# NiziU

NiziU (Japanese: ニジュー; Korean: 니쥬) is a Japanese girl group formed by JYP Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment Japan through the reality-survival program Nizi Project (2020). The group is composed of nine members: Mako, Rio, Maya, Riku, Ayaka, Mayuka, Rima, Miihi, and Nina. NiziU debuted on December 2, 2020, with the release of their debut single "Step and a Step".

## Career
### 2020: Formation and debut

On January 29, 2019, JYP Entertainment announced their plans of creating a Japanese girl group, under their vision "K-pop 3.0", "Globalization by Localization". Auditions for this new girl group took place in eight Japanese cities, Hawaii, and Los Angeles, for females aged between 15 and 22 years old. NiziU was formed through Nizi Project, featuring 26 contestants and was aired weekly on Hulu Japan Japan from January 31 to June 26, 2020. It was distributed internationally through JYP Entertainment's official YouTube channel. The show was split up into two seasons: the first season showing the auditions of prospective members around Japan, cutting the prospective lineup to 14 from 26 girls chosen by J.Y. Park; and the second season showing the girls moving to train in South Korea for six months.
On the final episode of Nizi Project, the debut line-up was revealed to the public. As a recording artist under JYP Entertainment, the group is announced to have partnered with record company Sony Music Japan for album sales and group management during their activities in Japan.
The group's digital pre-debut EP, Make You Happy, was pre-released on June 30 in Japan and South Korea, before being released internationally on July 1, 2020. It was a commercial success, topping Billboard Japan's Hot Albums chart and Oricon's Digital Albums chart. The album's eponymous lead single topped several major Japanese music charts such as Line Music, AWA, and Rakuten, while debuting at number two on the Billboard Japan Hot 100. "Make You Happy" was also an international success for the group, with the track debuting at number 84 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart and at number 192 on the Billboard Global 200 chart on its issue dated September 19. On October 14, "Make You Happy" recorded a cumulative number of 100 million streams within 15 weeks of charting on the Japan Hot 100, tying with Official Hige Dandism's "I Love..." and Eito's "Kōsui", with NiziU becoming the fastest female artist to achieve the feat.
In August 2020, Mako, Miihi, Maya, Ayaka, Rio, and Rima made cameo appearances in the music video for "God's Menu" by Stray Kids. In September 2020, all of the members of NiziU appeared in the music video for "Back Door" by Stray Kids with the exception of Miihi, who could not appear due to attending school. From October 23 to December 20, 2020, Miihi briefly went on hiatus for health problems and was absent for most of NiziU's debut promotions. On November 25, 2020, NiziU released the full version music video of their debut single, "Step and a Step." A week later, on December 2, 2020, they officially debuted in Japan with the single's physical release. "Step and a Step" topped Japan's Oricon Singles Chart with 312,000 copies sold within the first week, becoming the second best selling debut single by a female artist in Japan (second only to Hinatazaka46's "Kyun"). The song also topped the Billboard Japan Hot 100, becoming the group's first chart-topper as it sold 318,562 copies in its first week. "Step and a Step" also marked the group's second entry on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. wherein they charted at number 149 on its issue dated December 5, as well as the Billboard Global 200, with NiziU charting at number 75 on its issue dated December 12.
Despite making their official Japanese debut only on December 2, NiziU performed at the 71st NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, the top-rated annual year-end musical show in Japan. They became the fastest artist to have appeared in a Kōhaku Uta Gassen, making their appearance only 29 days after their debut. By the end of the year, it was reported that NiziU ranked high on several Billboard Japan Year-End charts, with the group charting at number 7 on the Year-End Albums, number 13 on the Year-End Streaming, and ranking at number 15 on the Top Artist Chart. The group became one of five recipients of the Special Achievement Award at the 62nd Japan Record Awards.

### 2021: "Take a Picture" / "Poppin' Shakin", and first studio album

On January 20, 2021, the group revealed several planned activities for the year through a video released on their official YouTube channel titled "We need U 2021." Future activities include the group's first live showcase, an upcoming second single alongside their first studio album, and the release of their first English song, among others.
NiziU uploaded the music video of their double A-side single "Take a Picture" on March 29, 2021, with the song topping the real-time charts of several major Japanese music sites. In collaboration with Coca-Cola, the song was used for a local commercial of the said product. The song received over 12.5 million streams in its first week, surpassing the first-week streaming numbers of "Step and a Step" and setting an all-time record high on the weekly Oricon Streaming Chart. "Take a Picture / Poppin' Shakin'" was then officially released on April 7, 2021, wherein "Poppin' Shakin'" was used for a commercial in collaboration with Japanese telecommunication company Softbank. The single recorded sales of over 317,000 copies in its first week. On November 24, 2021, NiziU released their first studio album U, along with its lead single "Chopstick".

### 2022–present: Concert tours, second studio album, and Korean debut

On April 12, 2022, NiziU released the digital single "Asobo". The English version of the single was released two weeks later. On May 8, the group had their first appearance at KCON in Seoul, South Korea. However, member Rio was not present for their premiere performance due to a sudden illness in the midst of their rehearsal. On July 20, NiziU released their single "Clap Clap". NiziU embarked on their first Japanese tour, Light it Up, originally scheduled from July 23 to September 17, but was then delayed to August 13 and finally concluded on October 5. This was followed by their first Japanese dome tour, Burn it Up, held at Tokyo Dome and Kyocera Dome Osaka from November 12 to December 18. In between concerts, NiziU released their first ballad single, "Blue Moon", on December 14. At the last concert, it was announced that the group's single "Paradise" had been selected as the theme song for the movie Doraemon: Nobita's Sky Utopia, released in Japan in March 2023.
NiziU's second studio album, Coconut, was released on July 19, 2023. The group embarked on their second Japanese tour in support of the album, with performances from July 1 to September 18. The tour had a total audience of 185,000 across 17 concerts. On October 30, NiziU debuted in South Korea with a single album titled Press Play and its lead single, "Heartris". On February 6, 2024, they released the song "Memories" as part of an advertising campaign for Universal Studios Japan. On March 14, they released the song "Sweet Nonfiction" for the soundtrack of the Japanese film Lovesick Ellie. On July 24, the group released the EP Rise Up, which includes the opening and ending theme songs for the second season of anime Tower of God. That same month, NiziU announced that their third Japanese tour will begin on November 23. The tour is in support of their EP Awake, which released on February 5, 2025. At the last concert in Fukuoka, it was announced that NiziU would embark on a hall tour in September 2025 and an arena tour in February 2026. They are set to release their second Korean single album, Love Line, on March 31, 2025.

## Members

Adapted from NiziU's official website.
* Mako (マコ)
* Rio (リオ)
* Maya (マヤ)
* Riku (リク)
* Ayaka (アヤカ)
* Mayuka (マユカ)
* Rima (リマ)
* Miihi (ミイヒ)
* Nina (ニナ)

## Discography

* U (2021)
* Coconut (2023)

## Concerts and tours
### NiziU Live With U 2022 "Light It Up"

| Date | City | Country | Venue |
| August 13, 2022 | Fukuoka | Japan | West Japan General Exhibition Center New Wing |
| August 14, 2022 | Fukuoka | Japan | West Japan General Exhibition Center New Wing |
| August 20, 2022 | Sapporo | Japan | Makomanai Ice Arena |
| August 21, 2022 | Sapporo | Japan | Makomanai Ice Arena |
| August 27, 2022 | Rifu | Japan | Sekisui Heim Super Arena |
| August 28, 2022 | Rifu | Japan | Sekisui Heim Super Arena |
| August 31, 2022 | Tokyo | Japan | Yoyogi National Gymnasium |
| September 1, 2022 | Tokyo | Japan | Yoyogi National Gymnasium |
| September 3, 2022 | Tokyo | Japan | Yoyogi National Gymnasium |
| September 4, 2022 | Tokyo | Japan | Yoyogi National Gymnasium |
| September 10, 2022 | Osaka | Japan | Osaka-jō Hall |
| September 11, 2022 | Osaka | Japan | Osaka-jō Hall |
| September 17, 2022 | Tokoname | Japan | Aichi Sky Expo |
| September 18, 2022 | Tokoname | Japan | Aichi Sky Expo |
| October 4, 2022 | Kobe | Japan | World Memorial Hall |
| October 5, 2022 | Kobe | Japan | World Memorial Hall |

### NiziU Live With U 2022 "Burn It Up"

| Date | City | Country | Venue |
| November 12, 2022 | Tokyo | Japan | Tokyo Dome |
| November 13, 2022 | Tokyo | Japan | Tokyo Dome |
| December 17, 2022 | Osaka | Japan | Kyocera Dome Osaka Beyond Live |
| December 18, 2022 | Osaka | Japan | Kyocera Dome Osaka Beyond Live |

### NiziU Live With U 2023 "Coco! nut Fes."

| Date | City | Country | Venue |
| July 1, 2023 | Saga | Japan | Saga Arena |
| July 2, 2023 | Saga | Japan | Saga Arena |
| July 5, 2023 | Tokyo | Japan | Yoyogi National Gymnasium |
| July 6, 2023 | Tokyo | Japan | Yoyogi National Gymnasium |
| July 8, 2023 | Tokyo | Japan | Yoyogi National Gymnasium |
| July 9, 2023 | Tokyo | Japan | Yoyogi National Gymnasium |
| July 19, 2023 | Osaka | Japan | Osaka-jō Hall |
| July 20, 2023 | Osaka | Japan | Osaka-jō Hall |
| August 9, 2023 | Hiroshima | Japan | Hiroshima Green Arena |
| August 10, 2023 | Hiroshima | Japan | Hiroshima Green Arena |
| August 19, 2023 | Nagoya | Japan | Port Messe Nagoya |
| August 20, 2023 | Nagoya | Japan | Port Messe Nagoya |
| August 23, 2023 | Rifu | Japan | Sekisui Heim Super Arena |
| September 2, 2023 | Sapporo | Japan | Hokkai Kitayell |
| September 3, 2023 | Sapporo | Japan | Hokkai Kitayell |
| September 17, 2023 | Chiba | Japan | Zozo Marine Stadium |
| September 18, 2023 | Chiba | Japan | Zozo Marine Stadium |

### NiziU Live With U 2024–2025 "Awake"

| Date | City | Country | Venue |
| November 23, 2024 | Echizen | Japan | Sun Dome Fukui |
| November 24, 2024 | Echizen | Japan | Sun Dome Fukui |
| November 30, 2024 | Sapporo | Japan | Hokkai Kitayell |
| December 1, 2024 | Sapporo | Japan | Hokkai Kitayell |
| December 21, 2024 | Kobe | Japan | World Memorial Hall |
| December 22, 2024 | Kobe | Japan | World Memorial Hall |
| January 8, 2025 | Tokyo | Japan | Yoyogi National Gymnasium |
| January 9, 2025 | Tokyo | Japan | Yoyogi National Gymnasium |
| January 11, 2025 | Tokyo | Japan | Yoyogi National Gymnasium |
| January 12, 2025 | Tokyo | Japan | Yoyogi National Gymnasium |
| January 21, 2025 | Osaka | Japan | Osaka-jō Hall |
| January 22, 2025 | Osaka | Japan | Osaka-jō Hall |
| February 8, 2025 | Rifu | Japan | Sekisui Heim Super Arena |
| February 9, 2025 | Rifu | Japan | Sekisui Heim Super Arena |
| February 15, 2025 | Tokoname | Japan | Aichi Sky Expo |
| February 16, 2025 | Tokoname | Japan | Aichi Sky Expo |
| February 22, 2025 | Fukuoka | Japan | West Japan General Exhibition Center Annex |
| February 23, 2025 | Fukuoka | Japan | West Japan General Exhibition Center Annex |

## Filmography
### Reality shows

| Year | Title | Network | Note(s) |
| 2020 | Nizi Project | Hulu Japan, Nippon TV, YouTube | Survival show determining NiziU's members. Broadcast period: Season 1: January 31, 2020 – March 27, 2020 (10 episodes), Season 2: April 24, 2020 – June 26, 2020 (10 episodes). |
| 2020 | NiziU 9 Nizi Stories | Hulu Japan, Nippon TV | In exclusive interviews, NiziU members reflect on their experiences, express their ambitions, and discuss emotions they felt during Nizi Project and the time they spent living in South Korea. Premiered on September 13, 2020 (9 episodes). |
| 2020 | We NiziU! ~We need U!~ | Hulu Japan, Nippon TV, YouTube | Following the daily lives of NiziU members after Nizi Project, as they prepare for their official debut. Premiered on November 5, 2020 (5 episodes). |
| 2020 | We NiziU! TV | Hulu Japan, Nippon TV | NiziU members are assigned "loose" missions and have to clear them. Premiered on December 6, 2020 (4 episodes). |
| 2021 | NiziU Scout | YouTube | NiziU members will challenge various missions. Premiered on April 30, 2021 (10 episodes, 4 behind episodes). |
| 2021 | We NiziU! TV 2 | Hulu Japan, Nippon TV | Premiered on November 28, 2021 (4 episodes). |
| 2022 | NiziU School | YouTube | NiziU School is set in a school class that "boasts a special curriculum than any other school", with help from 5 unique teachers. |

## Videography
### Music videos

| Year | Music video | Director(s) |
| 2020 | "Make You Happy" | Kim Young-jo, Yoo Seung-woo (Naive Creative Production) |
| 2020 | "Step and a Step" | Naive Creative Production |
| 2021 | "Take a Picture" | Naive Creative Production |
| 2021 | "Poppin' Shakin'" | Naive Creative Production |
| 2021 | "Chopstick" | Naive Creative Production |
| 2021 | "Need U" | Jimmy (VIA) |
| 2021 | "Take a Picture" (English ver.) | Naive Creative Production |
| 2021 | "Poppin' Shakin'" (English ver.) | Naive Creative Production |
| 2021 | "Chopstick" (Another ver.) | Naive Creative Production |
| 2022 | "Asobo" | SL8IGHT Visual Lab |
| 2022 | "Asobo (English ver.)" | SL8IGHT Visual Lab |
| 2022 | "Clap Clap" | Naive Creative Production |
| 2022 | "Blue Moon" | Un­known |
| 2023 | "Paradise" | Naive Creative Production |
| 2023 | "Coconut" | Sunny Visual |
| 2023 | "Heartris" | Lee Hye-su, Hong Jae-hwan (Swisher Film) |
| 2024 | "Sweet Nonfiction" | Lee Hye-su, Hong Jae-hwan (Swisher Film) |
| 2024 | "Rise Up" | Seong Won-mo (Digipedi) |
| 2024 | "AlwayS" | Lee Jeongyeon |
| 2025 | "Yoake" | Guzza (Kudo) |

### Video albums

List of video albums, with selected details, chart positions and sales :
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Sales |
| Title | Details | JPN Blu-ray | Sales |
| NiziU Live with U 2022 "Burn it Up" in Tokyo Dome | Released: May 10, 2023 Label: Epic Japan Format: Blu-ray | 1 | JPN: 33,673 |
| NiziU Live with U 2023 "COCO! nut Fes." -Stadium Special- in ZOZO Marine Stadium | Released: May 1, 2024 Label: Epic Japan Format: Blu-ray | 3 | JPN: 19,782 |