Lead

Three members, Hiroki Nakadoi, Shinya Taniuchi, and Teruki Kagimoto, met at a dance school in Osaka and began performing on the street. Later, Keita Furuya from Fukuoka Prefecture, who was selected in an audition organized by the office, joined them and the four members formed Lead. The group’s first performance was at Osaka Castle Park, the Mecca of street performances in Osaka, where they drew crowds of up to 7,000 people. Amidst the buzz, they debuted on July 31, 2002 with the single “Midsummer Magic” at the young average age of 14.5 years old.

Their second single, “Show me the way,” won the New Artist Award at the 44th Japan Record Awards in 2002. They then went on to win the Japan Record Award Gold Prize in 2004 and 2005.

Since 2004, Lead has held solo live performances every year, and has been praised by many artists and dancers for their endurance and ability to keep dancing throughout their live performances. The stoicism of the stage is synonymous with the Leaders and is their most powerful weapon. In addition, the “Leaders,” or the family-like atmosphere with the fans, is one of the unique characteristics of Lead’s live performances.

In March 2013, Hiroki Nakadoi, who had been the leader of the group for 11 years since its debut, graduated from the group, and the three members began the second chapter of Lead.

In 2016, their 7th album “THE SHOWCASE” debuted at No. 2 on the Oricon Weekly Chart. With this, it broke the record for the highest ranking in Lead’s history, including all the singles and albums released in the past 14 years.

In 2017, the group celebrated its 15th anniversary, and the three members wrote the lyrics for their 28th single “Beautiful Day.” As of 2023, they have released a total of 35 singles and 9 original albums. In recent years, in addition to their artistic activities, they have also performed on stage and in musicals, etc. On July 31, 2022, the 20th anniversary of their debut, the group will continue to move forward as a beacon for all to continue to “lead” the times, from which the group name is derived.