A phrase such as ‘idol group’ will conjure up particular images and ideas in your average J-Pop fan that are not going to be that dissimilar from the many acts dominating the contemporary Japanese charts.
So it’s a refreshing surprise when an outfit comes along that appears to be taking a very different approach to the idol group concept.
Enter BiS (short for Brand-New Idol Society) who are carving out their own particular style of J-Pop under the guidance of founder-member Pour Lui. Prior to this, Pour Lui was already on her way to establishing herself as a solo artist (including the release of mini-album Minna no Pour Lui in 2010). Deciding that she would rather work as part of a group, Pour Lui began a series of auditions and interviews to recruit potential members. These auditions brought in Nozomi Hirano, Yukiko Nakayama and Rina Yokoyama and Brand-New Idol Society was born. More inside »
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