate with someone who has a new vibe!

RIKI: 88rising and DPR.

MASA: G Dragon, Taeyang, Charlie Puth, DAN+SHAY.

Social media is a powerful tool for connecting with fans. How do you maintain a strong online presence and interact with your global fanbase?

RYUTA: I think about what my fans are looking for, and at the same time, I am posting photos and videos of what I like to do and my hobbies for more people and fans to get to know BALLISTIK BOYZ and myself.

YOSHI: I like to update my social media account more when I am overseas rather than when I am in Japan because I feel that I can show a part of myself that you don't usually see. Thank you for watching and commenting a lot. I am very happy we have this exchange together. 

RYUSEI: We use many platforms as a group and individually. I believe that you can check them out when you have the time!I would also like to tailor my postings to each country's trendy platforms. I also believe that this is the best way to connect with our fans, so I would like to make this a place where everyone can get to know and enjoy BALLISTIK BOYZ.

MIKU: On top of the usual postings of daily activities as a group and individually, I also post cover videos of various songs.

RICKY: I am always sharing information and various things on social networking sites, so I am also constantly checking the reactions of my fans! Even if we live in different countries or are far apart, I will always want to feel like I am close to my fans and be able to share various things, so I would be happy if you could continue to follow and support me.

RIKI: I always try to share what is happening around me, what I want people to see what I see, and what I think is cool or good, so I love that we connect frequently.

MASA: Our social media accounts are updated daily, and the content should be well-balanced between what fans are looking for and what expresses your personality.

 

 

 

 

 

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You have conquered Thailand by living there for over 6 months. What’s next for you and would you consider living in another country for a period of time?

RYUTA: After actually living and working in Thailand for six months, I found doing both went well and there will always be things that can be improved, so I would like to use this experience to expand my activities not only in Thailand, but also in other parts of Asia and the world at an even faster pace. I felt that the most important thing is to actually go there, and take some action, so I would like to visit more countries and engage in activities there in order to grow.

YOSHI: I don't know if it is because I work in Japan and work in other countries, but I would like to go to many countries as long as there are people who support me. After living in Thailand for 6 months, I felt much closer to the country. I want to connect as one

RYUSEI: My activities in Thailand were training for us as a group. There are many things that you realize by living in the country, and it is a learning experience. After this experience in Thailand, we hope to spend a richer and fruitful period of time sharing our entertainment and dreams while expanding the scope of our activities in other countries as well.

MIKU: ​​My goal is to do a world tour that includes not only Thailand and Japan, but also Southeast Asia.

RICKY: Our next goal is to visit the countries we have visited in the past as well as new countries. At the same time, we want to hold more solo concerts and fan meetings. Our strength lies in the worldview and highlights of our live performances, so we hope to be able to share those strengths not only in Japan but all over the world!

RIKI: We are planning a BBZ LIVE tour in the near future, and we would like to make it a WORLD TOUR, including overseas shows as well as in Japan. Living in Thailand for 6 months has been a great experience in my life, and I would like to live in other countries if I have the chance.

MASA: Our next goal is to hold a solo live concert in Thailand! From there, we are working hard to have solo live performances not only in Thailand but also in other areas of Asia, and to organize an Asia live tour! Personally, I would like to someday live in New York City, where I lived in middle school and high school.

We had a great time at Night Safari!#AIEW_BBZxGULF#AllIEverWanted#BALLISTIKBOYZ #BBZ pic.twitter.com/3qR7zuG4NT

— BALLISTIK BOYZ (@ballistik_fext) September 6, 2023

As artists, how do you incorporate your Japanese identity into your music and performances while appealing to a diverse international audience?

RYUTA: I think Japanese people's earnestness, in a good sense, comes out in our performances and music. For example, it could be the precision of choreography and arrangements or even the texture of the sound. It is a sense of making the most of these into one, but also adapting to the global stage to present this to the world. Even if you can’t do it in Japan, you can try it overseas, depending on the location and the atmosphere of the event. is to make the audience excited and enjoy the performance.

YOSHI: First of all, since we are active in Japan, there are many of our songs in Japanese. In order to let people know how good we are, we perform songs that are in English at our live shows. I hope everyone will like Japan and BALLISTIK BOYZ in various aspects such as culture, music and dance!

RYUSEI: As we are Japanese, we would like to express the Japanese spirit of hospitality and humility to the world.

MIKU: Our music is original to BALLISTIK BOYZ to begin with, so I believe that the music and performance are unique to our management LDH Japan. We would like to continue to find entertainment that only we can provide.

RICKY: We as Japanese are very detailed in a good way. In terms of creativity, we are always seeking perfection and the best form of entertainment.  By continuing to pursue this goal, I believe that we will be able to attract fans around the world as well as newcomers to our brand, music and world, and we will continue to strive to provide the best entertainment to you.

RIKI: Japanese music and language I believe in the rap style and dance style that I have cultivated while growing up in Japan.

MASA: As a Japanese, my origins and the pillars that make me who I am are made of Japanese culture, so I believe that all the entertainment I create will be "Made in Japan" even if I add inspiration from other countries as ingredients! It is all about mindset and courtesy.

BALLISTIK BOYZ in Singapore❤️‍🔥#AIEW_BBZxGULF#AllIEverWanted#BALLISTIKBOYZ #BBZ pic.twitter.com/bVncyg8S00

— BALLISTIK BOYZ (@ballistik_fext) September 5, 2023

It’s been five years since you guys debuted. How do you feel your sound and artistry have evolved over the years?

RYUTA: We have diversity and that is due to the fact that all members can sing, without being confined to a genre. I am able to challenge myself in a variety of genres and I think we have grown a lot from that aspect. We have a sense of what feels right to us, and we would like to further establish that in the future.

YOSHI: At first I felt that we were an energetic group with very strong momentum. As the days go by and we experience living overseas, I feel we have become more sophisticated, and the passion that overflows from within seems to be coming out! In terms of sound, everyone has options for this as we challenge ourselves with genres. Personally, I feel I can take on any song!

RYUSEI: I believe we have tried and continue to try different kinds of music. In a good sense, BALLISTIK BOYZ has no set genre, and I believe that the power of vocals, rapping, and music is evolving every day.

MIKU: We can now make a wide range of music our own, because we were never confined to music genres. Recently, we started producing our own music.

RICKY: I think people think that BALLISTIK BOYZ is a versatile group because we challenge various music genres rather than just one.  We sing, dance and rap and are known for Hip Hop but we also produce and release music with a completely different atmosphere and feel, so we hope you’ll enjoy that aspect of our music as well. 

RIKI: I think it is the style of BBZ that has been created. The seven of us have been pursuing what we love to do to the fullest, and if I had to describe BBZ's music in words, I would say that it is a mix of R&B and hip-hop, which is similar to BBZ's style. I am looking forward to bringing you a wider range of music in the future.

MASA: After experimenting with various musical genres and performance styles, we researched and established our own, which I believe is the current BALLISTIK BOYZ style, which is not bound by any genre. We would like to continue to be a group that evolves with the times without fear of evolution!

What do you guys still hope to achieve as BALLISTIK BOYZ?

RYUTA: Going globally. I want to do an Asian tour, and I definitely want to make a world tour come true.

YOSHI: The ultimate goal is a world stadium tour and there are many detailed goals in order to achieve that. I would like to be able to hold proper live shows in other countries like the ones we have done and accomplished during the 6 months I was in Thailand!

RYUSEI: World stadium tour.

MIKU: The big goal is a world stadium tour.

RICKY: Our ultimate goal is to do a successful world stadium tour. There are many times when seems difficult to move forward, but we will continue to do our best, and believe in the members and fans!

RIKI: World stadium tour.

MASA: The goal is to become a group that represents Japan, and tour around the world!

What message would you like to share with your international fans, especially the ones you haven't visited yet?

RYUTA: We are confident in our music and performance, with a strong dream to go from Japan to the world. We will definitely come to see you all, and I hope you are looking forward to it! When the time comes, please come and see us!

YOSHI: Thank you for your continued support! There are definitely still countries we have not been able to visit just yet. We definitely want to grow as a group with every step we take. Thanks to everyone's support, I feel that we are getting closer to that point little by little! I will do my best to make my dreams come true and show everyone what we have built. 

RYUSEI: Thank you for your warm support! The activity overseas stopped during the COVID pandemic, but it restarted last year. From now on, I would like to work seriously on our music and do my best to provide the best performance not only in Japan but also to my fans around the world who are waiting for me and to those who are listening to my music for the first time! I love you.

MIKU: We aim to become an international group representing Japan. We will deliver our unique form of music and performance to all of you and I would like to make everyone happy by doing so. We look forward to your support.

RICKY: Each one of us are strong individuals in a good sense, and I think this will help us to reach a large number of fans and be recognized as an international Japanese group that is thriving. To achieve this, we need the support of our fans, so we hope you will continue to support us and keep us going!

RIKI: Hi global fans, I spend my days in Tokyo, Japan, but I look forward to seeing all of you soon. Our music will continue to evolve and our performances will continue to improve on a daily basis, so keep your eyes peeled!

MASA: Thank you for your warm support! I know there are many fans whom I have not been able to meet in person yet, but I know that they have been sending me messages of loving support through social networking sites, and I have received them! That is why we are able to do our best in our daily activities! I will continue to do my best so that I can meet you all in person, so please continue to support me! I love you.

Listen to 'All I Ever Wanted' here.