Meet HANA: The J-Pop Group You Want To Say "Yes" To

Forbes

5 hours ago

In October 2024, BMSG x CHANMINA Girls Group Audition Project 2024 No No Girls premiered in Japan on YouTube, Hulu, and NTV. The music survival series was focused on forming a girl group around women who have been rejected or told 'no' by the entertainment industry, society, or themselves. Nothing else mattered – no weight, height, or age, just their voice.
Produced by Japanese-Korean rapper CHANMINA and BMSG's CEO SKY-HI, they had over 7,000 applications from all over the world, but only 30 made it onto the show. The series was arduous and emotional. Several contestants were eliminated with each round, building more pressure among the remaining group. But, at the end of the competition in January, only seven women were chosen to form HANA – Chika, Naoko, Jisoo, Yuri, Momoka, Koharu, and Mahina.
Signed to CHANMINA's No Label Music and Sony Music Japan's Mastersix Foundation, Hana debuted in April with their single, 'ROSE.' It became a hit in Japan, debuting at #1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100. Since then, the girls have been releasing more hit singles, performing at festivals such as Taiwan's Central Music & Entertainment Festival and Summer Sonic, and holding fan meets for their 'HONEYs' – their fandom name.
The group has been enjoying the experiences of meeting fans and performing, and is excited for more to come.
'We've been doing well,' Mahina says through an interpreter over Zoom. 'We've been eating lots of great food and sleeping a lot as well.'
The girls have a brief break before heading to their next festival performance in Tokyo. It's 11 am in Tokyo when the girls join the Zoom interview. They look refreshed and dressed comfortably as if they're preparing for dance practice. They are all smiles, waving at the camera as we were in the same room. They shared that they just had Thai food for lunch.
After watching several of their performance videos, it's hard to believe anyone could say 'no' to these girls. Their energy could be felt through the screen with their singles, '... Drop,' 'ROSE,' 'Burning Flower,' and their latest single, 'Blue Jeans.' Yet, each member has faced a moment of rejection, told throughout the competition series. It's inspiring to see how much they wanted this.
Jisoo, who hails from Korea, applied for the competition because 'she was not a big fan of herself in Korea.' As a former K-pop trainee, she believed she could become a completely different person in a new country. So, she auditioned for No No Girls and found herself.
'Through the audition, I am able to rely on the other teammates and producers,' says Jisoo. 'Now, I am the same me, but I'm a big fan of myself now, thanks to the audition.'
Many were intrigued by the concept of the competition, especially Koharu, who had a dance background but no singing or rapping experience before the audition. Yet, she loved the idea that the core of the program was to find your voice and tell your story.
'It was about looking inwards or looking at who you really are inside,' Koharu says. 'I was very hopeful for what this audition could be, recognizing who you are. I felt this approach would be able to help me grow and show who I am as a person.'
They all felt a lot of pressure throughout the competition, especially during their final performance, which was a concert in front of 20,000 people at K-Arena Yokohama.
'When I found out I made the final lineup, I felt a lot of pressure,' Yuri admits. 'I lacked a little bit of confidence at that stage and didn't feel like I was going to make it. But, when I did, I thought, 'Well, I just have to go with this.' I began seeing [everything] in a more positive light and was able to bring this positivity moving forward.'
Chika, who trained at Avex Artist Academy Fukuoka and EXPG Fukuoka, and was a finalist in Little Glee's Monster Audition, has participated in several music survival programs. She constantly thought about whether she would make it or get cut. But, with No No Girls, she had to put all of those negative thoughts aside to make her final performance even more exciting.
'My mind was pure blank when I was selected [for HANA],' Chika laughs. 'I had the most confidence. I believe in CHANMINA and SKY-HI so much that I realized that my life from now on was going to be centered and moving forward in a great direction.'
Koharu felt the same pressure as Chika, worrying whether she would make it or whether she was good enough. It was only when she performed solo that she felt she was truly allowed to express herself, and she received positive feedback for that performance.
'I was laser-focused on this performance,' says Koharu. 'I was able to release myself in a way. With the final selection, I really got to enjoy that moment being [selected]. I realized when you're having fun from the bottom of your heart and just really focused on something, dreams do come true.'
The youngest of the group at 16, Mahina, didn't think much about the cutting process, but took the entire competition as a learning experience in her craft. When she was selected for the final group, she felt a confidence boost, which made her realize she had her own color and voice that only she could express.
'I want to become an artist who is loved by the entire world,' Mahina shares. '[In the audition], I was getting to know different types of music that I didn't know before. I was inspired by seeing everybody's performances and learning and growing a lot.'
Nakao, who is of Thai-Japanese descent, also felt she had a great deal to learn about music and the industry, something she had never experienced before. Initially, she felt alone after moving from Osaka to Tokyo for the competition. However, she felt a sense of connection with her fellow participants, seeing how everyone was helping one another.
'I didn't think anybody noticed I was hiding in the bathroom, but Koharu found me,' says Nakao. 'I thought, 'Okay, I have to tell somebody [how I'm feeling.]' When I did, I was accepted. And, watching [everybody's performances], their words resonated with me. I thought, 'I want to make it together with these people.' That's when I really wanted to make the final cut. When I did, I was grateful. There's so much love within this group that I want to continue doing this as long as possible together with everybody.'
Throughout the series and after being selected, the members worked closely with CHANMINA to define their sound, look, and style. They built a trust with the iconic rapper and SKY-HI, learning a lot about how music is made.
'I realized that CHANMINA was somebody that you can place your confidence in with the capacity to embrace you entirely,' says Momoka. 'During my final performance in the audition, I sang the song with so much pain and beauty. Through this, all the hurt and pain I felt from the past [was being lifted]. I gave myself permission to live my life the way I choose.'
HANA has been praised for their powerful vocals and performances, but also defining their own expectations as a group. The music video to their debut song, 'ROSE,' showcased the members' individuality among identical white-haired clones. HANA is seen getting their white outfits dirty to defy the standards and expectations of the other clones. They then destroy the facility and clones, showing their true, badass selves.
Koharu connected and resonated with the message behind 'ROSE,' especially the chorus, 'Just like a rose, full of thorns // My heart ain't yours, it's an ugly world, but // The flower still bloomed though stained in mud // I can't hide no more // With my beautiful thorns' and another part which is interpreted as 'I'm beautiful as I am.' She felt that song best represented who HANA is as a group.
'There's probably no other group like HANA who shows ourselves as who we are,' says Koharu. 'We truly show who we are as humans and as real people. 'ROSE' really expressed that.'
HANA recently performed at Tokyo's Summer Sonic and is set for several other festivals, including Nippon Haku Bangkok and 1CHANCE Festival in Kumamoto, Japan. For Nakao, she's looking forward to returning to her birthplace of Thailand. Though she grew up in Japan, she has a connection to her Thai roots and feels emotional there to perform.
'My DNA is definitely there,' says Nakao. 'I am going there to claim a little bit of [who I am] in Thailand. Being able to perform there feels like a release. I didn't realize how happy it would make me doing this, and to go with my members means so much.'
As for new music set to be released by the group, they wouldn't reveal anything other than that they're working on it. However, they did express interest in creating songs in different languages, including English and Spanish.
'I would love to do a song in Spanish,' says Jisoo, who speaks Korean, Japanese, English, and a little bit of Spanish. 'I studied Spanish a little before I started learning Japanese. My Spanish and English are gone, so I'd love to study Spanish again.'
It is worth noting that Jisoo spoke perfect English throughout the entire interview.
With their charismatic appeal and luminary talent, HANA is ready to take on the world as long as they're doing it together.
'[When we started performing] initially, I was quite nervous,' says Mahina. 'But, when I got to the stage [surrounded by] the members of my group, it really helped. I didn't lose confidence at all because I know that the [other members] are with me.'
Stream HANA's latest track, 'Blue Jeans,' here.