2025 has seen an influx of Japan’s best talent going global, and there’s a handful of industry pioneers leading the charge. At the forefront is boygroup BE:FIRST, a Tokyo based sextet that’s had their eyes set on the global market since their 2021 debut.

In years past, the J-Pop model has proven to be wildly successful for domestic talent, but its next generation of artists are foregoing the safety of a domestic-only approach to explore what the international scene has to offer. As they celebrate their fourth anniversary as a group, it feels as though members Shunto, Junon, Leo, Manato, Ryuhei, and Sota have done it all—over 1.2 million social media followers, a successful first world tour, and a concert at Tokyo Dome have solidified their status as a main player in the industry, but they’ve truly only just begun.

Fresh off the release of their first greatest hits compilation album, they’ve decided to pay homage to one of the world’s greatest boy bands—the album’s focus track is an interpretation of the Jackson 5’s iconic song “I Want You Back.” Reimagined in their image, the song is reworked with Japanese verses that reflect on the group’s time together so far.

tmrw Magazine had the pleasure of sitting down with the J-pop juggernauts to chat more about their recent release, their four year anniversary, and their hopes for J-pop’s future in the international music scene.