The idol group ≒ JOY (Nearly Equal Joy), produced by Rino Sashihara, is unstoppable. Their first single “Gyakuten Disco”, released on Wednesday, June 12th, sold over 100,000 copies in its first week, debuting at number one on both the Oricon weekly single rankings and the Billboard JAPAN Top Singles Sales. This is the first time in about two and a half years that a female artist has had both their first album and first single debut at number one on the Oricon charts.
The music video for their new song “Gymnasium Disco” has been viewed over 2 million times, causing a lot of buzz, and they made their first appearance on the outdoor main stage, the HOT STAGE, on the third day of the world’s largest idol festival, “TOKYO IDOL FESTIVAL 2024 supported by Nitan Clinic” (Odaiba/Aomi area), which was held for three days from August 2nd to 4th (Sunday), and put on a magnificent performance.
This year marks the group’s third consecutive appearance at this event, following their first appearance at “TOKYO IDOL FESTIVAL 2022.”
They performed eight songs in quick succession, including the up-tempo youth song “Gymnasium Disco” with Esumi Reon in the center, the harder number “Super Lonely Lion” which is the polar opposite of refreshing, “Mubokujin” which declares ≒JOY’s determination to “make our dreams come true together, even if it’s “reckless”, and their new song “Yume Miru ♡ Idol”, a cute and sparkling idol song filled with straightforward love, as well as their own popular songs “I Had a Dream of You Again Today”, “Ozora, Byunto”, “Waratte Fragile” and “≒JOY”. The audience erupted in cheers at the powerful stage performance.
≒JOY will be releasing their long-awaited second single on Wednesday, October 16th, and will be holding the ≒JOY Hall Tour 2024 in four cities from October. In addition, a joint concert by =LOVE, ≠ME, and ≒JOY, “Ikonoi Joy 2024,” is scheduled to be held on Saturday, September 28th, so please look forward to further information on this. ≒JOY is a hot topic in all areas, so keep an eye on him in the future.
■8/4 (Sun) TOKYO IDOL FESTIVAL 2024 ＠HOT STAGE
SET LIST
1. Gymnasium Disco
2. The Lonely Lion
3. Reckless
MC
4. Dreaming♡Idol
5. I dreamed about you again today
6. The sky, whizzing by
7. Smile Fragile
8. ≒JOY
★”Gym Disco” Music Video
“Gymnasium Disco”
Lyricist: Rino Sashihara
Composer/Arrangement: Koji Goto (ck510)
Sound Director: Takayuki Yayama (Sony Music)
Recorded by Sony Music Studios Tokyo
(MUSIC VIDEO)
Director: YOUYOU
Choreography: Maika Takeda
★”Dreaming♡Idol” Music Video
“Dreaming♡Idol”
Lyricist: Rino Sashihara
Composition and Arrangement: Kohei Tsukada
Sound Director: Takayuki Yayama (Sony Music)
Recorded by Sony Music Studios Tokyo
(MUSIC VIDEO)
Director: Toshitsugu Ohno
Choreography: CRE8BOY
★1st single “Gym Disco” now available!
https://nearly-equal-joy.lnk.to/TaiikukanDisco
★2nd single released on Wednesday, October 16th!
https://nearly-equal-joy.jp/news/detail/1711
*Online individual autograph session
https://nearly-equal-joy.jp/news/detail/1747
*Online individual talk session
https://nearly-equal-joy.jp/news/detail/1748
★Saturday, September 28, 2024 ICONOIJOY 2024
[Date]Saturday, September 28, 2024
[Venue]Fuji-Q Highland Conifer Forest
https://nearly-equal-joy.jp/feature/specialsite_ikonoijoy2024
★≒JOY Hall Tour 2024
【schedule】
Monday, October 14, 2024 (National Holiday) Fukuoka City Hall, Fukuoka Prefecture
Sunday, October 27, 2024 Kobe International Hall, Hyogo Prefecture
Saturday, November 2, 2024 Orix Theater, Osaka Prefecture
Sunday, November 24, 2024 Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Hall, Chiba Prefecture
https://nearly-equal-joy.jp/news/detail/1614
★Profile
This is the third group formed by Rino Sashihara to produce her ideal idol, following =LOVE and ≠ME. The final audition was held on January 30, 2022, and on March 29, 2022, the members were unveiled and producer Rino Sashihara herself announced that the group would be named “≒JOY”. On September 3 last year, the ≒JOY 1st concert “Nice to meet you, we are ≒JOY” was held at the National Hall of Pacifico Yokohama, and from the end of last year to the beginning of this year, the first tour ≒JOY 1st Tour “Absolute” was held and was a great success. The debut mini album “Kitto, Zettai, Zettai” was released on Wednesday, January 17th. (They debuted at number one on both the Oricon Weekly Album Ranking and Billboard JAPAN Top Album Sales. They shipped over 100,000 copies on the first day of release.) On February 23rd of this year, they held the ≒JOY 2nd ANNIVERSARY PREMIUM CONCERT, which attracted an audience of about 8,000 people at Tokyo International Forum Hall A to celebrate their second anniversary. On Wednesday, June 12th, they released their long-awaited first single, “Taiikukan Disco.” (They debuted at number one on both the Oricon Weekly Single Ranking and Billboard JAPAN Top Single Sales. It was the first time in about two and a half years for a female artist to debut at number one on the Oricon charts for both their first album and first single.) The name ≒JOY is filled with Rino Sashihara’s wish that “the members and the fans who support them will feel joy and happiness when they meet.”
Official websitehttps://nearly-equal-joy.jp/
Official Xhttps://twitter.com/Nearlyequal_joy
Official YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_qmQbqvW6UES3NT780l2Pg
