V6 (band)
V6 (ブイシックス, Bui Shikkusu)was a six-member Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates. The group debuted on November 1, 1995, with the single "Music for the People", which was used as the image song for the 1995 World Cup of Volleyball. Their first four singles, including "Music for the People", were all cover versions of the same-titled Eurobeat songs composed by Italian producers such as Giancarlo Pasquini, Andrea Leonardi, Alberto Contini, Sandro Oliva.
V6 | |
---|---|
Origin | Tokyo, Japan |
Genres | J-pop |
Years active | 1995 | –2021
Labels | Avex Trax |
Past members | 20th Century Masayuki Sakamoto Hiroshi Nagano Yoshihiko Inohara Coming Century Go Morita Ken Miyake Junichi Okada |
Website | V6 Avex Trax Johnny's net |
Similar to their agency seniors Hikaru Genji, the group is separated into two subgroups based on age. For V6, the group is split into 20th Century and Coming Century, which consist of the three oldest members and the three youngest members, respectively. The band sold more than 13.5 million albums and singles.
As announced on March 12, 2021, V6 disbanded on November 1, 2021, their 26th anniversary since their debut.[1]
History
Name
In an interview on Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ, the group stated that the "V" in V6 also stood for "Versus" (20th Century versus Coming Century) at first. However, then-president Johnny Kitagawa informed the group that the "V" had multiple meanings, such as "Volleyball", "Vegetable" (as Sakamoto's parents own a green grocers), "Bicycle" ("V" and "B" are indistinguishable in Japanese; Nagano's parents own a cycling store), and "Veteran".[2]
1995–2021
From 1997 to 2008, V6 hosted their own variety show Gakkō e Ikō (学校へ行こう, Let's Go to School)[3] and is hosting Viva Viva V6 since 2001 on Fuji TV.[4] Along with their group shows, the members also have individual TV shows, dramas, or radio programs.
V6 celebrated their tenth anniversary in 2005, commemorating the event by holding about thirty concerts in sold-out arenas all over Japan, holding three major "Thank You Events", releasing the movie Hold Up Down and releasing Musicmind as their new album. They also had a rare "Handshake Session" with hundreds of thousands of fans in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka.[5]
As separate bands, both of them performed the opening song for the anime, Eyeshield 21. Coming Century performed "Breakthrough", the first opening theme song, and 20th Century performed "Innocence", the second opening theme song. As V6, they performed "Chain of Power" as an insert song. They also sang "Change the World" and "Brand New World", the first opening and eighth ending themes, respectively ,of the popular anime InuYasha, as well as "Break Out", the 18th opening song of the popular anime Fairy Tail. They later performed the 21st opening song of One Piece, "Super Powers".
On May 3, 2017, they released the double A-side single titled "COLORS/Taiyou to Tsuki no Kodomotachi". The title track "COLORS" will be used as the theme song for member Yoshihiko Inohara's starring drama "Keishicho Sousa Ikka 9 Gakari season12" on TV Asahi. Meanwhile, "Taiyou to Tsuki no Kodomotachi" has been picked up for NHK's "Minna no Uta" for April and May.[6]
On March 12, 2021, Johnny & Associates announced V6 will disband on November 1, which is V6's 26th anniversary since debuting.[7][8] In July, they announced that they will host their last concert tour,LIVE TOUR V6 groove from September 4 to November 1, the first day and the last day of the live tour, which is the date of V6 formation and their debut date. Also, they will release their new album STEP on September 4.[9]
On October 26, 2021, V6 hosted their last TV variety show Gakkō e Ikō (学校へ行こう 2021, Let's Go to School 2021) as a group. They also released their last best album Very6 BEST.
Members
20th Century
- Masayuki Sakamoto (坂本 昌行, Sakamoto Masayuki) — (leader of V6 and 20th Century)
- Hiroshi Nagano (長野 博, Nagano Hiroshi)
- Yoshihiko Inohara (井ノ原 快彦, Inohara Yoshihiko)
Coming Century
- Go Morita (森田 剛, Morita Gō) — (leader of Coming Century)
- Ken Miyake (三宅 健, Miyake Ken)
- Junichi Okada (岡田 准一, Okada Jun'ichi)
Discography
Studio albums
|
Compilation albums
|
Videography
DVD/VHS
|
20th Century
Coming Century
|
Other activities
As a group, the members of V6 have done dramas such as V no Honoo in 1995 and movies such as Hard Luck Hero in 2003 and Hold Up Down in 2005.
V6
- "Hard Luck Hero" (ハードラックヒーロー) (2003)
- "Thunderbirds" (サンダーバード) (2004) (Japanese Dub)
- "Hold Up Down" (ホールドアップダウン) (2005)
Coming Century
- COSMIC RESCUE (2003)
Drama
- "V no Honoo" (Vの炎) (1995, Fuji TV) - all members of V6
- PU-PU-PU- (1998, TBS) - members of Kamisen
- "Shin・Oretachi no Tabi Ver.1999" (新・俺たちの旅Ver.1999) (1999, NTV) - members of Kamisen
- "Shounentaiya(doramaserekushon)『Shinsen~Yoru no Ongaku』" (少年タイヤ(ドラマセレクション)『室温〜夜の音楽〜』) (Fuji TV) - members of Tonisen
Variety Shows
- "Majikaru Zunou Pawaa!!" (マジカル頭脳パワー!!) (1996-1999, NTV)
- "Gakkou e Ikou!" (学校へ行こう!, lit. "Let's Go to School!") (1997 - 2005, TBS)
- "Gakkou e Ikou!MAX" (学校へ行こう!MAX, Let's Go to School!MAX) (2005 - 2008, TBS)
- "Gakkou e Ikou! 2015" (学校へ行こう!2015, Let's Go to School!2015) (Nov 13, 2015, TBS)
- "V6 no Ai Nanda 2017" (V6の愛なんだ2017 史上最高の夏まつり!, V6 This is Love 2017 - The best Summer Festival!) (Aug 30, 2017, TBS)
- "V6 no Ai Nanda 2018" (V6の愛なんだ2018, V6 This is Love 2018) (Sep 24, 2018, TBS)
- "V6 no Ai Nanda 2019" (V6の愛なんだ2019, V6 This is Love 2019) (Sep 23, 2019, TBS)
- "V6 no Ai Nanda 2020" (V6の愛なんだ2020, V6 This is Love 2020) (Nov 3, 2020, TBS)
- "Gakkou e Ikou! 2021" (学校へ行こう!2021, Let's Go to School!2021) (Oct 26, 2021, TBS)
- "24 Jikan Terebi" (24時間テレビ, 24 Hour Television) (NTV, 1998, 2000)
- "V6 no Moto" (V6の素) (1999 - 2000, Fuji TV)
- "Mahha buiroku" (マッハブイロク, Mach V6) (2000, Fuji TV)
- "Owarai V6 Byoutou" (お笑いV6病棟!, lit. Laughable V6 Hospital) (2000 - 2001, Fuji TV)
- "MyMiCen!" (ミミセン!, short form of "Mysterious Midnight Century") (2001, TBS) - Kamisen
- "Otosen!" (オトセン!, short form of "Otona Century" lit. Adult Century) (2001 - 2002, TBS) - Kamisen
- "Otosen II" (オトセンII) (2002, TBS) - Kamisen
- "Rabusen!" (ラブセン!, short form of "Love Century") (2002 - 2004, TBS)
- "Asuriito Ouen TV! Nippon! Chax3" (アスリート応援TV! ニッポン!チャ×3) (2006 - 2007, TBS) - Tonisen
- "VivaVivaV6" (2001 - 2010, Fuji TV)
- "Shinchishiki Kaikyuu Kumagusu" (新知識階級 クマグス) (2008 - 2010, TBS)
- "Mission V6" (ミッションV6, Mission V6) (2010 - 2011, TBS)
- "Otoko no Hensaachi" (男のヘンサーチ!!, Search for Strange Men) (Oct 2011 - Oct 2012, TBS)
- "Gacha Gacha V6" (ガチャガチャV6, Gacha Gacha V6) (Oct 2012 - Mar 2014, TBS)
- "V6 LOVE VICTORY" (ヴィシックスラヴヴィクトリー, V6 LOVE VICTORY) (Apr 2013 - 2 Episodes Aired only TBS)
- "AMAZIPANG" (アメージパング, AMAZIPANG) (Apr 2014 - Oct 2021, TBS)
References
- "Japanese Boy Band V6 Will Disband This November". Siliconera. 2021-03-12. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
- KAT-TUN (2006-04-03). "Interview with Downtown". Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ (Interview) (in Japanese). Interviewed by Downtown.
- "Class is over for "Gakkou e Ikou!"". Tokyograph. 2008-07-21. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
- "VVV6" (in Japanese). Fuji TV. Archived from the original on 2010-01-27. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
- "V6's 2005 Timeline" (in Japanese). Johnny's net. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
- "V6 to release double A-side single in May". tokyohive. 6Theory Media, LLC. March 28, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
- "Japanese all-male idol group V6 to disband on Nov. 1". The Japan Times. 2021-03-13. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
- NEWS, KYODO. "Japanese all-male idol group V6 to disband on Nov. 1". Kyodo News+. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
- "V6、9月から全国ツアーで"集大成" セルフプロデュースのアルバムも発売決定「期待していてください」". ORICON NEWS. Retrieved 2021-07-21.