BMSG × CHANMINA GIRLS GROUP AUDITION PROJECT 2024 "No No Girls" is a girl group audition held by Japanese management company BMSG and Japanese-Korean rapper CHANMINA to form BMSG's first girl group. With tagline "just show your voice and life", the audition looks for women who have been rejected or told no by the entertainment industry, society or themselves.
The audition process is broadcast on YouTube, Hulu Japan and NTV starting from October 4, 2024.
Outline[]
Not thin. Not pretty.
Not unique. Not feminine. No point in trying. I can't do it. I have hurt the person I want to love the most more than anyone in the world.
But I don't want to kill my talent. I still want to believe in myself.
With my voice, with my life, I will change “No” to “Yes”.
So, what are you going to do? [1]
"To all the girls who fight against "No".
This audition started with an unprecedented application message: "We don't care about your height, weight, or age. Just show us your voice and your life." Over 7,000 applications were received not only from Japan, but also from all over the world, including Korea and the United States.
Producer Chanmina was once told "No" for her appearance and voice, and was unable to debut in a girl group despite aspiring to do so. The 30 girls who passed the document and face-to-face screening for this audition were also told "No" and had denied themselves. With the guidance and judging that only Chanmina can provide, and with BMSG's motto of "not killing talent," she will lead the participants to become a girl group that can be active on the world stage. Please take a look at the participants' voices that reflect their lives, and their serious challenge to turn "No" into 'Yes'"[2].
The Three NOs[]
CHANMINA considers that there are only three NOs an artist should strive for, and these are the "three essentials" she's giving the auditionees[3]:
- No FAKE: be real, express yourself, show what you've been through, your point of view, your truth
- No LAZE: work harder than anyone else, understand yourself, own up to yourself
- No HATE: don't give yourself the middle finger, believe in yourself and your voice
Background[]
BMSG's CEO SKY-HI never had the intention of producing a girl group himself, since he "doesn't understand how to produce girl groups", given that he has never lived the experience of a woman in the Japanese entertainment industry. However, he always thought that if it were to happen, his close friend CHANMINA should be at the helm of the project[4]. He always thought CHANMINA was the female artist who understood and embodied BMSG's philosophy and values the most, and CHANMINA had already been involved as a guest during BMSG's first audition project, THE FIRST, in 2021, and seen how everything worked first hand. It was during that time that they started discussing eventually working together on a girl group[4].
SKY-HI always felt remorseful about not having female talent in BMSG, as in a way it seemed that he was promoting an old-fashioned, male-centric view of the industry that emphasized gender gaps, and he was also uncomfortable by the fact that, by not accepting women, he was "killing talent" himself, which went against the company's very purpose[4]. By the spring of 2023, he felt that the company had grown enough and had enough staff to go forward with a new project, and he asked CHANMINA, who was starting a new phase of her career, to come on board[4].
The audition was announced on November 4, 2023, during the "girls night" of BUZZ RHYTHM LIVE 2023 where CHANMINA performed.
SKY-HI and CHANMINA made the following comments about the audition and their partnership on the official website:
Comment from CHANMINA
|
|---|
| I am pleased to announce that I will be producing a girl group with BMSG. I will put my heart and soul into it and do the best I can, or even more than I can. I have been told “no” in many situations in my life. But even so, I have sung and danced to the voice of my soul. I will leave it up to those who have had experiences like mine, or those who continue to say "no" to themselves, how they accept this "no", but I am sure there have been many different perspectives and dramas you have seen and experienced. I would like to hear the voice of people like you. Let's overturn the "no"s together!
|
Comment from SKY-HI
|
|---|
| I have been thinking that I would collaborate with CHANMINA in this way at some point...in fact, we have been talking about it since THE FIRST, but now we have finally decided to start a new production company under BMSG and create a girl group.
While advocating for “not killing talent,” I have always felt strongly, and frustrated, that there are people whom I am not able to turn my attention to because of the gender gap and that the future of Japanese entertainment is definitely packed in there. When I attended CHANMINA's concert "AREA OF DIAMOND" this year and bathed my body in the heat CHANMINA created, I was convinced that "what is the most important right now is this energy, and what is buried the most is also this energy. The DNA of CHANMINA is what should take root in Japan today.” I also strongly felt that BMSG should be the one to grow and spread this DNA. BMSG establishes a new production company to handle the management and administration of this project based on the know-how it has accumulated over the past three years, while leaving the production of the group completely up to CHANMINA. I promise you that this tag team will sublimate your "characteristics" that have been overlooked until now into "talent". I will take responsibility. CHANMINA will make sure of it. Now, please give me your hands. Together, we will turn many lives upside down. |
Broadcast[]
The audition process is broadcast on YouTube (Fridays at 20:00 JST) and Hulu Japan (Sundays at 12:00 JST), starting from October 4 and October 6 2024, respectively. The Hulu broadcast of the episodes includes extra footage and unreleased scenes not available in the YouTube version.
A special companion, "support" program called "No No Girls Night" airs on NTV on Thursdays, 01:00 AM JST from October 10, 2024. Hosted by talent/influencer Pee and YouTuber NICO from Heisei Flamingo, the program recaps what happened on the main show that week with special commentary.
Additionally, a one time TV special called "Everything about No No Girls" (No No Girlsのすべて), hosted by SKY-HI and CHANMINA, aired on NTV on October 3, 2024 at 01:00 AM JST. Both of them discussed the audition in depth.
| Show | Run Dates | Number of episodes |
|---|---|---|
| No No Girls (YouTube) | October 4, 2024 - present | TBA |
| No No Girls (Hulu) | October 6, 2024 - present | |
| No No Girls Night | October 10, 2024 - present | |
| Everything about No No Girls | October 3, 2024 | 1 episode |
Audition Details[]
- Application Requirements:
- Female
- No age restrictions (either minimum or maximum)
- No nationality requirements
- No body measurement requirements
- If under contract with any agencies, record labels, or production companies, must follow regulations from said company before applying (i.e. if under contract, must have permission to apply and sign a contract with BMSG afterwards)
- Must be able to work as a BMSG artist or trainee after passing the audition
- Application Deadline: February 1, 2024
- Broadcast: BMSG YouTube, Hulu Japan, NTV
- Total Applicants: 7,000
Participants[]
Overview[]
Note: Ages are based on the participant's age by the 2nd round screening + if they turned a year older during the audition process
| Name | Birthday | Birthplace | First Round Song | Second Round Song | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vocal | Dance | |||||
| Aika Mbingila (あいかビンギラ) |
September 29, 2003 (20) | Osaka | Power (Little Mix) | Harenchi | Picky | Congolese-Japanese Finalist of SONY's "ONE in a Billion" audition |
| Aiko (アイコ) |
September 9, 2005 (18) | Kanagawa | Harenchi | B-Kyuu | Filipina-Japanese | |
| Kodama Akari (小玉朱莉) |
December 30, 2007 (16) | Tokyo | Story (AI) | First Love | ^_^ | N/A |
| Ami (アミ) |
December 5, 2005 (18) | Osaka | Ame no You ni Naite Yare (Nakamura Emi) | Harenchi | SORRY I'M GENIUS | |
| Yakabe Asha (矢ヶ部愛紗) |
January 25, 2004 (20) | Fukuoka | ? | Period | My Own Lane | Former XGALX trainee |
| Komatsu Ayami (アヤミ) |
February 13, 2002 (22) | Sapporo, Hokkaido | Curtain Call (Shimizu Shota feat. Taka) | Bijin | Don't Go | N/A |
| Tariki Chika (他力千佳) |
August 31, 2004 (19) | Fukuoka | Sway (Michael Bublé) | Dahlia | B-Kyuu | Finalist of Little Glee Monster's M∞NSTER AUDITION |
| Fuka (フウカ) |
August 2, 2006 (17) | Kanagawa | Stay (BLACKPINK) | N/A | ||
| Fumino (フミノ) |
August 22, 2006 (17) | Tokyo | Precious (Ito Yuna) | First Love | ^_^ | |
| Kawahara Hibiki (ヒビキ) |
January 28, 2007 (17) | Gifu | Kyasha na Lip (Genie High feat. CHANMINA) | Kataomoi | ^_^ | |
| Jewel (ジュエル) |
November 2, 2007 (16) | Nara | Never Let Go (Utada Hikaru) | ^_^ | Nani-sama | |
| Lee Jisoo (イ ジス) |
September 8, 2000 (23) | Incheon, South Korea | 3am (Halsey) | Marunouchi Sadistic | ^_^ | Korean Oldest candidate Former kpop trainee |
| Kaede (カエデ) |
September 20, 2003 (20) | Tokyo | Reckless (Madison Beer) | naked now | B-Kyuu | N/A |
| Lopez Kai (カイ) |
February 15, 2008 (16) | Hyogo | Godzilla (Eminem) | B-Kyuu | Filipina-Japanese | |
| Koharu (コハル) |
October 9, 2005 (18) | Saitama | 10-gatsu Mukuchi na Kimi wo Wasureru (Atarayo) | First Love | Bijin | N/A |
| Seshimo Koko (瀬下ここ) |
July 25, 2005 (18-19) | Gunma | River (Bishop Briggs) | Dahlia | Picky | ICON Z ~Dreams For Children~ Top 30 |
| Unno Kokoa (海野心愛) |
January 28, 2008 (16) | Shizuoka | Utakata Lullaby (Ado) | I cannnot go back to you | N/A | |
| Nakano Kokona (中野心結) |
January 10, 2007 (17) | Tokyo | B-Kyuu | ^_^ | SORRY, I'M A GENIUS | Ranked #35 on PRODUCE 101 JAPAN THE GIRLS |
| Mahina (マヒナ) |
March 25, 2009 (15) | Harenchi | Kataomoi | B-Kyuu | Youngest candidate | |
| Yamaguchi Momo (モモ) |
May 12, 2008 (15-16) | Kanagawa | LONGINESS REMIX (Awich) | Marunouchi Sadistic | Bijin | N/A |
| Takabatake Momoka (髙畠百加) |
April 27, 2004 (20) | Tokyo | Orange (pH-1 feat. Jay Park) | Harenchi | Don't Go | Ranked #20 on PRODUCE 101 JAPAN THE GIRLS (finalist) |
| Fujii Naoko (ナオコ) |
August 23, 2005 (18) | Osaka | Karma (Queen Naija) | ^_^ | Picky | N/A |
| Nishikawa Rei (レイ) |
August 1, 2008 (15) | Bangkok, Thailand | Dignity (Ado) | Dahlia | SORRY I'M A GENIUS | Thai-Japanese |
| Suzuki Ringo (リンゴ) |
September 5, 2006 (17) | Aichi | First Love | Kataomoi | Nani-sama | N/A |
| Shinya Sara (新屋沙良) |
January 24, 2005 (19) | Kanagawa | Yasashisa (Fujii Kaze) | Dry Flower | ^_^ | |
| Furuhashi Sayaka (古橋沙也佳) |
July 10, 2002 (21-22) | Chiba | Time (Utada Hikaru) | First Love | Bijin | Ranked #93 on PRODUCE 101 JAPAN THE GIRLS |
| Nakajima Stella (中嶋星) |
July 4, 2001 (22-23) | Tokyo | Nando Demo (DREAMS COME TRUE) | Dry Flower | Picky | Former member of idol group RASMY Contestant in IDOL 3.0 Project |
| Yuju (ユウジュ) |
February 7, 2004 (20) | Toyama | Bad Romance (Lady Gaga) | Dahlia | ^_^ | Indian-Japanese |
| Yukino (ユキノ) |
December 31, 2003 (20) | Kyasha na Lip (Genie High feat. CHANMINA) | First Love | Miso soup | N/A | |
| Yuri (ユリ) |
August 24, 2006 (17) | Tokyo | Love (Keyshia Cole) | Dry Flower | B-Kyuu | |
Results[]
| Name | 3rd Round | 4th Round |
|---|---|---|
| AIKA | Eliminated | |
| AIKO | Passed | Eliminated |
| AKARI | Eliminated | |
| AMI | Passed | Eliminated |
| ASHA | Passed | Eliminated |
| AYAMI | Eliminated | |
| CHIKA | Passed | Passed |
| FUKA | Eliminated | |
| FUMINO | Passed | Passed |
| HIBIKI | Passed | Eliminated |
| JEWEL | Passed | Passed |
| JISOO | Passed | Passed |
| KAEDE | Passed | Eliminated |
| KAI | Eliminated | |
| KOHARU | Passed | Passed |
| KOKO | Passed | Passed |
| KOKOA | Passed | Passed |
| KOKONA | Passed | Passed |
| MAHINA | 3.5 Additional Screening → Passed | Passed |
| MOMO | Passed | Passed |
| MOMOKA | Passed | Passed |
| NAOKO | Passed | Passed |
| REI | Eliminated | |
| RINGO | Eliminated | |
| SARA | Passed | Eliminated |
| SAYAKA | Passed | Passed |
| STELLA | Passed | Eliminated |
| YUJU | Eliminated | |
| YUKINO | Eliminated | |
| YURI | Passed | Passed |
Audition Process[]
1st Round: Document Screening[]
Application acceptance started on November 4, 2023 at 21:00 JST and was originally due to end on January 31, 2024 at 23:59 JST. Due to heavy traffic on the website, the deadline was extended for 24 hours until February 1 at 23:59 JST[5]. Over 7,000 candidates from all over the world applied[2].
Candidates were asked to:
- State their dancing, singing and rapping experience in years and months.
- Submit a full body picture and a portrait picture.
- Submit a video of them dancing and another one singing or rapping.
- Describe their background, reason for applying, and anything else they'd like to share (self PR).
- List their special skills/talents, the artists they admire, and favorite music genres.
Applicants who passed the document screening were contacted on two separate dates, a first batch on February 28 and a second one on March 29, when the first round came to an end[6].
2nd Round: Interview Screening[]
250 candidates were selected to participate in the secound round, which consisted of face-to-face auditions with SKY-HI and CHANMINA, conducted on separate dates, venues and prefectures[3]:
- March 25-29, 2024 at Tokyo School of Music & Dance and Tokyo College of Dance, Acting & Performing Arts (Tokyo)
- April at Osaka School of Music (Osaka)
- April at Fukuoka School of Music & Dance (Fukuoka)
- Zoom auditions were held for candidates who were overseas
Candidates were asked to:
- Rap or sing a song from the designated list
- Dance to a song from the designated list
- Answer a series of questions from SKY-HI or CHANMINA
The available songs for the vocal section included:
- "Harenchi" by CHANMINA
- "Dahlia" by CHANMINA
- "Period" by CHANMINA
- "My Own Lane" by CHANMINA
- "naked now" by CHANMINA
- "^_^" by CHANMINA
- "Bijin" by CHANMINA
- "Kataomoi" by Aimer
- "Marunouchi Sadistic" by Sheena Ringo
- "First Love" by Utada Hikaru
- "Dry Flower" by Yuuri
The available songs for the dance section included:
- "Picky" by CHANMINA
- "^_^" by CHANMINA
- "Bijin" by CHANMINA
- "My Own Lane" by CHANMINA
- "B-Kyuu" by CHANMINA
- "Miso soup" by CHANMINA
- "Don't Go" by CHANMINA feat. ASH ISLAND
- "I cannnot go back to you" by CHANMINA
- "SORRY, I'M A GENIUS" by Novel Core
- "Nani-sama" by SKY-HI feat. Boku no Lyric no Bouyomi
Notable auditionees
Candidates who did not pass the second round of the audition include:
- Kimura Konoka (木村木香)
3rd Round: Tokyo Training Camp[]
30 candidates were selected to participate in the third round:
- AIKA
- AIKO
- AKARI
- AMI
- ASHA
- AYAMI
- CHIKA
- FUKA
- FUMINO
- HIBIKI
- JEWEL
- JISOO
- KAEDE
- KAI
- KOHARU
- KOKO
- KOKOA
- KOKONA
- MAHINA
- MOMO
- MOMOKA
- NAOKO
- REI
- RINGO
- SARA
- SAYAKA
- STELLA
- YUJU
- YUKINO
- YURI
The third round was held in Tokyo over 9 days from May 4-12, 2024. CHANMINA split the 30 participants in 6 groups of 5 members each and assigned each team a different song, that they would have to perform in front of SKY-HI, CHANMINA, RyonRyon-sensei and the team of choreographers on the last day of the training camp.
| Team | Members | Song | Choreographer |
|---|---|---|---|
| A EDEL |
KAI, KAEDE, HIBIKI, YUJU, YURI | "Cutie Honey" (Koda Kumi) | ASUPI |
| B Black Panther |
KOKO, KOKONA, JISOO, CHIKA, FUKA | "BLACK DIAMOND" (DOUBLE & Amuro Namie) | GENTA YAMAGUCHI |
| C BURNINC GIRLS |
AIKA, AKARI, ASHA, NAOKO, MOMOKA | "Heaven's Drive" ((sic)boy, KM feat. vividboooy) | MiQael |
| D Maru de Zassou |
KOKOA, KOHARU, SAYAKA, MAHINA, REI | "Honnou" (Sheena Ringo) | GENTA YAMAGUCHI |
| E Chapter |
AYAMI, FUMINO, MOMO, YUKINO, RINGO | "Kimi ga Suki" (Shimizu Shota) | MiQael |
| F Fantastic Girls |
AIKO, AMI, SARA, JEWEL, STELLA | "Playback Part 2" (Yamaguchi Momoe) | ASUPI |
After the performance, nine participants were eliminated:
- AIKA
- AKARI
- AYAMI
- FUKA
- KAI
- REI
- RINGO
- YUJU
- YUKINO
Round 3.5: Additional Screening[]
MAHINA, who was originally eliminated, was offered a second chance through an additional screening where she would have to take on rapping, as specifically instructed by CHANMINA. She performed "UCHIRA" by Rei©hi, and she passed the evaluation.
4th Round: Creativity Screening[]
The fourth round started with an individual vocal test in early July 2024, through which CHANMINA tried to assess what kind of training the contestants needed. All participants sang a song of their choice.
- AIKO: "Koi Kaze ni Nosete" by Vaundy
- AMI: "Hanataba wo Kimi ni" by Utada Hikaru
- ASHA: "piece of cake" by ralph
- CHIKA: "Dreamin'" by JASMINE
- FUMINO: "Asu he no Tegami by Teshima Aoi
- HIBIKI: "Hanabi" by aiko
- JEWEL: "inside you" by milet
- JISOO: "Odoriko" by Vaundy
- KAEDE: "Do what u gotta do" by Zeebra feat.AI, Amuro Namie, Mummy-D
- KOHARU: "Kabutomushi" by aiko
- KOKO: "Wasted Nights" by ONE OK ROCK
- KOKOA: "Missing (English version)" by Che’nelle
- KOKONA: "Itan na Star" by Official Hige Dandism
- MOMO: "Tsumi to Batsu" by Sheena Ringo
- MOMOKA: "Wonderland" by iri
- NAOKO: "Never Let Go" by Utada Hikaru
- SARA: "VALENTI" by BoA
- SAYAKA: "Time" by Utada Hikaru
- STELLA: "Story" by AI
- YURI: "Saigo no Ame" by Nakanishi Yasushi
The Creativity Screening officially started on July 22 2024, when the girls moved into the dorms in Tokyo. They were split in 7 groups of 3 members each, and were tasked with coming up with melody, lyrics and choreography/staging for a designated pre-made track. After 15 days (later shortened to 10), they would have to perform the final product in front of CHANMINA and SKY-HI. All 7 songs were released as a digital EP, No No Girls 4th Round EP, on November 18, 2024.
| Team | Members | Song Name | Music Genre | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | KOKO, KOKONA, SARA | "Mosquitone" | Pop | Ryosuke “Dr.R” Sakai |
| B | AIKO, JEWEL, HIBIKI | "Princess" | ||
| C | KAEDE, KOHARU, MOMO | "Futou" | ||
| D | ASHA, CHIKA, MAHINA | "GET OUT" | Hip-Hop | JIGG |
| E | JISOO, MOMOKA, STELLA | "1,2,3" | ||
| F | FUMINO, NAOKO, SAYAKA | "B" | R&B | |
| G | AMI, KOKOA, YURI | "You are the One" |
After the performance, seven participants were eliminated:
- AIKO
- AMI
- ASHA
- HIBIKI
- KAEDE
- SARA
- STELLA
5th Round: Mock Professional Screening[]
The fifth round started immediately after the fourth, on August 1 2024. The auditionees were split into two teams of seven members each and were tasked with performing the following songs before SKY-HI, CHANMINA, the coaching team and a live audience:
- "Tiger", an original song written by CHANMINA and Ryosuke "Dr. R" Sakai, based on the pop track from the 4th Round
- Their own rendition of CHANMINA's "NG", the show's theme song, with original lyrics and choreography
|
Team KINISHY
|
Team B
|
Final Screening[]
The final round of the audition will take place live on January 11 2025 during the No No Girls THE FINAL concert at K-Arena Yokohama, before an audience of 20,000 people. Reportedly, the group's line-up will also be announced at the end of the concert[7].
Videos[]
- SPECIAL TALK with SKY-HI & CHANMINA - GIRLS GROUP AUDITION PROJECT 2024 "No No Girls"
- INTERVIEW with SKY-HI / CHANMINA - GIRLS GROUP AUDITION PROJECT 2024 "No No Girls"
- No No Girls Episodes Playlist
- No No Girls Performances Playlist
- No No Girls Extras Playlist
External Links[]
References[]
- ↑ BMSG × ちゃんみな - GIRLS GROUP AUDITION PROJECT 2024 ”No No Girls”【Concept Teaser】
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 No No Girls official website
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 【No No Girls】Ep.01 / Prologue - What's No No Girls-
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Nikkei Entertainment - SKY-HI ガールズオーディションはより理想的に歩むための一歩. 2024/03/14.
- ↑ @BMSG_official on Twitter
- ↑ @BMSG_Official on Twitter
- ↑ 最終審査を2025年1月kアリーナ横浜にて開催決定