UP-FRONT GROUP Telework Gasshou (アップフロントグループ テレワーク合唱; UP-FRONT GROUP Remote Chorus) is a mixed special unit composed of 121 talents from UP-FRONT GROUP. The unit was created in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic in support of essential workers who risk their lives to provide essential services after the Japanese government announced a nationwide state of emergency.[1]
On May 4, 2020, the special unit released a video containing messages to lift the spirits of essential workers and those stuck at home due to quarantine. Included were song covers of "Ai wa Katsu" by KAN, "Naite Ii yo" by Juice=Juice, and "Makenaide" by ZARD.[2][3][4]
Due to the stay at home orders issued by the government, all of the talents participating in the video remotely recorded their parts alone in their individual homes to encourage others to stay at home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. As a result, Tokunaga Chinami and Mano Erina recorded their parts of the video from where they reside in New Zealand and Spain respectively.
Contents
Members[edit | edit source]
Male Talents[edit | edit source]
- Banba Hirofumi (ばんばひろふみ)
- Horiuchi Takao (堀内孝雄)
- Inaba Akira (因幡晃)
- Joujou Gundan (上々軍団)
- Sawayaka Goro (さわやか五郎)
- Suzuki Keita (鈴木啓太)
- Kagawa Akira (加川明)
- KAN
- Makoto (まこと)
- Matsubara Takeshi (松原健之)
- Nakajima Takui (中島卓偉)
- Sugita Jiro (杉田二郎)
- Taisei (たいせい)
- Takayama Gen (高山厳)
- Tanaka Yoshitake (田中義剛)
- Tsunku (つんく♂)
Female Talents[edit | edit source]
- Hello! Project
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History[edit | edit source]
Background[edit | edit source]
UP-FRONT GROUP began cancelling events and concerts for its talents starting in late February in consideration of a new policy established by the government to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
In early April, the government declared a state of emergency as a result of the pandemic,[1] and UP-FRONT GROUP and its artists cancelled more and more concerts and events as a result. Talents under the company also began slowly increasing their online presence so they could continue to interact with fans and abide by the stay at home orders at the same time.
Examples of this include Kikkawa Yuu accidentally becoming a viral sensation on Twitter for posting pictures of herself meticulously picking apart her food and counting the pieces as her stay at home hobby,[5][6][7][8] as well as BEYOOOOONDS beginning a short video series titled "Ouchi demo Beyonds Gakkou" (お家でもびよんず学校; Beyonds School at Home) on their YouTube channel, where a different member would teach a class on a different subject every morning and afternoon to encourage fans to stay home during the pandemic.[9]
UP-FRONT artists also posted more dance and vocal cover videos through YouTube and other social media, which would naturally lead to the formation of the UP-FRONT GROUP Telework Gasshou.
2020[edit | edit source]
On February 27, it was announced that all concerts and events up through March 8 were cancelled for all UP-FRONT GROUPS acts in consideration of a new policy established by the government to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] Affected concerts and events include:
- All release events for Seishun no Hana / Start Line.
- All release events for Roulette after February 26.
- ANGERME Live Tour 2020 Fuyu Haru ROCK ON! LOCK ON!
- Juice=Juice LIVE TOUR 2020 ~NEW SENSATION~
- Tsubaki Factory Live Tour 2020 Haru Tsubaki
- BEYOOOOONDS 1st LIVE TOUR 2020 ~Pop! Step! Zen Onpu!!~
- Tanaka Reina Tandoku Kouen ~ Reina 100%! vol.6
- Kudo Haruka LIVE 2020 "New Face!"
- Shimizu Saki・Sudo Maasa・Kumai Yurina FC Event "Futsuu, Kono Hi Nashi de wa Yatterannai Desho!?"
- Michishige Sayumi Fanclub Tour 2020 in Yamanashi Ka・ra・no♡Kawaii Tokoro!!
- Banba Hirofumi's 2020 debut anniversary concert.
- Matsubara Takeshi's 2020 fanclub event.
On March 4, it was announced that all concerts and events up through March 15 were also cancelled.[20][21][22][23][24] Affected concerts and events include:
- Morning Musume '20 Concert Tour Haru ~MOMM~
- ANGERME Live Tour 2020 Fuyu Haru ROCK ON! LOCK ON!
- Tsubaki Factory Live Tour 2020 Haru Tsubaki
- Hello! Project Kenshuusei Happyoukai 2020 3gatsu ~Tsumugu~
- Wada Ayaka Live Tour Mae 2021 ―Kono Kimochi no Saki ni Aru Mono wa Nani?―
- Okada Robin Shoko's 2020 birthday event
- All concerts and events by Up Up Girls (Kakko Kari), Sengoku Minami, and Kikkawa Yuu.
- Kobushi Factory Wada Sakurako Birthday Event 2020
- Kobushi Factory Hirose Ayaka・Inoue Rei & Tsubaki Factory Ogata Risa FC Event 2020
- Kobushi Factory Hamaura Ayano FC Event 2020
On March 6, it was announced that the original plans for the Hello! Project Hina Fes 2020 would be cancelled due to the opening of the Jinguu no Mori Geijutsu Shukusai event being postponed.[25][26] All premiums of the concert were later held on its original planned date, but without an audience at a different venue.[27][28] Similarly, the Kobushi Factory Live 2020 ~The Final Ring!~ was also held without an audience.[29]
On March 11, a new update announced that all concerts and events up through April 5 were cancelled.[30][31][32][33][34][35] Affected concerts and events include:
- Hello! Project Kenshuusei Happyoukai 2020 3gatsu ~Tsumugu~
- Morning Musume '20 Concert Tour Haru ~MOMM~
- ANGERME Live Tour 2020 Fuyu Haru ROCK ON! LOCK ON!
- Juice=Juice LIVE TOUR 2020 ~NEW SENSATION~
- Tsubaki Factory Live Tour 2020 Haru Tsubaki
- Morning Musume '20 Dinner Show "Happy Night"
- Kudo Haruka Fanclub Event 10 Shuunen Kouen 3gatsu ~Yoyogi GOLD!~
- PINK CRES. LIVE TOUR 2019 ~CONFUSION~
- BEYOOOOONDS / Ame no Mori Kawa Umi Takase Kurumi Birthday Event 2020
- Morning Musume '20 Haga Akane Birthday Event
- Morning Musume '20 Oda Sakura Birthday Event ~Sakura no Shirabe 9~
- Morning Musume '20 Kitagawa Rio Birthday Event
- Joujou Gundan's live performance.
- Lovelys's live events.
On March 13, YU-M Entertainment artists Up Up Girls (Kakko Kari), Sengoku Minami, Wada Ayaka, and Kikkawa Yuu collaborated for a 25 hour-long television program aired through NicoNico Live Broadcast at 7:30 PM JST titled 25jikanhan Television ~Idol to Mirai e Mukau Basho~.[36] After the conclusion of the pro, YU-M Entertainment announced a crowdfunding project to help invest in their artists' future to make up for postponed or cancelled events due to the coronavirus.[37]
On March 14, 2020, Juice=Juice held Hello! Project's first internet autograph signing session through the website limista for their single "Pop Music / Suki tte Itte yo" due to being unable to hold release events.[38] Later, three internet autograph signing sessions were scheduled for April 1, 4, and 5,[39] and the group also held a mini-live with no audience to help promote the single.[40]
In late March, various events were rescheduled for May, June, or July.[41][42][43][44][45][46] Rescheduled concerts and events include:
- Morning Musume '20 Concert Tour Haru ~MOMM~
- ANGERME Live Tour 2020 Fuyu Haru ROCK ON! LOCK ON!
- Juice=Juice LIVE TOUR 2020 ~NEW SENSATION~
- Tsubaki Factory Live Tour 2020 Haru Tsubaki
- BEYOOOOONDS 1st LIVE TOUR 2020 ~Pop! Step! Zen Onpu!!~
- Kudo Haruka LIVE 2020 "New Face!"
- Wada Ayaka Live Tour Mae 2021 ―Kono Kimochi no Saki ni Aru Mono wa Nani?―
- Shimizu Saki・Sudo Maasa・Kumai Yurina FC Event "Futsuu, Kono Hi Nashi de wa Yatterannai Desho!?"
- Kudo Haruka Fanclub Event 10 Shuunen Kouen 3gatsu ~Yoyogi GOLD!~
- Miyazaki Yuka BD Event 2020
On March 26 and 30, it was announced that various birthday events set to be held in the first week of April were cancelled.[47][48] Affected events include
- Tsubaki Factory Kishimoto Yumeno Birthday Event 2020
- Juice=Juice Takagi Sayuki Birthday Event 2020
- Suzuki Keita's birthday event
On April 6, it was announced that Arabeyooooonds Nights was postponed to October,[49] and Kumai Yurina Casual Dinner Show 2020 spring ~Enjoy your new life!!~ was postponed to August.[50] All concerts and events for the rest of April would be cancelled as well.[51] Affected concerts and events include:
- Morning Musume '20 Concert Tour Haru ~MOMM~
- ANGERME Concert Tour 2020 Haru LOCK ON! ROCK ON!
- Juice=Juice LIVE TOUR 2020 ~NEW SENSATION~
- Tsubaki Factory Live Tour 2020 Haru Tsubaki
- Juice=Juice CONCERT TOUR 2020 ~Pop Juice Journey~
- ANGERME Live Tour 2020 Fuyu Haru ROCK ON! LOCK ON!
On April 12, it was announced that the DVD releases for Morning Musume '19 Concert Tour Aki ~KOKORO&KARADA~, LIVE BEYOOOOOND1St, and Suzuki Airi LIVE PARTY No Live, No Life? would be postponed to May 20.[52]
On April 14, it was announced that all May concerts and events would be cancelled.[53][54][55][56][57][58] Affected concerts and events include:
- Morning Musume '20 Concert Tour Haru ~MOMM~
- ANGERME Concert Tour 2020 Haru LOCK ON! ROCK ON!
- Juice=Juice CONCERT TOUR 2020 ~Pop Juice Journey~
- Tsubaki Factory Concert Tour 2020 Haru CAMELLIA
- Hello! Project Kenshuusei Happyoukai 2020 ~Haru no Koukai Jitsuryoku Shindan Test~
- BEYOOOOONDS' concert at Nakano Sun Plaza.
- Morning Musume '20 Sato Masaki Birthday Event
- Juice=Juice Dambara Ruru Birthday Event 2020
- ANGERME Funaki Musubu Birthday Event 2020
- Kudo Haruka LIVE 2020 "New Face!"
- Yajima Maimi Solo Concert Tour 2020 Time Travel
- Shimizu Saki・Sudo Maasa・Kumai Yurina FC Event "Futsuu, Kono Hi Nashi de wa Yatterannai Desho!?"
- Kudo Haruka Fanclub Event 10 Shuunen Kouen 3gatsu ~Yoyogi GOLD!~
On April 17, PINK CRES. held an internet autograph signing session livestreamed through YouTube to promote "Roulette". Natsuyaki Miyabi was absent due to poor condition from allergies.[59] They also held a campaign in March through social media where fans could use the hashtag "#PINKRoulette" with a short message on the appeals of PINK CRES. to spread word of the group.[60]
On April 21, it was announced that the June all concerts and events were also cancelled.[61][62][63]
- Juice=Juice CONCERT TOUR 2020 ~Pop Juice Journey~
- Morning Musume '20 Concert Tour Haru ~MOMM~
- Tsubaki Factory Live Tour 2020 Haru Tsubaki
- ANGERME Concert Tour 2020 Haru LOCK ON! ROCK ON!
- BEYOOOOONDS 1st LIVE TOUR 2020 ~Pop! Step! Zen Onpu!!~
- Juice=Juice LIVE TOUR 2020 ~NEW SENSATION~
- ANGERME Live Tour 2020 Fuyu Haru ROCK ON! LOCK ON!
- Miyazaki Yuka BD Event 2020
- Wada Ayaka Live Tour Mae 2021 ―Kono Kimochi no Saki ni Aru Mono wa Nani?―
On May 4, 121 talents under UP-FRONT GROUP came together remotely from the safety of their homes to form UP-FRONT GROUP Telework Gasshou and sing song covers of "Ai wa Katsu" by KAN, "Naite Ii yo" by Juice=Juice, and "Makenaide" by ZARD in support of everyone working during the coronavirus pandemic.[2][3][4]
On May 24, the current members of Hello! Project collaborated remotely under the name "Hello Pro All Stars Telework Gasshou" to sing a cover of "Dekkai Uchuu ni Ai ga Aru" by Morning Musume.[64]
On June 15, after months of concerts and events being cancelled due to the coronavirus, UP-FRONT PROMOTION announced their plans for the annual summer concerts.[65]
Songs[edit | edit source]
Cover Songs[edit | edit source]
- [2020.05.04] Ai wa Katsu (愛は勝つ; Love Wins) - All Talents (KAN cover)
- [2020.05.04] Naite Ii yo (泣いていいよ; It's Okay to Cry) - Hello! Project (Juice=Juice cover)
- [2020.05.04] Makenaide (負けないで; Please Don't Lose) - Female Talents (ZARD cover)
- [2020.05.24] Dekkai Uchuu ni Ai ga Aru (でっかい宇宙に愛がある) - Hello Pro All Stars Telework Gasshou (Morning Musume cover)
References[edit | edit source]
External Links[edit | edit source]
- 2020 Units
- Zetima
- Up-Front Agency
- Up-Front Create
- Up-Front Promotion
- J.P. Room
- Up-Front Kansai
- Morning Musume
- ANGERME
- Juice=Juice
- Tsubaki Factory
- BEYOOOOONDS
- Ame no Mori Kawa Umi
- CHICA TETSU
- Up Up Girls
- PINK CRES.
- 1st Generation
- 2nd Generation
- 4th Generation
- 5th Generation
- 6th Generation
- 9th Generation
- 10th Generation
- 11th Generation
- 12th Generation
- 13th Generation
- 14th Generation
- 15th Generation
- 1st Generation S/mileage
- 2nd Generation S/mileage
- 3rd Generation ANGERME
- 4th Generation ANGERME
- 5th Generation ANGERME
- 6th Generation ANGERME
- 7th Generation ANGERME
- 8th Generation ANGERME
- 1st Generation Hello Pro Egg
- 2nd Generation Hello Pro Egg
- 3rd Generation Hello Pro Egg
- 4th Generation Hello Pro Egg
- 5th Generation Hello Pro Egg
- 7th Generation Hello Pro Egg
- 8th Generation Hello Pro Egg
- 10th Generation Hello Pro Egg
- 13th Generation Hello Pro Egg
- 14th Generation Hello Pro Kenshuusei
- 16th Generation Hello Pro Kenshuusei
- 17th Generation Hello Pro Kenshuusei
- 18th Generation Hello Pro Kenshuusei
- 19th Generation Hello Pro Kenshuusei
- 20th Generation Hello Pro Kenshuusei
- 22nd Generation Hello Pro Kenshuusei
- 23rd Generation Hello Pro Kenshuusei
- 24th Generation Hello Pro Kenshuusei
- 25th Generation Hello Pro Kenshuusei
- 26th Generation Hello Pro Kenshuusei
- 27th Generation Hello Pro Kenshuusei
- 2020 Disbanded