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 “Trending Music”), and has now exceeded 7 million views. The idol group =LOVE (Equal Love), produced by Rino Sashihara, is unstoppable, with their total streaming views exceeding 10 million and their song views on TikTok exceeding 80 million.
The group’s fourth overseas performance since their 2019 performance in Shanghai, China, “C3 in Shanghai 2019,” took place at “Anime Matsuri 2024” held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, where they put on a magnificent performance (from 9:30 p.m. local time on August 10).
“Anime Matsuri” is a convention that introduces Japanese culture such as anime, manga, cosplay, video games, music, and fashion, and will be held for the 17th time in 2024. This year, it will be held for a total of four days from August 8th to August 11th, and =LOVE appeared in a panel discussion, autograph session, and photo session on August 9th, and today they performed live. When the video introducing the members started to play at the opening, a huge cheer erupted, and they performed a total of 12 songs, including their latest song “Zettai Idol Yumenai de” released on July 31st, their self-introduction song “Heroines”, popular summer tunes “Natsumatope”, “Natsumatsuri Koibou”, and “Oh! Darling”. Not only did they liven up the venue with a set list that included MC in English, but they also gave a birthday surprise to members Risa Otoshima and Sana Morohashi, whose birthdays are in August, and in a warm and passionate atmosphere, they ended the concert with a big ovation by performing their representative song “=LOVE”.
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 in addition, =LOVE, ≠ME, and ≒JOY will hold a joint concert “Ikonoi Joy 2024” (Fuji-Q Highland Conifer Forest, Yamanashi Prefecture). As they run through the summer and energetically expand the scope of their activities, =LOVE will continue to be a hot topic.
★Anime Festival 2024
SET LIST
1. Don’t ever quit being an idol
2. I love you
3. Natsumatope
4. Heroines
MC
5. Junkies
6. Unwanted Twin Tails
7. Kirara, I’m here to help
MC
8. Start!
9. Summer Festival Love
10. Oh! Darling
11. Find the Diamond Lily
MC
12. =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
★”Music Video for ‘Makeup Cream Puffs’
“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
★”Sea and 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
★”Never Quit Being an Idol” now available
https://equallove.lnk.to/Zettaiidolyamenaide
★17th single “Never Quit Being an Idol” release commemorative event held
Online autograph session, online individual talk session, two-shot photo session, individual talk session
★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
★The largest-ever concert to celebrate the 7th anniversary of =LOVE, “=LOVE 7th ANNIVERSARY PREMIUM CONCERT” will be held
[Date]September 7th (Sat) and September 8th (Sun), 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”” (4 venues, 8 performances in total), which was a great success, attracting about 50,000 people. On Wednesday, July 31st, they will release their 17th single, “Zettai Idol Yumenai de,” which broke their own first-week sales records and debuted at No. 2 on both the Oricon Weekly Single Ranking and Billboard JAPAN Top Singles Sales. Since their debut single, they have achieved 17 consecutive entries in the Oricon Weekly Single Ranking TOP 10. On September 7th and 8th, they will hold the “=LOVE 7th ANNIVERSARY PREMIUM CONCERT,” the largest concert in the history of =LOVE, at K Arena Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture. The name “=LOVE” is filled with Rino Sashihara’s thoughts that “an idol must be loved by her fans. And she must love her job as an idol.”
[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
=LOVE J-Pop band Equal LOVE first concert ever in USA at Anime Matsuri in Houston TX
From Youtube by “thehungrypetite”. Subscribe!
![[Omori Seiko]The music video for “Kounai Honoo” from the new album “THIS IS JAPANESE GIRL” to be released on Wednesday, September 18th has been released!](https://tokytunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/1726672593_Omori-SeikoThe-music-video-for-Kounai-Honoo-from-the-new-768x432.jpg)
