JO1 Brings Their Own Musical Genre To Apple TV’s ‘K-Popped’

The Apple TV original series K-Popped pairs western artists with k-pop bands for a musical battle of the stars. Megan Thee Stallion competes with Patti LaBelle, each performing a song with the k-pop group Billie. Taylor Dane competes with Vanilla Ice, taking the stage with members of the k-pop group Kep1er. In each match-up the songs get k-popped, which may involve accelerating the tempo, adding vocals and intricate choreography. JO1 performs in the fourth episode of the show alongside singer-songwriters Kesha and Eve. Each song is given a k-pop makeover. Only, JO1 is not exactly k-pop.

The 11-member band likes to say they have a genre of their own. Band members Issei Mamehara, Ren Kawashiri, Takumi Kawanishi, Shosei Ohira, Shion Tsurubo, Ruki Shiroiwa, Keigo Sato, Syoya Kimata, Junki Kono, Sukai Kinjo, and Sho Yonashir are Japanese, although they sometimes perform in English and Korean. With performances that incorporate elements of k-pop and j-pop, they describe their genre as JO1 Pop.

“I think JO1’s strength is that we can captivate people, make them want to dance and sing along, and give them a sense of excitement,” said Sho Yonashir. “No matter where you’re from, or what music you normally listen to, when you see our stage you can forget all that and just enjoy the moment. That’s what JO1 Pop means to me. By incorporating different musical elements, collaborating with various artists, and creating songs that lift the energy of the stage, I believe we’re building a genre that is truly our own.”

That’s not to say they haven’t been influenced by k-pop.

“I think each of our members has been influenced by k-pop in some way,” said Junki Kono. “For me, when I was a student, I really admired EXO and listened to their music a lot. I also grew up listening to artists like EXILE and Bruno Mars. Those influences naturally come out on stage through my performance and expression.”

The group was formed by Lapone Entertainment after the individual members appeared in the first season of Produce 101 Japan, a spinoff of the Korean show Produce 101. In these musical reality shows contestants of varying backgrounds and experience levels compete to become members of a band. After being discovered on Produce 101 Japan, JO1 officially debuted as a group in 2020. That year they were named one of the Best 5 New Artists at the Japan Gold Disc Award. Since then, JO1 has had eight number-one songs and three consecutive number-one albums on the Billboard Japan charts. Their performances in K-Popped will introduce them to a wider audience. It was a unique experience.

“The artists we collaborated with were incredible,” said Ren Kawashiri. “And the stage and projects were all on such a large scale that it made performing even more exciting.”

“K-Popped really made us think about how to express ourselves and how that expression is received,” said Shosei Ohira. “Since the audience evaluates our performance in real time, I became very conscious about whether even the smallest movements and emotions would be conveyed. Standing on the same stage as artists like Eve and Kesha was inspiring and it made me realize the importance of expressing ourselves on a global level.”

The musical battles in K-Popped did require them to compete against each other.

“We had never split into two teams and competed with performances before,” said Issei Mamehara. “So it was refreshing. It also gave me the chance to really watch and appreciate the other members’ performances again. But it didn’t feel like a competition; it felt more like we were all working to create the best stage together, which was a really good experience.”

It was, however, a little intimidating.

“It brought out emotions and nerves that I don’t usually feel,” said Takumi Kawanishi. “Which made it a great source of motivation and inspiration. I learned a lot from the experience, and I want to use that energy and those lessons in our future activities.”

The band also performed at KCON this year, a convention that explores k-pop, k-beauty, Korean food and entertainment. They covered Seventeen’s song “Fear” for a special stage and also performed their own songs “Be Classic,” “Icy,” and “EZPZ” during the M Countdown event. It wasn’t their first time at KCON.

“Even before I became a member of JO1, I used to go to KCON just to enjoy it as a fan,” said Syoya Kimata. “So standing on the LA stage as an artist this time made me really happy. I definitely want to come back again.”

Keigo Sato also describes the LA convention as a positive experience.

“We were able to take part in so many things,” he said. “And, most importantly, meet international fans face-to-face, which is rare for us. Covering Seventeen’s song was also a really enjoyable experience.”

When asked what makes them so successful, the band cites their fandom, collectively known as JAM (J for “JO1”, A for “and”, and M for “Me,” or JO1 and Me).

“I think the biggest reason is the presence of JAM, who always supports us,” said Ruki Shiroiwa. “Whenever we release a new song or take action, they react right away and spread it with so much passion and energy. I’m always grateful for that, and I work hard every day not to let them down and to give back to them. For me, JO1 and JAM are inseparable. We wouldn’t be who we are without them.”

The band has new music coming out in October.

“Our new single ‘Hand in My Pocket’ is a song that expresses the individuality each of us carries in our own ‘pocket,’” said Sukai Kinjo. “We’d love for people to also pay attention to the choreography, which combines both sexiness and wildness.”

JO1 has been together for five years now and in that time they’ve learned a lot from each other.

“I’ve learned that the most important thing is how we cover each other’s weaknesses and support one another as teammates and as a family,” said Sho Yonashir. “JO1 is still a work in progress, but I truly believe we are the best team.”