BE:FIRST had a defining 2025 — a year marked by reflection, reinvention, and momentum that continues to build. From releasing their first-ever best-of compilation BE:ST to expanding their global footprint through dome shows and international touring, the six-member group has been steadily cementing their place at the forefront of contemporary J-pop. Rather than slowing down, BE:FIRST are using this moment to look both inward and forward, reconnecting with their roots while sharpening their creative identity.
That duality is especially present in their recent releases. While their reinterpretation of ‘I Want You Back’ nods respectfully to pop history, their latest festive single ‘Lighting Up The Town’ embraces warmth, joy, and gospel-inspired harmony — a sound that highlights their vocal strength and emotional clarity. As the group heads into 2026, they’re already setting their sights on what comes next, with creativity firmly at the centre.
In this interview, BE:FIRST reflect on revisiting their journey through BE:ST, performing career-defining tracks on massive stages, reaching global audiences through anime tie-ins, and finding new ways to express themselves as artists — all while looking ahead to an even more focused and creative year to come.
Last year, you released your first best-of album, BE:ST. As you looked back on your past songs during the album’s production, were there any emotions or memories that came back to you especially strongly?
MANATO: Since it’s a best album titled BE:ST, it naturally includes many of our past songs. In that sense, starting from tracks like ‘Shining One’ and ‘Gifted’, up to our most recent work, the album really captures the entire journey of the music we’ve wanted to deliver as BE:FIRST over the past three to four years. I think it’s an album that lets you return to our starting point and original mindset whenever you listen to it.
Comparing earlier releases to newer ones, what growth do you see most clearly in yourselves as artists?
LEO: Yeah, growth… I want to keep growing every day, you know. What do you think…? Do you think we’re actually growing?
MANATO: We definitely are!
RYUHEI: Especially in 2025 — we performed live so much, right?
LEO: Yeah, we really did a lot of live shows. The choreography keeps getting more difficult, and vocally there are more technical parts too, so I feel like we’ve grown a lot.
RYUHEI: Absolutely!
MANATO: Yeah, for sure.
‘Spacecraft’ was created specifically for your first dome tour. How did performing it in such massive venues shape its meaning for you?
SHUNTO: There wasn’t any huge change in particular, but one really memorable moment for me was being able to perform a song that I was partly involved in writing as the final song — almost like a self-encore — during the dome tour. Being able to present it in a way that felt like a new song reveal was something that made me really happy.
‘Secret Garden’ features choreography by SOTA and Julian DeGuzman. What was the creative vision behind the movement?
SOTA: With ‘Secret Garden’, at a time when choreography is starting to feel more silhouette-driven, we wanted to create a song that really shows the essence of dance. So Julian and I worked together to highlight the subtle differences between choreography and dance itself. Because of that, I think the choreography has steps that are unique to this song, and a texture and groove that can only come out with this track. I’d be really happy if people could watch it again with that in mind.
‘Sailing’ is one of your biggest hits to date. How did fans discovering you through ONE PIECE impact your perspective on global listeners?
SHUNTO: I don’t really feel it sinking in yet, but I know how popular ONE PIECE is overseas. It’s also an original work — both the manga and the anime — that we personally love a lot, so if people discovered us through this song, that would make me really happy.
Covering a classic like ‘I Want You Back’ is bold. What did you want to preserve, and what did you want to reinvent?
RYUHEI: I think the passion and energy that come from The Jackson 5’s youth are one of the reasons this song feels so happy. Since we’re expressing this song at an older age than The Jackson 5 were at the time, we felt it was really important to show deep respect for the original. That was something we were very conscious of while working on it.
SOTA helped choreograph the dance for the anime WANDANCE. How did being part of both dance and music shape the creative process of the theme song ‘Stare In Wonder’?
SOTA: Since it’s an anime centred around dance, I wanted to put my full respect for dance into it. It felt like creating the song while remembering who I was back in my days as a dancer, something I hadn’t done in a while. Because of that, I think it became a track filled with a kind of passion that’s unique and unlike anything else.
Your latest track ‘Lighting Up The Town’ is a joyful, gospel-inspired Christmas tune. How did you approach capturing the warmth and preciousness of everyday life in the song?
MANATO: Among all the songs BE:FIRST has released so far, this might be one of the tracks where you can really feel the winter the most. We’ve done several songs that follow gospel traditions, but with ‘Lighting Up The Town’ we were able to further showcase our strengths as singers — something we’ve also expressed in songs like ‘Muchu’ and ‘Under the Same Sky’. I’m really happy that we could present this as a new side of BE:FIRST to everyone.
What are your goals or resolutions for 2026?
LEO: 2025 was a year where we were able to perform a lot — between the dome tour, the world tour, and the fan meeting arena tour. While continuing that momentum, in 2026 we really want to put even more focus on the creative side — revisiting and refining what we do — so that we can truly create and deliver the music that BE:FIRST stands for. We’re going to work hard toward that.
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