w-inds.

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w-inds.
Origin Flag of Japan Shibuya, Tōkyō-to, JPN
Genre(s) J-pop
Boy band
Years active 2001–present
Label(s) Pony Canyon
Flight Master
Associated acts Lead
Website w-inds.tv
Members
Keita Tachibana
Ryohei Chiba
Ryuichi Ogata

w-inds. (ウィンズ U-inzu?) is a Japanese pop vocal/dance group. They are popular in Japan, and have performed in shows such as the annual Kōhaku Uta Gassen (紅白歌合戦?), a Japanese TV program that invites only the top-selling artists of the year. Their first hit was "Forever Memories."

Contents

[edit] History

Beginning in November 2000, w-inds. gave street performances in Yoyogi Park and Shibuya. Just prior to their major label debut in March 2001, 8,000 people came out to see them perform near Shibuya Station. This was followed by their official debut on March 14th with their first single, Forever Memories. Their 1st album, w-inds.~1ST MESSAGE~, was released the same year and topped the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart on the first day of its release.[citation needed]

[edit] Members

Name: Ryohei Chiba (千葉涼平 Chiba Ryouhei?)
Role: Rapper, background singer, dancer
Birth date: November 18, 1984
Birth place: Sapporo

Name: Keita Tachibana (橘慶太 Tachibana Keita?)
Role: Vocalist and dancer
Birth date: December 16, 1985
Birth Place: Fukuoka

Name: Ryuichi Ogata (緒方龍一 Ogata Ryūichi?)
Role: Rapper, background singer, dancer
Birth date: December 17, 1985
Birth place: Sapporo

[edit] Information

w-inds. has a wide and strong fan base around Asia, including Taiwan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia. They are especially popular in Taiwan, and were the only Japanese group invited to perform on the MTV Mandarin Awards, September 2006. They have held two concerts in Taiwan (2004 and 2005). Both received great response from fans. In 2004, their concert tickets sold out within 23 minutes, which set a record in Taiwan for the "artiste with the fastest selling tickets." Several popular Taiwanese celebrities have attended their concerts as well. In 2007, they returned to Taiwan to once again host a concert for the w-inds. live tour 2007 Journey.

They first performed in China in 2002, in Shanghai. They also took part in a China-Japan music festival in 2006. In March 2007, they flew to Beijing to participate in another China-Japan music festival along with two other Japanese artists. They have held video conferences in Hong Kong. On July 2, 2007 they joined the Pop Rock Gala in celebrating the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. On this visit they picked up ten awards, accumulated from the years since their debut.

w-inds, are one of the few bands that are able to hold summer live tours annually. They have held summer live tours around Japan every year since 2002.

They were also the only Japanese artists to perform in the Mnet KM Music Festival, a music awards show in Korea, in 2006.

The main vocalist, Keita Tachibana, debuted with a solo single, "Michishirube," on October 18, 2006. Contrary to the rumours, Tachibana has confirmed that w-inds.. is not disbanding despite his solo career.

w-inds. are often featured in various magazines in Japan and throughout Asia such as JUNON, Newsmaker, Arena37c and ORICON STYLE. They are also often invited to perform on Popjam, CDTV, Music Japan and Music Fighter. They are also frequent winners in polls conducted by JUNON for their good looks and talent.

To date, all their singles and studio albums have made it into the top 10 positions in the Oricon Charts, with the exception of their first single, "Forever Memories."

[edit] Upcoming in 2008

Future
 This section contains information about a scheduled or expected future album.
The content may change as the album release approaches and more information becomes available.
Album

On July 2, 2008, the group's latest album, to be titled "Seventh Ave.", will be released in both a "Regular Edition" version with CD alone, and a "Limited Edition" version with bonus DVD included.

[edit] Achievements

2001

2002

2003

2004

  • Best International Group, YAHOO! Hong Kong Buzz Music Awards
  • Best Selling Album（Japan and/or Korea）, IFPI Hong Kong, for PRIME OF LIFE

2005

  • First Prize, 47th Japan Composers' Association Awards, for "Izayoi no Tsuki" (十六夜の月?)
  • Best International Group, YAHOO! Hong Kong Buzz Music Awards
  • Best Selling Album（Japan and/or Korea）, IFPI Hong Kong, for ageha

2006

  • First Prize in Music, 39th Japan Cable Distributors' Awards
  • First Prize, 48th Japan Composers' Association Awards, for "Boogie Woogie 66" (ブギウギ66?)
  • Best Dance Artists, MTV Student Voice Awards
  • Most Popular Musical Artists, HITO（China and Taiwan）Awards, for "Kirei da" (キレイだ?)
  • Most Popular Group（Japan）, MTV Mandarin Awards
  • Special Award: 12 Million CDs Sold, MTV Mandarin Awards
  • Best Pop Artists（Asia）, MNET KM Music Festival（Korea）
  • Best International Group, YAHOO! Hong Kong Buzz Music Awards
  • Best Selling Album（Japan and/or Korea）, IFPI Hong Kong, for THANKS

2007

  • First Prize, 49th Japan Composers' Association Awards, for "Love Is The Greatest Thing"
  • Best Group, MTV Student Voice Awards
  • Best Group（Japan）, 18th RTHK International Pop Poll Awards
  • Best International Group, YAHOO! Hong Kong Buzz Music Awards

Additionally, w-inds. has performed on the Kōhaku Uta Gassen (紅白歌合戦?), NHK Studios, Tōkyō, in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006; and at the All Japan Night 40th Anniversary Concert, Budokan, Tōkyō, in 2007.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Singles

# Information Copies sold
1st/Debut Single "Forever Memories" 216,590
2nd "Feel the Fate" 203,860
3rd "Paradox" 224,880
4th "try your emotion" 177,250
5th "Another Days" 145,790
6th "Because of you" 139,620
7th "NEW PARADISE" 115,751
8th "SUPER LOVER ~I Need You Tonight~" 119,167
9th "Love is message" 98,486
10th "LONG ROAD" 97,529
11th "Pieces"
  • Released: 10 March 2004
  • Oricon Top 20 Weekly Peak: #2
  • Oricon Top 100 Yearly : n/a
  • From Album: ageha
 80,198
12th "Kirei da" (キレイだ?)
  • Released: 2 June 2004
  • Oricon Top 20 Weekly Peak: #4
  • Oricon Top 100 Yearly : n/a
  • From Album: ageha
 87,548
13th "Shiki" (四季?) 100,388
14th "Yume no Basho e" (夢の場所へ?) 97,724
15th "Kawariyuku Sora" (変わりゆく空?) 73,064
16th "Izayoi no Tsuki" (十六夜の月?) 59,537
17th "Yakusoku no Kakera" (約束のカケラ?) 56,801
18th "IT'S IN THE STARS" 51,105
19th "TRIAL" 43,369
20th "Boogie Woogie 66" (ブギウギ66?) 43,675
21st "Hanamuke" (ハナムケ?) 41,148
Remix Single "Single Mega-Mix"
  • Released: 21 March 2007
  • Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #13
  • Oricon Top 200* Yearly : n/a
  • Includes 20 minute mix of singles from Forever Memories to Hanamuke
 18,461
22nd "LOVE IS THE GREATEST THING" 34,416
23rd "Beautiful Life" 28,205
24th "Ame ato" (アメあと?)
  • Released: 23 April 2008
  • Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #7
  • Oricon Top 200* Yearly:
  • From Album: Hit Man Tutor REBORN! (家庭教師ヒットマンREBORN!?) Soundtrack
 31,533
Notes:
  1. In 2005, Oricon changed to Top 200 albums

[edit] Albums

Album information Copies sold
~1st message~
  • Released: 26 December 2001
  • Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #1
  • Singles: "Forever Memories", "Feel The Fate", "Paradox"
 570,300
~THE SYSTEM OF ALIVE~
  • Released: 17 December 2002
  • Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #3
  • Singles: "Try Your Emotion", "Another Days", "Because Of You", "New Paradise"
 413,061
~BUDDIES~
  • Released: 19 March 2003
  • Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #13
  • Special Remix Album including Lead, and Flame
 107,810
~PRIME OF LIFE~
  • Released: 17 December 2003
  • Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #5
  • Singles: "Love Is Message", "Super Lover ~I Need You Tonight~", "Long Road"
 153,465
w-inds. ~bestracks~
  • Released: 14 July 2004
  • Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #2
  • Singles: "Love Is Message", "Super Lover ~I Need You Tonight~", "Long Road",
    "Forever Memories, "Feel The Fate, "Paradox",
    "Try Your Emotion", "Another Days", "Because Of You",
    "New Paradise", "Pieces" (Not in order)
 161,169
ageha
  • Released: 1 June 2005
  • Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #1
  • Singles: "Kirei Da", "Shiki", "Pieces", "Kawariyuku Sora", "Yume no Basho e"
 96,826
THANKS
  • Released: 15 March 2006
  • Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #4
  • Singles: "Izayoi no Tsuki", "Yakusoku no Kakera", "IT'S IN THE STARS",
 105,574
Journey
  • Released: 7 March 2007
  • Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #8
  • Singles: "TRIAL", "Boogie Woogie 66", "Hanamuke"
 33,420
w-inds. Single Collection BEST ELEVEN 28,962
Seventh Ave.
  • Release: 2 July 2008 (projected)
  • Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak:
 —

[edit] DVDs

  1. "Private of w-inds." （6 February 2002） -  ??? copies sold
  2. "Works vol.1" （20 March 2002） -  ??? copies sold
  3. w-inds.1st Live Tour"1st message" （17 October 2002） -  ??? copies sold
  4. "Works vol.2" （23 April 2003） - 21,247 copies sold
  5. w-inds."THE SYSTEM OF ALIVE"Tourl 2003 （6 November 2003） - 22,611 copies sold
  6. "Works vol.3" （21 April 2004） - 31,076 copies sold
  7. w-inds."PRIME OF LIFE"Tour 2004 （15 December 2004） - 29,202 copies sold
  8. "w-inds.tv" （16 February 2005） -  ??? copies sold
  9. "Works vol.4" （20 July 2005） - 24,999 copies sold
  10. w-inds.LIVE TOUR 2005“ageha” （14 December 2005） - 30,486 copies sold
  11. "Works vol.5" （20 September 2006） - 22,363 copies sold
  12. w-inds. LIVE TOUR 2006 "THANKS" （20 December 2006 - Debut: 22,375 Total: 28,020
  13. "Works vol. 6" （9 September 2007）
  14. w-inds. LIVE TOUR 2007 "Journey" （19 December 2007）

[edit] Movies

[edit] Photobooks

  1. w-inds. ~first pictorial~（30 September 2001）
  2. w-inds. "move!"（18 January 2002）
  3. w-inds. THE STAGE!（20 September 2002）
  4. w-inds. Keita – 1st personal photobook（1 November 2002）
  5. w-inds. Ryohei – 1st personal photobook（22 November 2002）
  6. w-inds. Ryuichi – 1st personal photobook（6 December 2002）
  7. w-inds. Meets JUNON（13 September 2003）
  8. w-inds. Tour（8 October 2004）
  9. w-inds. Live Tour “ageha” The Document（28 October 2005）
  10. w-inds. vacanza（4 August 2006）

[edit] Trivia

  • WaT and King Kong are known to be very good friends of w-inds.
  • Ryohei thinks that brown hair suits Keita the most.[citation needed]
  • Fans voted the Trial's hairstyle as their favourite.[citation needed]
  • w-inds.' song "Kazauta" was based on the American boy band O-Town's "All or Nothing". The tune is the same, but the lyrics are changed and the ending is longer.[citation needed]

[edit] References

[edit] See also

[edit] External links