Number_i’s Debut Single vs. Last Year’s No. 1 Kinpuri: CD Sales Showdown
Number_i, a three-member idol group consisting of former “King & Prince” members Sho Hirano (27), Yuta Jinguji (26), and Yuta Kishi (28), will release their first single “GOAT” on March 6, after its distribution release on New Year’s Day, It was recently announced.
Reservations began at noon on January 16 on the official mail order site of their agency. The limited first edition will include three songs and a Blu-ray disc, while the regular edition will include four songs.
“The music video for the same song surpassed 10 million views within three days of its release and secured the top spot in the global YouTube MV Daily Ranking on January 3rd. It also gained attention by topping the overall chart ‘JAPAN Hot 100’ on ‘Billboard Japan.’
Moreover, the single made its debut on Oricon’s ‘Weekly Digital Single (Single)’ ranking on January 15th, securing the top position with a significant lead over Ado’s ‘Utai.’ Fans have eagerly awaited the CD release of the group that has been attracting attention since its formation, and sales are also expected to be promising.” (Source: Record company insider)
The three members left King & Prince on May 22nd of last year, subsequently leaving the former Johnny’s office (now SMILE-UP.) and joining Hideaki Takizawa’s TOBE. Then, on October 15th, during a YouTube live stream from Tokyo Dome, they announced the formation of their new group.
“When the additions of Hirano and Jinguji were announced on TOBE’s official YouTube on July 7th, the live stream achieved a maximum simultaneous connection of 1.02 million viewers. In the domestic rankings, they ranked third, following Snow Man and the former NEWS member, Yuya Tegoshi (36).
Moreover, the magazine ‘NYLON JAPAN GLOBAL ISSUE 04,’ which they adorned as a group for the first time on the cover in November, was so popular that it required a reprint before its release. This magazine even secured the second position in Tower Records’ ‘TOWER BOOKS 2023 Annual Ranking,’ solidifying the notion that their songs are expected to be hits.”
