What Comes After Arashi? Data Insights Reveal the True Strength of the Male Idol Group Era
In the absence of the overwhelming champion "Arashi," new groups such as "Number_i," "BE:FIRST," and "JO1" are rapidly growing.
Who is close to becoming the successor to “Arashi”? Male idols are in a crowded field.
On September 15, Arashi celebrated their 25th debut anniversary while still on hiatus. Although a special website was launched and a song picture book was announced, the five members did not appear together.
“Since Arashi went on hiatus, the position of the nation’s top male idol group remains vacant. In terms of CD album sales, the second-highest selling group has just barely surpassed 400,000 copies, while Snow Man recently sold over a million copies of their latest album. However, there’s still a gap of over three times that amount compared to Arashi‘s highest record of 3.3 million copies, so it feels like Snow Man is still one step short of being called national idols,” said a TV station insider.
That said, Snow Man stands out not just in CD sales but also in TV appearances, concert attendance, and YouTube subscribers, positioning them as the closest successor to Arashi. Meanwhile, other male idol groups are in a fierce competition.
“The male idol market has long been dominated by ‘STARTO ENTERTAINMENT’ (commonly known as StarEn), which excels in multiple areas, including dramas, variety shows, and CD sales. However, recently, new groups from other agencies have emerged, specializing in specific fields, which is shifting the rankings in each category. If these groups focus on a single field instead of competing across multiple areas, they may have a chance to challenge StarEn in that field,” explained a major advertising agency representative.
This time, a comprehensive comparison was conducted across various fields for 30 male idol groups made up of members under 30. Some of the groups have members who transferred from the former Johnny’s Office, shifting from a multi-talented model to a more specialized one. A prime example is TOBE’s Number_i.
“They are made up of former King & Prince members who left the group at the peak of their popularity. They no longer appear on the variety shows they were known for or pursue acting roles, focusing solely on their music career. Although names like Sho Hirano (27) and Yuta Kishi (28) still come up for variety casting due to their natural characters, they haven’t appeared on any shows since their transfer,” noted a video production company insider.
Although their departure from their former agency and major shift in activity has caused a backlash among long-time fans, the remaining fans are described as extremely passionate.
“Although they’ve only been active for eight months, have few songs, and have hardly performed live, their average YouTube video views rank second after Snow Man. Their subscriber count has surpassed 930,000, ranking fifth overall, but they’re at the top outside of StarEn. Their general public recognition is high, and the intense passion of their fans means there’s also a strong presence of detractors, generating significant reactions. Even StarEn‘s fanbase keeps an eye on their activities. While only a select few fans attend their live performances, they are a group that would definitely draw strong ratings if they appear on music shows,” said the TV station insider.
