The exciting journey to debut a new global boy group has captivated audiences right from the start.
“PRODUCE 101 JAPAN Shinsekai” (meaning “New World”), the highly anticipated fourth installment of the “PRODUCE 101 JAPAN” series – which has successfully launched groups like JO1, INI, and ME:I – premiered on the 26th of last month. Since its launch, the show has quickly become a hot topic, drawing immense interest from global fans.
‘PRODUCE 101 JAPAN Shinsekai’ marks a significant milestone as the series’ first-ever global project. Beyond the traditional ‘National Producers,’ it introduces ‘SEKAI Producers’ (global viewers), considerably expanding its audience reach. This global expansion is mirrored in its participants, who hail from diverse regions including Korea, various parts of Asia, and the United States, adding to the show’s widespread buzz.
As the first season to be conducted as a truly global project, “PRODUCE 101 JAPAN Shinsekai” is witnessing active participation from fans worldwide. CJ ENM’s global K-POP content platform, Mnet Plus, is facilitating robust voting engagement from approximately 179 regions globally. The promise of the debut group operating simultaneously in Japan and Korea has particularly driven high participation rates from Asian countries such as Korea, China, and Indonesia, as well as North American and European regions including the United States and Italy.
The show’s reception in Japan has also been extraordinary. As the first global audition in the series, this season has garnered significant attention for its innovative approaches, including a debut member selection process based 100% on viewer votes, expanded global participant recruitment, and a simultaneous debut in both Korea and Japan. Furthermore, domestic live streaming viewership in Korea has been remarkably high, confirming the intense engagement of local fans amidst the global interest.
The theme song, ‘SHINSEKAI’, is also receiving an enthusiastic response. The track notably claimed the No. 1 spot on Japan’s Oricon Weekly Streaming Rising Ranking, showing a remarkable 52.2% increase in streaming (as of April 9), proving its widespread popularity. Additionally, it ranked 4th on the Billboard Japan ‘Heatseekers Song’ chart for the period between March 30 and April 5, firmly establishing its presence.
The recently aired third episode, which showcased the participants’ full-fledged performances, continued to generate fervent reactions from viewers. Related keywords, such as ‘日プ新世界’ (Ilpeu Shinsekai), trended in real-time on Japan’s X (formerly Twitter), underscoring the show’s significant buzz.
Looking ahead, the upcoming fourth episode, set to be released on the 16th, promises a feast of legendary K-Pop stages that K-Pop fans will undoubtedly recognize and love. This includes a performance of Wanna One’s ‘Energetic’ with Korean lyrics and Stray Kids’ ‘CASE 143.’ Pre-released fancam videos on Mnet Plus are already dominating the trending charts, signaling immense anticipation.
‘PRODUCE JAPAN SHINSEKAI’ is the fourth series of ‘PRODUCE 101 JAPAN,’ which has firmly established itself as Japan’s largest idol survival audition program, having successfully produced groups like JO1, INI, and ME:I. This season’s concept revolves around the birth of idols who will open doors to a new world. Accordingly, the show’s broadcasting and voting structure, which was previously Japan-centric, has now been expanded globally.
All eyes are on the journey to birth this new global boy group, set to debut simultaneously in Korea and Japan, before expanding their activities to the world stage.
