IMP’s Cruisin’ is important for several reasons. First, it’s the official debut of former Johnny’s Junior IMPACTors, now promoting under a slightly different name. Second, it’s the first release from Hideaki Takizawa’s TOBE company. Takizawa (or Tackey, as he’s often know), was active as one half of Johnny’s duo Tackey & Tsubasa before becoming president of the company’s “Johnny’s Island,” which nurtured the careers of junior acts and was directly involved in the debuts of future superstars Snow Man and SixTONES. After leaving Johnny’s late last year, he launched TOBE and brought several familiar faces with him: V6’s Ken Miyake, Hirano Sho and Jinguji Yuta from King & Prince, and the now-renamed IMPACTors.

I’m fascinated with how this will all play out, especially given Johnnys’ decades-long stranglehold on the J-pop boy group market. I was a big fan of IMPACTors’ pre-debut work and hope that we’ll be able to hear some of those songs in recorded form (though I doubt it). Cruisin’ is a swerve into lighter pop territory. It’s not miles away from what you’d expect a Johnny’s act to release, which makes sense. I’m not a huge fan of the tempo change before the first pre-chorus, but Cruisin’ brings us back with an ebullient centerpiece that’s catchy as can be.

Even as juniors, IMP. struck me as an act that could compete internationally if given the right material. I’m not sure if Cruisin’ will be the song to do that, but at its best it offers a bright, robust sound that feels both welcoming and assured. It strikes a nice balance between cheesy fun and a more generic take on global pop. I’m eager to see where the group goes from here, and hope they return to some of the edgier rock elements that characterized their pre-debut phase.

Grade: B