Number_i Signs With US Label Atlantic Records
The deal places a Japanese pop group that originated from the post-Johnny's talent ecosystem on a major US label, signaling a rare direct pipeline from the Japanese idol industry to Western mainstream distribution.
Reporting from 1 sources: Yahoo! News Japan (Entertainment).
Japanese pop group Number_i has signed a contract with Atlantic Records, a US label under Warner Music Group. The announcement was made on May 18, 2026, with the group's members-Sho Hirano, Yuta Kishi, and Yuta Jinguji-commenting on the move. Hirano credited the support of the group's fanbase, iLYs, for making the international step possible. The group expressed a desire to show a new side of themselves through the partnership and mentioned ambitions to collaborate with artists on the label's roster, including Bruno Mars. Number_i formed in 2023 after the three members left the Johnny & Associates agency (now Smile-Up). The signing marks a significant expansion into the Western music market for the group, which has previously performed at Coachella and set streaming records in Japan.
The group's members held a press conference in Tokyo on May 18 to announce the deal. Atlantic Records is a Warner Music Group label. The contract covers worldwide distribution outside Japan, with domestic releases remaining under the group's own TOBE label.
"We want to show a new side of ourselves that we haven't been able to express before," Hirano said at the conference, according to Nikkan Sports. Kishi added that the group aims to "deliver music that resonates globally." Jinguji mentioned the possibility of collaborating with Atlantic artists, naming Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran as examples.
The group formed in October 2023 after the three members left Johnny & Associates, now Smile-Up. They established their own agency, TOBE, led by former Johnny's president Hideaki Takizawa. Number_i performed at Coachella in April 2024 and again in 2025. Their single "GOAT" became the fastest Japanese group song to reach 10 million streams on Spotify Japan, according to Real Sound.
Hirano addressed the fanbase directly. "It is because iLYs supported us that we could take this step," he said, as reported by Sponichi Annex. He asked fans not to feel lonely about the group's international push, saying "we will travel together."
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Yahoo! News Japan (Entertainment) Number_iを超えられるのは、Number_iだけ “史上初”を連発 記録を塗り替え続ける凄み（リアルサウンド）