Sexy Zone announced their new group name on the 1st and changed their name to “timelesz”. For the first time in the company’s history, they have also announced that they will be holding auditions to select new members. Fuma Kikuchi (29), Katsutoshi Sato (27), and Satoshi Matsushima (26) conveyed their thoughts through live streaming on the official YouTube channel.
[Photo]Last live after name change. I thought everyone was in the same pose?Kikuchi held a colored piece of paper that Matsushima had written “timelesz” on the spot, and the three of them greeted each other with “Seno, wee, ah, timelesz.” Kikuchi said, “There was a song called “timeless” that the five of us wrote at the time of Marius (Yoh)’s graduation.I thought it would be good if the name of the new group was something that we all came up with.We wanted to include everyone’s feelings. “So,” he revealed, “I would like to inherit the history, dreams, and other thoughts of Sexy Zone. The original ‘ss’ was changed to ‘sz’ (from the initials). .It’s filled with answers that no one will leave behind,” he said, explaining the origin. Sato was also happy, saying, “I’m glad I was able to leave it behind,” and Matsushima smiled, saying, “I was able to pack everything I cherished here.” “Timeless” is a word that has meanings such as “eternal” and “timeless.” The word “timelesz” was created by leaving the initials “SZ” for “Sexy Zone” at the end of the word. The fandom name (collective term for fans) is “secondz,” which means “people who keep the second hand ticking.” They debuted as a five-member group in 2011 with the single “Sexy Zone.” At the end of 2022, Marius Yo (24) graduated from the group and left. Kento Nakajima (30) announced that he will graduate on March 31st of this year and change his name from April 1st. During the broadcast, it was also announced that new member auditions would be held. This is an unprecedented attempt, as it is the first time for a debut group to recruit new members, including when the group was founded in 1962 as the former Johnny’s office. Details will be announced and applications will begin in May. Applicants must be between 18 and 30 years old, able to work in Japan, and not affiliated with an entertainment agency. It is also possible for juniors to apply. Kikuchi said, “We were talking about what we should do with our future activities to take this opportunity to change the shape of the group, and we made this decision because we wanted to see more scenery than ever before with the people who have supported us. I was there,” he explained. “I’m looking for friends to pursue my dreams with. I hope we can move towards new dreams.” The group also announced that it will hold its first tour after changing its name to Timelesz, starting with a performance in Hokkaido in June and performing 25 performances in 7 cities nationwide. They also reported that they will appear in the video at the new company “STARTO ENTERTAINMENT”‘s first event “WE ARE! Let’s get the party STARTO!!” to be held at Tokyo Dome on April 10th. Since Sato will be performing in the musical, the three of them will appear in the video, while Kikuchi and Matsushima will appear at the venue on the day.