NewS
Encyclopedia
, is a four-member Japanese boy band
consisting of Keiichiro Koyama
, Takahisa Masuda
, Shigeaki Kato
and Yuya Tegoshi
. The group's name is an acronym based on the cardinal direction
s (North, East, West, South) and the members locations. Formed in 2003 by Johnny Kitagawa
as a nine member group under the label
Johnny's Entertainment, NEWS released a promotional single , which was used for the World Cup of Volleyball Championships. In 2004, Takahiro Moriuchi
left the group and the remaining eight members released their debut single, , which debuted atop the Oricon
charts.
In 2006, the group released their fifth consecutive number-one single, , as the current six-member group due to the controversy surrounding then-members Hiroki Uchi
and Hironori Kusano
. After a brief hiatus, they released their seventh number-one single, . In 2008, they performed at the Tokyo Dome for the first time, and released their tenth single, "Happy Birthday
," which made NEWS the second Japanese group after label-mates KinKi Kids
to have ten consecutive number-one singles since their debut. NEWS became a quartet following the departures of Ryo Nishikido
and Tomohisa Yamashita
from the group in 2011.
chart. Their next two singles, (2004) and (2005), both debuted atop the charts, as did NEWS' first album, Touch, which sold 164,016 copies in its first week.
In July 2005, Uchi Hiroki was scrutinized for underage drinking and was suspended indefinitely from both NEWS and Kanjani8, another group he was a part of. Despite having lost a member, NEWS released their fourth single, , which like its predecessors debut at number-one. In January 2006, NEWS was reduced to six members when Hironori Kusano
was suspended indefinitely for the same charge as Uchi. NEWS released their fifth single, (March 2006), which was their fifth consecutive number-one single. On May 1, 2006, after NEWS finished their "NEWS Spring Tour", the group went on hiatus.
.
On November 7, NEWS simultaneously released their seventh single, "Weeeek" and their second album, Pacific
. Both releases debut atop of their respective charts with "Weeeek" selling 263,000 copies in its first week and Pacific selling 196,000 copies in their first week. This marked the tenth in Oricon history that an artist had both their single and album debut atop the charts simultaneously. To further support their album, NEWS went on a nationwide tour, NEWS Concert Tour Pacific 2007-2008, from December 15, 2007 to January 27, 2008. Because tickets were in such high demand, two more dates were added to the concert, which resulted in NEWS performing at the Tokyo Dome
for the first time.
In February 2008 NEWS released their eighth number-one single, , which was used as the theme song for the movie Kurosagi
, starring Tomohisa Yamashita
. NEWS released two more number-one singles, "Summer Time" (May 2008) and "Happy Birthday
" (October 2008), before releasing their third studio album Color
(November 2008). The release of "Happy Birthday" made NEWS the second group, after the KinKi Kids
, to have ten consecutive number-one singles since their debut. Color debuted at the number-one position on the charts, giving NEWS their third consecutive album. NEWS released their new single, on April 29, 2009. It became their 11th number-one single. Their 12th number-one single titled "Sakura Girl" was released on March 31, 2010. At the “LIVE! LIVE! LIVE! NEWS DOME PARTY 2010“ concert at Tokyo Dome, it was announced that NEWS would be releasing their 13th single, “Fighting Man,” on November 3, which they did.
NEWS has not had any group activities since the Music Station Super Live in December of 2010.
and Tomohisa Yamashita
left the group. The official press release from Johnnys & Associates explained that Nishikido was leaving because scheduling conflicts made it difficult for him to be active in both NEWS and Kanjani8, while Yamashita was leaving to concentrate on solo projects. Nishikido will continue his activities with Kanjani8 but not NEWS. NEWS will continue as a four-member group with Keiichiro Koyama
, Takahisa Masuda
, Shigeaki Kato
and Yuya Tegoshi
.
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
consisting of Keiichiro Koyama
Keiichiro Koyama
is a Japanese musician and member of the Johnny's Entertainment group NEWS.-Biography:Koyama, born in Sagamihara, Kanagawa as the youngest of two children, is the oldest member of NEWS and is often seen as the mother figure of the group...
, Takahisa Masuda
Takahisa Masuda
is a Japanese idol from Johnny's Entertainment.-Biography:Masuda joined Johnny's Entertainment in November 1998. During his junior days, Masuda backdanced for many of his seniors in the agency, such as KAT-TUN, and participated in many Johnny's junior photoshoots...
, Shigeaki Kato
Shigeaki Kato
is a member of the J-pop group NEWS, from Johnny's Entertainment, Inc.- Biography :Kato Shigeaki joined Johnny's Entertainment on April 17, 1999 when he was 11.As a junior he was a member of the organizations:* Best Beat Boys （B.B.B.）...
and Yuya Tegoshi
Yuya Tegoshi
is a member of Japanese boy band NEWS and its subgroup Tegomass, both under Johnny & Associates.-Career:Tegoshi entered Johnny's Jimusho during December 2002. He participated in various Johnny's Junior activities for eleven months before becoming a member of NEWS in 2003...
. The group's name is an acronym based on the cardinal direction
Cardinal direction
The four cardinal directions or cardinal points are the directions of north, east, south, and west, commonly denoted by their initials: N, E, S, W. East and west are at right angles to north and south, with east being in the direction of rotation and west being directly opposite. Intermediate...
s (North, East, West, South) and the members locations. Formed in 2003 by Johnny Kitagawa
Johnny Kitagawa
, born , is the founder and president of Johnny & Associates, a production agency for numerous popular boy bands in Japan. Kitagawa assembled, produced and managed more than a dozen popular bands, including SMAP, Arashi, Kanjani8, Hey! Say! JUMP, V6, NEWS and KAT-TUN. Kitagawa's influence has...
as a nine member group under the label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
Johnny's Entertainment, NEWS released a promotional single , which was used for the World Cup of Volleyball Championships. In 2004, Takahiro Moriuchi
Takahiro Morita
One Ok Rock is a Japanese rock band formed in 2005, composed of four members: Taka, Toru, Ryota, and Tomoya. They originally consisted of fifth member, Alex, but he has left the group since....
left the group and the remaining eight members released their debut single, , which debuted atop the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
charts.
In 2006, the group released their fifth consecutive number-one single, , as the current six-member group due to the controversy surrounding then-members Hiroki Uchi
Hiroki Uchi
is a Japanese idol singer, songwriter, actor and model. He was born in Habikino, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.-Biography:Uchi Hiroki auditioned for Johnny & Associates on May 1999, at the age of twelve...
and Hironori Kusano
Hironori Kusano
is a singer, idol, and former member of the J-pop group NEWS, as part of Johnny's Entertainment, Inc. He joined Johnny's Entertainment on February 4, 2001.- Biography :As a Johnny's Jr., Kusano had also been in other Jr...
. After a brief hiatus, they released their seventh number-one single, . In 2008, they performed at the Tokyo Dome for the first time, and released their tenth single, "Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday (NEWS song)
"Happy Birthday" is the tenth single of the Japanese boy group NEWS. It was released on October 1, 2008, in two editions; a regular edition which contains two b-sides: Gan Gan Ganbatte and Push On!, and a limited edition which also contains Happy Birthday and its b-side Gan Gan Ganbatte from the...
," which made NEWS the second Japanese group after label-mates KinKi Kids
KinKi Kids
is a Japanese duo consisting of Koichi Domoto and Tsuyoshi Domoto under the talent agency Johnny & Associates. Although the members share the same surname, the only relation they have to each other is that they both hail from the Kinki region, hence the duo's name....
to have ten consecutive number-one singles since their debut. NEWS became a quartet following the departures of Ryo Nishikido
Ryo Nishikido
is a Japanese actor and singer. He is a member of the Johnny & Associates boy band Kanjani Eight and was a member of boy band NEWS.- Biography :Ryo Nishikido was born in Hyogo on November 3, 1984 and raised in Osaka. He made his major debut in 2004 as an actor and a singer. Nishkido belongs to two...
and Tomohisa Yamashita
Tomohisa Yamashita
, also widely known as Yamapi, is a Japanese idol, actor, and singer.Yamashita joined the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates in 1996 at the age of 11 and made his official CD debut with NEWS in 2004. He debuted as a solo artist in 2006 with the hit single "Daite Senorita". His first solo...
from the group in 2011.
2003–2006: Debut and departure of members
Formed in September 2003, NEWS released a promotional single, , which was used as the theme song for the World Cup of Volleyball Championships. Before holding their first concert, , Takahiro Moriuchi left the group. NEWS later released their debut single, "Kibō: Yell", which topped the OriconOricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
chart. Their next two singles, (2004) and (2005), both debuted atop the charts, as did NEWS' first album, Touch, which sold 164,016 copies in its first week.
In July 2005, Uchi Hiroki was scrutinized for underage drinking and was suspended indefinitely from both NEWS and Kanjani8, another group he was a part of. Despite having lost a member, NEWS released their fourth single, , which like its predecessors debut at number-one. In January 2006, NEWS was reduced to six members when Hironori Kusano
Hironori Kusano
is a singer, idol, and former member of the J-pop group NEWS, as part of Johnny's Entertainment, Inc. He joined Johnny's Entertainment on February 4, 2001.- Biography :As a Johnny's Jr., Kusano had also been in other Jr...
was suspended indefinitely for the same charge as Uchi. NEWS released their fifth single, (March 2006), which was their fifth consecutive number-one single. On May 1, 2006, after NEWS finished their "NEWS Spring Tour", the group went on hiatus.
2007–2010: NEWS' Comeback
On December 30, 2006, it was announced that NEWS would make their return at Johnny's Concert Countdown 2006-2007 as a six-member group, since Hiroki Uchi and Hironori Kusano had been demoted to trainees. To mark their return, NEWS embarked on a tour and released their sixth single . "Hoshi wo Mezashite" became their sixth number-one single, which went on to be used as the theme song for the Japanese version of Happy FeetHappy Feet
Happy Feet is a 2006 American-Australian computer-animated family film with music, directed and co-written by George Miller. It was produced at Sydney-based visual effects and animation studio Animal Logic for Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures and Kingdom Feature Productions and was released...
.
On November 7, NEWS simultaneously released their seventh single, "Weeeek" and their second album, Pacific
Pacific (album)
Pacific is the second studio album by Japanese musical group NEWS, released on November 7, 2007. The album reached the number one position on the Oricon Daily Album Chart and Oricon Weekly Album Chart. Four singles have been released from this album...
. Both releases debut atop of their respective charts with "Weeeek" selling 263,000 copies in its first week and Pacific selling 196,000 copies in their first week. This marked the tenth in Oricon history that an artist had both their single and album debut atop the charts simultaneously. To further support their album, NEWS went on a nationwide tour, NEWS Concert Tour Pacific 2007-2008, from December 15, 2007 to January 27, 2008. Because tickets were in such high demand, two more dates were added to the concert, which resulted in NEWS performing at the Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium...
for the first time.
In February 2008 NEWS released their eighth number-one single, , which was used as the theme song for the movie Kurosagi
Kurosagi (film)
Kurosagi is a film based on the 2006 popular TV series Kurosagi.After the finale of the TV series in June, TBS received many questions about whether there would be a new season or a film. TBS decided to shoot a film, beginning in August 2007....
, starring Tomohisa Yamashita
Tomohisa Yamashita
, also widely known as Yamapi, is a Japanese idol, actor, and singer.Yamashita joined the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates in 1996 at the age of 11 and made his official CD debut with NEWS in 2004. He debuted as a solo artist in 2006 with the hit single "Daite Senorita". His first solo...
. NEWS released two more number-one singles, "Summer Time" (May 2008) and "Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday (NEWS song)
"Happy Birthday" is the tenth single of the Japanese boy group NEWS. It was released on October 1, 2008, in two editions; a regular edition which contains two b-sides: Gan Gan Ganbatte and Push On!, and a limited edition which also contains Happy Birthday and its b-side Gan Gan Ganbatte from the...
" (October 2008), before releasing their third studio album Color
Color (album)
Color is the third studio album by Japanese group NEWS, released on November 19, 2008. The album was released in a limited edition and regular edition. The regular edition comes with a bonus track...
(November 2008). The release of "Happy Birthday" made NEWS the second group, after the KinKi Kids
KinKi Kids
is a Japanese duo consisting of Koichi Domoto and Tsuyoshi Domoto under the talent agency Johnny & Associates. Although the members share the same surname, the only relation they have to each other is that they both hail from the Kinki region, hence the duo's name....
, to have ten consecutive number-one singles since their debut. Color debuted at the number-one position on the charts, giving NEWS their third consecutive album. NEWS released their new single, on April 29, 2009. It became their 11th number-one single. Their 12th number-one single titled "Sakura Girl" was released on March 31, 2010. At the “LIVE! LIVE! LIVE! NEWS DOME PARTY 2010“ concert at Tokyo Dome, it was announced that NEWS would be releasing their 13th single, “Fighting Man,” on November 3, which they did.
NEWS has not had any group activities since the Music Station Super Live in December of 2010.
2011: Became quartet
On October 7, 2011, it was announced that both Ryo NishikidoRyo Nishikido
is a Japanese actor and singer. He is a member of the Johnny & Associates boy band Kanjani Eight and was a member of boy band NEWS.- Biography :Ryo Nishikido was born in Hyogo on November 3, 1984 and raised in Osaka. He made his major debut in 2004 as an actor and a singer. Nishkido belongs to two...
and Tomohisa Yamashita
Tomohisa Yamashita
, also widely known as Yamapi, is a Japanese idol, actor, and singer.Yamashita joined the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates in 1996 at the age of 11 and made his official CD debut with NEWS in 2004. He debuted as a solo artist in 2006 with the hit single "Daite Senorita". His first solo...
left the group. The official press release from Johnnys & Associates explained that Nishikido was leaving because scheduling conflicts made it difficult for him to be active in both NEWS and Kanjani8, while Yamashita was leaving to concentrate on solo projects. Nishikido will continue his activities with Kanjani8 but not NEWS. NEWS will continue as a four-member group with Keiichiro Koyama
Keiichiro Koyama
is a Japanese musician and member of the Johnny's Entertainment group NEWS.-Biography:Koyama, born in Sagamihara, Kanagawa as the youngest of two children, is the oldest member of NEWS and is often seen as the mother figure of the group...
, Takahisa Masuda
Takahisa Masuda
is a Japanese idol from Johnny's Entertainment.-Biography:Masuda joined Johnny's Entertainment in November 1998. During his junior days, Masuda backdanced for many of his seniors in the agency, such as KAT-TUN, and participated in many Johnny's junior photoshoots...
, Shigeaki Kato
Shigeaki Kato
is a member of the J-pop group NEWS, from Johnny's Entertainment, Inc.- Biography :Kato Shigeaki joined Johnny's Entertainment on April 17, 1999 when he was 11.As a junior he was a member of the organizations:* Best Beat Boys （B.B.B.）...
and Yuya Tegoshi
Yuya Tegoshi
is a member of Japanese boy band NEWS and its subgroup Tegomass, both under Johnny & Associates.-Career:Tegoshi entered Johnny's Jimusho during December 2002. He participated in various Johnny's Junior activities for eleven months before becoming a member of NEWS in 2003...
.
Studio albums
| Year | Information | Oricon Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... weekly peak position |
Sales | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Touch Touch (NEWS album) Touch is the first studio album by Japanese musical group NEWS, released on April 27, 2005. The album reached the number one position on the Oricon Daily Album Chart and Oricon Weekly Album Chart...
|
1 | 250,000+ (JP) | RIAJ: Platinum |
| 2007 | Pacific Pacific (album) Pacific is the second studio album by Japanese musical group NEWS, released on November 7, 2007. The album reached the number one position on the Oricon Daily Album Chart and Oricon Weekly Album Chart. Four singles have been released from this album... |
1 | 250,000+ (JP) | RIAJ: Platinum |
| 2008 | Color Color (album) Color is the third studio album by Japanese group NEWS, released on November 19, 2008. The album was released in a limited edition and regular edition. The regular edition comes with a bonus track... |
1 | 250,000+ (JP) | RIAJ: Platinum |
| 2010 | Live Live (NEWS album) LIVE is the fourth studio album released by the Japanese boy group NEWS. The album is certified gold for a shipment of 100,000 copies and even top the Oriconchart.-Album Information:... |
1 | 185,204 (JP) | RIAJ: Gold |
Singles
| Year | Title | Oricon charts information | Album | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily | Weekly | Monthly | Yearly | Sales | |||||||||||||
| 2003 | — | — | — | — | — | Touch | |||||||||||
| 2004 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 395,406 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | 5 | 31 | 251,223 | |||||||||||||
| 2005 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 32 | 261,980 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | 2 | 34 | 245,209 | Pacific | ||||||||||||
| 2006 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 39 | 222,848 | ||||||||||||
| 2007 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 310,505 | ||||||||||||
| "Weeeek" | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 376,261 | Color | |||||||||||
| 2008 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 291,447 | ||||||||||||
| Summer Time" | 1 | 1 | 2 | 23 | 258,820 | ||||||||||||
| "Happy Birthday Happy Birthday (NEWS song) "Happy Birthday" is the tenth single of the Japanese boy group NEWS. It was released on October 1, 2008, in two editions; a regular edition which contains two b-sides: Gan Gan Ganbatte and Push On!, and a limited edition which also contains Happy Birthday and its b-side Gan Gan Ganbatte from the... " |
1 | 1 | 2 | 26 | 242,581 | ||||||||||||
| 2009 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 286,978 | Live | |||||||||||
| 2010 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 25 | 232,752 | ||||||||||||
| Fighting Man" | 1 | 1 | 3 | 32 | 179,137 | TBA | |||||||||||
| "—" denotes a title that did not reach the chart. | |||||||||||||||||
DVDs
| Year | Information |
|---|---|
| 2004 | News Nippon 0304
|
| 2005 | Summary of Johnny's World
|
| 2007 | Never Ending Wonderful Story
|
| 2008 | NEWS Concert Tour Pacific 2007-2008 - The First Tokyo Dome Concert
|
| 2009 | NEWS Live Diamond
|
| 2010 | NEWS LIVE!LIVE!LIVE! DOME CONCERT 2010
|