YUTA at Home Transcript Reflecting on "HOPE"

YUTA at Home Transcript Reflecting on "HOPE"
Air date:
Translated by @cloudNYT

[T/N: This is a partial transcript of the YUTA at Home radio episode aired on 2024.11.21. Headings in bold have been added for the sake of marking sections, but other than that, all the text in this transcript is spoken by Yuta.]

Headbanging and the Vision for "New World"

Today, I'll be reading messages of everyone's thoughts about "YUTA Solo Debut Showcase Tour ~ HOPE ~".

This one is from radio name "YUTA's Smile Saves the World".

Thank you.

"Yuta, I'm home."

Welcome home.

"I attended the showcase held in Tokyo. The stage was bursting with your soul and passion, and I could feel the extraordinary detail that went into each song's production and presentation. I didn't want to miss a single moment, so I enjoyed it while completely absorbed. When the show ended, true to its title, my heart was completely filled with hope. Thank you for showing us such a beautiful sight.

What left the biggest impression on me was your entrance scene. Was that entrance your idea? The intensity reminiscent of a boxer before a match, combined with this touch of eeriness, gave me thrilling chills. By the way, there weren't many people headbanging around me in the balcony area, but I didn't care and went all out headbanging. It was the best! Headbanging along with you was seriously really fun. Let's go wild together again next time!"

That was the message I received.

First of all, thank you for coming to the Tokyo show. Tokyo was the only stop that had a standing area, so it had a different atmosphere compared to other locations. While I was performing, I thought, "Ah, this kind of stage setup works too." Honestly, I think it was a first for me, or maybe I've done something like that with the group before [T/N: The Tokyo show was mostly standing room only]. Since it was a rock show, I had certain expectations, but the energy exceeded those expectations, and I remember having a lot of fun.

About the "boxer before a match". Did everyone think I looked like a boxer? The image I had in mind was more like an absolute ruler or an absolute king. I like dark heroes, so I was envisioning something like the absolute authority, aura, and power of a dark hero. And of course, the throne. Yeah (laughs). At first, it was said that it was quite difficult to find a chair that matched the image I had in mind, but after several back-and-forth discussions where I was explaining, "Please get me something like this.", the staff searched everywhere for one. In the end, they made an original chair just for me, and they even got the spikes that I had envisioned. So while doing this tour, and I've said this during the Osaka show too, I was really supported by the people around me that I worked with. I really felt like, "Ah, I have met such good people." They were able to catch and bring to life even the smallest details that were difficult to put into words. I'm so glad to have met everyone.

Yeah, so while a boxer is fine too, the image in my mind was a bad… I'm not exactly sure how to put it, but it's like "bad-something" (laughs). That was the kind of image I had in mind. So the first song "New World" was like ‘I'm the king and you are all the queens'. I envisioned something like ‘I'll take you to a new world', and I tried to align the concept and the song to reflect that.

Next time, I'll prepare more songs that you can all headbang to, so make sure to get your necks ready!

Performing Without Dancing

Alright, let's move on to the next one.

This one is from radio name "Scent of Sweet Olive".

"Yuta, I'm home."

Welcome home.

"Congratulations on completing your solo showcase."

Thank you.

"And thank you for all your hard work. With such a tight schedule, I'm sure it must have been difficult to take care of your health, but October was such a happy month for us Yutami. Thank you so much."

I should be the one thanking you.

"I have so many thoughts about the showcase, but if I had to choose just one, it would be about seeing you perform without dancing. I mean this in a good way, but I was so captivated by your live performance that I almost forgot about dancer Yuta entirely. I first came to like you because of your dancing."

Oh, I see.

"But during the showcase, because of your voice, the lyrics of your songs, and the emotions and power you conveyed, I found myself jumping and shouting without even realizing it. It truly was a fun time. Even though the showcase just ended, I already want to see you again. I'm looking forward to the next time we meet."

First of all, it wasn't just listener "Scent of Sweet Olive", I think this might have been the first time everyone has seen me perform on stage without dancing at all. Whether it was in anticipation or in doubt, I think everyone watching must have been wondering, "What kind of performance will this turn out to be?" But now that the show is over, seeing reactions like this makes me really happy, and a bit relieved too.

It was like I was baring myself. Usually, when we perform as a group, how should I put it…… Of course there's this aspect of having fun together, but in my mind, there's this strong impression that people are coming to see an artistic production or a piece of art. But this time, I wanted to create a show where the audience and the band play off each other. I feel like that idea was able reach everyone successfully, and that's what led to people saying they had so much fun they almost forgot that there wasn't any dancing. This was actually one of the challenges I had for myself, so with this "HOPE" showcase, while I wouldn't say I've completely achieved it, I think I managed to overcome that challenge to some extent. I'm really happy about it. Thank you.

The Metamorphosis of "Butterfly"

Alright, let's move on to the next one.

This one is from radio name "Even if I'm the last person in the world, I'll be on Yuta's side".

"Yuta, I'm home."

Welcome home.

"Once again, congratulations on your solo debut."

Thank you.

"I was lucky enough to attend the showcase, and seeing how much fun you were having made me feel happy. During the final song "Butterfly", it looked like you were still out of breath, turning your head away from the mic, occasionally catching your breath while singing. While it felt like it revealed a moment of fragility, I also felt like, compared to the previous performances of "Butterfly", there was this added sense of determination to keep moving forward even stronger, and it moved me to tears. Each song was packed with so much of your feelings that it felt like they were cries of your soul reaching out to everyone who was listening. It was beautiful.

Thank you for making time to meet us despite your busy schedule. At a fansign event, when I told you that I've been supporting you since your Rookies era, I'll never forget how you smiled kindly and said, "It's been a while since then." I'll continue to support you in the future as well. Wishing you all the best!"

That was the message I received.

Yeah, with "Butterfly", I really struggled with various aspects of it. Actually, there was also a different track that was being considered. I wasn't really sure whether or not I should include "Butterfly" in this album to begin with. But since this was the song I started with during "The Link" in my journey as a solo artist, I thought that it would be better if I included it. But using the original version of "Butterfly" didn't feel quite right, so from there, we discussed things like whether to include a chorus or not, how we should go about the vibe of the song, and whether it would be better to take it in a rock direction.

The lyrics and the overall feel already had this certain vibe. And I had a kind of fragility to me, right? Figuring out how to retain these aspects while transforming it into a new version of "Butterfly" was quite a struggle. I struggled with it, but more than anything else, the toughest part of it is the fact that the person I am now is different from the person I was back then. When I wrote the lyrics back then, I was actually full of rebellious spirit. I had strong feelings of "Don't look at me that way." or "Don't pass judgement on me like that." But this version of "Butterfly" was created at a time when I had clarity about the friends who are there for me and had a clear sense of what I want to do moving forward, so I didn't want to write such negative lyrics anymore. Instead, I wanted to incorporate into the lyrics how I would move forward after gaining this new sense of self. I spent quite a lot of time thinking about that too.

And this song came right after I went completely wild in my "Off The Mask" performance, so naturally, my breathing was super intense during the first half of the song. But even that added to the great atmosphere brought out by the rawness of the live performance of "Butterfly". I think everyone who watched it probably felt what made the new version of "Butterfly" special was that it was like a "cry of the soul". I debated whether or not to make this the final song, but I'm glad I did. I'm glad I ended the main set with it.

Alright. Now, I'd like to play "Butterfly" that has been called a "cry of the soul". Here is "Butterfly" by YUTA.

The "Wa-kya-kya-kya" in "Two of Us"

The song you were just listening to was "Butterfly" by YUTA. Now, I'll continue reading everyone's messages about their thoughts on "YUTA Solo Debut Showcase Tour ~ HOPE ~".

This one is from radio name "Kyu".

"Yuta, I'm home."

Welcome home.

"Congratulations on completing your solo showcase tour."

Thank you.

"It's November now, but I'm spending each day floating on cloud nine, basking in the afterglow of "HOPE". You performed four unreleased songs in this showcase. I'd like to know if there's a reason why you chose those four particular songs out of all your other unreleased songs."

About that, there were actually a lot of other songs, but I thought those four particular songs were the best fit for this showcase, so I decided to go with those four.

"Also, personally, "Two Of Us" was my favorite, but I've always been curious about what you were shouting at the beginning of the song. My guess is it's "Wa-kya-kya-kya"."

(Laughs). Well, if that's what you think, then "Wa-kya-kya-kya" it is (laughs). By the way, have I said this before? There isn't any particular meaning or specific words to it. Originally, that ad-lib wasn't even there. The "Uuh" at the very beginning didn't exist either. The "Uuh" wasn't there. Since it starts with a really great rhythm like "tatatata-tatata-tata", I felt like adding something in, so I just went "Waa~", and it kind of just turned into that. So if you think I'm saying "Wa-kya-kya-kya", then that sounds about right (laughs).

The Standing Area and Choosing "Shinshoku -lose control-"

Alright, let's move on to the next one.

This one is from radio name "Sachio".

"Yuta, I'm home."

Welcome home.

"Thank you for all your hard work in completing the showcase tour."

Thank you.

"I attended both of the shows in Tokyo. When it comes to standing areas, I picture people getting pushed and shoved. And though I wasn't sure if I could manage or endure it, I still went for the front row. But all those worries were completely unnecessary. No one was pushing at all, and the people around me were even asking "Can you see? Are you okay?" It didn't feel like a standing area!"

Right? Everyone was so kind. It was overflowing with peace, and it made me proud.

"By the way, you sang L'Arc~en~Ciel's "Shinshoku" this time. As someone who loves L'Arc, I was very happy, but I was also surprised and was like "Wait, that's Shinshoku!" It's such a distinct and challenging song within L'Arc's discography. If you could share your reasoning behind choosing "Shinshoku", then I'd be really happy. Also, I'm looking forward to the day I can go to one of your live shows again!"

Okay, let me talk about the standing area first. It was so peaceful! Everyone was so kind! So kind that I couldn't help but laugh. Really. I mean, wasn't it kind of a fusion? You have the gentleness of K-POP and people who aren't used to being in standing areas, but you get them in a standing area anyway (laughs).

Even though no one asked them to, everyone was moving their bodies while thinking, "Am I bumping into the person behind me?" or "Am I blocking their view?" Everyone was so considerate while watching. It was so cute. Really. I was watching everyone and found it endearing. During the Q&A corner, the people in front would even crouch down. How in the world could it be that peaceful!? Everyone was seriously so kind. It's like there was some kind of barrier around everyone. It was so heartwarming and peaceful. Yes, yes, that's right. Well, there will probably be a lot more standing areas in the future, so I'm sure everyone will get used to it.

As for "Shinshoku"… I've done a cover of "HONEY" before, right? I've even sung it on TV. So I was debating whether to go with "HONEY" or "Shinshoku". L'Arc's discography covers such a wide variety of genres, and out of all of them, the ones I wanted to sing this time were something darker. Songs like "Kasou (Flower Burial)", "Shinshoku", and even "forbidden lover". There's like this artistic quality within the darkness.

You know, the reason I love L'Arc, and this goes for HYDE too, is that while rock music is what they do, there's something about them that you can't find in other bands. Whether it's the visual aspect or the way they structure their stages, when all the elements come together, they create a kind of beauty that's distinct from other bands – a definitive beauty. They're artistic. In their music. In everything. That's why I love them.

"Shinshoku" is indeed a very challenging song, but within it, there's a sense of fragility and beauty. I think that's probably why I like it. Of course, it's a difficult song, but I really wanted to give it a try, so I decided to perform "Shinshoku" this time. It feels like another door has opened. I'm glad I performed "Shinshoku" on this tour.

Thank you so much for all your messages! Now, the next song is "LAST SONG" by YUTA.

Yuta as an Audience Member

To everyone listening to NCT 127 YUTA's YUTA at Home, and to those who happen to be tuning in to this radio program, this segment is a special content exclusive to InterFM. Now, I'll be reading a message that didn't make it to the program.

This one is from radio name "Hachiware".

"I've always found it interesting how people have completely different ways of enjoying live concerts. Some people are the type to scream their hearts out, while other quietly enjoy it all. If you were a Czennie, how do you think you would show your support?"

Well, I think I would probably be the type to cheer out loud, but there would certainly be times when I'd just be really absorbed in listening. Honestly, I think it's okay for each person to enjoy live concerts in their own way.

We are still accepting messages. Please send them through the message form on AuDee. Now then, please continue listening to NCT 127 YUTA's YUTA at Home.

Tribute Offerings for Rapu-chan

How was this week's NCT 127 YUTA's YUTA at Home? To wrap things up, let me read a message from this listener.

This one is from radio name "Together with Mimichapi".

"Yuta, I'm home."

Welcome home.

"Thank you for an incredibly fun and happy October."

I should be the one thanking you.

"The solo showcase tour was truly enjoyable. I thought I might feel empty after this happy period has ended, but as expected of you, you made it so we can look forward to what's next. Thank you so much! By the way, did you get to meet Rapu-chan before or after the Kadoma performance? If you did, did you give her treats again as a tribute offering?"

That was the message I received.

Rapu-chan. Rapu-chan is really something else. To put it simply, she's forgotten about me. Yeah. That little one has forgotten me. Since I hadn't forgotten about her, I of course came bearing tribute offerings. But that little one has become even more spoiled. She truly is a bewitching woman.

If I had a little more time, I could have won her over with more treats as a tribute offering, but since I didn't have enough time, not once did Rapu-chan come to me on her own accord. That's how it ended. Next time, I'm thinking of buying the most expensive tribute offering. When I go see Rapu-chan again, I'll buy her a ton of the most expensive dog treats.

We're accepting messages through the program's message form on AuDee. The program's hashtag is #YUTAatHome. This has been NCT 127 YUTA's YUTA at Home, with your DJ, YUTA of NCT 127. Please come visit my room again next time. Bye bye!

✽ ✽ ✽


You can listen to this YUTA at Home Episode here [RAW] (courtesy of ForeverYU).

Listen to YUTA's 1st Mini Album "Depth" here: Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | YouTube Music

Purchase YUTA's 1st Mini Album "Depth" here.

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