When you're happy or sad, when you want to work hard or relax, the music you want to listen to will vary depending on your mood at the time.

What kind of music is in the lives of Pacific League players? We will introduce a playlist that gives a glimpse into the players' daily lives and personalities. In the third installment, Saitama Seibu Lions player Shinya Hasegawa selects "4 songs that motivate me when I listen to them during training."

We asked Hasegawa to tell us about songs that motivate him during his training, mainly songs by K-POP idols that he became obsessed with during last year's off-season and often listens to while in the car on the way to Belluna Dome.

[Previous "Playlist Pa" can be found here]

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(1) DRIP/BABYMONSTER
...I came across a video of our member Ahyeon singing on TikTok and thought, "She's a really good singer." I found out what group Ahyeon was in and then I discovered BABYMONSTER. The up-tempo part of the song matches the training atmosphere, and the part at the end where Ahyeon sings in high notes is overwhelming and lifts your spirits.

[BABYMONSTER... A girl group made up of multinational members from Korea, Thailand, and Japan. They debuted in April 2024 and set records such as the first No. 1 debut album for a girl group and the fastest debut MV for a girl group to reach 100 million views]

(2) BATTER UP (7 ver.)/BABYMONSTER
...I started listening to this song after a friend told me, "There's a part in the dance choreography where you swing and chase the ball." "BATTER UP" is a term used by umpire to tell the next batter to step up to the plate. It's a perfect entrance song, so I'm thinking of using it in the future.

(3) SHEEH/BABYMONSTER
...The deep bass that resonates in the background of the melody is cool, and that's what I particularly like about this song. It fits the atmosphere of the dome stadium, so I'm thinking of using this as an entrance song along with "BATTER UP (7 ver.)" in the future. It's a popular song on social media, so I want to use it soon before other players use it!

(4) Horizontal line/back number
...When I listen to songs with a fast tempo, my training movements also become faster, so when I want to move my body slowly, a slow song is suitable. This song has been my go-to song for karaoke since I was in my third year of high school, and it gets me pumped when I hear it. (Are you good at other back number songs?) The other songs are difficult and I can't sing them well, but "Suisei-sen" just so happened to be my go-to because the range fits me (laughs).

[Back Number... a three-piece band that made their major debut in 2011. They gained popularity with love songs that depict realistic feelings, such as "Takane no Hanako-san" released in 2013, and their songs have been used as theme songs for many TV dramas and commercials.]

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*Interview conducted on March 25, 2025.

■ Profile of Shinya Hasegawa
Born in Kyoto Prefecture on May 17, 2002. Joined Saitama Seibu Lions as the second draft pick from Tsuruga Kehi High School in 2020. Won a controlled registration in July 2022. Played in a career-high 72 games in 2024. A promising young outfielder who was named to starting line-up as the leadoff right fielder in the 2025 opening game. MBTI is ISTP (Master).