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Photo courtesy of Avex Music Creative Inc.

With a name inspired by the Japanese idiom "Ichi ka bachi ka” (which translates to "all or nothing” in Japanese), global Japanese boy group ONE OR EIGHT is exactly who they say they are. Ready to give their all through their music and performance, they’re turning up the heat with their debut EP, EN-GÏNE. Formed through Avex Entertainment’s WARPs DIG – Battle Audition survival project in 2023, the 8-member group officially debuted on August 16, 2024 after a year of training. Based in Japan, the global group primarily sings in English and features select lyrics in Japanese. Following their first North and South American headline tour this year, EN-GÏNE cements their sonic direction and reveals what ONE OR EIGHT is capable of.

Setting the tone with the powerful opening instrumental track, “V8,” listeners hear the roaring cheers of a crowd as someone walks toward a car before they rev the engine. “V8” establishes the world of EN-GÏNE and kicks off the musical journey listeners are about to embark on. “V8” seamlessly transitions into “YANKEE SQUAT,” a prerelease track that the group teased when they opened Head in the Clouds LA this past summer. “Yankee squat” refers to the deep squatting pose that’s often associated with Japanese “yankee” culture, a rebellious youth subculture known for its unique style and attitude. Combining hip hop, EDM, and Latin sounds, the energetic track boasts lyrics rooted in themes of freedom, friendship, and self-determination. The third song is the rap-forward lead single, “TRANSLATE,” where the group declares “When I step on stage, there’s no need to translate.” With assertive lyrics like “Mount Fuji, I am in my peak” backed by heavy bass, it’s clear that ONE OR EIGHT is confident in their sound and want their listeners to know it. Amongst the fast raps and catchy chorus in the next track “I <3 IT,” the lyrics give us a vulnerable peak into the dedication and sacrifice the members have experienced in order to make their dreams a reality—even if it comes at the expense of missing a call from their family. While balancing their schedule, they see the sacrifices as a part of a greater purpose, motivating them to keep going toward their dreams. The penultimate song “MONSTER,” ties up the bold tracklist with smooth vocals and a punchy chorus preceded by lyrics like “I’m exactly who I say I am.” Wrapping up the EP is the 90s boyband inspired, “INVINCIBLE.” One of two songs that the group previewed at Head in the Clouds LA, the vocally-forward, heartwarming track spotlights the group’s vocals while showing a different side of ONE OR EIGHT. Composed and written by PRETTYMUCH’s Edwin Honoret, the song plays like an encore song at a concert and a love letter to their fans, 1DERz. 

We caught up with members MIZUKI, NEO, REIA, RYOTA, SOUMA, TAKERU, TSUBASA, and YUGA via email to chat ahead of the release of EN-GÏNE about the new tracks and what they wanted to share about ONE OR EIGHT with the world. 

ONE OR EIGHT has adopted a “BET ON YOURSELF” philosophy in your approach to bringing Japanese culture and identity to an increasingly global audience. How does it feel to bring these concepts to the world having just completed your first North and South America tours this past spring?

NEO: It feels amazing to see our message reaching people around the world. Our tours showed us how music can connect people beyond language and culture. We want to keep bringing our Japanese identity into our music while creating something that anyone can connect with.

MIZUKI: “BET ON YOURSELF” means believing in ourselves and taking on challenges without being influenced by what others think. After touring North and South America for the first time this year and actually meeting our fans there, I feel even more strongly that I want to keep challenging ourselves on a global level. I believe there are things that only we, as artists coming from Japan, can bring to the world, so we want to stay true to who we are while continuing to take on new challenges around the world!

Congratulations on the release of your new EP, EN-GÏNE! What did you want to share about ONE OR EIGHT through this EP?

REIA: EN-GÏNE is an EP that takes everything ONE OR EIGHT has built up so far and evolves it even further, while capturing who we are right now. From high-energy tracks to more emotional songs, I think you’ll be able to see many different sides of ONE OR EIGHT through this EP. We’d also be really happy if people around the world who don’t know us yet could discover the name ONE OR EIGHT and step into our world with us through our music.

RYOTA: We want to show everyone that there are still so many new sides of ONE OR EIGHT to come. And just like the name EN-GÏNE suggests, we want to convey that feeling of starting our engine, turning up the heat, and charging full speed ahead.

Can you give us a TMI from filming the “YANKEE SQUAT” music video and the recording process of this EP?

TAKERU: My TMI is from the recording process. There’s a part where I sing “my team,” and it was actually pretty difficult for me to sing. Instead of imagining a Yankee character, I imagined a cute character while singing that part! Haha!

YUGA: During “YANKEE SQUAT,” there were a lot of intense up-and-down movements starting from rehearsals, so my legs and thighs were seriously sore!

You just performed at Head in the Clouds LA this past August. What was a highlight from the performance?

TSUBASA: Our performance was scheduled right when the festival doors opened, so it really stood out to me that 1DERZ, who always support us, literally ran into the venue to make it in time for our performance.

SOUMA: Our performance started right when the doors opened, so I thought we might be performing in front of no one. But when we got on stage and saw 1DERZ already there, along with people running in from the back to catch our performance, I was really happy!

What b-side from EN-GÏNE would you recommend?

NEO: I’d recommend “INVINCIBLE.” With so many edgy tracks on EN-GÏNE, it stands out as the only pop ballad. I really love its nostalgic Backstreet Boys-like 90s boy band feel, and I think it shows a softer side of ONE OR EIGHT that you might not expect.

RYOTA: “MONSTER.” The rhythm is relatively slow, but it’s still a really powerful and intense song. I think the sound, along with the meaning behind the lyrics, really captures what ONE OR EIGHT is all about.

What song should a new fan of ONE OR EIGHT listen to?

MIZUKI: For anyone discovering ONE OR EIGHT for the first time, I’d recommend “YANKEE SQUAT”! It’s packed with the Japanese youth culture we grew up with, as well as that sense of freely expressing yourself, so I think it really captures what ONE OR EIGHT is all about. I’d love for people to start with this song and get to know more about us!

YUGA: “INVINCIBLE”!

Who are your OnesToWatch (up-and-coming artists you’ve been loving recently)?

SOUMA: kwn! I really love her R&B style and the melodies in her music, so I’m always listening to her songs! I’m looking forward to hopefully meeting her on a stage somewhere someday!

REIA: An artist I’ve been keeping an eye on recently is CORTIS. I really like how they incorporate different aspects of culture, from music to fashion and visuals, in their own unique way. I’m really excited to see what kind of expression they’ll bring next.

Listen to EN-GÏNE below: