The long-awaited 17th single title song “Zettai Idol Ni Naide” was released on July 31st (Wednesday). As soon as the music video for the title song was released, it reached 1 million views in 24 hours, the fastest time for the group (ranked 1st on YouTube’s “Trending Videos” and 4th on Japan’s “Rapidly Rising Music”), and has now exceeded 6.85 million views. Furthermore, the total number of streams has exceeded 10 million, and the momentum of the idol group =LOVE (Equal Love), produced by Rino Sashihara, is unstoppable.
Today, they appeared on the HOT STAGE, the outdoor main stage of the world’s largest idol festival, “TOKYO IDOL FESTIVAL 2024 supported by Nitan Clinic” (Odaiba/Aomi area), and delivered a magnificent performance.
The event was held over three days from August 2nd (Fri) to 4th (Sun), and this marked =LOVE’s eighth consecutive year of performing at TIF since their stage debut at TOKYO IDOL FESTIVAL 2017. They performed a total of eight songs, including their latest hit song “Zettai Idol Yumenai de” (Don’t Quit Being an Idol), released on July 31st (Wed), as well as their signature songs “Seishun “Subliminal”” and “=LOVE,” popular summer tunes “Natsumatsuri Koibou” and “Oh! Darling,” and livened up the HOT STAGE with a set list that only summer could offer.
In September, =LOVE will hold their 7th anniversary concert “=LOVE 7th ANNIVERSARY PREMIUM CONCERT” at K Arena Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, their largest concert to date, and a joint concert “Ikonoi Joy 2024” by =LOVE, ≠ME, and ≒JOY will also be held at Fuji-Q Highland Conifer Forest in Yamanashi Prefecture. As they make it through the summer and energetically expand the scope of their activities, keep an eye on =LOVE.
★8/4(Sun) TOKYO IDOL FESTIVAL 2024 ＠HOT STAGE
SET LIST
1. Don’t ever quit being an idol
2. “Drive Date in Tokyo”
3. Natsumatope
4. Oh! Darling
5. Summer Festival Love
6. “I thought our eyes wouldn’t meet during club activities.”
7. Youth “Subliminal”
MC
8. =LOVE
(=LOVE information)
★Product information
Release date: Wednesday, July 31, 2024
17th single “Never Quit Being an Idol”
★New song “Never Quit Being an Idol” Music Video
“Don’t ever quit being an idol”
Lyricist: Rino Sashihara
Composition and Arrangement: Ryuuki Koike, Hiroto Kikuchi
Sound Director: Takayuki Yayama (Sony Music)
Recorded by Sony Music Studios Tokyo
(MUSIC VIDEO)
Director: Ryohei Shingu (BABEL LABEL)
Choreographer: Maika Takeda
★New song “Reconciliation Cream Puff” Music Video
“Reconciliation Cream Puffs”
Lyricist: Rino Sashihara
Composer: Furuppe (Kerakera), Takayuki Yoshimura
Arrangement: Takayuki Yoshimura
Sound Director: Takayuki Yayama (Sony Music)
Recorded by Sony Music Studios Tokyo
(MUSIC VIDEO)
Director: Shunji Ohno
Choreographer: Saeko Makita
★New song “Umi to Lemon Tea” Music Video
“The Sea and Lemon Tea”
Lyricist: Rino Sashihara
Composition and Arrangement: Tetsuya Iwasaki
Sound Director: Takayuki Yayama (Sony Music)
Recorded by Sony Music Studios Tokyo
(MUSIC VIDEO)
Director: Nakajima Seito (superbly inc.)
Choreographer: CRE8BOY
★New song “Never Quit Being an Idol” now available
https://equallove.lnk.to/Zettaiidolyamenaide
★17th single “Never Quit Being an Idol” release commemorative event held
Online individual talk session
https://equal-love.jp/news/detail/8656
Online autograph session and photo session
Individual talk session
https://equal-love.jp/news/detail/8658
★Video product of =LOVE, ≠ME, and ≒JOY joint concert “Ikonoi Joy 2023” will be released on Wednesday, September 18th!
https://equal-love.jp/news/detail/8596
*For details on the online individual autograph session, click here
https://equal-love.jp/news/detail/8635
★The largest-ever concert to celebrate the 7th anniversary of =LOVE, “=LOVE 7th ANNIVERSARY PREMIUM CONCERT” will be held
[Date]September 7th (Saturday) and September 8th (Sunday), 2024
[Venue]K Arena Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
Doors open 14:00 / Show starts 16:00 (both days)
https://equal-love.jp/news/detail/8776
★=LOVE, ≠ME, and ≒JOY will hold a joint concert “Ikonoi Joy 2024”
[Date]Saturday, September 28, 2024
[Venue]Conifer Forest, Fuji-Q Highland, Yamanashi Prefecture
https://nearly-equal-joy.jp/feature/specialsite_ikonoijoy2024
★Profile
An idol group produced by Rino Sashihara. They made their major debut on September 6, 2017 with their first single “=LOVE” from Sony Music. They have released 16 singles so far, all of which have made it into the top 10 of the Oricon weekly single rankings. (Their 6th single “Zuruiyo Zuruine”, 8th single “Seishun Subliminal”, 12th single “Be Selfish”, 14th single “Natsumatope”, and 15th single “Last Note Shika Shiranai” debuted at No. 1. Their first album “Zenbu, Himo.”, released in May 2021, also debuted at No. 1 on the Oricon weekly album rankings.) In October 2023, they will hold the “=LOVE 6th ANNIVERSARY PREMIUM CONCERT” for two days at Saitama Super Arena.
From February to April 2024, they will hold their first arena tour, “=LOVE Arena Tour 2024 “Tell me what’s more than “LOVE”” (8 performances at 4 venues in total), which will be a huge success, attracting approximately 50,000 people. On September 7th and 8th, the largest concert in =LOVE’s history, the “=LOVE 7th ANNIVERSARY PREMIUM CONCERT”, will be held at K Arena Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture. Today, July 31st (Wednesday), they will release their 17th single, “Zettai Idol Ni Naide”. The name “=LOVE” is filled with Rino Sashihara’s thoughts that “Idols must be loved by their fans. And they must love their job as idols.”
[Official website]https://equal-love.jp/
[Official X]https://x.com/Equal_LOVE_12
[Official Instagram] https://www.instagram.com/equal_love.official/
[Official YouTube Channel]https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv7VutirxDn3RWIJXI68n_A
