TOP GUN/LOVE STORY: Messages from NEWS

Koyama Keiichiro → 🆙 (8 June 2019)
Singles usually have a flow like this: record, shoot the Music Clip* then release it, but “Top Gun” was released in the concert before the Music Clip* was shot. Due to it being released in front of the fans, we could grasp the song. So that means, different from before, I feel that we could face this song in a way we could not before.

“Love Story” is a song that sounds grown up because NEWS is singing it at this age, I also think that the Music Clip* is becoming grown up. If we sang this when we’re in our twenties, there might be a possibility of it sounding more refreshing. So that means, I think we made a song fitting our age.

Music Clip* was shot with no cuts and the camera as the person we love. There wasn’t any embarrassment at all. Why’s that? you ask, it was because we have always been looking at your reaction during concerts. We are seeing you through the camera. Furthermore, after getting back from the concert in the countryside, we shot the Music Clip* for “Love Story”, so we retained the passion we had from the concert and put it into the video.

The -Represent NEWS Mix- this time is “weeeek” and “Yume no Kazu dake Ai ga Umareru”. For “weeeek”, I turned 35 this year, like the “35” that appears in the lyrics. I wasn’t thinking of aiming for re-recording “weeeek” at 35 years old just nice, but I can always say that I re-recorded this when I was 35 years old lol.
I have always liked “Yume Kazu”. It has a message and it is a song that I wish to pass down forever. So, rerecording “Yume Kazu” at this stage and putting it on CD is something I feel very happy about.

The single this time includes songs that fit different feelings, like “Top Gun”, Love Story”, “Dragonism”, “weeeek” and “Yume no Kazu dake Ai ga Umareru”. It is a CD that fits any feelings and can always be with you! It’s just like a Love Story kind of CD.

Koyama typed "Music Clip" in English.

Kato Shigeaki → 🆙 (7 June 2019)
“Top Gun” is the opening theme song of the January TV Tokyo drama “Yotsuba Ginkou Harajima Hiromi ga mono mousu! ~Kono Hito ni Kakerou~”. Not only because I guest starred in the third episode and have a deeper connection, I think that the song has the vigour which suits the drama perfectly.

Music Clip* was initially discussed in a casual manner with the production team but the concept was already shown during the concert “NEWS LIVE TOUR 2019 WORLDISTA”, so it was unexpectedly difficult to try and present the Music Clip* in a fresh manner... Then we thought perhaps it’s better to put it in the hands of the director with a unique personality and trust his sense, so we asked Tamukai-san to be the director. As expected, Tamikai-ness was not to be trifled with. I was like, Woah, so it’s gonna be like this! Lol

“Top Gun” is a sensual Music Clip* while “Love Story” is about pure love. It is a double A side single this time, since “Hikari no Shizuku / Touch” which also has Music Clip* for both songs, so you can enjoy the differences.

The coupling song “Dragonism” was produced by the team related to NEWS’ albums, so it’s got this “current cool NEWS” vibe. And it’s also connected to the theme of “WORLDISTA”. Though fantastical, it’s a song that properly has a story.

The two songs on this double A side single are of different tastes but are both orthodox, melody wise. Though we push the boundaries with our albums, still again, it’d be good to show the NEWS that can let everyone listen to orthodox songs.

Shige typed "Music Clip" in English.

Masuda Takahisa → 🆙 (10 June 2019)
“Top Gun” is, straightforwardly, a song with much vigour. I think there are probably many people who still remember the impression left by the drama. And, many NEWS’ songs have strong trademarks but “Top Gun” has no trademarks and you can probably slip into it naturally!

This time, I was put in charge of the costume design for “Top Gun” and “Love Story”. Firstly, I listened to the songs, then I thought about it based on the concepts of the Music Clip*. Due to both of the songs being already released during the concerts, I started to have the sense of making different costumes for the same song. Taking into account the intentions of the Music Clip* team and producer-san, we went with the theme of wearing things we’ve never worn before till now.

Being asked to make the costumes for both songs as it’s a double A-side single, besides showing the difference between the 2 songs, they could also be wanting parts that connect, I thought about that too. In the First Press Regular Edition, there are special stickers featuring the designs made for the costumes for “Top Gun/Love Story”.

About the Music Clip* for “Love Story”, I was asked by the director to have fine movements so it was easy. There was also acting when pretending the camera was my girlfriend, so I was thinking if they wanted me to move freely, it’d be difficult.

In this single, there are also 2 -Represent NEWS Mix- songs. Represent is included because everyone said they want to do it and it also feels like it’s our responsibility. I feel happy to be able to sing “weeeek” and “Yume no Kazu dake Ai ga Umareru” at this time. Especially when “weeeek” is NEWS’ representative song, with the thought of wanting to leave behind a “weeeek” as a 4-member NEWS, and the thought of that time when I wanted to make a song that will not lose and be cool, I sang with all my might! Please look forward to it!

Massu typed "Music Clip" & "Represent" in English.

Tegoshi Yuya → 🆙 (9 June 2019)
I think that fans will be happy with both “Top Gun” and “Love Story”. They have a similarity, an imaginary woman. “Love Story” is fluffy and gentle, its image is of a relatively stable and lovey dovey couple, whereas the image of “Top Gun” is of a noble woman who can’t quite be caught and may slip through one’s fingers even if caught.

And this time, in the interlude of “Love Story”, there is something new that we tried and that is to insert the singing voices of fans recorded during the year-end dome tour “NEWS DOME TOUR 2018-2019 EPCOTIA -ENCORE-”. I sing the first chorus of this song, but it may show different expressions and be seen differently depending on how I sing it, so during “NEWS LIVE TOUR 2019 WORLDISTA”, I thought about how I can do more while I was practising the song, I practised a lot every time.

Though “Dragonism” has few syllabic sounds, it does have a strong A-melody type of sound, and like the melody line of the chorus, where there are interesting spots. Things like the “Ahh~”* and the “Wow”* in the chorus are all sung by me but it’s neither riffs and runs nor melody, it’s a very amazing line. More than showing another side of NEWS, it’s a song that allows me to discover new vocal skills.

The -Represent NEWS Mix- “weeeek” and “Yume no Kazu dake Ai ga Umareru” are both significant songs to the fans. Of course, I’d love for you to listen to the re-recorded version, but what’s more, it’s a double A-side single in a long time! Being able to release this immediately after the concert tour ends means that we can appear in various magazines and music programmes in front of everyone, I definitely wish for you to look forward to our appearances. By the way, in the making of video of the Music Clip* for “Top Gun”, there’s Koyama-san and I having a water battle (lol).

Tegoshi typed "Ahh~", "Wow" & "Music Clip" in English.

💜💝💛💚 To pre-order, please refer to this post for the links! 💜💝💛💚