Number_i Rumored to Return to Kohaku Uta Gassen Just Two Years After Last Appearance

In NHK’s music special, they will feature both the “opening act” and the “closing act.”

The dance and vocal group Number_i, formed by former King & Prince members Sho Hirano (27), Yuta Jinguji (26), and Yuta Kishi (28), appeared on the music special NHK MUSIC EXPO 2024, which aired on NHK on August 22.

This program features performances by artists active worldwide, recorded and broadcast as a one-night-only special concert. In its second year, the event moved from a studio inside NHK to NHK Hall, with recordings taking place over two days, on August 10 and 11.

Number_i performed both the opening and closing acts on the first day. For their opening, they were met with overwhelming applause as they performed their debut song, GOAT, which was globally released via streaming on January 1. For their closing performance, they showcased their latest digital single INZM, which Jinguji described as “packed with rock elements, a song unlike anything Number_i has attempted before.”

“Standing on the NHK Hall stage marks the first time for the three members since their appearance at the 2022 New Year’s Eve Kohaku Uta Gassen as part of King & Prince. Their appearance in this special program has generated significant buzz, and rumors are already circulating that they’ve been confirmed to perform at this year’s Kohaku. The backdrop to these rumors is largely influenced by issues with their former group.” (said a music industry insider)

The former Johnny’s office (now SMILE-UP.), where the three members were affiliated, saw the founder, the late Johnny Kitagawa, being spotlighted for sexual abuse issues last year. In September, the company’s president, Noriyuki Higashiyama (57), and other executives held a press conference where they acknowledged and apologized for the sexual abuse. In response, NHK Chairman Nobuo Inaba stated that “Will not accept new appearance requests for the time being“. As a result, there was no appearance by former Johnny’s talents in last year’s New Year’s Eve “Kohaku Uta Gassen” for the first time in 44 years.

“The management of former Johnny & Associates talents was transferred to STARTO Inc. in April this year. However, NHK continues to refrain from using former Johnny & Associates talents, while actively featuring those who have left the agency, such as Junichi Okada (43), Goro Inagaki (50), and Kazunari Ninomiya (41) from Arashi.

This trend has led to the inclusion of ‘Number_i’ in ‘MUSIC EXPO.’ NHK is also maintaining its policy of not featuring former Johnny & Associates talents in this year’s ‘Kohaku,’ and with the focus on attracting younger viewers that ‘Kohaku’ has emphasized in recent years, ‘Number_i’ has been mentioned as a part of that strategy.” (same source)