I don’t know if there’s actual correlation between the two, but ever since Johnny’s Entertainment rebranded into Starto Entertainment, I’ve had a hard time falling in love with their music. Maybe it’s an A&R thing, or maybe it’s simply a symptom of a changing industry environment. Whatever it is, recent songs by some of my long-time favorites just aren’t hitting the way they used to. Now, we have the debut of a new group and an opportunity to truly turn the page.
As with any Starto act, Ae! group have been kicking around as juniors for years before making their official cd debut. This comes on the heals of Travis Japan in 2022 and Naniwa Danshi in 2021. Their unique rock-band-meets-dance-act configuration promises some interesting sounds, and 《A》BEGINNING offers a glimpse at that potential. It’s a fiery track, blending a powerful J-pop sound with band elements that set it apart from others within this realm. As far as Starto debuts go, Ae! group are comparable to the harder-edged sounds of KAT-TUN and SixTONES, but they definitely have their own flavor.
Above all, it’s nice to hear such a bombastic, throw-it-all-on-the-line chorus. There’s a distinct lack of “singing as if your life depended on it” in pop music these days, and I love hearing the guys belt out the notes right from the start. 《A》BEGINNING is best when it’s biggest, and fortunately it rarely loses that edge. This is a lot to fit into a single song, and at times the arrangement feels a bit muffled. The opening “woah oh oh” vocal hook lacks the power it should, but part of me wonders if the mixing is simply a symptom of YouTube’s dreaded compression and the album version will sound more robust. Either way, this is a solid debut for Ae! group and hopefully the first in a long line of standout singles.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.75 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
oh damn this is great, our first great starto song in a while
also i love the names of the sections of the mv, like what do the beatles got to do with ae! 💀
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So I guess the Bunshun article I referenced in my comment here was just 10 months off: https://thebiaslist.com/2023/07/02/new-noteworthy-j-pop-of-the-week-july-2-2023/ . I don’t have much to add in terms of the song, It is definitely a strong debut. My favorite part is the instrumental bridge and Suezawa’s high note in it, which feels like something you don’t hear as much in pop music now. As is often the case when Starto Junior groups debut, there are pre-debut songs I prefer, but this is definitely a solid opening single.
The main thing that interests me though is to think about Starto the agency. Nick, do you have an updated grade on Starto’s 2023 year, https://thebiaslist.com/2023/11/28/grading-the-j-pop-agencies-2023-johnnys-associates-family-club-who-knows/? or do you need more time to see how the Starto navigates the relaunch/waiting to see how they succeed at debuting Aぇ! group?
I find it interesting the tension between choosing to debut the group with more senior members (Aぇ! group – oldest member 29, average age 26) versus choosing younger groups (Hihi Jets – oldest member 24, average age 22.4 or Bishonen – oldest member 23, average age 21.5). I understand why Starto chose Aぇ! group, as if they plan to debut them they probably want to do it before they have a 30 year old member, and Aぇ! group can fill Kyocera dome/other arenas outside Kansai. But it is definitely a balance all idol agencies have to navigate between older trainees who fans think should be next in line, and younger trainees who can have longer careers as young idols. This definitely applies to Starto with their embarrassment of Junior riches.
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Wow thank you for writing about Ae! Got hooked by watching their YT videos (the two-part videos when they are getting ranked by other Kansai Juniors are gold, you have to watch them when you have the time) and I’m so glad their talents are noticed before it’s too late. I truly hope they can have a good career onwards.
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