The third generation of BiS (Brand-new Idol Society) have announced that the group will cease activities following a final disbandment live performance.
The news, made public on August 9th via the official BiS website, marks the end of another era for a group that played a key role in popularizing the alt-idol genre when the first generation formed 14 years ago.
Since April, BiS have operated as a self-sufficient group, with members managing their own activities. However, after discussions, the group decided that continuing was no longer feasible. The members expressed their gratitude to fans for their support over the past five years and assured them that they would fulfill their remaining scheduled performances, including their set at ‘WACK in the UK Vol.3’ in London, which will serve as their first and last international performance.
The original group, formed in 2010, disbanded in 2014, only to reform as a second generation in 2016. The third generation began in 2019 and faced multiple lineup changes over the years. Despite the challenges, third-generation BiS maintained the distinct identity established by the original lineup, pushing genre norms with unconventional performances, including a 24-hour live event.
Although their February 2024 album, ‘NEVER MiND’, performed decently on the Japanese album charts, the group struggled to match the listenership of their previous albums.
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The disbandment of BiS follows recent changes within their management company, WACK, including the resignation of its CEO, Junnosuke Watanabe, at the end of July. Watanabe, a central figure in BiS’s creation and evolution, recently spoke candidly to the Japanese music news site natalie about the past decade, referring to it as a “lost decade”. He reflected on the challenges faced by the idol industry, expressing concerns about complacency and the need for greater effort within the scene.
Watanabe’s comments highlight his belief that both he and the idols under WACK could have achieved more, particularly when comparing their progress to internationally focused acts. He has indicated that his resignation and upcoming studies abroad are part of an effort to reset and learn from past mistakes, with a focus on potentially expanding WACK’s influence beyond Japan.
Additionally, this news follows the original BiS lineup’s successful one-off reunion show, ‘You’ve been cheated’, which took place on July 8th, 2024, at Cine City Plaza in Kabukicho, Tokyo. The free event quickly reached capacity, leading to large crowds of fans congregating outside the show’s parameters.
As of now, details regarding third-generation BiS’s final disbandment live performance remain undetermined.
