Amid timelesz Success with Taipro Rising Criticism from Antagonists Gains Attention

10 to 200,000 likes on Instagram posts

In November 2011, “Sexy Zone” debuted with a CD release, but on April 1, 2024, they changed their name to “timelesz.” On March 31, Kenichi Nakajima (31) left the group, and “timelesz” relaunched as a three-member group consisting of Shori Sato (28), Fuma Kikuchi (30), and Sho Matsushima (27).

The group decided to expand, and after the audition program “timelesz project -AUDITION-” exclusively streamed on Netflix, Takuto Teranishi (30) and Yoshitaka Hara (29), who were part of STARTO ENTERTAINMENT’s acting department, joined the group. In addition, Shuuto Inomata (23), Daiki Shinozuka (22), and Masaki Hashimoto (25), who were recruited through public auditions, also became members of “timelesz.”

On February 15, the new lineup began, and on February 28, they released their new single “Rock this Party” digitally. The “timelesz ‘Rock this Party’ Music Video TEASER” (released March 17) on their YouTube channel had reached 670,000 views by 7 PM on March 21. This was a teaser video, not the full version, showing the high anticipation from fans for the music video.

By 10 PM on March 21, the video “timelesz ‘Rock this Party’ (YouTube Ver.)” had surpassed 1.8 million views by 7 PM on March 22, illustrating the high level of attention they were receiving.

“In recent times, most of the group’s Instagram posts have received between 100,000 and 200,000 likes. Back in the ‘Sexy Zone’ days, they weren’t exactly considered big stars, and with Nakajima, who was the face of the group, leaving, things looked tough. However, ‘timelesz’ turned the situation around. Many new fans, who got into ‘timelesz’ through the show, have joined the fan club, and membership numbers are increasing. So far, the expansion can be considered a success,” says an entertainment writer.

However, with their rise in popularity, some negative comments have also emerged on social media. Some long-time fans from the old Johnny’s era are rejecting the new members, Inomata, Shinozuka, and Hashimoto, who joined through the general auditions. They are closely monitoring the behavior of the new members, scrutinizing every action they take.