On November 14, the contestants for this year’s NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen were announced. 10 groups made their first appearances, including HANA, FRUITS ZIPPER, and M!LK, whose lyrics “biju iinaijan” were nominated for the “New Word and Trendy Word Award” this year. Only one artist from STARTO ENTERTAINMENT, King & Prince, was selected. The white group is currently three groups fewer than the red group, and the Internet is abuzz with expectations of surprise appearances, with various predictions flying wildly. Therefore, this magazine conducted a survey of 500 men and women in their 20s to 60s on “singers they wished would appear in Kohaku” using the web-based survey tool “Freeasy. This report introduces the results of the white group version. Koji Tamaki (67) came in third place. Tamaki had a string of hits as the vocalist of the rock band “Safety Zone” in the 1980s. His subsequent solo release “Denen” was also a big hit and has become one of his most popular songs. Tamaki is known for his overwhelming singing ability. His voice has been praised by many artists and people in the music industry, and he is always ranked high in rankings such as “singers who are really good singers. In a survey, many of the respondents said, “Because she is a real singer. Her new song “Fanfare,” released this year for the first time in three years, became the theme song for the Sunday drama “The Royal Family” (TBS). The song was written especially for the drama, and its fast-paced melody is a cheering song for adults who continue to pursue their dreams. Many people hoped to hear this song in Kohaku. The second place went to the national idol Arashi. Since the group’s hiatus in 2021, each member of Arashi has shown remarkable performances in variety shows, TV dramas, and information programs. However, many fans are still eager to see the five members together on the Kohaku stage. The details of next year’s live concert were announced, and even before tickets went on sale, reservations were flooding into the hotels in the venues. Fans’ passionate and earnest wishes for the “last show” were expressed in a survey. I wanted to see them for the last time,” “This will really be the last time, so I want them to say goodbye not only live but also on TV,” “This is the last chance to see Arashi in Kohaku,” and “For the sake of the people who cannot go to the breakup tour. Since their debut in 1978, the band’s popularity has never faded, and they are truly a national band. The band has countless hit songs that have been on everyone’s lips, and their classic songs from the 80s and 90s have been revived and used again as commercial songs. The band released its first original album in 10 years this year, and while some of the members are now over 70 years old, their momentum continues to grow. The concert, which brought the entire city together, had a tremendous economic effect and was truly like a “festival. In the survey, many people said that “listening to Southern music just makes me more excited. As they have not performed in Kohaku for a long time since their last performance in 2018, many people of all ages were waiting for “Southern in Kohaku” to “at least cheer us up” since the economy is in a bad shape. No one could be more exciting,” “Because they are a group loved by many generations,” “Because they look good at festivals,” “I want them to create a whirlwind,” and “I hope they can make a comeback.
