How the Boys of BE:FIRST are Building a Global Sound Without Losing Their Japanese Identity

The global rise of Asian music has been accelerating in the past few years, and J-Pop has long been an established part of this story: its modern identity took shape in the late 1980s before exploding in the 1990s. Despite sometimes being viewed as very Japan-centric due to the industry’s focus on its large domestic market, Japanese artists have always had visibility and influence in overseas markets. Now, with pan-Asian acts gaining more audiences worldwide, a new generation of J-Pop artists is riding the wave on their own terms.

Enter BE:FIRST.

The six-member band—composed of Sota, Shunto, Manato, Ryuhei, Junon, and Leo—formed in 2021 through the reality survival audition show The First. Their pre-debut track “Shining One” made waves in several Japanese charts, and their debut single “Gifted” topped the Billboard Japan Hot 100 a few months later. Through the years, the group has made its mark with milestones such as opening for SuperSonic 2021, multiple chart-topping and record-breaking releases, as well as arena tours and world tours.

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BE:FIRST recently became more familiar to Filipino audiences when they collaborated with P-Pop powerhouse SB19 on the song “Toyfriend,” followed by a special guest spot in the latter’s Wakas at Simula: The Trilogy Concert Finale earlier this year. The J-pop group made a positive impression with the crowd as they not only performed the collaboration song but also had their own mini-set during the concert.

Now, the group returns to Manila for their own BE:FIRST World Showcase 2026 international tour. Ahead of this first headline show in the Philippines, the six-member J-pop group sat with Esquire Philippines to discuss keeping their Japanese identity as they pursue a global stage, what their creative process looks like, and the international teamwork behind some of their recent releases.

BE:FIRST has been known to balance performance with individuality. They know how to make sure each member’s individuality shines through their unified group identity.

“Our voices and tones are quite different, so we incorporate individuality by taking advantage of moments in the melody and lyrics, so that individuality remains in the singing parts,” Sota shared. “In dance, our approach places a high importance on technique, the texture of our movements, and quality.” Combining those moments with their ability to come together as a group, especially when performing live, allows them to showcase their individual appeal.

Just like how their diverse individual appeal contributes to their group dynamics, so does the choice of the group to blend multiple genres into their music, including hip-hop, R&B, and dance. With so many elements coming together in every new track they work on—sound, choreography, the story they want to tell—it might seem hard to know which one to prioritize, but they know the approach that works for them.

“All of those things are equally important,” Ryuhei said. “We place a high importance on connecting what we create to the story of who we are as BE:FIRST.

“After a track comes together, we check with ourselves: is this the story we want to tell?” he added. “Everything else gets created afterward. For live performance, we have a vision of how we want to perform and tell our story, and certain goals we want to meet. Sometimes we make tracks to fit that scenario. In the end, we want to pursue what we want to express and who we want to be.”

Of course, the process can also vary, and performing live underscores how telling the story can be different from how they prepare for other performances. “If we are given the opportunity to perform a track live immediately after it is made, then everything comes together really well, but that does not always happen,” Sota said. “There is a lot of trial and error when it comes to choreography. We attempt to make it work in live performances, and if it does not work, we revisit and rethink the choreography for a live setting.”

As Japanese artists become increasingly even more visible around the world, BE:FIRST offers a unique Japanese experience while ensuring they still connect with an international audience.

 “The one mandate we place on ourselves as Japanese artists is that we always incorporate Japanese lyrics,” Junon said. “It does not all have to be Japanese, but there will always be some Japanese in every song we make.” As a group, they express their Japanese identity by incorporating elements and motifs recognizable to others, such as sakura in music videos and performances. “We want to express who we are while also using elements that international audiences recognize and can relate to in our culture.”

While Japanese identity is central to BE:FIRST’s craft, it does not define the limits of what they want to create. “Being J-pop artists is part of our identity,” Ryuhei says, “but we do not want to lose sight of what we want to express as artists.”

That outlook has opened the door to collaborators beyond Japan, enabling new ways to pursue their ambitions while staying rooted in their own identity.

For instance, working with SB19 brought BE:FIRST alongside artists with a distinctly Filipino sound and stage presence. “There are qualities that only Filipino artists can bring, and there are things only SB19 can do because they are from the Philippines,” Shunto said. “Their live atmosphere was powerful and dynamic. They almost took our breath away with that power and with how they absorbed the audience's energy. When they performed ‘Toyfriend’ at D.U.N.K. in Japan, it was the same. Their stage presence left a very strong impression on us, and there was a great deal for us to learn simply from watching how they perform.”

Additionally, in SB19, they saw remarkably similar group dynamics to their own. “The six of us have earned a reputation with our fans for being really good friends,” Sota notes. “We found that SB19 seems to have a similar mentality, so it felt like one big family working with them.”

Even the approaches towards work and life felt that same. “There is no hard line between our work mode and our private lives,” he adds. “Both sides treat music as part of life rather than something separate that has to be manufactured as work. Our lives are similar in that way, and we really enjoyed spending time with them.”

BE:FIRST also worked on another collaboration earlier this year in July, this time with artists from the USA, and thus the single “BRUCE WAYNE” was born. “Manato participated in a co-writing camp in the United States,” Leo shared, “and that planted the seed for how everything came together.”

As newcomers to American audiences, the group tapped record producer ATL Jacob, who then brought in rapper Flo Milli to work on the track. “It became great teamwork between new partners and artists,” Leo continued. “From our side, it represents a major commitment to reaching a global market, and we are thankful for the opportunity they gave us.”

This helped the group shape other tracks that eventually formed their groundbreaking global EP, “WATCH ME,” a five-track album released in September and serves as their official US debut project. The title track itself features another collaboration, this one with BIA. The album has gained traction on the iTunes US charts, climbing up to #7 as of the most recent report.

Such success has helped given the group even more visibility and anticipation for their ongoing tour, which kicked off in Bangkok last September 25,  followed by Taipei on the 27, before landing in Manila on Saturday, October 3.  They will proceed to New York later in the month.

Coming back to the Philippines is something the group is particularly excited about. “This will be our first headline show,” Leo says. “We previously partnered with SB19, and even then, when people probably did not know much about us, we were greeted with a warm welcome. We are looking forward to seeing the fans and creating the stage together with the local fans.”

BE: FIRST will be performing in New Frontier Theater on Saturday, 3 October 2026.