BE:FIRST is officially making its move into the American market. The BMSG group announced that its first US-targeted release, a five-track global EP titled “WATCH ME,” will drop on September 18, 2026. Physical copies of the EP will be sold exclusively in the United States, while fans in Japan will be able to access it via streaming.
The release date is no accident: September 18 is also the founding anniversary of BMSG, the label run by BE:FIRST’s producer SKY-HI. The EP was made independently, with the group’s team linking up with overseas collaborators across production, distribution, and promotion to push the “boy band that makes it big worldwide” goal BE:FIRST set for itself back at its audition stage.
The five-song tracklist leans heavily on US hip-hop and pop pedigree. ATL Jacob, known for his work with Future, Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Lil Baby, produced multiple tracks, alongside Tommy Brown (Ariana Grande) and Xansei. Rappers BIA and Flo Milli both appear as featured artists, and member MANATO contributed to the production side as well.
Ahead of the EP, the lead single “BRUCE WAYNE feat. Flo Milli, ATL Jacob” has already been released, and its music video is now live on YouTube. The clip follows the members as figures who cross the line between light and shadow, underground and overground, to save a city in ruin, with choreography handled by RIEHATA.
Alongside the EP announcement, BE:FIRST confirmed a run of international shows titled “BE:FIRST WORLD SHOWCASE 2026 ‘WATCH ME,'” hitting Bangkok, Taipei, Manila, and two nights in New York City between late September and late October 2026.
Who is BE:FIRST?
BE:FIRST is a dance-and-vocal group under SKY-HI’s label BMSG, formed in August 2021 after a nationwide audition. Made up of SOTA, SHUNTO, MANATO, RYUHEI, JUNON, and LEO, the group swept Japan’s charts with its pre-debut track “Shining One” before officially debuting with the single “Gifted.” in November 2021. Member RYOKI left the group in November 2025, and BE:FIRST has continued as a six-member act since. The group has toured extensively, including its first arena dome tour in 2024-2025 and its first world tour across the US, Asia, and Europe in 2025, building a following well beyond Japan ahead of this US EP push.
Author’s Comment
Honey, a Japanese boy band dropping an EP with ATL Jacob and Flo Milli on it is not a small flex, it’s a full production. BMSG has been playing the long game with BE:FIRST for years now, and this US EP is them cashing the check. I’ll say this: releasing physical copies ONLY in America while Japan gets streaming is a bold little power move, basically telling the home crowd, ‘you’ll survive on Spotify.’ Whether American audiences actually bite for a J-pop-adjacent group remains the real test, but credit where it’s due, these boys never stopped grinding since RYOKI’s exit. I’m watching this one with genuine curiosity, not just industry side-eye.
