Written for Tokyohive by Kat Gruss. 

These are the kind of moments you live for as an entertainment journalist. Even now, days removed from the excitement at Kyocera Dome Osaka, one can still hear the sound of 55,000 voices cheering on Ae! group with the fervor of five years of fandom for the announcement of their major label debut.

The path Ae! group took to get to this moment hasn’t been easy. Formed as a unit in 2019, they barely had time to get to know one another before the Covid pandemic upended everything. But in spite of the situational difficulty, they pushed onward; building a fanbase online during lockdown and doing their best to work around the at times excruciatingly strict concert and live event protocols. But at long last, surrounded by the faces of those who adore them, they got to repay that love in the form of a long-awaited and coveted step forward.

But to non-Japanese fans and other individuals unfamiliar with the jpop idol concept, the term “debut” might seem more than a little confusing. After all, Ae! group is already incredibly successful. Regardless of pandemic disruptions, they’ve been together for 5 years, and in that time have performed original music on national solo concert tours to say nothing of major music industry event appearances like Inazuma Rock Fest. The members have starred in everything from hit dramas and variety TV/radio shows to award-winning Broadway plays and sell adorable collectable merch on the official POP UP STORE. The announcement itself was made to a sold-out crowd at one of the biggest concert venues in the country and livestreamed to thousands more around the world. What, then, is there left to debut?

In simplest terms, a debut is the point when a group is commercially introduced into the mainstream music industry. As multifaceted a portfolio as STARTO may seem to have from the outside looking in, its business is, in fact, simply talent representation and management. So, when a group shows the skills necessary to break out of the core fan bubble, they contract with a professional music label (in this case, Universal Music Japan) to broker the production side of things like songwriting/production, marketing, and CD printing at scale.

Of course, that’s just the dry details of day-to-day business, and in a world where the accessibility of digital platforms has lowered the bar to where literally anyone can self-publish from their home recording setup, the concept might seem increasingly archaic. 

But to fans, a debut is far more than a line item in label contracts. It is the official introduction of a group to the world after many years of hard work and honing their craft; a stamp of official approval to validate the hopes and dreams of those who have supported them as insiders, sometimes since they were children, beyond such parental myopia; and a testament that they are worthy to jump out of their comfortable owned media nest and into the real competition that is sales charts, live televised performances, and global awareness. Even the sale of a physical CD, though increasingly irrelevant to the bigger industry they're now a part of, is an object of pride; a trophy of sorts that the talents’ and fans’ shared goals have been made manifest.

＊＊＊＊＊Ae! group’s Journey＊＊＊＊＊

As Ae! group personally experienced, the road to debut can be long and arduous. Unlike waiting for your turn at the coffee shop, there isn’t a guaranteed order to things; determined as it is by fleeting and fickle popularity metrics beyond anyone’s control. 

On the other hand, the debut that Ae! group is now granted is far from simple luck. Since their formation on February 18th, 2019, they have worked hard to make a name for themselves and built up an impressive resume of activities to boost said name into the public spotlight. Along with fellow Kansai Juniors (STARTO trainees), they were regulars on the popular BS Fuji TV program Maido Jani, and also shared the variety show Naniwa kara Ae! Kaze Fukasemasu with fellow Kansai unit Naniwa Danshi in their first semi-starring television role. From there they were also cast in a number of other endeavors such as the television show Ae!Ko (formerly Kansai Jani Haku), which garnered particular attention when member Ken Kojima aided in the internationally-resonating discovery of the return of biodiversity to the previously polluted Donbori River.

At the same time, Ae! group was actively participating in more intimate fan spaces, including a former Junior-exclusive video platform called IsLAND TV (closed in December 2023) and as regular members of the Junior YouTube channel since January 2021. Their first national tour, Aa!!!!!! To Odoroki Zenkoku Tour, was held in 2023, and member Yoshinori Masakado even had his own two-city solo show in 2022. Proving they could entertain beyond those already familiar with them, Ae! group was invited to be a part of the 2023 outdoor Inazuma Rock Fes with a setlist of original songs and senior group covers.

Given their strong visible presence and obvious popularity, it seemed to fans only a matter of time before Ae! group would be getting the good news of a mainstream leap, making the sudden and completely unexpected loss of a member late last year particularly devastating. While a personal message delivered to the Junior Family Club website from the remaining 5 guys assured fans of their intentions to keep at it, it was their 5th anniversary revival improv show this past February which finally gave audiences a sense that things were back on track. The show, titled simply “We are called Ae! group” had been produced by You Yokoyama (SUPER EIGHT) as a way to formally introduce the new unit back in 2019, and this update, also produced by Yokoyama, gave them a chance to reset themselves under the new five-man format while concurrently letting longtime supporters see a side-by-side comparison of how much they’ve grown.

＊＊＊＊＊What Comes Next?＊＊＊＊＊

With fans so eagerly awaiting Ae! group’s debut single 《A》BEGINNING, those just now getting to know them might be surprised to learn that it’s far from their first original song. As part of their Junior career, they’ve had many an opportunity to share their music at live events and on the Junior YouTube channel, such as PRIDE and Stray dogs., the latter written and composed by Tomohiro Kamiyama of WEST.; as well as a few additional tracks done by the members themselves.

With new and exciting opportunities now afforded them with a professional label partnership, we are incredibly excited to see what steps Ae! group make in their careers. Whether it’s bigger variety TV work as a group, primetime dramas for the actors among them, new radio shows or even international exhibitions a-la Travis Japan’s recent visit to Thailand and Hong Kong, we can’t wait to see what they make of this incredible opportunity for themselves and the next generation of debut-hungry Juniors cheering them on.

Debut by itself is a small word; nothing more than three consonants and two vowels on a page yellowed by association to the relics of physical media. But what it represents to those who know, love, and have followed them and other STARTO artists for years is the culmination efforts on the part of the group and individual members. It is the product of long days and nights and continuous effort. It is the essence of ambition to prove yourself worthy of the devotion of hundreds of thousands of people you will never personally know or likely ever meet. It is the incarnation of the blood, sweat, and tears expended in the service of others, and a signpost that you are ready to make a great leap forward into a brave new world.

We wish Ae! group only the best as they continue to shine bright; the first of a new generation of STAR(TO)s.

Follow Ae! group on their official X account below! 

READ MORE ABOUT STARTO'S JUNIOR TALENT IN OUR ONGOING TOKYOHIVE SERIES!

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INTERVIEW: Ken Kojima of Ae! group talks about his new starring drama and more!

Photos courtesy of STARTO ENTERTAINMENT.

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