Number_i Goes Phonk on New Single "BUGS LIFE" via Atlantic Records

Number_i - "BUGS LIFE" Official Music Video (click image to watch on YouTube)

Japanese trio Number_i, made up of Sho Hirano, Yuta Jinguji, and Yuta Kishi, released their new single "BUGS LIFE" on July 13, 2026 via Atlantic Records, along with an official music video built around a literal "bug in the system" concept.

Produced by member Yuta Jinguji, the track slows down phonk's typically fast tempo to spotlight the group's dance-forward performance style, layering in African and Latin percussion for a string of sudden beat switches. Lyrically, the song plays on the double meaning of "bug," comparing the group's own unlikely rise to a glitch in the system.

"BUGS LIFE" later became part of a physical triple A-side single, "REBON / BUGS LIFE / DIGITAL GIRL," released September 23, 2026 with a nationwide Tower Records retail campaign. It follows Number_i's rapid rise since their 2024 debut album "No.I," which topped Japan's Billboard albums chart.

Release Info

• Artist: Number_i
• Title: BUGS LIFE
• Release: Digital single, July 13, 2026 (later included on physical triple A-side single "REBON / BUGS LIFE / DIGITAL GIRL," September 23, 2026)
• Tie-in: None

Listen officially on:

• YouTube (Official MV): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFhspt7zsXg
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/3o9jxRsczWG6Juy1KTDNuG

Source: MusicWire / Atlantic Records press release, The Music Universe

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Snow Man Releases Music Video for "show time...", Track from Upcoming Album AMENITY

Snow Man - "show time..." Official Music Video (click image to watch on YouTube)

Snow Man has released the official music video for "show time...", a track from their upcoming 6th studio album "AMENITY," due out October 7, 2026. The video premiered on the group's official YouTube channel on August 26 and passed 5 million views within its first two days online.

Built around a nostalgic, old-Hollywood big-band sound, "show time..." carries a bittersweet, theatrical mood, capturing both the thrill of a one-night-only show and the quiet sadness of a curtain call. It is one of nine tracks from "AMENITY" made available for early streaming starting August 24.

"AMENITY" is themed around a fictional hotel called "HOTEL ALL SUITE," with the group cast as hosts guiding listeners through the album's world. A separate Dance Practice video for the song followed on September 2.

Release Info

• Artist: Snow Man
• Title: show time...
• Release: From 6th album "AMENITY," out October 7, 2026 (song streaming since August 24, 2026)
• Tie-in: None

Listen officially on:

• YouTube (Official MV): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHv5RZpvbV4
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/0SdzkJ0rQjdDUjf4KWRPyU

Source: avex portal news, THE FIRST TIMES

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King & Prince Unveils Full Music Video for "So Honey," Title Track of First-Ever EP

King & Prince - "So Honey" Official Music Video (click image to watch on YouTube)

King & Prince has released the full-length music video for "So Honey," the title track of the duo's first-ever CD EP, "So Honey EP," out September 2, 2026. The video, directed by Yusuke Daichi (who also helmed the group's "HEART" and "Theater" videos), premiered on the group's official YouTube channel on August 31.

The clip's centerpiece is a flying sequence shot on location in Hokkaido, giving the video an open-air, sun-drenched feel that matches the song's upbeat, summery pop sound. "So Honey" was written and composed by Akira Kurihara and Shingo Kubota of the production duo Jazzin'park, with choreography by YUMEKI and caru.

"So Honey EP" is built around a "BITTER or SWEET" concept, mixing lighter pop songs with more emotionally heavier tracks. It follows King & Prince's December 2025 album "STARRING," which spent three consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart.

Release Info

• Artist: King & Prince
• Title: So Honey (title track of 1st EP "So Honey EP")
• Release: September 2, 2026
• Tie-in: None

Listen officially on:

• YouTube (Official MV): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlvi1XhyPSk
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/4V09U7SHlrgSCiyCZcEhYd
• Official Site: https://kingandprince-music.com/

Source: Music Natalie / USEN encore news, Universal Music Japan

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ZUTOMAYO Drops Animated MV for "Fig Smoke," Opening Theme for Anime Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You

ZUTOMAYO - "Fig Smoke" Official Music Video (click image to watch on YouTube)

ZUTOMAYO (ずっと真夜中でいいのに。), the pseudonymous project fronted by singer-illustrator ACAね, has released an animated music video for their new song "Fig Smoke" (イチジデド烏, Ichijiku Kemuri), the opening theme for the TV anime "Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You" (スーパーの裏でヤニ吸うふたり). The track and video went live simultaneously on July 6, 2026, ahead of the anime's broadcast debut on July 9 on TBS-affiliated stations.

The animation was produced by bees inc., directed by G-ko (who previously helmed ZUTOMAYO's "ultra tamashi" and "Orbital Resonance" videos), with character designs by Yutaka Kinutani. ACAね has said she wove small sensory details into the song, like the sound of a lighter sparking, to mirror the source manga's atmosphere, having been a longtime reader of it before writing the track.

"Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You," based on Jinushi's manga published by Square Enix, also carries a separate ABEMA-exclusive opening theme, "Kuzuri Nen," used for an earlier online-only release of the series' first episodes.

Release Info

• Artist: ZUTOMAYO (ずっと真夜中でいいのに。)
• Title: Fig Smoke (イチジデド烏)
• Release: Digital single, July 6, 2026
• Tie-in: Opening theme, TV anime "Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You"

Listen officially on:

• YouTube (Official MV): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LDQXYTfWjA
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4Y2u6eHHFMsoCKftRR63ab

Source: Skream! Japan & International Rock Portal, Anitrendz.net

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=LOVE Releases 21st Single "Koi, Hajimemashita." with Cute Summer Music Video

=LOVE - "Koi, Hajimemashita." Official Music Video (click image to watch on YouTube)

Japanese idol group =LOVE (Equal Love) has released the music video for their 21st single "Koi, Hajimemashita." (恋、はじめました。, roughly "I've Started Falling in Love."), the title track of a single that dropped on August 26, 2026. The song is a bright, summery love song produced by group creator Rino Sashihara, built around the fluttery feeling of a new crush.

The music video leans into a playful, whimsical concept, with members dressed in all-white gothic-lolita-style outfits and school uniforms acting out a battle against giant teddy bears, themed around "conquering someone's heart." The clip follows a pre-release digital streaming run that started on August 4 and quickly passed 11 million plays across platforms.

The single caps off a strong stretch for =LOVE, whose most recent releases have repeatedly topped Oricon's weekly singles chart. The group has a 9th-anniversary concert set for October 15–16, 2026 at Tokyo's TOYOTA ARENA, with a Tokyo Dome show already announced for January 2027.

Release Info

• Artist: =LOVE (Equal Love)
• Title: Koi, Hajimemashita. (恋、はじめました。)
• Release: 21st single, released August 26, 2026
• Tie-in: None — standalone single

Listen officially on:

• YouTube (Official MV): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikFaEAlO5N0
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/7wFStDk5zqnR0gWPRN1Hwv
• =LOVE Official Site: https://equal-love.jp/

Source: PR TIMES / Sony Music Labels press release, JOYSOUND Music News

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