Japanese nine-member boy group JO1 held a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo on September 29 to mark their official US debut, becoming the first male group ever to hold a press conference at the venue. The group’s English-language EP ‘ANIMAL,’ produced with multiple Grammy-winning producer Dem Jointz, drops October 2, the same day JO1 kicks off their ‘2026 JO1 North American Tour ANIMAL.’
Speaking to reporters, members introduced the concept of ‘JO1-POP,’ a sound the group says blends J-Pop and K-Pop influences with their own identity rather than fitting neatly into either genre. Member Sho Yonashiro, who addressed the room in fluent English, said the six-track EP mixes English and Japanese-language songs and represents a new JO1 identity. Shoya Kinen recounted how a FaceTime call with Dem Jointz, after staff learned he was a fan, led to an in-person songwriting camp that produced material now featured on the EP.
Junki Kawano noted that JO1’s agency is a joint venture between South Korea’s CJ ENM and Japan’s Yoshimoto Kogyo, giving the group K-Pop-style training while incorporating Japanese cultural elements into their sound. Asked by a Brazilian reporter about influences, including BTS, Kinen said he auditioned for JO1 while dreaming of following in the K-Pop group’s footsteps, but that the US debut is a chance to establish JO1’s own sound rather than just chasing other acts. Ren Kawajiri echoed the sentiment, saying seven years of activity have taught the group to respect artists who sustain long careers while still pursuing their own ‘JO1-POP’ identity.
The US push builds on a string of milestones: JO1 hit a career-high US airplay chart position in May 2025, played stops on the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour in Dallas and Los Angeles in December, and became the first Japanese act nominated for World Artist of the Year at the iHeartRadio Music Awards 2026 in March. Members closed the conference with a message to JAM, the group’s fan community, thanking them for their support and promising to return from the North American tour in good health after chasing a US chart entry.
Who is JO1?
JO1 is a nine-member group — Issei Mametaka, Ren Kawajiri, Takumi Kawanishi, Ruki Shiraishi, Keigo Sato, Shoya Kinen, Junki Kawano, Aoi Kinjo and Sho Yonashiro — formed through the 2019 survival audition show ‘Produce 101 Japan.’ They debuted in March 2020 with the single ‘PROTOSTAR’ and won Best New Asian Artist at the 2020 Mnet Asian Music Awards. In 2025 the group completed its first world tour and headlined two nights at the Tokyo Dome, drawing roughly 100,000 fans, while also releasing the fifth-anniversary compilation ‘BE CLASSIC.’
With ‘ANIMAL’ and the accompanying North American tour, JO1 is aiming to turn years of steadily climbing US chart and award recognition into a genuine foothold in the American market.
Author’s Comment
Nine guys, one EP, and a brand-new genre name they just invented on the spot — you have to admire the confidence. ‘JO1-POP,’ huh? Bold move to reject both J-Pop and K-Pop labels when you’re literally standing on a stage built by both industries, but honestly, that’s the JO1 story in a nutshell: too many members to easily explain, too much ambition to sit still. I love that one of them just casually mentioned FaceTiming a Grammy-winning producer because a staffer let slip he was a fan — that’s the kind of shameless hustle that actually works in this business. Will American radio remember which of the nine is which by Christmas? Debatable. But give them this: after years of near-misses on US charts, they’ve earned the right to walk into the Foreign Correspondents’ Club and demand everyone learn their names.
