JO1 @official_jo1 ARE ENTERING A NEW ERA WITH ‘ANIMAL’ Six years after their formation through PRODUCE 101 JAPAN, JO1 are entering a defining new phase of their career. The nine-member group have established themselves as one of Japan’s prominent boy groups, earning consecutive No. 1 singles on the Oricon charts and building a dedicated international fanbase. Now, with ANIMAL, their US debut EP, they are taking a new step towards reaching audiences beyond the market that made them. Released on October 2 alongside the opening date of their first North American tour, ANIMAL represents more than a change in language. Entirely produced by Grammy-winning producer Dem Jointz, the project brings together the group’s performance-driven identity with a sound designed to invite immediate participation. Across its 18-minute runtime, the EP embraces energy, celebration and physical expression, with lead single “WHATCHA DOIN” offering an accessible introduction to the group’s world. Yet “SAKURA” provides a contrasting perspective, retaining a distinctly Japanese character in its sound and lyrics. Together, the tracks reflect JO1’s ambition to reach new listeners without losing sight of the identity they have spent six years developing. #TMRW# #JO1#

BIBI @nakedbibi THE WORLDWIDE WARRIOR COMES BACK TO EARTH A singer-songwriter whose music has always existed somewhere between the seductive and the unsettling – moving from the sleek eroticism of ‘The Weekend’ to the visceral provocations of ‘BIBI Vengeance’ and ‘Animal Farm’, the absurd sweetness of ‘Bam Yang Gang’, and the sprawling fictional world of her second studio album, EVE : ROMANCE, released in May 2025. Born Kim Hyoung-seo, she has spent her career resisting easy categorisation, building a world entirely her own where provocative ideas and surreal storytelling sit comfortably alongside deeply personal confession. A year ago, BIBI and I had been talking about the ways she changes – her appearance, her personality, the different selves she has inhabited through her music – when she suddenly wondered aloud whether all that shapeshifting had left her exhausted. It was an unguarded moment: the kind of thing an interviewer hopes might happen, but can never manufacture. #TMRW# #BIBI#

NICHOLAS OF &TEAM WHY NOT? &TEAM GLOBAL On a rainy May morning, &TEAM’s NICHOLAS is focused in the way that people are when they're completely at ease. This shoot is set under red lighting, and he’s pleased about it. "I think red light or blue light fits me the best," he says. The images bear that out, and he knows exactly what he's doing in front of a camera. "I know my strong points; my eyes can be really sharp." It's a precise kind of self-awareness, the sort that only comes from years of paying close attention.