IZ*ONE’s Miyawaki Sakura Reported To Sign With Big Hit + Agency Comments In Response

[My Everything]

Big Hit Entertainment has commented regarding reports of the agency signing IZ*ONE’s Miyawaki Sakura.

On March 11, Hankyung.com reported that Miyawaki Sakura will continue activities at Big Hit Entertainment following IZ*ONE’s disbandment with high possibility of her joining a new girl group at the agency.

In response to the report, Big Hit commented, “Nothing has been decided [regarding this matter].”

Miyawaki Sakura debuted as a member of the Japanese group HKT48 in 2011. After ranking No. 2 on “Produce 48” in 2018, she debuted as a member of the project group IZ*ONE, which is set to conclude activities in April.

Source

Edited March 11, 2021 by My Everything

[lilymul]

Omg sakura!!! Seriously?? Im rooting for her. Will nako or maybe hitomi join too? 

 

Is she leaving hkt then? 

Edited March 11, 2021 by lilymul

[SLY]

Has Sakura already graduated?

[Ghosty]

this was not the news i was expecting lmao now buy out the rest of the j-line and minju and hyewon. idk if their companies have any plans for them. 

[GetRapper]

WOW!

[WujuLike]

wow if this is true... crazy

[planetaria]

i really thought she’d cut off all ties to the korean entertainment. i’m not familir with the 48g systems, does this mean she’s graduating?

[My Everything]

Just now, planetaria said:

i really thought she’d cut off all ties to the korean entertainment. i’m not familir with the 48g systems, does this mean she’s graduating?

Yes 

but I don’t think anything will be confirmed until iz*one disbands 

[Mccuish]

[Lubbin]

Some possibilities are

1. She’ll remain in HKT48/AKB48, and will be under BigHit for Korean solo promotions

2. She’ll graduate from HKT48/AKB48 and debut as a soloist/girl group member

3. BigHit and 48Gs management are planning to debut a Korean sister group, and Sakura will be the face of that GG

[Chiharu]

Well...if Sakura debuts in bighit's ngg, I will have no choice but to stan.

[satoori]

HUUUUHHHHHHHHHH????

[Ghosty]

smart on them tho she has that chinese and japanese fanbase, and they're both equally big 

[Yknocker]

She will be probably joining the new gg developed by Min Heejin, who was in SM and had developed Red Velvet.

Big Hit's girl group wing is Source Music which now has a few trainees, one from Starship and one from SM I believe.

 

Which means GFriend's days are now numbered.

[satoori]

Bighit Japan was recently launched at the end of last year. https://twitter.com/BigHitEnt_JP

 

 

Plus this new Japanese female producer has joined the team recently

 

[hynapia]

WTF??? This is the last thing I've ever expected. I wonder if she'll be in the upcoming gg then or she'll be in a japanese gg under Big Hit Japan.

If she's in the big hit x soumu gg that group is definitely gonna be HUGE.

[hynapia]

1 minute ago, Ghosty said:

smart on them tho she has that chinese and japanese fanbase, and they're both equally big 

that's exactly what I'm thinking. A good chunk of Iz*one's sales come from her japanese and especially chinese fanbases, so the group (if she's included in it) is gonna sell A LOT for sure between her fandom power and big hit brand.

[satoori]

2 minutes ago, Yknocker said:

She will be probably joining the new gg developed by Min Heejin, who was in SM and had developed Red Velvet.

Big Hit's girl group wing is Source Music which now has a few trainees, one from Starship and one from SM I believe.

 

1 minute ago, hynapia said:

WTF??? This is the last thing I've ever expected. I wonder if she'll be in the upcoming gg then or she'll be in a japanese gg under Big Hit Japan.

If she's in the big hit x soumu gg that group is definitely gonna be HUGE.

 

i don't think she will be in the upcoming girl group expected to debut this year

but i do think they have plans for her somewhere.

i'm still trying to process this news tbh

 

OT: reminder upcoming boy group with bighit japan soon to debut this year too

maybe a girl group is next for 2022.

https://onehallyu.com/topic/830035-♚-big-hit-japans-upcoming-boy-group-♚-official-thread-♚/

 

[satoori]

other japanese mentors announced for the new boy group. (as of right now not sure if they will transfer to bighit japan permanently tho...)

Spoiler

Sakura Inoue (Performance Director)
After graduating from Japan Women's College of Physical Education with a major in dance studies, she moved to the United States. She worked there for about seven years based in LA. She assisted with the choreography for Britney Spears' "Womanizer" and "Circus" music videos (won the “Best Choreographer Award” at the MTV Australia Video Music Awards 2009). After returning to Japan in 2011, she has been active mainly in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and other Asian countries.
Team "S," which she leads, is known for its direction that leverages each artist's individuality and the unique choreography that the team creates together. She is involved with choreographing, directing, and other activities in a wide range of genres.

Soma Genda (Producer and Sound Director)
With his academic music theory cultivated since his childhood and exceptional sense of track making, he has gained an established reputation for producing a wide range of genres such as dance, rock, pop, electro, and background music.
The song “Crystal Snow" by BTS, which he composed, ranked #1 on the iTunes charts in about 10 countries around the world upon its release. The album “Untitled" by Arashi, which includes the song he composed and arranged, has been certified as a triple platinum disc.

Ryosuke Imai (Special Advisors)
His career started in 1995. Since the hit song “Shake" by DOUBLE in 1999 that he worked on, he has created many works.
In 2016, he wrote, composed, and produced “Hero” (Namie Amuro), the official NHK song for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, further establishing himself as a composer. In 2019, he produced “ECHO” (Little Glee Monster), the NHK theme song for the Rugby World Cup.
Currently, he is expanding the range of his activities in areas such as discovering and training artists, cowriting sessions, and discovering overseas artists, with a focus on music production not only in Tokyo but also from a global perspective.

UTA (Special Advisors)
He is one of Japan's leading music producers.
In 2018, the BTS songs “Don't Leave Me" and “Let Go," which he worked on, reached #1 and #2 on the iTunes world chart. In 2019, “Lights" by BTS sold one million copies, “Stay Gold" reached #1 on iTunes in 84 countries, and “Your Eyes Tell" reached #1 on iTunes in 101 countries and #8 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.
In addition to J-pop and K-pop, he has been expanding his activities through his good relationships with people overseas.

 

source: https://bighitjapan.jp/project/eng

 

[GetRapper]

What if Sakura joins Gfriend?

[satoori]

UPDATE:

 

 

[Catallena]

apparently she will join the newgg. Sakura and friends is coming 

[satoori]

29 minutes ago, Lubbin said:

Some possibilities are

1. She’ll remain in HKT48/AKB48, and will be under BigHit for Korean solo promotions

2. She’ll graduate from HKT48/AKB48 and debut as a soloist/girl group member

3. BigHit and 48Gs management are planning to debut a Korean sister group, and Sakura will be the face of that GG

 

Before PD48 was even a thing Akimoto and Bang PD had a meeting in 2017. (there's a thread somewhere on OH and there are photos on sns).  I think the two have been planning some sort of collab for a while now. I can definitely see them doing some sort of joint venture like Belift (Bighit x CJ). Plus, Akimoto also wrote a song for BTS, called Bird. But it wasn't released due to backlash from kfans.

 

[schue]

No offense but isn't she too big and famous to join a new gg? I mean she's an already established and very popular individual but then she'll be redebuting in a group with all these fresh young unknown kids/trainees? It'll be a setback for her. Not to mention, this group will be Sakura and friends. Hopefully this contract is for her individual activities - varieties, acting projects and maybe collabs, units or as soloist. She was already a member of HKT48, AKB48 and then IZONE and now new gg? Plus I don't think Aki-p will let go of her, she's still in the 48groups franchise.

[satoori]

16 minutes ago, schue said:

No offense but isn't she too big and famous to join a new gg? I mean she's an already established and very popular individual but then she'll be redebuting in a group with all these fresh young unknown kids/trainees? It'll be a setback for her. Not to mention, this group will be Sakura and friends. Hopefully this contract is for her individual activities - varieties, acting projects and maybe collabs, units or as soloist. She was already a member of HKT48, AKB48 and then IZONE and now new gg? Plus I don't think Aki-p will let go of her, she's still in the 48groups franchise.

She's a 98liner - which is still plenty of years to be active in a girl group. In Korea, I feel her best option is a group if she wants to keep performing and singing. I mean, yea she's huge, but I don't think a solo singer is the best route for her in Korea. Japan is different tho.

Let's say new subsidiary is on the way, with bighit x akimoto, maybe sakura will not be the only 48 girl to join whatever they have planned.

 

 

Edited March 11, 2021 by satoori