The physical edition of Japan’s debut single “First Date at Shibuya BAR” reached number 5 on the Oricon chart!
Known as the “Pearl of Asia” and “Son of the Nation,” the extremely popular Thai star NuNew (NuNew), who is known as the “Pearl of Asia” and “Son of the Nation,” released his Japanese debut single “Shibuya no BAR First Date” last month and is overwhelmingly popular in the domestic and international entertainment world. Nunew)’s first solo concert in Japan was held at Tokyo’s Tokyu Kabukicho Tower THEATER MILANO-ZA on December 6th, and both day and night performances were sold out and ended with great success.
Not only domestic fans but also fans from all over the world including Thailand, Asian countries, Europe and America attended, and we will report on the extremely crowded live performance.
[Live report]
NuNew, a global artist from Thailand, held his first solo concert in Japan[NuNew 1st Concert “DREAM CATCHER” in Japan]on Friday, December 6, 2024 at THEATER MILANO-Za in Tokyo. This article reports on the DAYLIGHT DREAM (daytime section).
NuNew is known as the “Pearl of Asia” and is affectionately known as the “Son of the Nation” in Thailand. Although it is popular in Thailand, its reputation has spread all over the world, creating fandoms in each country. Also, on November 20th of this year, she made her debut in Japan with “First Date at a Bar in Shibuya.” This work was an unusual hit for a Thai artist, reaching number 5 on the Oricon chart. In order to celebrate his debut and his Japan performance, volunteer fans played cheering videos at Shinjuku’s Unica Vision before the concert, and celebratory events were held in various places. This performance, which was held in two parts, day and night, was sold out and attracted a large number of fans.
The venue goes dark, and the opening movie plays, showing NuNew sleeping in bed and flying off into a dream world. The words “Welcome to NuNew Concert” were displayed, a singing voice was heard, the screen opened, and NuNew appeared in a glittering dress. The venue erupted with loud cheers, and the floor was dyed pink by the light from the penlights.
The first song is “For The First Time In Forever” from the movie “Frozen.” NuNew smiled as he looked out over the packed audience, captivating with his beautiful falsetto while weaving together English and Japanese lyrics. The next song, “Let it go,” overwhelmed them with a clear yet powerful song. The way she dances on stage with her cape swaying is also captivating. At the end, confetti rained down like snow, creating a fantastic space.
The MC’s first greeting was in Japanese, “Hello! This is NuNew. I’m excited.” In addition, he said in his native language, “Thank you for coming to see us today. I hope you all enjoy it. I would like to express my gratitude to the Japanese team, Sony Music Japan, DOMUNDI, and the Japanese fans. Thank you very much for making today’s event a reality,” he said with a shy smile, “I guess I’m still nervous.”
In her artist debut song “Anything”, she sings sweetly with a gentle melody. At the end of the song, the screen opens and a bed appears. NuNew said, “I’ll go upstairs first. Good night,” and lay down and fell asleep peacefully. “Welcome to a wonderful, dream-like world” appears on the screen, and the stage moves to another world.
An interview video then plays, where NuNew talks about his thoughts on his debut in Japan and his feelings towards his fans. He has been an anime fan since childhood, and has been exposed to a lot of Japanese music. When it was decided that he would make his debut in Japan, he was both happy and anxious, but said, “I am deeply grateful to the fans who support me in all my activities.This is my first solo concert overseas.” But thanks to all the fans, I don’t feel lonely!” and added, “Today I want to say thank you.” After the interview, they changed into Japanese clothes and performed their Japanese debut song “First Date at Shibuya BAR.” NuNew skillfully pronounces Japanese lyrics due to his experience covering Japanese content since childhood and his own linguistic talent. As a result, the lyrics sink in and vividly color the hearts of fans.
NuNew asked the fans, “This was my first opportunity to sing this song, how was it? Did you like it?” “Everyone, can you sing “My First Date at Shibuya’s BAR”? The teacher will check your homework!” and the test suddenly begins. Of course, the audience sang along perfectly, and NuNew was thrilled, saying, “It’s the best!” “I wasn’t able to sing this song on my own. I hope to be able to release many more singles in Japan in the future,” he expressed his determination.
The next section will cover songs from Japan and other Asian countries, NuNew’s dream stage. NuNew danced with the dancers during YOASOBI’s “Maybe”, and fans’ eyes were glued to their highly expressive dance and cute gestures. “I really like this song. Even when I’m in Thailand, I listen to it all the time. This is another song from an anime that I really like,” he said, wearing a haori of Tanjiro Kamado from “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.” “When I wear this outfit, I get power. The only thing I don’t have is a sword (lol),” he said shyly, before reciting Tanjiro’s line in Japanese: “Hinokami Kagura, Ichi no Kata!” NuNew dressed up as Tanjiro covered anime songs. In the DAYLIGHT DREAM (daytime section), they performed LiSA’s “Gurenge”, and in the TWILIGHT DREAM (night section), they performed “Kataganazuko no Uta”.
In “Wuji” by China’s Wang Yibo & Xiao Zhan, the majestic sound brings out the delicate singing voice. For “Blooming Just For You,” released jointly with Korean singer Paul Kim, he changed his outfit to a suit with flowers blooming on the jacket, in honor of Blooming. NuNew sings gracefully while occasionally crouching down and looking at the fans. At the end of the song, confetti was scattered like flower petals.
After NuNew started playing, the choreography lecture video for “First Date at Shibuya’s BAR” was played, and the audience in the venue started dancing. After that, we entered the dance section. NuNew, who changed costumes again, appeared with dancers and sang LE SSERAFIM’s “Smart” and Tyla’s “Water” while dancing. The sexy dance captured the hearts of the fans, and the cheers echoed.
“Normally we sing the next song together, but today I’m singing it by myself. There’s another person upstairs, too,” NuNew said, looking towards the third floor seats. On this day, NuNew starred and actors from DOMUNDI, including Zee, who played the role of Lian in the 2020 Thai hit drama “Cutie Pie,” came out to support them, and the fans were very happy. After performing the duet song “Tidtidid” with Zee, she lightly sang “Eh!” with an exhilarating sound.
Afterwards, a movie will be played that follows the activities in Japan with the theme of “dreams”. NuNew, who is active in Japan for recording and promotions, always seems to be smiling and having fun. The video ends with the subtitle, “My dream has come true,” creating an emotional mood. NuNew also changed into cute costumes and performed “Unforgettable.” The song is delivered straight while exuding sadness.
“I think everyone will be nostalgic about the songs that follow.Who remembers Gua (the character played by NuNew in “Cutie Pie”)?” When asked, there were cheers. After softly delivering “How You Feel,” they sang the drama songs “JA RAKCHAN YU MAI” and “AI KON NA RAK” with the video of “Cutie Pie” in the background. There were scenes where they sang while staring at Zee in the audience, making it an irresistible moment for drama fans. After being enveloped in a warm atmosphere with “True Love,” NuNew said, “Were the songs from ‘Cutie Pie’ nostalgic? Please look forward to ‘The Next Prince,'” starring NuNew and Zee. It has been announced that the drama “The Next Prince” will be distributed in Japan from 2025.
From here, the live performance enters its last spurt. Performing “Your Season” over a lively beat, NuNew once again expressed their gratitude, saying, “I love you all.” “It was my first time singing overseas by myself, so I was nervous and anxious… Isn’t it hard to remember Japanese lyrics? (laughs) But everyone was smiling and smiling. I was happy that people cheered for me and it wasn’t quiet at all,” and said in Japanese, “It was awesome.” Then, he powerfully sang Sam Smith’s “Lay Me Down.” NuNew has delivered songs with a calm expression so far, but in this song, you could feel the gratitude and love for his fans in his moist eyes.
In response to the enthusiastic cheers, they sang for the encore with the music video of “First Date at Shibuya BAR” in the background. A loud chorus breaks out, and the hearts of the fans become one. With a big smile on his face, NuNew said, “Sweet dreams. Good night,” and the concert came to a close.
The first solo concert in Japan ended with great success. The success of this performance can be said to be the first step in spreading the charm of Thai pop to Japan. NuNew made his debut in Japan and made a dream come true, but his dream has only just begun. It was a performance that makes us look forward to his continued success as a bridge between Japan and Thailand.
Text: Mirai Jimbo
Photo: Shohei Kanazawa
[Performance information]
NuNew 1st Concert “DREAM CATCHER” in Japan
December 6th (Friday) Tokyu Kabukicho Tower THEATER MILANO-Za
(DAYLIGHT DREAM) Doors open 12:15 / Show starts: 13:00
(TWILIGHT DREAM) Doors open 17:15 / Show starts: 18:00
[Japan debut song release information]
NuNew
Japan debut single “First Date at Shibuya BAR”
Popular digital distribution now available!https://orcd.co/first-date-at-shibuya
Music Video: https://youtu.be/d3GRtM5pdi4
Physical CD single
Now on sale at Tower Records nationwide and online
Release date: Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Title: First date at a bar in Shibuya
Product number: UXCL-346
Now on sale at Tower Records nationwide and online
First edition limited life photo included
List price 2,200 yen (tax included)
About NuNew:
He made his debut as an actor in 2020 and quickly became a big hit both in Thailand and abroad. In 2023, her overwhelming singing ability was recognized and she established her career as a solo singer. All of the singles he has released so far have topped major music charts, and he has won numerous music awards. Furthermore, in August of this year, his first solo concert in Bangkok was sold out immediately and attracted over 20,000 people over two days. In November, he won the “Music Artist of the Year Award” at the Tiktok Thailand Awards 2024. He is active as a global artist who leads the Thai entertainment industry. Debuted in Japan on November 20, 2024 with the single “Shibuya no BAR de Hajime no Date”.
Follow NuNew:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/new_cwr/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nunew_cwr
X: https://x.com/CwrNew
DOMUNDI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/domunditv/
DomundiTV YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@domunditv
DMD MUSIC YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DMDMUSICTH
