This week on the 13th, Lapone, home to Japanese K-pop groups JO1 and INI, debuted their third boy group DXTEEN. The 6 member boy group had been training in Korea since January 2022 to prepare for their debut single this year, set to release May 10th. A pre-debut event will also take place March 8th in Tokyo, with all DXTEEN fan club members invited to apply.
This week they had their first press conference in front of various members of the public, with JO1‘s Yonashiro Sho and INI‘s Kimura Masaya also present. The six members are Ookubo Naru, Tanaka Shotaro, Taniguchi Taichi, Terao Koushin, Hiramoto Ken, and Fukuda Ayuta. All six were part of the training program known as “LAPONE BOYS&LAPONE GIRLS”, with the group being the first to debut from the program. Ookubo, Terao, Hiramoto and Fukuda were also participants in PRODUCE 101 JAPAN Season 2. The name itself is meant to be a combination of DREAM X TEEN, referring to six young teenagers (TEEN) trying their best to overcome hardship and failures to achieve their dream of becoming artists (DREAM). The X is meant to refer to the mathematical multiplication symbol and to signal both gradual expansion in various dimensions (here, referred to as eXtension and eXpand). The name is also meant to signal that even as time passes by and they continue to grow, the members will not lose their youthful spirit and grow their dreams. Their entrance catchphrase is “Follow Your Dream DXTEEN Desu!”.
Their debut single titled Brand New Day will be released May 10th, with the coupling song called Sail Away. JO1‘s Kawashiri Ren was in charge of the choreography for Sailing Away.
DXTEEN members
- Ookubo Naru
- Position: Rap, Vocal
- Member color: Pink
- Tanaka Shotaro
- Position: Rap, Vocal
- Member color: Purple
- Taniguchi Taichi
- Position: Vocals
- Member color: Red
- Terao Koushin
- Position: Vocal
- Member color: Green
- Hiramoto Ken
- Position: Rap
- Member color: Blue
- Fukuda Ayuta
- Position: Vocals
- Member color: Yellow
DXTEEN debut single, Brand New Day
- Limited edition A
- CD
- Brand New Day
- Unlimit
- Sail Away
- DVD
- DXTEEN no Tabi 6 (tabilog) #1
- CD
- Limited edition B
- CD
- Brand New Day
- Unlimit
- Sail Away
- DVD
- DXTEEN no Tabi 6 (tabilog) #2
- CD
- Regular version
- CD
- Brand New Day
- Unlimit
- Sail Away
- CD
Source: Modelpress, Natalie, DXTEEN Official Website
Many thanks to reader Riku for the tip!