[Interview/Translations] 13.07.25. Oricon Style Interview

KARA talks about the production of their new song and tells us about their ideal summer love story!

OS: Your new song “Thank You Summer Love” has a refreshing dance tune to it.
Hara: I especially like the feeling of loneliness to it.
Nicole: I like that too and it has a bright tune. It’s something you will remember after listening to it once.
Gyuri: But the lyrics tell a story of a painful summer love.
Jiyoung: After reading the lyrics, a painful memory comes to mind and your heart will start to ache.

OS: Is this song perhaps a continuation of “GO GO Summer!” which was released last year? The main character was caught up in romance at that time but this summer she faced the end of a relationship.
Hara: The main character is a totally different person. So, this has no connection to “GO GO Summer!”.
Seungyeon: This song has the same kind of summer dance tune as “GO GO Summer!” but “GO GO Summer!” brings about a bright and fun atmosphere, whereby you will groove to the song when listening, while “Thank You Summer Love” is a little calmer, a song that makes you want to listen to it carefully.

OS: Incidentally, “GO GO Summer!” showed off the Kara Para dance. What’s the attraction point of the choreography this time round?
Hara: It’s called the “Cupid Dance”. The choreography is very refreshing and cute.
Gyuri: In order to express how active summer is, we were dressed as cheerleaders in red and white in the music video. It’s different from what you see on television programmes. As we were wearing cute outfits, I hope you’ll pay attention to them as well.

OS: In the music video (MV) of “Thank You Summer Love”, there were many scenes of you having fun at the camp. Tell us about the highlights of the MV and what went on during filming.
All: Fireworks!!
Seungyeon: There was a scene with fireworks and all of us played with it.
Gyuri: We held them in our hands and even shot out fireworks. It was beautiful and so much fun.
Hara: We filmed at a camping site, an hour away from Seoul. Even though we were supposed to be filming the MV, it felt like we had an off day, it was enjoyable.
Jiyoung: We had barbecue after that. It was really delicious.

OS: If the KARA members really went on a camping trip, what will each of you be in charge of?
Jiyoung: Nicole will be in charge of cooking.
OS: This includes cooking and preparing the ingredients.
Nicole: I’ll do them all. From the preparation, I’ll do everything by myself.
OS: Isn’t that a fairly huge task?
Nicole: On the contrary, I’m not able to cook with somebody around. I don’t like watching people cook and dislike being watched. When I get nervous, I tend to accidentally break glass or cut my finger and nothing will get done. The appearance and taste of the dish will turn out bad too. So, when I’m cooking, I would prefer for people to leave me alone.
OS: What will you cook?
Nicole: Grilled meat.
OS: So that means Nicole will only be grilling meat?
Nicole: Grilling meat is no easy task. (laughs) It can’t be eaten if it gets too burnt. But to be honest, when it comes to grilling, Hara is better at it.
Jiyoung: So, please take care of grilling, Hara.
Hara: Okay~ I’ll grill a lot of meat~
Nicole: When we go out and have meat, Hara will do the grilling. She’s good at slicing the meat and even turns them over at a specific timing. The meat will be exquisitely grilled and it tastes extremely delicious. Hara and I would like to be in charge of grilling but I’m no match for Hara. So, I’ll always leave it to Hara.
Hara: Okay, leave it to me~
Jiyoung: I’ll be in charge of starting the fire.
Hara: (in a cute voice) Do it~!
Jiyoung: I’ll do my best! Since Nicole is good with side dishes and jjigae, could you make them?
Nicole: Sure~ I like to prepare the settings and clear the dishes so other than grilling, I’ll take charge of all the cooking responsibilities.
Seungyeon: I’ll come up with the camping programme.
Hara: The planner huh.
Jiyoung: Hara, could you be the DJ too?
Hara: Sure.
Nicole: She has a great sense when it comes to music. Changing the music according to the atmosphere will liven up the camping site.
OS: And finally, what will Gyuri be in charge of?
Hara: Gyuri will be in charge of the finances. Because she’s the leader. (laughs)
Gyuri: I don’t want to. (laughs) I’ll be in charge of the games. We’ll play card games and I’ll prepare the equipment for us to watch movies.
Hara: Isn’t that the job of the planner?
Jiyoung: Isn’t it fine for 2 people to do the job!?

OS: By the way, who is most reliable and plays an active role when you are outdoors?
All: Hmm~ (deep in thought)
Nicole: Seungyeon unnie i guess.
Seungyeon: You trust me? I won’t even know if we get lost. (laughs)
Hara: That’s not good. (laughs)
Nicole: But even though Seungyeon has no sense of direction (laughs), she will be able to remain calm while everyone is in a panic mode when we encounter an emergency. She will be able to deal with situation calmly.
Jiyoung: At first glance, Seungyeon unnie doesn’t appear to be reliable (laughs) but she’s actually very dependable.
Seungyeon: Everyone can count on me… Except with directions. (laughs)

OS: Please tell us about the ballad “HANABI”.
Jiyoung: This song showcases the appeal of each member’s voice.
Hara: The lyrics “Those fireworks I watched with you were the most beautiful” and “I’ll never forget that day” talks about how these 2 people look back on the summer they spent together and starts to feel a little lonely. It gives you a very warm feeling overall, I would like all couples to listen to this song.

OS: Since “Thank You Summer Love” is the title track, when would you like to experience the perfect summer love (the situation)?
Hara: I want to go to the Maldives or Hawaii with the person I love.
Seungyeon: I want to have a table set up at the shallow part of the valley where our feet can touch the water and we’ll share a watermelon together. I want to watch a movie together too.
Gyuri: I want to go to the sea and scuba dive or do some water sports together.
Jiyoung: Banana boat or water skiing is good to!
Nicole: I want to go to an island with my boyfriend and spend time leisurely over there.
Jiyoung: I want us to admire the scenery as we swim in a rooftop pool.

OS: There is a line in “Thank You Summer Love” which says “When we meet again, I want to be able to ask, “How have you been?”.” What would you do if you happen to meet your previous boyfriend along the streets?
Seungyeon: I’ll pretend not to notice and walk pass him. (laughs)
Nicole: Feigning ignorance!
All: (laughs)
Hara: I will say to him, “Long time no see! I’ve been good~” and wave while saying, “See you around~” as we part.
Seungyeon: Why will you see each other again?
Hara: Because it’s only polite to say so. (laughs)
Nicole: Since we haven’t met in a long time, things may have changed so I definitely won’t do anything.
OS: What if he taps you on the shoulder and says, “Nicole, how are you?”
Nicole: I’ll reply curtly while looking down, “I’m fine as of now.”
OS: How about pretending that you don’t know him and run away saying, “I’m not Nicole.”?
Nicole: I won’t do that. (laughs) But I won’t be nice to him either. Since our relationship is over, he’s a thing of the past.
Gyuri: But it also depends on how the relationship ended. And since time has passed since the break up, I feel we should at least great each other.
OS: An adult point of view.
Nicole: I’m still not an adult. (laughs)
OS: In a good way, it means that Nicole is a frank person who is not bound by the past. What about Jiyoung?
Jiyoung: The same for me.
OS: Feigning ignorance!?
Jiyoung: No! I’m the same as Gyuri unnie. (laughs) If it’s the same situation as “Thank You Summer Love”, to be thankful even after the break up, I’ll probably ask him, “How are you?”. But if it was the kind of break up where we wouldn’t want to see each other’s faces again… (see Nicole’s answer).
Jiyoung & Nicole: Feign ignorance!
All: (laughs)
Jiyoung: I think it’s the best for the both parties.

OS: Lastly, there was a shooting star at the end of the “Thank You Summer Love” MV. If you were to make a wish on a shooting star, what would you wish for?
Hara: After we finishing our Japan promotions for this single, we’ll prepare for the release of our album after we return to Korea and start our Arena tour in autumn. I wish for everything to end smoothly.
Jiyoung: I will wish for my family, friends and the members to stay healthy.
OS: Not for yourself.
Jiyoung: Including myself too of course. (laughs)
Seungyeon: I will wish for rejuvenation. (laughs) There are still many things to be done but not enough time so I’m feeling a little impatient. So, I want more time.
Gyuri: For me, I don’t like the fact that I’ll get affected by the people around me, no matter how happy I feel. So, I wish for everyone to have peace in their hearts.
Nicole: I want the feeling of loneliness to disappear and I want to be happy. For humans, we will still feel a sense of loneliness regardless of whether we have a girlfriend/boyfriend. But if this sense of loneliness decreases and at the same happiness increases, you’ll be able to enjoy a lot more. Things will work out for you.
All: (claps)
OS: To the fans, KARA members are that kind of existence.
All: Really?
OS: It’s true! Are you able to give them more happiness from now on?
All: (in firm voices) Yes! Of course!

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Source: http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/interview/page/627/

Translation: melllllly@tumblr / _breakit@twitter