Meet ONE OR EIGHT: The new J-pop group backed by big names and even bigger dreams
Meet ONE OR EIGHT: The new J-pop group backed by big names and even bigger dreams
With K-pop getting its global success in recent years, J-pop has been making its mark as well, and ONE OR EIGHT is the latest Japanese boy group looking to make it in the global market.
With K-pop getting its global success in recent years, J-pop has been making its mark as well.
ONE OR EIGHT is the latest Japanese boy group looking to make it in the global market.
"Our Japanese name comes from a Japanese idiom, ‘ichi ka bachi ka,’ which means something like ‘all or nothing.’ The English name comes from the phrase ‘All or Nothing,’ and it reflects our determination to take on challenges around the world," explains Souma.
The members came together after competing on an audition program called WARPs DIG.
After making the group, they started their one-year training process.
"Before our debut, actually about a year before it was officially decided, we had the opportunity to train in Korea. Until then, our activities had mainly focused on dance through auditions. We spent a year training in vocals and rap, areas we hadn’t really focused on before. At that time, we had just been formed as a group, so we weren’t particularly close as members yet. It was our first time living together in a dorm as this group. Over that year, I really feel like we became so much closer," says Reia.
Kicking off their career, the group released the single, "Don’t Tell Nobody", a high-energy track produced by hitmaker Ryan Tedder, followed by "KAWASAKI" which features Big Sean.
Working with such big names right at the start of their career is something the members never could have imagined.
"Just being able to work alongside them and have them contribute to our music means the world to us and we’re incredibly grateful. All of us feel incredibly thankful, but at the same time, it’s hard to believe because these artists are such huge names. In that sense, I’m honestly really happy, but there’s still a part of me that can’t quite believe it’s real," says Tsubasa.
Working with those artists shows the global appeal the members of ONE OR EIGHT have had since the beginning of their career, the reach of their company, and the motivation and drive of the group.
"What we're aiming for is a world tour on a grand scale. We just visited Madison Square Garden, and we kind of told ourselves that we will perform here in the near future so that we'd like to be able to meet many people around the world and be able to perform around the world," says Neo.
The members were recently in the U.S. on their first fan meeting tour, where they stopped in New York City and Los Angeles.
Even with the group being less than a year old, the fans packed the venues on their tour.
"The fans' voices were so loud and full of energy, they even came through our in-ear monitors. As I’m performing, I’m honestly thinking, ‘Oh man, this is wild!’ - that’s how powerful the crowd’s energy is," says Mizuki.
Prior to their tour, they released the song "DSTM," which sampled a song American fans were very familiar with, Rihanna’s "Please Don’t Stop The Music."
"I really value and embrace ONE OR EIGHT’s tagline: ‘Bet on yourself.’ After all, enjoying the challenge is one of the core concepts of our group. Through DSTM, we hoped to convey that concept to everyone who’s been watching and supporting us. We recolored and reshaped DSTM in a way that reflects our identity and message," says Souma.
The members added their own flair to the song, gained over 10 million views so far, and performed it on Korean music shows as well.
They worked with the original producers of the song, Stargate, who said in a press release, "When the guys in ONE OR EIGHT wanted to do a remake of our Rihanna song ‘Don’t Stop The Music,’ we were all in. They brought their own unique flavor and personality to all their parts. It was a lot of fun revisiting this song with them."
Having a familiar sample allowed them to be discovered by even more people, and their time performing the song live on Korean broadcasts signaled the global appeal they are making with their music.
They may be just starting out, but their dreams are already big and their determination is even bigger.
"A common theme in our music is the desire to challenge ourselves and keep growing. We want to keep showing the world how we take on new challenges, in all kinds of forms, starting from Japan and reaching out globally," Mizuki explains.
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