New York, NY (Top40 Charts) As one of the most influential composers in Japanese history with over 50 million albums sold leading the legendary band X JAPAN, renowned musician YOSHIKI and Japan's flagship television station channel 4,
Nippon TV (NTV), announce a joint venture to launch the next evolution of music competition series, "YOSHIKI SUPERSTAR PROJECT X," where they will find and develop the world's next iconic group.
NTV is Japan's largest, oldest, and most watched commercial television network. Recently, NTV aired successful competition series in collaboration with world-famous South Korean company JYP Entertainment, which debuted sensational girls group NiziU. JYP also produced girls group Twice. NTV announced another music competition show in partnership with HYBE, the entertainment company behind international phenomenon BTS.
YOSHIKI's worldwide popularity extends to the world's largest stages, including Coachella
Music Festival, Madison
Square Garden, London's Wembley Arena, and Japan's premier venue Tokyo Dome, which he sold out a record-breaking 18 times. He has collaborated with
Beatles producer Sir
George Martin, Queen,
Sarah Brightman, The Chainsmokers, Bono, will.i.am, and St. Vincent.
The iconic Japanese rock star has decades of hit songs and sold-out concerts, and to this day he is the most famous musician in Japan. He has also experienced firsthand the changes and challenges in the music industry throughout his storied career. YOSHIKI's extensive experience as a producer, performer, and composer, with a keen eye for new talent, inspired him to seek out the world's best new group unbound by any genre in these auditions. With K-Pop dominating worldwide charts and Asian stars gaining international fame, YOSHIKI has set out to personally discover the new wave of superstars with his hugely anticipated new series.
According to YOSHIKI, "Asia has become a focal point in the entertainment industry, and I am thrilled to find and launch the strongest new group to the world. There are more opportunities for Japanese artists to break through to mainstream global success than ever before. Through television and technology, doors for new artists can be opened instantly. I'm also facing challenges as an artist. Together with our new artists we can achieve next level success. I can also offer my guidance and support to help navigate the harsh and competitive music industry. That is why I started this project, to launch the best band in the world and grow together."
For the musicians auditioning for the chance of a lifetime, YOSHIKI adds, "I want your dreams to be limitless. I want you to believe in your own potential more than you ever thought possible. Let's face the world together. I am looking forward to meeting you all."
This month YOSHIKI also celebrates the launch of his critically-hailed documentary WE ARE X streaming on Prime Video. From the Oscar-winning team behind SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN, WE ARE X is an astonishingly intimate portrait of a deeply haunted but truly unstoppable virtuoso and the music that has enthralled legions of the world's most devoted fans.
YOSHIKI, the leader of the rock group X JAPAN, named "one of the most influential composers in Japanese history", has sold over 50 million albums. A trained classical pianist, YOSHIKI composed a piano concerto for the Emperor
of Japan, and headlined Carnegie Hall. X JAPAN has headlined Madison
Square Garden, Wembley Arena, sold out Tokyo Dome 18 times, and played Coachella 2018. The documentary We Are X won awards at the Sundance and SXSW
Film Festivals. YOSHIKI collaborated with Queen,
Sarah Brightman, The Chainsmokers, Bono, will.i.am, and St. Vincent. As a fashion icon, YOSHIKI was the first Japanese man to appear on the cover of Vogue Japan.