{"rewrite":{"id":"r_8d95e447c2b54baeb1b8c453","clusterId":"c_6a5ff30135624544b7d9e4dc","slug":"number-i-signs-with-atlantic-records-and-begins-us-production","model":"deepseek-v4-pro","headline":"Number_i Signs With Atlantic Records and Begins US Production","summary":"The three-member Japanese group Number_i signed a contract with the major American label Atlantic Records and has already started music production in the United States. The announcement came on May 18 through Japanese entertainment outlets. The group visited Atlantic's headquarters in Los Angeles as part of the deal. Member Hirano Sho gave a brief statement about the signing, saying the group wants to stick to its own style. The move places Number_i on a label whose roster includes Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, and Coldplay. No release date or project title accompanied the news. The group formed in 2023 under the agency TOBE and includes Yuta Jinguji and Yuta Kishi alongside Hirano. All three members previously performed together in the Johnny \u0026 Associates group King \u0026 Prince before leaving the agency in 2023. The Atlantic deal is their first label partnership outside Japan.","whyItMatters":"The signing is a concrete step into the US market for a group that formed less than three years ago and has no prior overseas label history, making the speed of the move the story.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe group visited Atlantic Records headquarters in Los Angeles as part of the signing. A photograph published with the Sankei Sports report shows the three members standing in front of a wall bearing the label's logo. Hirano Sho gave a comment carried by the outlet: \"We want to stick to our own style.\"\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe announcement appeared on May 18 through Sankei Sports and Music Natalie. No single or album title was given, and no release window was mentioned. The reports describe the deal as a contract with a \"major US label\" and note that production work has begun in the United States, but they do not name a producer or studio.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNumber_i formed in 2023 under the agency TOBE. The three members, Hirano Sho, Yuta Jinguji, and Yuta Kishi, all left Johnny \u0026 Associates that same year after performing together in King \u0026 Prince. The Atlantic signing is their first label partnership outside Japan. Atlantic Records' current roster includes Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, and Coldplay, a fact highlighted in the Japanese coverage to underline the scale of the label.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Number_i signed with Atlantic Records and is already recording in the US. Hirano Sho's only comment: \"We want to stick to our style.\" No release date yet.","twitterPost":"A Japanese group formed in 2023 just signed with Atlantic Records. No overseas label history, no US releases yet, and they're already in LA recording. What does a US debut look like for Number_i?","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"The three-member Japanese group Number_i signed a contract with the major American label Atlantic Records and has already started music production in the United States. The announcement came on May 18 through Japanese entertainment outlets. The group visited Atlantic's headquarters in Los Angeles as part of the deal. Member Hirano Sho gave a brief statement about the signing, saying the group wants to stick to its own style. The move places Number_i on a label whose roster includes Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, and Coldplay. No release date or project title accompanied the news. The group formed in 2023 under the agency TOBE and includes Yuta Jinguji and Yuta Kishi alongside Hirano. All three members previously performed together in the Johnny \u0026 Associates group King \u0026 Prince before leaving the agency in 2023. The Atlantic deal is their first label partnership outside Japan.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Sankei Sports (via Yahoo! News Japan)\",\"url\":\"https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/1fa4106eb050b86f84e7159347ac1b27c8e98460?source=rss\",\"title\":\"Number_i Signs with Major US Label Atlantic Records, Visits LA Headquarters; Hirano Sho: 'We Want to Stick to Our Style'\"},{\"source\":\"Music Natalie (via Yahoo! News Japan)\",\"url\":\"https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/4f6124e07564514aa64d5a3443a238a85dae00cd?source=rss\",\"title\":\"Number_i Signs with Prestigious Music Label Atlantic Records, Begins Music Production in the U.S.\"}]","lintFlagsJson":"[]","lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":5834,"outputTokens":1091,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1779826629,"createdAt":"2026-05-20T00:21:43.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-05-20T00:31:50.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-05-20T00:31:50.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_6a5ff30135624544b7d9e4dc","canonicalTitle":"Number_iが米名門レーベル「Atlantic Records」と契約　LAの本社訪問、平野紫耀「自分たちのスタイルを貫き通したい」（サンケイスポーツ）","representativeArticleId":"a_556700b40457252cac1540b8","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[\"平野紫耀\"],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"music\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-05-17T19:00:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-05-18T00:23:11.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-05-20T00:31:55.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Yahoo! News Japan (Entertainment)","url":"https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/4f6124e07564514aa64d5a3443a238a85dae00cd?source=rss","title":"Number_iが名門音楽レーベルAtlantic Recordsと契約、アメリカでの楽曲制作に着手（音楽ナタリー）"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"studios":[],"people":["平野紫耀"],"type":"news","domain":"music","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Number_i signed a contract with Atlantic Records on May 18, 2025, as reported by Sankei Sports and Music Natalie.","The three-member group visited Atlantic Records headquarters in Los Angeles as part of the signing.","Member Hirano Sho said in a statement, 'We want to stick to our own style.'","The group has already started music production in the United States, though no producer, studio, release date, or project title has been announced.","Number_i formed in 2023 under agency TOBE and includes Hirano Sho, Yuta Jinguji, and Yuta Kishi, all former members of King \u0026 Prince under Johnny \u0026 Associates."]}