BMSG

BMSG, Inc. (株式会社BMSG; Kabushiki Gaisha BMSG) is a Japanese management company established in 2020 and directed by rapper SKY-HI. The company currently has 8 acts under contract, SKY-HI, Novel Core, BE:FIRST, Aile The Shota, edhiii boi, MAZZEL, REIKO and HANA, as well as 21 disclosed trainees.

BMSG owns three labels: B-ME, a joint venture with Avex Entertainment, where SKY-HI's, Novel Core's and BE:FIRST's recordings are published, BE-U, a joint venture with Universal Music Japan, where MAZZEL's and REIKO's recordings are published, and Bullmoose Records, an in-house label, where Aile The Shota's and edhiii boi's recordings are published.

Current Acts

Main article: BMSG/Members

Under B-RAVE

HANA

Trainees

Main article: BMSG Trainees/Members

What's BMSG

BMSG is an acronym that stands for Be MySelf Group, as well as Brave, Massive, Survive, Groove. The choice to include the letters BM in the name is also a homage to BULLMOOSE, SKY-HI's first indie label^[1]. This name was chosen so the company would be a space where artists and idols can "be themselves". As such, the company's goal is "to not kill talent".

The company's mission statement is published on their website as follows:

BMSG's founding statement by SKY-HI

I have been working as an artist for over 15 years. I am grateful for the fortunate environment where I’ve always had support from both my management agencies and fans. At the same time, now I can say; I have no doubt it could have gone wrong at any time. Detachment of self-consciousness vs. how others see you, expectations in undesired directions, slander, imposition, and betrayal… There were times, not just once or twice when I almost fell apart. In fact, I know many fellow artists who gave up while they were on their way to seize their dreams. It is often uncontrollable. Well, the number of people and hours each individual has are limited, thus someone who succeeds in getting mass attention comes after severe survival games and mental suppression. I wouldn’t deny those facts. I believe one’s success in entertainment comes equally from talent and luck, or maybe you need more luck than talent. Well, the word ‘timing’ may replace ‘luck’ in this case. That said, as a person who has lived and worked in the fields of culture, art, and entertainment, and as a person whose life is committed to these fields, there are two critical issues I cannot let go of: First, it is often the case that gifted people are consumed in altered ways and therefore, they are left with nothing but misery. Secondly, people who achieved success thanks to their talent may not necessarily be living happy lives. For example, when the demand shifts towards one’s charm or reaction rather than the quality of entertainment elements like singing or dancing, that demand gets even bigger if he accepts it. After all, people may eventually see entertainment as customer service. I don’t mean to deny it or those who choose that style, nor do I disrespect those who worship those aspects. However, the fact is that people now tend to seek quality music and quality performance in K-pop. Young Japanese talent finds more opportunities in South Korea to be successful. Recently, they even started to show strong messages or attitudes. We cannot disregard this by saying “Well, Japan is Japan, and overseas is overseas.” Please think about it. If we continue as is, what can we expect from J-pop, especially, from dance and vocal groups ten years from now? I’ll give you another example. In reality, we should treat artists’ talents and personalities separately. However, if something goes wrong, people will thoroughly attack you. We don’t know where the landmines lie. Something so small can easily ruin a career. Anyone who experiences such trauma can no longer trust people around, including one’s own fans. How many great works of art with pure talent and soul have come to no end? How often are artists devoured with gossip not related to the work itself? How many dreams and talented artists out there have been wasted, eliminated, and erased? It is no longer a time we can control the media. No one will protect you. The trends and SNS transform so rapidly that someone can disappear after instant consumption. But we cannot close our eyes to that reality, either. It is the most critical yet challenging task to provide an environment for artists and idols so they can continuously focus on creating great work; This is a new era. So I decided to create my own company. That is BMSG, an acronym for Be MySelf Group, meaning exactly how it’s read. It is a management and label company where we provide an environment for artists to be true to themselves and spotlight their talents. I can see the issues and potential solutions from my experiences in indie to major labels, from underground hip-hop to being at the top of the J-pop industry. There is no reason for me not to start now. First, a teen rapper will make his debut in October.* Then, a boy group will debut next year.* (*As of 2020) I am going to create a new structure providing the following: artist management scenarios before and after debuting mental support a community where artists can openly share worries and concerns fair contracts trustable relationship building with fans Some of these aspects are necessary but haven’t been available in the past. Honestly, I have no idea whether this would work or not, but this approach is inevitable for us. I wouldn’t deny either the current system or those who prefer it. It is not about all or nothing. But I don’t want to accept a situation that allows artists, creativity, or fans to be altered or be negative among one another. It is better to have more people fulfilled. That is why entertainment exists. “The most personal is the most creative.” – This is a quote from Martin Scorsese. I believe this applies to music as well. To protect talent is to secure the possibility of the new creation to the world. In other words, “Be myself, for ourselves”. There must be something we can do. Starting here, I am ready to create a new Japanese culture that can compete with the US and K-pop. September 18, 2020 SKY-HI BMSG CEO

BMSG's tagline is “Live with Music, Live for Music”, and its four core principles are^[2]:

1. For the artist and music to love one another

   • Get to the bottom of its essence
     • Do not consume music superficially
     • Do not confuse people and things
   • Be of high quality
     • Continue to learn about "quality"
     • Respect what different people like
2. Be the Minority
   • Be eager for new ideas
     • Be willing to change
     • There is no such thing as "no choice"
     • There is no "normal"
3. Be polite when interacting with others
   • Be kind above everything
   • Social common sense comes before showbusiness rules
   • One for All, All for One
4. Take pride in your work
   • Always have BMSG (Be MySelf, Brave, Massive, Survive, Groove) in mind
   • Keep striving for the best

TYOISM

As of April 2024, BMSG has launched the TYOISM (read: "Tokyo-ism") vision, which seeks to embrace and represent the Tokyo charm and culture before the world. This vision includes four core values:

1. Revolutionary
   • Revolutionize the status quo
     In the traditional Japanese entertainment industry, phrases like "it can't be helped" and "that's just the way it is" truly dominated.
     BMSG works fully as an independent company, and being aware of entertainment in society, we develop conscious creativity within the establishment. Creativity, narrative, compliance, governance... aiming for the "good" of society is sad, but also revolutionary in the entertainment industry.
   • Don't suck up
     We mass-produce great creative works, nurture relationships of trust with our fans, and co-create with those who find our work interesting and valuable. If people don't find value in our work, it's our fault and we will humbly work hard to improve. Fans, media, management, and players are all colleagues, so there is no need to be overly humble and arrogance is completely unacceptable.
   • Be the Minority
     We must not forget that our first success was because we took the first step with THE FIRST at a time when the major agencies were halting their activities due to the coronavirus pandemic. Entertainment shines in adversity, and opportunities will come easily if you think outside the box. Asia, the world, and challenges that seem impossible are only one step beyond reality when you think back to that time. Take the first step.
   • Find like-minded people
     We're grateful for the fact that we're a successful entertainment company.
     This phenomenon was created by the talent who, instead of taking other auditions, took a chance on a company that had just started up and had zero track record.
     We are definitely creating the entertainment that society needs. Let's create a new era together with everyone else who feels this way.
2. Serious
   • Be sincere
     We must not forget that a single e-mail, chat, LINE, invoice, or expense can risk destroying a company's credibility. There are many people on the other side of every project, and rewarding them for the time they spend thinking about us is a necessary starting point for a healthy company.
   • Be healthy
     Merch, live performances, music videos, streaming, CDs... every single one is necessary for business. For our company, for other companies involved, for fans, and for artists. If there is a distortion in any step of the process, we should stop and think about it.
     At the same time, we should not endure illnesses or injuries. There is nothing more important in our own lives than our physical and mental health.
   • Be mindful of others
     All humans have the same amount of time, 24 hours. From the moment you release a song or perform live, or even send an e-mail or chat, you should be aware of the time you are taking away from the recipient.
     The person doing the pass needs to be careful so that the person receiving it can work comfortably.
   • Play seriously
     All culture is born from play. From the moment you come into contact with entertainment, enjoy it to the fullest as a human being.
3. Imagination
   • Be aware of gender and positional differences
     BMSG prohibits gendered conversations such as "manly", "despite being a man", "as a woman", "because I'm a woman".
     Always be mindful that you are, unknowingly, in an advantageous position due to your gender, your position (of power/in society), and the feelings of others who are oppressed at the time. Entertainment must be able to help all vulnerable people. We, as creators, are strongly urged to raise our own awareness.
   • Imagine what happens after a conversation
     The conversation you just had lives on in the other person as the words you said. It may be a suggestion to act, an intervention as a command, or even as a wound. You should also imagine that it will be passed on to the other person's boss(es), subordinate(s), colleague(s), friends, or somewhere else.
     On the other hand, a single idea you generate can be praised across oceans and around the world. Only you can be responsible for the words that come out of your mouth, only you can create that value.
   • Be conscious of open communication and avoid making people feel like they can't speak up
     We are all working together. Someone's insecurity or dissatisfaction can grow and fester like a disease in an organisation. [On the flip side] a rookie's words can enable innovation - this has actually happened in BMSG before.
     The most important job of a superior is to hold responsibility, not to restrain. Let's all make sure that everyone feels free to speak up and that this is their place to belong. If someone doesn't, let's help them. You are helped in that moment [too].
   • Don't assume anything
     Your thinking is nurtured by all your previous experiences, birth and upbringing, tastes and preferences, so from the point of view of someone else who has not lived exactly the same life, you! are! definitely! biased!
     When you think, "this is the way it should be" or "this is the way it used to be", feel and reflect on the bias you are putting on yourself before complaining to others.
4. Desire for Growth
   • Quality over Money (Quality over Quantity)
     We live in capitalism and money cannot be ignored. At the same time, we should remember that we don't live for money - BMSG exists to not kill talent and to create music and entertainment that captures the essence of what we do. What we should consider before profit is whether it benefits the entertainment we create and the people who create it.
   • Try
     Don't be afraid to make mistakes. I'm sure we've all had many "what if I had done this back then". Hidaka will be responsible for any failures, so if you feel you have to do something, push forward. If you are given responsibility, know that the responsibility is - in other words - "freedom". We, and the world, want your ideas and challenges.
   • Reflect on those mistakes
     The more you try, the more mistakes you will make. [What you want to try] may be rejected by your boss, or it might be completely rejected by the rest of the world. If [what you want to try] is in detriment of your fellow artists, Hidaka might scold you.
     Still, what you should gain from that failure/mistake is not to "not try", but "knowledge to prevent yourself and other colleagues from making the same mistake next time". You learn more from your mistakes than your successes.
   • Don't give up
     Seriously, surprisingly, if you really stick with it, somehow it will work out.

Organizational Structure and Policies

BMSG follows a pyramid organizational structure^[3]:

1. Chief Executive Officer (CEO): SKY-HI
   • President's Office
   • Creative Room
2. Chief Strategy Officer (CSO)
   • Management Department 1: Director Sakai Keisuke^[4]
   • Management Department 2
   • Management Department 3
   • Management Department 4: Director Hamamoto Yumi^[4]
   • TRAINEE'S BASE: Director Hamamoto Yumi^[4]
   • B-RAVE
3. Chief Operating Officer (COO)
   • Market Growth Department
   • Records: Bullmoose Records
   • Biz Dev
   • Corporate Department

As of December 2024, the company has 80 employees and is constantly hiring more. BMSG implements the hot desking and flextime methods^[4] and everyone, staff and artists, works at the BMSG building located in the Nishi Azabu district of the Minato ward in Tokyo.

Policies

Healthy & Honesty

As a company, BMSG particularly concerned with being honest and transparent about what's going on behind the scenes^[3], and with every single employee being able to speak their mind about the decisions and direction of the company^[4].

The company is privately owned, and to protect its independence and freedom, does not take external investment^[3]. In the early days, crowdfundings were conducted as a means to raise capital without jeopardizing their values.

BMSG is particularly interested in providing professional development opportunities for their artists' managers, through reestructuring what it means to be a manager in showbusiness and turning them into "star managers". As a result, they look to hire managers and management teams who are on the younger side^[3]. Following the principle of "social common sense comes before showbusiness rules", the company expects its managers to be very in touch with society and keep the artists grounded^[3]. Everyone, both staff and artists, is expected to work with a high sense of morality and respect to people around them^[3]. For this reason, BMSG invests in creativity and in the development and growth of its artists as individuals and as members of society^[3].

As part of this policy, all artists (both soloists and groups) start performing at live houses, then upgrade to halls, then arenas, and finally domes, despite some of them having the audience to go straight to huge venues. BMSG believes that maximizing profit with big audiences right off the bat is not beneficial to the psyche of young artists, who should be first and foremost able to grasp that every person who goes to see them is a human with a personal story and is investing their time and money into them. Additionally, during their first few months as performers, all artists use stage monitors (instead of in-ears) to learn to communicate between them and with the audience and to properly experience a live atmosphere from the point of view of the stage^[3].

Be Conscious

For the artists, the management policy is "be conscious". While BMSG artists are not expected to be role models or behave perfectly all the time, they are expected to pay attention to themselves, people around them, and society as a whole in order to improve it through their actions^[3].

As especially exposed members of society, BMSG believes artists have extra responsibility towards the public. The company values paying attention and being actively involved in society, so they can have informed opinions and in turn bring awareness to the public about various social issues^[3].

For the younger members of the company, the priority is for them to properly complete their education and live a life as normal as possible, for which they attend school normally and get special tutors and entrance exam counseling for each step of their education. Due to this support, all trainees actually improve their grades once they join the company^[3], and are usually not disclosed to the public until SKY-HI feels they're ready to face society.

Sustainability

Another aspect BMSG is particularly interested in is being sustainable. In order to reduce plastic waste, starting from April 2024, all CD releases are done in paper covers instead of jewelcase, and inclusions are sold in a separate, complete bundle to avoid bulkbuying in search of specific benefits^[3].

B with U and B-Town

B-Town is a fan community run by BMSG located on website CAMPFIRE Community. There are two membership types, with different price points and benefits: Architect and Resident.
You can access a variety of content, apply for advanced ticket lotteries, purchase exclusive merchandise, and participate in exclusive events.
Architects can follow the dedicated Architect Instagram account for regular updates in a blog style, which are often posted by SKY-HI, although other BMSG staff can post them as well. Residents receive a shortened version of these updates via posts on CAMPFIRE.
In addition, for Architects only, SKY-HI will regularly broadcast Instagram lives on various themes related to the operation of the company, such as current projects artists are working on, live performances, and music production. Architects are welcome to send comments and suggestions through the comments section and Direct Messages.
When B-Town's website opened, SKY-HI published the following statement:

Statement by SKY-HI

There is no doubt that the term "relationship with fans" has become a major keyword in today's entertainment industry. Especially since social networking services have become the main battlefield for advertising, it has become commonplace for fans to enjoy music and to spread it because of the power and depth of their feelings. There have been cases of billboard advertisements put up with the help of voluntary fans, and in many cases, the power of action and ideas are now equal to that of record companies and management. On the other hand, however, it is the so-called management staff who work directly with the artists and idols and know them best. I want to put my heart and soul into building a solid relationship of trust with the artists, but at the same time, I believe that the best way to manage a group is to work with the people who are its fans. We want to create an organization where artists, idols, myself as a manager, and fans can all live comfortably together. That is what B-Town is all about. The fan community course, B-Town Resident, is first and foremost about making things fun for everyone who lives as a fan, so we will not cut corners in creating "contents that you can only get here". We would like to have the management course and B-Town architects to be involved in the actual management of the project. We want them to be involved in the progress of the project, the production of music, videos, and live performances, planning, production of goods, observing rehearsals, reviewing live performances, publicity meetings, and so on.... I don't think there is a more inclusive community for those who want to be involved in the management, those who just want to see what goes on behind the scenes, and of course those who are interested in the music industry and would like to work in it someday. We are looking for people who would like to be involved in the BMSG that is now up and running, and who would like to work with us to build it together. If we can apply the monthly membership fee we receive to production costs, it will help us break away from the traditional record company system of working backwards from CD sales and squeezing the budget to make the product. I believe that being able to check the perspective of fans and artists while moving forward will also serve as a bulwark to protect artists who are easily placed in sensitive situations where they may sometimes feel that all perspectives are their enemies. All for the sake of a quality-first world. Let's create this era together.

History

Main article: BMSG/History

Background

SKY-HI's lifelong dream was to start his own company in a style that was similar to the hip-hop crews found in the United States. While researching if something similar existed in Japan, he found out about Max Matsuura and decided to join avex. During his time as a member of co-ed group AAA, management repeatedly denied him creative freedom and humiliated him and made fun of him for his ideas and for his goal of becoming a serious rapper. The fans of the group were also against him living between the "two worlds" of idol and rapper, which made him feel rejected and attacked on all fronts. As a result of all this suffering, he thought that he wanted his company to be a safe space that could protect younger talent from going through what he did^[5].

He began seriously thinking of starting his company in May 2017, after his two day performance in Nippon Budokan, the tour final of his SKY‐HI HALL TOUR 2017 ~WELIVE~. He thought he should have been happy, as it was a personal goal of his to perform there, but he wasn't. Despite having turned 30 and having achieved much success as a rapper (as the Budokan performance proved), the discussion of whether he could really be one was still being had, and he was still being called "just an idol" and treated like an imposter. This debate wasn't really held in other countries such as Korea and Thailand, where "idol rappers" and "real rappers" could co-exist and collab freely without being disregarded. He felt that the fundamentals of the system should be changed^[5].
Another reason that made him think a change was needed was the state of the Japanese music industry, since he considered it to have "closed off to the world" and fallen behind. By creating his own company, although small at first, he considered he would be able to make quick decisions to adapt to the current state of the world. He would also create a place for the "misfits" like himself who couldn't find a place to belong^[6].

While preparing to launch BMSG, he had to choose between three possibilities: a one-man agency to represent just himself, a hip-hop label to house unconventional rappers like Novel Core, or a third option that would give a chance to more artists who weren't necessarily hip-hop. Thinking back to his original feelings of wanting to build a safe space for other people who had suffered like him, he chose the third one, deciding that the most important thing he could do was create a place to save kids like his younger self and ensure that no one else would have to endure what he did in the future^[5].
Reading Russell Simmons' Do You! 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success was what gave him the final push to start the company^[7], and it was around 2019, after meeting Novel Core and SEITO and learning about their experiences in the entertainment industry^[8], when he decided on the shape and the timing for the company as it is currently known, prioritizing the idea of "artists who are independent and can pursue the activities they want in their own style"^[1].

2020

The company was officially established on September 18. However, it was revealed to the public on September 26, during SKY-HI's "SKY-HI Jikka One Man -Family Homesession-", which took place in his parents' home and was streamed live on YouTube. During the live, SKY-HI announced that besides himself, the first artist to sign a contract with the company was rapper Novel Core, and that an audition to create a boy group, scheduled to debut in 2021, would be held, with applications being accepted from that same day.
Novel Core made his major debut under B-ME on October 16 with his single SOBER ROCK, and SKY-HI released his first single under the label, Mr. Psycho, on November 18.

2021

THE FIRST

The audition to create a boy group, named "THE FIRST -BOYS GROUP AUDITION 2021-", started broadcasting on Hulu under the name THE FIRST on April 2 and had short, summarized weekly segments on the NTV morning show "Sukkiri". SKY-HI invested a total of 140 million yen out of his own pocket to make the audition happen. ^[9]
The final episode aired on August 13, when the group's name, BE:FIRST, as well as its line up, consisting of JUNON, LEO, RYOKI, SOTA, MANATO, SHUNTO and RYUHEI, were revealed.
However, SKY-HI also offered an artist contract to finalist Aile The Shota and trainee contracts to finalists RAN, REIKO and 11th placer RUI.
Later in the year, edhiii boi, who had been eliminated during the audition's third round, was also offered an artist contract after sending his original song demos to SKY-HI.
BE:FIRST released their pre-debut single, Shining One on August 16 and major debuted under B-ME on November 3 with Gifted.. They held their "FIRST" One Man Show -We All Gifted.- on November 5, where they announced they would be going on their first fanmeeting tour, -Hello My BESTY-, during December 2021 and January 2022.

The Crowdfunding

On September 20, two days after the company's first anniversary, BMSG announced the "THE FIRST Crowdfunding" project, with the intention of raising money (specifically, another 100 million yen) to fund BE:FIRST's and other BMSG artists' activities. ^[10]
SKY-HI's statement on the website said:

Statement by SKY-HI

My name is SKY-HI. I have lived as a music maker and stage performer for a long time, but I felt a sense of crisis caused by the fact that so many talents in Japan are disappearing or being crushed without a place to go, so I established a company called BMSG last year, signed contracts with a solo artist besides myself and at the same time held an audition, "THE FIRST", to form a boy group. I spent 100 million yen of my own money to make it into a documentary program, which was broadcast on various places such as NTV's "Sukkiri," Hulu, YouTube, and it received a great response. Thank you very much for your support. BE: FIRST, who were born from THE FIRST, the talents who chose to sign as trainees even if they did not make it into the group this time, and talents who are already ready to appear as solo artists... even without the capital of a big company, we will send them out into the world in the best possible way without losing their purity. At the time of the recruitment for THE FIRST, it had not been decided that the show would air on Sukkiri, and there were other auditions in the works, but thankfully, the best talent came together and we were ready to get off to a great start with BE:FIRST. Also, the talent that has signed a separate artist contract and the talent that has remained with BMSG as trainees are sharpening their nails. We are thinking of the best way to present them to the world. However, as we have just started our second year, and we have spent 100 million yen on the show's production without any significant income, and if we crunch the numbers another 100 million yen will be spent on future music videos and music production for BE:FIRST.... Finally, we have run out of money. I would like to spend another 100 million yen for BE:FIRST and the talents who are looking for their next opportunity, but I don't want to dilute the purity by selling off the rights to a big capital. We decided to organize this project to take the next step while expressing our gratitude to those who have supported THE FIRST, and in order to create an era with you, our wide-ranging supporters, and not the big offices or powers. The money will be used for: Increase in production costs for BE:FIRST Increase in production costs for BE:FIRST's upcoming tour Increase in production costs for Aile The Shota Increase expenses for training BMSG trainees Creation and operation of a new plan to get out into the world, hiring new employees for all of this. Manufacturing and shipping costs for returns (no crowdfunding posting fee) Although the funds will be used for a wide variety of purposes, there is no possibility that the amount paid by you will go into my own pocket, since I am currently the only board member of BMSG and have set my compensation at zero for last year and this year. In the event that we exceed our goal, we will use your valuable funds for the above-mentioned purposes. Frankly speaking, it might look better for an entertainment company to make a profit by creating goods without using the word "crowdfunding". I was troubled by this myself. However, I believe that THE FIRST received a positive response because it was created and broadcast without any lies, direction, scripts, or politics, and I thought it was more like me and more right for BMSG to make an honest request to everyone without changing things. Conversely, we decided that it would not be right for BMSG to use the increased value to partner with a large firm or to delegate decision-making authority by relying on a larger firm for funding. In order to nurture a new form of success and a budding culture, rather than following existing successes, we decided to ask for a straightforward request, because we want to be honest on our side in launching the project, and we want to make it together with all those who support us, rather than unilaterally. Finally, I'm running out of money! If you find THE FIRST or BMSG even remotely interesting, please help us! I promise that with the work that will come out of this, the new artists, and the appeal of the group, we will create an era in which you will be glad you supported us back then!

The crowdfunding offered a wide variety of merchandise, including a T-shirt, a CD with unreleased versions of songs used during the show, a silicone wristband, keychains, and a magazine, selling at different prices so everyone could contribute with what they were comfortable with.
The crowdfunding started on September 23, and its initial goal of 100 million yen was met in 35 minutes^[11]. By the time the project ended on October 30, it had raised a total of 456,546,989 yen thanks to the contribution of 59175 people.

Thanksgiving

To commemorate BMSG's second anniversary, the company celebrated a Thanksgiving month event named "BMSG Kanshasai". ^[12]
The concept was that, every Wednesday during October, one of the BMSG artists would release a song. The schedule was as follows:

• October 6: BE:FIRST - Kick Start
• October 13: SKY-HI - Good 4 You feat. DABOYWAY
• October 20: Novel Core - PANIC! feat. SKY-HI
• October 27: SKY-HI - Hachimenroppi

This started a BMSG tradition of releasing at least two songs a month.

2022

January saw the debuts of Aile The Shota and edhiii boi, the former with his first digital single AURORA TOKIO on the 5th, and then his first EP, AINNOCENCE, on the 26th, and the latter with his first digital single NO on the 12th.
On January 30 and 31, THE FIRST FINAL was held as a graduation concert for all THE FIRST contestants.
On March 15, BMSG won the "BEST NEW VISION" Award at the SPACE SHOWER MUSIC AWARDS 2022, where SKY-HI, Novel Core and BE:FIRST also performed.
On March 23, SKY-HI announced that auditions for new artists and trainees were officially open again, looking for males between the ages of 13 and 25. ^[13]. The footage for this process, later called the BMSG AUDITION 2022, was shown in MISSIONx2.
On April 7 and 8, the BMSG Artist Showcase 2022 was held. SKY-HI, Novel Core and Aile The Shota performed on the first day, while SKY-HI, edhiii boi and RUI performed on the second day, when TAIKI, a THE FIRST contestant who had made it to the top 15, was announced as a new trainee.
On April 10, SKY-HI announced that BMSG was looking for more staff members to fill artist management, creative desk, human resources and social media management positions. ^[14]
On August 5, BMSG announced they were looking to hire new artist managers. ^[15]
On September 17 and 18, all BMSG artists and trainees performed at BMSG FES '22, which marked the "end of the first chapter" of the company .
September was also the month where the first units were announced. ShowMinorSavage was revived, BMSG POSSE was formed, and New Chapter, a collaboration song written and performed by all fifteen members under the name BMSG ALLSTARS, was released.
On October 14, BMSG announced a new audition, the BMSG Shinki Renshuusei Audition, this time looking for male trainees born between April 1, 2005 and April 2, 2010^[16]

The Shibuya Jack

On June 8, a series of BMSG billboards and posters were put up in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo, to the fans' surprise. SKY-HI called it a "Shibuya Jack".
There were a total of 18 billboards/posters with 11 different types, 9 of which had pictures of the BMSG artists. All of them had the phrase "BMSG 新章突入" (BMSG entering a new chapter), a hashtag ending with one of BMSG's letters paired with a number (e.g. B1), as well as BMSG's and the individual artists' logos. ^[17]
The artist posters included lyrics from their songs, each with one of the characters written in red: BE:FIRST's Betrayal Game and Gifted., Novel Core's THANKS, ALL MY TEARS and TROUBLE, SKY-HI's To The First, Aile The Shota's AURORA TOKIO and IMA , and edhiii boi's part from 118. ^[18] Fans quickly realized that if they took the words in red and organized them following the hashtag order, a phrase would form: その日は僕らで作る新しい夢のステージ (that day is a new dream stage we will create).
On June 11, the BMSG Official Twitter account pointed out that the places where the posters were placed were also a hint, since they could connect on a map. ^[19]. Fans had many theories, including "S.17" (September 17, the first day of the BMSG FES '22), and "6.13" (June 13, the day the billboards would be taken down). Some even thought the points in the map could represent the notes to a song. ^[20]
On June 12, the official BMSG Twitter account confirmed that the map did indeed say "9.17" (September 17), referencing the first day of the BMSG FES '22. ^[21] The official website included a comment from SKY-HI about the Shibuya Jack:

Comment from SKY-HI

BMSG will soon celebrate its second anniversary. Thanks to the efforts of our artists, all of our staff, and everyone who has been involved (including you, who are watching this right now!), we have no doubt that we have been the most successful entertainment agency of the past two years. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. The success of THE FIRST and BE:FIRST, which was born out of it, has been remarkable, debut artists Aile The Shota and edhiii boi have achieved results that are hard to believe in their first year, and our first artist, Novel Core, has made great strides. I myself, as the president and producer, as well as an artist, am more fulfilled than ever before in my life. And there are still trainees in the pipeline who are sharpening their fingernails. BMSG is an organization that has a lot of work ahead of it, but on the occasion of its second anniversary on September 17 and 18, we will be holding our largest event, "BMSG FES," at FujiQ Highland. These two days will mark a clear step up for BMSG from an entertainment agency to a "comprehensive entertainment crew". I and we have never wanted to be "reasonably successful". With all due respect to all that has gone before, therefore, achieving unprecedented success is a mission that must be accomplished. It's only two years, but it's two years. What can BMSG create now, and where will we go from here? Starting with this hands-on entertainment experience, we are determined to make "the best!". We hope you will join us in this new chapter of BMSG. This is all just a grand prelude to what is to come.

The Big Announcement

On November 15, the BMSG Twitter account tweeted about a big announcement that would be made by SKY-HI during a live press conference hosted on BMSG's YouTube channel on November 22. During the following days, countdown videos were released.
The press conference revealed the establishment of a new label, BE-U, in partnership with Universal Music Japan. The first artist to debut under the new label would be MAZZEL, a new 8-member boy group, in Spring 2023. The group was formed through the BMSG Audition 2022 that took place earlier in the year, and the process would be shown in a new documentary program, MISSIONx2, that would run from January to March 2023 in BMSG's YouTube channel.
SKY-HI unveiled that THE FIRST contestant and then-trainee RAN was in the lineup, which was already finalized, while trainee REIKO, who had also taken part in the audition, would be taking a different path.
He also announced that the company would be hiring more staff, including more artist managers, social media managers, accountants, and others.

2023

On January 19, SKY-HI held a new press conference on the BMSG YouTube channel, announcing that BMSG would be starting its own large scale music project, D.U.N.K., in association with NTV. The TV show would feature both BMSG acts and artists from other agencies, with SKY-HI serving as the producer and host.
On February 21, BMSG ShowMinorSavage was announced as an official unit, opening their YouTube channel and Instagram account and revealing they would be releasing their first EP, ShowMinorSavage (EP), the following day.

The Puzzle

From May 23-27, BMSG released a series of videos on each artist, group, and trainee's Instagram accounts containing images of what appeared to be pieces of a puzzle of the BMSG logo and two flashing numbers. Fans quickly ascertained the puzzle was related to the year's BMSG FES, which had still yet to be announced. As more numbers were revealed each day, speculation that they were coordinates of the event's two locations circulated around the fandom. An additional video of a map of Japan shooting off lines in two directions added to theory. When the final numbers were revealed the locations became clear.
The end of the puzzle coincided with the first day of SKY-HI ARENA TOUR 2023 -BOSSDOM- where SKY-HI officially announced BMSG FES '23, which would take place over two weekends: September 23-34 in Tokyo and September 30 - October 1 in Osaka.

Discography

Main article: BMSG/Collaborations

As a company, BMSG emphasizes creative collaboration between its artists. As such, it is usual for features and remixes to be released.
Collaborations between BMSG acts started years before the company was created, with SKY-HI and Novel Core releasing songs together.

• [2018.08.21] SKY-HI - What are you talking about? feat. Hideyoshi, Novel Core
• [2020.04.01] Novel Core - Doze Off feat. SKY-HI
• [2021.01.18] Novel Core - SOBER ROCK -Remix- feat. SKY-HI
• [2021.06.28] JUNON, LEO, SOTA, MANATO, REIKO, RUI - Be Free
• [2021.07.05] SHOTA, RYOKI, TEN, RAN, SHUNTO, RYUHEI - Move On
• [2021.07.19] SHOTA, JUNON, LEO, RYOKI, SOTA, MANATO, RAN, REIKO, SHUNTO, RYUHEI, RUI - To The First
• [2021.10.20] Novel Core - PANIC! feat. SKY-HI
• [2021.10.27] SKY-HI - me time -remix- feat. Aile The Shota
• [2021.10.27] SKY-HI - One More Day feat. REIKO
• [2021.10.27] SKY-HI - 14th Syndrome feat. RUI, TAIKI, edhiii boi
• [2022.01.18] edhiii boi, SOTA, Novel Core - 118
• [2022.03.14] SKY-HI, Novel Core, Aile The Shota, edhiii boi - Brave Generation -BMSG United Remix-
• [2022.04.06] Novel Core - HAPPY TEARS feat. Aile The Shota
• [2022.04.20] edhiii boi - NO -remix- feat. TAIKI
• [2022.07.02] edhiii boi, RUI, TAIKI - 15th Dream
• [2022.09.18] BMSG ALLSTARS - New Chapter
• [2022.12.12] SKY-HI, Aile The Shota, JUNON, LEO - Tiger Style
• [2023.02.22] ShowMinorSavage - ShowMinorSavage (EP)

Lives

Main article: BMSG/Live Events

Other Works

References