PSYCHIC FEVER from EXILE TRIBE has returned with their latest EP, "PSYCHIC FILE II" on April 2. This explosive collection of tracks is available now on major streaming platforms.
Far more than just an EP, "PSYCHIC FILE II" represents a significant milestone for PSYCHIC FEVER. With over 100 million TikTok video views for ‘Just Like Dat ft JP THE WAVY’, the group has captured the hearts of fans with their electrifying performances across Asia. This 7-track EP showcases the group's evolution, injecting even more energy into their sound, while also exploring new musical styles, leading them further on their global takeover.
The EP opens with ‘THE HEAT,’ a single that served as the kickoff song for their 2024 PSYCHIC FEVER ASIA TOUR, of which the group has previously shared that the song is all about their excitement for their upcoming tour. It sets the stage for an exhilarating musical journey that seamlessly transitions into ‘Love, Fire’. This lead track blends a Y2K R&B sound with modern Atlanta bass elements, demonstrating the group’s ability to blend nostalgia and contemporary sounds seamlessly.
Another standout track is the English love song, ‘BEE-PO’, which features relatable lyrics and catchy onomatopoeia like "SOS" and "BEE-PO," capturing the essence of Gen Z's approach to love and hesitation towards commitment with a pop-infused energy.
‘Pinky Swear’ serves as the ending theme for the upcoming Japanese drama series "好きなオトコと別れたい (Suki na Otoko to Wakaretai / I Want to Break Up with the Man I Love)." The EP concludes with ‘DOKONI’, a flirtatious track infused with Latin music influences, showcasing PSYCHIC FEVER's diverse musical palette.
With the release of the 'PSYCHIC FILE II’ EP, PSYCHIC FEVER embarks on a new chapter, setting the stage for their Asia tour starting in May with more announcements to be shared in the upcoming weeks.
KpopWise was able to reconnect with the artists to discuss their latest EP and answer some of forEVER's burning questions.
Congratulations on your EP ‘PSYCHIC FILE II’!
Whose part in ‘Love Fire’ would you like to try other than your own?
KOKORO: I would like to sing JIMMY's part. Since I am a vocalist, I don't often rap, so I would like to express myself powerfully, putting my feelings into every word.
WEESA: It would be RYUSHIN’s part. I like the lyrics, and I would like to sing it as it is the beginning of the rap parts.
TSURUGI: KOKORO’s part! I want to sing the beginning of the Hook! The dance is full of energy and I want to sing along with it!
RYOGA: I would like to sing REN’s Hook part. I like comfortable melodies, so I want to sing cool songs too.
REN: KOKORO’s part! In this song, KOKORO is singing the main part and I would like to sing the part where he sings beautifully.
JIMMY: I want to do REN’s part before the chorus. The singing and dance choreo looks very fun and aggressive!
RYUSHIN: I want to sing REN’s part. REN’s high notes are so beautiful, and I thought that if I could hit those high notes, I would be popular too, so I would like to try singing it.
Where do you get your personal fashion inspiration?
KOKORO: It's always a struggle for me to find a style that suits me. I often refer to fashionable people on Instagram, but I also look for and see random brands and flea markets to get an idea of the vibe that might suit me.
WEESA: I look at fashion brands I see on Instagram and if I find something I like, I buy it. I love fashion regardless of genre.
TSURUGI: Mine would be the Cowboy style, I think it is really cool! I like hats and I like western items. Above all, I respect the way they have blended in with the Earth and nature and establish a style of their own.
RYOGA: I like the mode style. I often wear items from SAINT LAURENT and CELINE, and I often imitate rapper G-Eazy's fashion.
REN: I love the brand WACKO MARIA, which originated in Japan. It is a very cool brand with patterned shirts, some flashy, and some more mature attire such as suits and leather jackets.
JIMMY: I like skate culture, so I wear that a lot! I am also quite particular about vintage clothing, so I go to vintage clothing stores in my free time to look for unusual items.
RYUSHIN: When I see a fashion style I like on social media, I imitate it or look at artists' social media profiles for reference.
Do you have a ritual before going on stage?
KOKORO: Yes, I do! I will always stretch and warm up the areas of the upper body involved in vocalization. After that, I do lip rolls and tongue trills, and then go on stage to check our singing positions in the vocal exercises I always do.
Then, we huddle up to a circle and everything is ready to go!
WEESA: I put on earphones and listen to blasting music to raise my spirits. I make sure that my mind is heightened until the very last minute before I get onstage.
TSURUGI: We amp our motivations by huddling up in a circle! Because of the rich individuality of the members, before going on stage, we unify our members to make sure we are all on the same page. We do this without fail on any stage!
RYOGA: For PSYCHIC FEVER, everyone forms a circle before getting onstage. For me, after I get on stage, I close my eyes and take a deep breath before starting as a routine.
REN: I get excited by listening to my favorite music and go on stage with my body all warmed up. In order to deliver a passionate performance, I raise my excitement beforehand before going on stage.
JIMMY: For PSYCHIC FEVER, everyone forms a circle and then stands on stage.
My routine is not doing anything specific on purpose, that's my routine! I try not to do anything special so that there are no ups and downs in my motivation and I can be on stage as I am!
RYUSHIN: I do facial exercises. If my facial expression is stiff, even when I rap, my expressions may become gloomy, so to avoid that, I do facial exercises before going on stage!
Which choreography of yours is your favorite? Which choreography was the hardest to learn?
KOKORO: ‘Just Like Dat’! It is easy to learn the basic choreography, but it is the most difficult and detailed song to learn while singing. If you make a mistake, it is difficult to recover from it, so I always concentrate on the choreography and lyrics while performing.
WEESA: I like the ‘Love, Fire’ choreography the best.I think it is the most fun to dance with its sexy, strong and weak parts in the choreography.
I am not good at memorizing choreography, so they’re all very difficult for me.
TSURUGI: I love the choreography of ‘Just Like Dat’. I especially like the beginning, which acts as the hook, and I like that it starts with the structure of a circle, which has a lot of impact!
The choreography for ‘Love, Fire’ was a bit difficult. The song has a sexy and luxurious element to it, so the small details were difficult.
RYOGA: I love ‘Love, Fire’’s choreography. It is a sexy and cool dance. We hope you will watch it a lot!
The choreography for BEE-PO was the most difficult this time. Although it is catchy choreography, there are a lot of parts that require a lot of skill, so I practiced a lot.
REN: It is the choreography of the ‘Love, Fire’ chorus! There is a dance that is set to sound, and it is very nice to dance to.
There is also a scene where I dance by myself, and I struggled a lot. It was quite difficult because I had to change my expressions a little and dance with a mature image, instead of just simply dancing.
JIMMY: ‘Love Fire’, for which I supervised the choreography, so it is a particular favorite of mine. I think I was able to incorporate a mature aspect into the choreography.
For some reason, ‘BEE-PO’ was more difficult for me to memorize the standing position than the choreography itself. It was so unusual that it left a lasting impression on me.
RYUSHIN: It’s ‘Love, Fire’! The choreography is a little different from the usual; it’s a more mature choreography, and it is a dance that requires beautiful use of body lines to express it properly, which could be difficult, but it is great fun to dance!
As a group how do you guys keep a healthy and open teamwork? How do you guys work on the group’s synergy on and off stage?
KOKORO: We have been active since we formed in 2019 and we are getting to know each other better and better as we go along. We sometimes go out to dinner during our personal time, and we are a group that talks and laughs all the time, even at work.
On stage, we look at each other's faces to release tension and have fun while performing.
WEESA: Since the members have been together since childhood, we are like brothers, and I think we maintain a good teamwork. We have different likes and personalities, so we stimulate each other on a daily basis.
TSURUGI: We make sure to be respectful of each other. We have an open relationship with each other because we have known each other since before becoming a group. Most importantly, all the members were enrolled in EXPG STUDIO (dance training school), so I think we learnt to have good teamwork. We often share active hobbies too. Understanding the likes and dislikes of our members is also a team effort.
RYOGA: We see each other almost every day. Therefore, we are like a family. We all value individuality, and we value the feeling of respect for everything we do. We also value communication a lot.
REN: I think it is all about respecting each other. We have different personalities, come from different places of birth, different things we have learned, and we have different things that we don't have. We respect each other, and I believe that the explosive power we can bring out when we all perform together is something only we can bring out!
JIMMY: I value each person's skills and individuality, so I am especially careful when communicating my thoughts and ideals. When discussing or making decisions, I take into account the opinions of each member and proceed one by one with everyone's consent, which may lead to the emergence of new ideas and values, which are naturally shared by all members.
RYUSHIN: Since we are always together, we don't do anything in particular, but each member treats each other like family, so when something happens, we immediately talk about it, and I think that aspect is what keeps us together!
You have many fans all over the world. Do you have any dream countries you would like to perform at?
KOKORO: If I could, I would like to visit all the countries and meet all of our fans!
The training in Thailand in 2022 was my first overseas trip, and I was inspired by the food, culture, music, and the local people. I will do my best to expand the circle of PSYCHIC FEVER and ForEVER (fans) and meet many people in many countries!
WEESA: I would love to visit my hometown Morocco and Korea as PSYCHIC FEVER. I am also interested in fashion and modeling, so I would like to visit Paris, France, where fashion is very popular.
TSURUGI: I would love to visit the USA. I would love to perform Just Like Dat live! I want to express my gratitude and I want to dance with everyone!
RYOGA: Recently, we have been focusing on Southeast Asia, but I would like to go to the US. and France soon to do a live concert there. If possible, we would like to go to various countries and have the fans see our performance. I am sure you will like it.
REN: I have been to Korea once for an event, but it was for a short period of time, so I would like to visit Korea again. I would like to experience Korea again through the people and culture, and I would like to perform in our own live concert!
JIMMY: In terms of music and culture, I definitely want to go to the U.S. with the members. I've been listening to a lot of European music lately, so I want to experience it and see how well I can do there.
Of course, with my African roots as well, I definitely want to visit Nigeria and other African countries.
RYUSHIN: I would like to visit the United States! I have been to the U.S. for a dance contest when I was little, and now I want to go to the U.S. as an artist to experience and feel many things!
Do you search yourself on the internet? Who searches the most?
KOKORO: Of course I do! I often search and check in my free time to see how our live performance was, what is expected of us, etc. So I am very grateful to everyone who hashtags and such. Thank you!
If I had to choose someone, it might be me too, as I do a lot of research.
WEESA: I check out PSYCHIC FEVER when it is trending, for example. I am glad to read everyone’s comments.
TSURUGI: I will see what comes up related to PSYCHIC FEVER. Your comments and TikTok challenges are greatly appreciated. They make us feel that our songs are spreading and I am really happy about this.
I think the member to search the most is RYUSHIN. He is very good at communicating with fans!
RYOGA: I often search #PSYCHIC FEVER. I am very grateful for the messages from all over the world that support our activities.
Among the members, I think RYUSHIN does it the most.
REN: I think all of them do, but I think RYUSHIN is the one who searches the most!
JIMMY: I often search with these two hashtags:
#PSYCHIC FEVER
#サイフィ
I'm curious to see how people react to our releases, and I use the comments as reference.
Among for the members, I think RYUSHIN does this a lot!
RYUSHIN: Yes, I do! It's okay if you don't look, but I think the opinions of the people who watch and know us the most are important, so I try to check social media sites after performances.
TSURUGI, have you listened to Beyonce’s “Cowboy Carter” album yet? What is your favorite song on the album?
TSURUGI: I listened to it! It's a great album and it's on my playlist. I think all the songs are genre-less and full of great elements. “TEXAS HOLD 'EM" is my favorite song. The lyrics are great and the melody is addictive. This song makes you want to dance.
Are there any new skills or hobbies you picked up recently or you want to learn soon?
KOKORO: I want to hone my musical skills and my ability to deliver my feelings to others, no matter how many years pass.
With all the information coming in through my eyes, ears, and nose, if I can touch the emotions of everyone close to me and be a part of their lives, I will be happy!
I will do my best to make it happen!
WEESA: I have always loved to draw and recently I have been trying my hand at digital art. I would like to be able to draw better pictures.
TSURUGI: I have no horse riding experience and would like to learn how to ride a horse, and I want to be good at it.
RYOGA: Music production techniques. I have been creating soundtracks for live performances and events for some time, and I have more and more opportunities to create these days, so I’m hoping that my skills are improving day by day.
REN: I have been singing more vocal parts lately, and would like to develop my singing skills for that, but I would also like to learn to play the guitar in addition to that. I would like to further expand my performance range!
JIMMY: I am learnning to compose music and speak foreign languages.
I am studying English, but now I am also studying French, so I would like to have a friend who can speak French.
RYUSHIN: I would like to be able to speak a variety of languages. Thankfully, I am allowed to visit many countries, so if I can speak the languages of the countries I visit, the local people will be happy and I can communicate with them directly, so I want to learn to speak the languages.
What’s your favorite K-pop song these days?
KOKORO: ‘Magnetic’ by ILLIT is one of the hottest songs for me right now. I play it over and over again, and am moved by the group's voice and music. In a genre-less world, the sophisticated music and entertainment of KPOP is always inspiring!
WEESA: ‘DPR LIVE / Jasmine’. I have loved DPR even more since I had the opportunity to be on stage with them at a festival in Indonesia. I love all of DPR’s music.
TSURUGI: I love XG's "NEW DANCE". That sound and melody is addictive and makes me want to start dancing.
RYOGA: I listen to NewJeans a lot. They are a group with a lot of charm, with their stylish sound and dance, so I check out their new songs every time they are released,
REN: The song is called "Magnetic" by ILLIT. The choreography is very catchy and easy to dance to, and I have been listening to this song a lot lately because it makes me want to imitate it.
JIMMY: I have been especially digging up on Korean rappers lately. Such as “How do the people in charge of rapping in each group stand out?” and “What kind of music are the solo artists singing?”, etc.
I have been listening to a lot of SIK-K and LOCO lately!
RYUSHIN: I like the song FRI(END)S by V. It has a very stylish sound and I listen to it all the time!
Do you have a message to your international fans who adore you?
KOKORO: Thank you so much for always supporting us and being there for us. We will continue to do our best and move forward to our dreams under the theme "IGNITE OUR DREAM" so that we can become a group that can convey Love, Dream, and Happiness to many people!
I hope to see you soon!
WEESA: I will continue to bring you the best music and live performances, so please look forward to it. Personally, I am also looking forward to performing live in front of you all. I will most definitely see you on stage.
TSURUGI: Thank you for all your support. We are looking forward to connecting with you all through music and dancing with you. I hope to have the best LIVE performance with you all, and I will continue to do my best!
RYOGA: Many thanks for all your support, we are very grateful. I want to meet you all around the world as soon as possible and we want you to come to our live shows. We are able to do what we do because of your support so we hope to see you soon. Big Love.
REN: We aim to be artists who travel all over the world, and we will do our best to become artists who can make many people feel our music and entertainment and give them dreams, so please continue to give us your warm support.
JIMMY: We are grateful for your support. It is because of all of you who support us that we are able to be on stage and show you what we are all about, we promise to show you the fun scenery!
We want to spend time together with everyone around the world, full of Love, Dreams, and Happiness, and I hope to have more opportunities to talk with you!
I sincerely hope to see you all on stage soon. Thank you for your continued support!
RYUSHIN: Thank you for your continued support! I can't wait to see you all soon, and we will do our best to perform in front of you soon, so we hope you will continue to support us!
Listen on Spotify
Connect with PSYCHIC FEVER from EXILE TRIBE
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tik Tok | Youtube