Unintentional Changes Affecting Travis Japan and Ae! Group

The “Johnny’s Empire” collapsed completely due to the sexual misconduct issues involving its founder, the late Johnny Kitagawa. The former Johnny’s office changed its name to SMILE-UP. in October of last year, and the management and development of its affiliated talents were transferred to the new company, STARTO ENTERTAINMENT, in April this year.

Before the sexual misconduct issues came to light, in October 2022, the seven-member group ‘Travis Japan’ (hereinafter ‘Traja’) made their debut, followed by the five-member group ‘Ae! Group’ (hereinafter ‘Ae!’) in May of this year after the new system was established. However, it seems there were some “miscalculations” concerning the debut of both groups.

“Traja, after an indefinite dance study period in California, signed with Capitol Records in the U.S. and announced their global major debut, becoming the first Johnny’s group to aim for worldwide expansion.

However, when Traja made their debut, Hideaki Takizawa (42), who was the vice president of the former Johnny’s and handled their production, left the company at the end of October 2022, seemingly to witness their debut, and established a new agency, TOBE. Furthermore, since Johnny Kitagawa’s sexual misconduct issues were covered by international media, their global expansion came to a halt.

Ae! Group was set to become special supporters for the ‘World Cup Volleyball 2023,’ which was exclusively broadcast by Fuji TV. They were also scheduled to debut with the theme song for the tournament. However, due to Johnny’s issues, they were met with a ‘NO’ from participating countries, leading to the cancellation of all plans. At the end of last year, popular member Taisei Fukamoto (24) was released from his contract with the agency for compliance violations and left the group, adding to the series of setbacks” (music industry insider).

Traja is the first group in Johnny’s history to release their debut song “JUST DANCE!” exclusively through digital distribution rather than on CD. All five singles released since then have also been digital. Their album “Road to A,” released last December, was their first CD. On the other hand, Ae! Group’s debut CD single “《A》BEGINNING,” released in May this year, sold 625,000 copies in its first week. They topped the rookie rankings in the artist sales category of the ‘Oricon First Half Rankings 2024.’

“While many artists now release only digital versions, fans of former Johnny’s groups have incorporated collecting CDs of their favorite groups into their fan activities. Therefore, CD sales are considered a barometer of popularity. However, Traja’s first album’s first-week sales were around 150,000 copies. Despite being less than a year since their debut, signs of declining popularity are already evident, indicating they are in a tough spot.

 

Ae! Group has announced the release of their second single, ‘Gotta Be,’ on October 9. The high sales of their debut single might be attributed to a celebratory boost from fans. The sales of their second single will reveal their current level of popularity” (entertainment reporter).

Among the members of Traja, Genta Matsuda (25) serves as a regular on Fuji TV’s daytime information program “Pokapoka” and appears in the drama “Billion x School,” starring Ryosuke Yamada (31) from the agency’s senior group “Hey! Say! JUMP.” He is active as an actor as well.

In Ae! Group, Yoshinori Masakado (27) is the MC for the Saturday morning information program “Saturday Plus” on MBS and TBS, while Keita Kusama (28) is active in variety shows such as “The! Tetsuwan! DASH!!” on NTV and “Lavit!” on TBS. Although both groups are making notable individual appearances, they are struggling with their promotions due to the significant changes since the former Johnny’s office established its “empire” in the entertainment industry.

“Before the scandal involving Johnny Kitagawa’s sexual misconduct, it was difficult for boy groups outside of the former Johnny’s to appear on music programs, with TV Asahi’s ‘Music Station’ being a prime example. However, now there is no ‘consideration’ whatsoever, and boy groups from other agencies are prominently featured on television, reflecting a notable shift in the stance of TV networks.

Due to the reduction in TV exposure for former Johnny’s groups and the significant increase in the inclusion of boy groups from other agencies, both new groups have become completely ‘lost in the crowd.’ Although they still have some long-time fans, the fanbase they have gained since their debut is clearly being overshadowed by others. Apart from a few standout members, the groups lack presence and appear to have become collateral damage in the wake of the sexual misconduct scandal” (same source).

Will Traja be able to turn things around from here, and can Ae! Group further increase their popularity? We hope to see them live up to the legacy of their former “brand.”

 

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