Travis Japan

The Japanese idol group Travis Japan was formed in 2012 in Tokyo by the talent agency Johnny & Associates. Their name is a tribute to the American choreographer Travis Payne, who met up with the band shortly before their official debut. Originally a nine-piece, the group made its first appearance on the 2014 musical Playzone'12 Song & Danc'n Partii while some of its members still served as backup dancers for the likes of Masahiko Kondō, Arashi and Tackey & Tsubasa. Following a series of lineup changes, Chaka, Umi, Shime, Noel, Shizu, Genta, and Machu became the first Johnny & Associates act to perform with an international artist after opening for American singer-songwriter Austin Mahone during his 2019 Japan Tour and later qualified for the semifinals on the reality show America's Got Talent in 2022. That same year, Travis Japan signed with Universal Music subsidiary Capitol Records, which released their debut single "Just Dance!" a few months later. The single reached number 4 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, number 28 on the Billboard Global 200, and number 46 on the Line Music Top 100 chart. After releasing the Moving Pieces – EP in June 2023, the boy band returned in December of that year with their studio debut Road to A, a massive blockbuster of an album that reached number 1 on the Oricon and Billboard Japan Albums Chart.