Ae! group (JP: Aぇ! group) has announced news of their debut with their upcoming debut single,《A》Beginning. The five-member group from the western region of Kansai in Japan announced the news during their fanmeet at Kyocera Dome Osaka. Managed and developed by STARTO Entertainment (STARTO), the group has been signed under Universal Music Group, and will release their debut single on 15 May 2024.
＼Aぇ! group デビュー決定🎊／
— Aぇ! group (@Aegroupofficial) March 16, 2024
1st Single「《A》BEGINNING」
2024.5.15 Release💿
🛒UNIVERSAL MUSIC STORE盤のみ最速予約スタートhttps://t.co/4VWh3QOrEc
🔗UNIVERSAL MUSIC SITE OPENhttps://t.co/YcsEdPFQst#Aぇǃgroup#A_BEGINNING pic.twitter.com/OcgjoNkWDq
Ae! group started as a junior unit in 2019 under the guidance of You Yokohama and mentored by Tadayoshi Ohkura, both of whom are popular talents and members of the long-beloved STARTO group SUPER EIGHT. Ae! group skyrocketed in popularity thanks to their live music skills, wild and delightful humour, and lively personalities. A testament to their popularity at home, they held a national concert tour in 2023, and even landed a major sponsorship deal with FILA Sporting Goods.
京セラドームでCDデビューをサプライズ発表した、Aぇ! groupのDebut Single「《A》BEGINNING」の全形態の予約がスタート🎧
— Aぇ! group (@Aegroupofficial) March 18, 2024
各形態別となる外付け特典は先着となりますので、お早めのご予約/ご購入を💿
🛒詳細はこちらhttps://t.co/LMvTTZXNoU#Aぇǃgroup#A_BEGINNING pic.twitter.com/zBgvwy4z4i
To celebrate their debut, Ae! group also announced an eight-city, 400,000-seat capacity national tour Live Tour, "The World's Best AeLIVE" to run from 25 May to 18 August 2024.
Spirits were high as Ae! group surprised their fans with the news of both the debut and live tour during their fanmeet on 16 March at the Kyocera Dome Osaka, with members Yoshinori Masakado and Seiya Suezawa playfully apologizing and commenting that the information may seem to be too much for such a short time. Amidst a medley of songs to celebrate the exciting news, the members tearfully and thoughtfully expressed their thanks to their fans who have shown their support.
In a press release following the announcement, each of them had this to say:
“We are incredibly grateful to finally be able to share this good news with the world. It is thanks to the love and support of all our fans, even beyond these long five years, that this day has finally come. We will continue to devote ourselves to the task at hand, so please lend your support to this ‘new Ae! group!’” - Yoshinori Masakado
“We want to thank each and every person who has helped bring us to this point, including everyone who came to our announcement event at the Kyocera Dome Osaka and watched it worldwide on the Family Club Online. It's still hard to express all the emotions we feel, so I'll leave it at this: the five of us will work harder than ever before for the happiness of our fans! This ‘BEGINNING’ is thanks to you!” - Seiya Suezawa
“Having finally reached it ourselves, I now understand what so many of our seniors meant when they talked about how a debut is not an end goal, as it may seem from our view as Juniors, but rather a starting line for a new and exciting marathon, which we will run with your help!” - Richard “Richa” Keita Kusama
“A debut is just the beginning of a new adventure, but it's still one goal that we are grateful to finally make manifest. We will apply ourselves wholeheartedly to become a bigger and better version of ourselves and take our fans along for an incredible ride to new heights. We will make Ae! group one that steals all your hearts!” - Ken Kojima
“This is the real start for us as Ae! group; the A(e!)ctualization of our A(e!)chievements by the A(e!)rdour of all our fans. The five of us will strive to be an Ae! group that makes you proud.” - Masaya Sano
Fellow STARTO idols and talents from the Kansai region, Naniwa Danshi, WEST., and SUPER EIGHT also sent surprise video messages of congratulations and support to Ae! group on their debut.
In addition, in the same press release, You Yokoyama sent the following message:
“It's been five years, but I can still remember like it was yesterday when these guys came together as Ae! group. I am so proud of what they have accomplished, and relieved that every effort they put in has paid off.
Sometimes they can still seem a bit rough around the edges, but I know they have such high potential. I hope everyone might look upon them warmly and support their continued endeavors.
They might be ‘Ae’ (good) now, but I know they're going to be a SUPER group one day.
SUPER like SUPER EIGHT! (Nah, they'll be even better.)”
To follow Ae! group’s latest adventures as they embark on this new journey, head to their new official X (formerly Twitter) account and keep an eye out for their other upcoming official social media accounts.
Pre-orders for their new single,《A》Beginning, are now available via Universal Music Japan.
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