JO1 Sho and Keigo Discuss “Handz In My Pocket,” Expanding J-Pop’s International Horizons

LOS ANGELES: Japan’s J-pop phenomenon group JO1 makes their way around the world with their hot new single “Handz in My Pocket.” In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, group members Sho Yonashiro and Keigo Sato talked about the new song and their U.S. promotional efforts.

Pushing J-pop beyond borders since their 2020 debut, JO1 consists of 11 members formed through Produce 101 Japan. Chosen through groupwide votes, “Handz In My Pocket” is a showcase of JO1’s developing sound and international aspirations. “We wanted a song that really represented JO1,” Sato says, and the choice-making process gave all their members a collaborative voice.

For the single’s performance, the group merged two choreographies from two separate artists, mixing dynamic fun and chill. “It was hard to get into the right mind-set sometimes, but worth it,” Yonashiro said.

JO1 has already had a busy year in the U.S.: While at award shows and music festivals, announcing their first U.S. tour and dropping English versions of “Be Classic” and “Handz In My Pocket.” The L.A. stop of their world tour was a highlight for Yonashiro: “Fans were singing our Japanese lyrics — we couldn’t believe it.”

Sato, who was performing on the Dodgers’ Japanese Heritage Night, said it was a special moment. “It helps to see Japanese entertainers succeed in the world, and that’s something we want to do as well,” he said.

For the future, JO1 plans on seeing fans worldwide. “We’d like to be known by anyone in the world,” Yonashiro said, while Sato’s group harbors distant dreams of appearing at music festival Coachella and crossing over on to the Billboard charts.