On Jan. 22, two boy bands made their CD debuts under the name SixTONES vs Snow Man. Both groups belong to Johnny & Associates, Inc., the showbiz powerhouse that has produced a host of male pop idols in Japan. They will be featured on this page for two weeks in a row, starting with the SixTONES.
All six members of SixTONES, which should be pronounced "Stones," are good singers and include a talented rapper and a voice percussion performer. The group is the first boy band of Johnny & Associates that has launched an official YouTube channel. In 2012, the members -- Juri Tanaka, Yugo Kochi, Jesse, Taiga Kyomoto, Hokuto Matsumura and Shintaro Morimoto -- appeared on the TV show "Shiritsu Bakarea Koko"(Bakaleya high school) before forming SixTONES in 2015.
On Jan. 4, SixTONES kicked off an arena stadium concert tour "TrackONE-IMPACT" at the Yokohama Arena stadium in Yokohama. The nationwide tour, with 18 performances in five cities, is expected to draw a total audience of about 220,000.
Shown over the venue's gigantic ceiling were six rays of light representing the six tones of the band members. The colors shrouded each member when they sang "Japonica Style," which was released on YouTube and played more than 14 million times.
They also sang "Imitation Rain," their debut song written by Yoshiki of the rock band X Japan -- a song with which they now hope to venture out into the world.
The following is an excerpt from an interview with the band members by The Yomiuri Shimbun shortly before their CD debut on the Sony label.
The Yomiuri Shimbun: What is your feeling toward the group's debut?
Kyomoto: We've been given opportunities to appear in various music shows and make music videos. During the course of these events, I'm feeling the reality of it more and more.
Q: You are already doing a great job, holding the band's solo concerts and releasing a song on YouTube.
Matsumura: Johnny-san (the late Johnny Kitagawa, founder of Johnny & Associates) often told us, "You're already doing well in the showbiz scene."
Kochi: Perhaps it's an unusual thing about Johnny & Associates that we officially make a debut only after releasing a CD. We're in the age of digital data, but we're glad that our fans can keep something tangible.
Jesse: After the announcement of our debut date, the scale of our activities changed drastically.
Q: I heard that Hideaki Takizawa [a former Johnny & Associates star who is now a producer] told you about your debut in Johnny-san's hospital room on June 28 last year.
Tanaka: As Johnny-san was very ill, it wasn't a situation where we could raise our voices in delight. It was more like we made a resolution to do well.
Q: What do you think of the simultaneous debut with Snow Man?
Morimoto: I was surprised. But Johnny-san was someone who wanted to do unprecedented things.
Q: What do you think of your debut song, "Imitationa Rain"?
Morimoto: When I heard Yoshiki-san would write for us, I seriously couldn't say a word.
Tanaka: It was Johnny-san's dream for us to venture out into the world, so I'm thrilled that Yoshiki-san, who has international fame, wrote the song for us.
Kyomoto: When I listened to the song, I got goosebumps. The song has a beautiful melody although it's difficult to master.
Q: The song's music video is very exciting, too. You all dance soaked in water on a waterlogged set. A video of the production process is also out, showing you becoming teary when watching the finished version.
Kyomoto: Various thoughts flashed through my mind, like our journey to the debut. It's been more than 10 years since all of us joined the agency. I was also impressed by how beautiful the finished images are.
Tanaka: I felt joy in seeing everything come together because the filming was really tough.
Matsumura: The water splashed by someone dancing in front of me got into my mouth!
Jesse: I got so fired up that I hit Kochi's face.
Kochi: I had adrenaline running through my body during the filming, so I didn't feel any pain or coldness.
Q: Your group name is partly derived from raw stones. Can you tell me about the potential each of you has? How about Morimoto-san?
Jesse: He's a star. He played one of the main characters in the "Bakaleya" drama, too.
Morimoto: I want to keep on shining, be it on stage or TV.
Q: How about Kyomoto-san? You will star in the musical "Newsies" for about a month from May. It must be tough.
Kyomoto: I may cause you guys trouble, but if I can establish myself, I can definitely make it up to the group. So I want to go on wearing two hats.
Kochi: Hokuto [Matsumura] should make his peculiar sense of fashion into his job. I hope he'll design our costumes.
Matsumura: No way. I'm sure you'll all complain.
Q: You will play the role of a pianist in the Fuji TV drama "10 no Himitsu" (The Secrets) from Jan. 14.
Jesse: The age of the piano will come. It's a chance for you.
Matsumura: Well, I'm always in front!
Morimoto: Kochi appeared in the Nippon TV drama "School Kakumei" (School Revolution) more than 10 years ago. I hope he'll bring on a revolution in Japan.
Matsumura: He's a sought-after personality in variety shows but not as an emcee.
Kyomoto: Tanaka is a great emcee. I hope he'll be like [Masahiro] Nakai-san [formerly of SMAP] in the future.
Q: Finally, what about Jesse-san?
Tanaka: He's the face of the group. But he sometimes makes mistakes when he speaks on behalf of all of us in Japanese.
Jesse: No one will notice if I look confident!
Q: Do you have any last words for this interview?
Jesse: I hope you'll keep watching SixTONES, which is growing fast. We do walk the path tread by our predecessors, but we'll also create a new path. I hope people will think that we're great!
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
