''Protostar'' (stylized as ''PROTOSTAR'') is an
extended play
An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. (EP) marketed as the debut single of Japanese boy group
JO1, formed through the reality competition show ''
Produce 101 Japan''. It also served as the lead single for their first studio album ''
The Star
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' (2020). Consisting of songs previously performed on the last episode of the show and three new songs, the EP single was released by
Lapone Entertainment
is a Japanese management and entertainment company, established in May 2019 as a joint venture between South Korean CJ ENM and Japanese Yoshimoto Kogyo. The company operates as a talent agency, entertainment company, and record label under Yoshi ...
into three different editions on March 4, 2020. It features the participation of various South Korean songwriters and production teams such as KZ,
Kim Seung-soo, Nthonious, KCKT,
Ryan S. Jhun
Ryan S. Jhun ( ko, 라이언 전) is a South Korean songwriter and producer. Jhun is known for his work with various K-pop soloists and idol groups, getting his start through acts from SM Entertainment such as Shinee, Super Junior, f(x), Taeyeon, ...
,
Andrew Choi, and others.
Upon its release, the single earned the top spot on
Oricon Singles Chart
The Oricon Singles Chart is the Japanese music industry-standard singles popularity chart issued daily, weekly, monthly and yearly by Oricon. Chart rankings are based on physical singles' sales. Until 2017, Oricon did not track download sales. In J ...
and received a Platinum certification by the
Recording Industry Association of Japan
The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969.
The RIAJ's activities include pr ...
. It made the group became the seventh artist that managed to sell over 300,000 copies in the first week with a debut single according to Oricon. The lead track "Infinity" also peaked atop the
''Billboard Japan'' Hot 100.
Background and release
Shortly after the end of ''
Produce 101 Japan'', JO1 was revealed to fly to South Korea for the preparation and the production of their debut. On January 14, it was revealed that the group's debut EP single was titled ''Protostar'' and would be released on March 4 with "Infinity" as the lead track. A concept trailer was released on January 28, 2020. To further promote the single, an animated music video for "Running" and a short performance video of "La Pa Pa Pam" were also released.
A special live streaming event was then held on the group's various official social media accounts to commemorate the single's release and the group's debut, .
''Protostar'' consists of songs previously performed on the last episode of the show and three new songs that were released into three different editions. The first edition is a CD and DVD bundle limited edition that includes a making video for "Infinity" and a talk segment with members. The second edition is a CD and photo booklet bundle limited edition. The final edition is a CD-only normal edition that includes the new songs: "Infinity", "Running", and "La Pa Pa Pam".
Lead track
"Infinity" incorporates various musical components, such as
hip hop,
EDM
EDM or E-DM may refer to:
Music
* Electronic dance music
* Early Day Miners, American band
Science and technology
* Electric dipole moment
* Electrical discharge machining
* Electronic distance measurement
*Entry, Descent, and landing demonstrat ...
, and
house music
House is a music genre characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by Disc jockey, DJs and music producers from Chicago metropolitan area, Chicago' ...
. The song was aired for the first time on
J-Wave
J-Wave is a commercial radio station based in Tokyo, Japan, broadcasting on 81.3 FM from the Tokyo Skytree to the Tokyo area. J-Wave airs mostly music, covering a wide range of formats. The station is considered the most popular among FM broad ...
's radio program, ''Step One'', on February 5, 2020. The full version of the music video was released on February 16 and directed by Beomjin from VM Project Architecture. According to member Sho Yonashiro, ''Protostar'' implies the group's wish that they, who were ordinary people, gather and become stars, and "Infinity" is a song that embodies the infinite possibilities and infinite growth of JO1.
Upon its release, "Infinity" led other songs from the EP single on the
''Billboard Japan'' Hot 100 by ranking first on that week and eventually earned the fiftieth place on the chart's year-end rankings.
The song was used as the theme song for the TV commercial of
ABC-Mart
is a Japanese footwear company, with stores in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.
History
The company was founded by Masahiro Miki in Shinjuku in 1985 as Boeki Shoji Inc. In 1987, the company moved to Arakawa and changed its name to International ...
x
Nike
Nike often refers to:
* Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory
* Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment
Nike may also refer to:
People
* Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
's project titled Nike One, as well as the ending song for
TV Asahi
JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as (also known as EX and and stylized as TV asahi), is a television station that is owned and operated by the subsidiary of certified broadcasting holding company , itself controlled by The Asahi Shimbun Compan ...
's show, ''Sonna Koto Kangaetakoto Nakatta Quiz! Torinikku-tte Nanno Niku!?'', and a
Kansai TV
JODX-DTV, virtual channel 8 ( UHF digital channel 17), branded as or , is the Kansai region key station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and Fuji Network System (FNS), operated by the . Kansai TV is a company affiliated in Hankyu Hanshin Holdin ...
's variety show ''Chihara Junior no Zao''.
Promotion
On March 24, 2020, JO1 had their first live performance ever on a TV program by performing "Infinity" on
NTV NTV may refer to:
Television
* NTV (Bangladesh), a Bengali-language satellite television channel in Bangladesh
* NTV (India), Telugu regional channel
* NTV (Kenya)
* NTV (Mongolia), a television channel based in Mongolia
* NTV (Newport Televis ...
's morning show ''Sukkiri''. The group later presented a special "home performance" of "La Pa Pa Pam" on ''Mezamashi Uchi Festival'', a special episode of
Fuji TV
JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as and colloquially known as CX, is a Japanese television station based in Odaiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Owned and operated by the it is the key station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network S ...
's ''Mezamashi TV'' due to
the COVID-19 pandemic on May 4. The performance featured combined images of the members performing at their home and doing various activities at home. Subsequently, the group performed remotely on various TV shows, such as ''Love Music'' and
NHK
, also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japanese, is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee.
NHK operates two terrestr ...
's ''Shibuya Note''. On June 21, JO1 performed songs from the single in
KCON:TACT 2020 Summer, making them the first Japanese boy group to ever participate in the convention.
Commercial performance
Shortly after its release, ''Protostar'' peaked at number one on
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
's real-time album charts in five regions in addition to Japan, such as Hong Kong and Taiwan. The single debuted at number one on
Oricon Daily Singles Chart with an estimate of 215,409 copies sold.
It remained at the top spot for seven consecutive days and ranked number one on the weekly chart with 327,187 sold,
making JO1 the seventh artist that managed to sell over 300,000 copies sold in the first week with a debut single.
It subsequently ranked third on the monthly chart,
and received a Platinum certification by the
Recording Industry Association of Japan
The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969.
The RIAJ's activities include pr ...
for shipments of more than 250,000 units.
''Protostar'' eventually ranked sixth on Oricon's mid-year chart, and tenth on the Combined Singles Sales category. JO1 also ranked second on the New Artist Total Sales ranking by earning an estimate of 640 million yen from one single alone. By the end of 2020, the single ranked thirteenth on the 2020 Oricon Annual Ranking with 372,820 copies sold.
''Protostar'' also debuted atop ''Billboard Japan'' Top Single Sales,
and ranked eighth on the mid-year edition of the chart. That achievement helped the group to rank on ''Billboard Japan'' 2020 Mid-Year Top Artists, a chart that combines points from Japan Hot 100 and Japan Hot Albums for the first half of 2020.
The single eventually ranked fourteenth on the chart's annual edition.
Track listing
"Infinity" and "Tsukame" are common track 1 and 4, respectively, for all editions.
, lyrics1 =
, music1 =
, extra1 =
, length1 = 3:04
, title2 = Running
, lyrics2 =
, music2 =
, extra2 =
, length2 = 3:51
, title3 = Young
, note3 = JO1 ver.
, lyrics3 =
, music3 =
, extra3 = Versachoi
, length3 = 3:24
, title4 = Tsukame (It's Coming)
, note4 = ; JO1 ver.
, lyrics4 =
, music4 =
, extra4 =
, length4 = 3:58
Charts
Weekly charts
Monthly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
References
{{JO1, state=expanded
JO1 songs
2020 songs
2020 singles
Billboard Japan Hot 100 number-one singles
Japanese-language songs
Oricon Weekly number-one singles