As previously reported, rapper SKY-HI (aka Mitsuhiro Hidaka of dance-vocal unit AAA) launched an audition show with the goal of creating a
world-class new boy group earlier this year.
Titled "THE FIRST", the show is currently being broadcast both on the streaming service Hulu and the TV program "Sukkiri". Episodes are also being uploaded for free on YouTube with English, Korean and Spanish subtitles at a slower pace.
Currently, the Hulu and Sukkiri broadcasts are at the 4th stage of the audition, where the 15 remaining contestants, who passed tests evaluating their dancing, singing and ability to express themselves onstage, took part in a training camp and
were evaluated on their creativity.
For this stage, the boys were divided into three groups of five, and each unit was tasked with creating a polished performance of an original song in 10 days. Using music provided by established producers as a base, they were asked to come up with their
own lyrics and vocal melodies, and then to create their own choreography.
The performances are being revealed one at a time. The first was by Team A, which consists of Sota Shimao, a professional dancer who has won several hip-hop dance championships, Naoki Ozawa, a contestant from the first season of
"Produce 101 Japan", Ten Oyama, a contestant from avex's "a-genic PROJECT" who appeared as a back-up dancer in SKY-HI's Sexual Healing music video, Manato Hirose, an aspiring singer-songwriter who studied abroad in New York as a child,
and Reo Kamimura, a former avex trainee who appeared as a dancer in SKY-HI's video for Don’t Worry Baby Be Happy feat. STAMP.
The music for their song "A" Life was produced by Matt Cab and MATZ.
A fixed camera version of Team A's performance of "A" Life was just uploaded to YouTube today. Fans can keep an eye on "THE FIRST"'s official website and SKY-HI's company BMSG's
official YouTube channel in the coming weeks for the other groups' performances.
