J SOUL BROTHERS III from EXILE TRIBE

After an original run that lasted from 1999 to 2001, one of J-pop’s heavyweight collectives, J SOUL BROTHERS III from EXILE TRIBE, reemerged in the 2010s, infusing floor-filling EDM into their Hi-NRG singing and dancing. J SOUL BROTHERS were initially led by Hiroyuki Igarashi (better known as Hiro) and released a few upbeat R&B singles before their main vocalist left the group. Hiro and the other members rebranded as EXILE in 2001 and soon rose to the top of Japan’s music scene with their mix of catchy R&B and skillful dancing. But in 2010, Hiro decided to reboot J SOUL BROTHERS to introduce a new generation of performers including Naoto, Naoki Kobayashi, ELLY, Kenjiro Yamashida, Takanori Iwata, Ryuji Imaichi and Hiroomi Tosaka. The members found their own unique style in 2014 with singles such as “S.A.K.U.R.A.” and "R.Y.U.S.E.I.", which embraced the build-and-release structure of modern electronic dance music, complete with bass-rattling drops. While J SOUL BROTHERS III have dabbled in different genres in ensuing years—including a rock collaboration with Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash on 2015’s “STORM RIDERS” single—their Hi-NRG dance-pop style has remained their foundation, deployed to maximum effect on unforgettable cuts like “Summer Madness” and “Movin’ on”.