NiziU, JYP's J-Pop Sweethearts
More often than not, when new girl groups are formed, there’s this expectation to become huge within a short time period. For JYP Entertainment’s first all-Japanese girl group NiziU, these ladies are building up their legacy while they can, aiming to take over the market in Japan. While the perky and bouncy ladies of NiziU are not promoted in Korea, the potential to become as huge (if not as popular) as their seniors TWICE in and outside of Japan is certain in due time. Even in just their short time together, NiziU has worked hard to be where they are now. For this week’s Ladies Corner, let’s get to know the ladies of NiziU.
The Nizi Project
In February 2019, J.Y. Park announced the survival show Nizi Project to create the next girl group to be promoted heavily in Japan with Sony Music Entertainment. The goal of the project was to search for talents of various colors and to make "a group like a rainbow" to emit beautiful light. Narrowing down the competition from 26 to 14 girls to prepare for training, the program aired from January 2020 to June 2020.
After a difficult and challenging competition series, the final lineup was officially announced containing nine members total: Mako, Maya, Mayuka, Riku, Rima, Ayaka, Miihi, Rio, and Nina. These girls would officially go on to become Japan’s next biggest girl group, NiziU.
Deriving from the Japanese word "虹" (niji) meaning “rainbow,” JYP has said this girl group is made up of "various people carrying different colors like a rainbow [that] will come together as one group [to] shine a beautiful light." The “U” signifies the fans that support the group starting from their debut and beyond. When pronounced a specific way, the name sounds similar to the phrase "Need You" (nij-iu), to which JYP explained that, "People cannot succeed by themselves. Everyone needs each other and fans are needed." With a sincere meaning behind their name, these nine ladies are ready to leave their own mark, built off of sincerity and teamwork.
Debut & Impact
Four days after the official lineup was announced for NiziU, their pre-debut mini-album Make you happy was released. The mini-album contains four tracks: “Baby I’m a star” (Nizi Project's intro song), “Boom Boom Boom,” “Beyond the Rainbow,” and title track, “Make you happy.” The B-sides from their mini-album were originally featured throughout the program and later were added to promote their pre-debut discography. The group’s YouTube Channel also uploaded a performance video for their pre-debut single, except in Korean.
This mini-album brought many achievements for NiziU. The single “Make you happy” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 and received international success, debuting at No. 84 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. Chart and No. 192 on the Billboard Global 200 Chart on its issue dated September 19, 2020. By October 14, "Make you happy" recorded a cumulative number of 100 million streams within 15 weeks of charting on the Japan Hot 100 and tied with Japanese artists Official Hige Dandism and Eito, becoming the fastest female artist to achieve the feat.
Unfortunately in October 2020, member Miihi briefly went on hiatus for health problems and was therefore not present for most of NiziU's debut promotions during this time. Their official debut date was December 2, 2020 with the single “Step and a step.” Before the album’s drop, the music video for “Step and a step” was released on November 25, 2020, giving the group’s fandom WithU the opportunity to stream the single before the album’s anticipated release. Aside from the title track, the single album contains three other songs: “Joyful,” “Sweet Bomb!,” and “Make you happy,” reappearing as the last song on the album.
“Step and a step” got tons of recognition in Japan, topping Japan's Oricon Weekly Music Chart, with NiziU becoming the second Japanese girl group to reach number one on the chart with a debut album. The song ranked high on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, becoming the group's first chart-topper as it sold 318,562 copies in its first week. The single also gave the group their second entry on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S., where they charted at No. 149 on its issue dated December 5, 2020.
In Japan, NiziU has reached numerous goals that can’t be counted by hand. The nine-member group performed at the 71st NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, which is the top-rated annual year-end musical show in Japan, making them the fastest artist to have appeared after debut—a mere 29 days. By the end of 2020, NiziU was found to have ranked high on several Billboard Japan year-end charts, with the group charting at No. 7 on the Year-End Albums Chart, No. 13 on the Year-End Streaming Chart, and No. 15 on the Top Artist Chart. NiziU also became one of five recipients of the “Special Achievement Award” at the 62nd Japan Record Awards. Wow, now that’s something worth bragging about!
By November 2021, NiziU released their first full-length album U (with two versions), containing 14 tracks total and an additional seven added to the second version of the album. From U, the leading title track “Chopstick” was well-received on platforms like TikTok and became an addictive single you couldn’t get away from. Even now, looking back at the music video containing over 35 million views to date, this single could easily take over your life.
In just a short time and celebrating their first year together as a group, it’s clear that NiziU is an artist to keep your eyes on because they’re only getting started. With many brag-worthy achievements, we’re certain these girls will release more addictive tracks as they continue their journey as J-Pop idols.
To stay connected with the group, you can follow NiziU through their social media channels on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram for updates and activities pertaining to the girls. Make sure to check out and stream their music online through Spotify and YouTube Music, and check out the music video of their most recent release “Chopstick” below!