BE:FIRST is a seven-member Japanese boy group established by SKY-HI from AAA through the audition program BMSG Audition 2021 – THE FIRST. The group posted their official introductory video titled “THIS IS BE:FIRST” on YouTube on September 16, 2022.

The members include:

Sota Shimao (ソウタ),

Ryuhei Kuroda (リュウヘイ),

Manato Hirose (マナト),

Ryoki Miyama (リョウキ),

Shunto Kubo (シュント),

Leo Kamimura (レオ), and

Junon Ikegame (ジュノン).

Using his own money, SKY-HI held auditions held all over Japan to create a boy group that was “going to shine on the world stage” and different to other groups in Japan.

The audition program started with 200 people initially auditioned and was continuously cut down with three additional audition rounds through dance performance, creating an original song and compete against SKY-HI himself. ちゃんみな (CHANMINA) also became a judge during the song creation round. At last, only seven members were selected and formed BE:FIRST.

The group released their pre-debut single “Shining One” on August 16, 2021, and eventually made their debut with the first single release, “Gifted” on November 3 of the same year.

On May 18, 2022, BE:FIRST released their second single CD Bye-Good-Bye, which comprises three prior releases—“Betrayal Game” (January 31), “Bye-Good-Bye” (March 7) and “Brave Generation” (April 25)—and a bonus track, “Move On.” On July 13, 2023, the group did their first collaboration with Jonas Blue and resulted in a song titled “Don’t Wake Me Up.”

BE:FIRST released their first album, BE:1, on August 31, 2022, which includes their previous releases and 8 new songs—such as “Scream” and “Message.” In April 2023, BE:FIRST released the single “Smile Again” which was used as Shiseido ANESSA’s commercial theme song as part of the ANESSA Global Campaign.

BE:FIRST’s first One-Man Tour titled “BE:1,” named after the first album, was performed across Japan starting at Hiroshima on September 23, 2022, with its final stage at Grand Cube Osaka Main Hall in Osaka on February 23, 2023. All songs off the album were performed in the concert, with the live concert’s DVD & Blu-ray released on June 28, 2023.