SMAP
Encyclopedia
SMAP is a Japanese boy band
formed by Johnny & Associates
. While originally consisting of six members, the current group members are Masahiro Nakai
, Takuya Kimura
, Goro Inagaki
, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi
, and Shingo Katori
. The group's name is an acronym standing for Sports Music Assemble People.
SMAP debuted their first CD in 1991 and has since released over forty singles and twenty albums. Approximately half the singles and a third of the albums reached the top of the Japanese Oricon
music charts. In recent times, the interval between the band's single CD releases has become longer, and are now released approximately once a year.
The members of SMAP have also pursued careers outside of music, including involvement in television variety show
s, dramas
, commercials
, and movies, making them one of the most popular Johnny's groups. Largely due to their popularity, Johnny & Associates became the most successful agency in Japan, with earnings of almost three billion Japanese yen
in 1995. Their fanbase consists primarily of Japanese women.
leader Masayuki Sakamoto and future Tokio
member Taichi Kokubun. Once the official lineup of Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, Shingo Katori and Katsuyuki Mori was decided in 1988, the group began to work as backup dancer
s for their Johnny's
seniors
Hikaru Genji.
On September 9, 1991, SMAP made their official CD
debut by releasing the single "Can't Stop!! Loving", which debuted at number two on the Oricon
singles chart. The group faced a quick decline in sales as their next string of singles became some of their lowest-selling singles in their history despite the fact that the singles all debuted within the Top 10 on the singles chart. It was not until 1994 did SMAP see their first number one single .
Since SMAP was so unsuccessful, Nakai asked Johnny's office to let SMAP host their own variety show to make people laugh with their unique personalities. The show was called . Through this show, SMAP slowly gained popularity. 1993 was a year of opportunities for SMAP. They had a hit single, and SMAP member Takuya Kimura was in a TV drama called "Asunaro Hakusho
", in which he played Osamu Toride, a shy boy. Asunaro was a big hit and Kimura's popularity soared. At the same time, SMAP also provided the opening and ending themes for the anime
Hime-chan's Ribbon
, and Tsuyoshi Kusanagi appeared in multiple episodes as himself doing the voice of a regular character. SMAP also recorded the opening song, "Kimi Iro Omoi", for the anime Akazukin Cha Cha, and this time the youngest member, Shingo Katori, lent his voice for the whole show as the young strong werewolf, Riiya.
After that, SMAP members starred in movies both individually and as a group. In 1996, shortly after member Katsuyuki Mori left the group to pursue a career as a motorcycle racer, SMAP started their own variety program called SMAP×SMAP
. On SMAP×SMAP, they cook (on a regular section of the show called Bistro Smap), perform in comedy sketches (often parodies of other shows), play games, sing and dance with other musical groups. As "an idol group that does anything", they began starring in a wide variety of programs such as live stage to music, dancing, hosting other programs, acting in movies and commercials.
SMAP continued to release new hit singles composed by professionals. Their 1998 single and their 2000 single "Lion Heart" sold more than one million copies each. Their song "Yozora no Mukō" was mentioned in some Japanese textbooks. Their 2001 greatest-hits album Smap Vest sold more than one million copies in only one week.
In 2000, NTT East produced two animated and two live-action television commercials for their ISDN service featuring a more updated version of the anime series Science Ninja Team Gatchaman
. The live action commercials featured some of the members of SMAP in Gatchaman costumes.
In August 2001, Inagaki was involved in a traffic altercation, and there were allegations of wrongdoing on his part. Though he briefly retreated from the public spotlight and had all his commercial tie-ins and television appearances canceled and withdrawn, Inagaki made a comeback and starred in a 2004 drama about a fictional Japanese investment banker killed in the events of September 11
. There were speculations that SMAP would disband following Takuya Kimura's announcement of his marriage and Goro Inagaki's traffic altercation in 2001.
In 2003, Noriyuki Makihara
wrote and composed SMAP's 2003 single . The single sold more than 2.57 million copies and became the ninth best-selling single in Japan in Oricon
history. Along with Hikaru Utada's "Colors"
, it was one of the only two singles to sell over a million copies in 2003, a year that saw CD sales declining due to the Japanese economic slump. The single made it to the top of the Oricon
2003 Yearly singles chart.
In 2003, Nakai was identified as the highest tax payer of any entertainer in Japan by the Japanese National Tax Bureau. That same year, he was involved in at least four television shows simultaneously, in addition to commercials.
that year, but refused for the second time since 2001. They did not release any new single or album that year. All the individual members had so many commitments that year, such as movies and dramas, that they wanted to rest.
2004 was a year that did not have a single million-selling CD in Japan. Although they did not release even a single in 2004, the popularity of SMAP was still strong in 2005. This was reflected in the charts, where both their album and single (Sample Bang! and "Bang! Bang! Bakansu!" respectively) topped the respective Oricon weekly charts just moments after their release.
SMAP's 40th single was released on October 11, 2006. It is an expression of thanks in honor of the 15th anniversary of their debut.
In 2008, they had a six-day tour at the Tokyo Dome
, becoming the first Japanese artist to have a total of six shows at the Dome in a single tour. They also released a new album Super Modern Artistic Performance (stylized as super.modern.artistic.performance) on September 24, 2008, the first day of the tour. will.i.am
of The Black Eyed Peas
produced the first track of the album, "Theme of 019 Super Modern Artistic Performance". On October 1, 2008, since Super.Modern.Artistic.Performance topped the Oricon charts at 214,000 in sales, SMAP achieved total album sales of ten million, making them the second musical group of vocalists after Chage and Aska
to do so.
While SMAP was scheduled to perform in their first overseas concert at the Shanghai World Expo
on June 13, 2010, Shanghai World Expo officially announced on June 5, 2010 that the event had been canceled due to the possible chaos surrounding the first-come-first-serve concert ticket giveaway method on the day of the event. SMAP's album We Are SMAP, which included the song "Trust" written by Tetsuya Komuro
, was released on July 21, 2010. SMAP's 2010 national concert tour program We Are SMAP! Tour 2010 commenced on July 31, 2010, including nineteen performances at five venues in Japan. With We Are SMAP! debuting at number-one of the Oricon weekly album chart, it was announced on July 27, 2010 that SMAP is the third group to accomplish the feat of having a number-one album in three consecutive decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s) after Southern All Stars
and Chage and Aska.
It was announced on August 2, 2010 that SMAP will go on holding their first overseas concerts at the Shanghai Stadium
on the ninth and tenth of October 2010. On August 10, 2010, SMAP's forty-fifth single "This is Love" took the number-one spot on the Oricon weekly singles chart, selling around 276,000 copies.
However, the planned October concert in Shanghai has been delayed. Speculation has arisen the delay was caused by reaction to the 2010 Senkaku boat collision incident
.
SMAP had finally staged their first overseas concert performance on September 16, 2011 at the Beijing Workers Stadium
in China under the theme of "Come on, Japan. Thank you, China. Asia is a united home", as a symbol of gratitude for China's assistance in the aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
tragedy, and the strengthening of friendship between the two nations.
Moto Moto Tokubetsu na Only One", which roughly translates to "You don't have to become the best. You're special to begin with, the one and only (you)". The song was selected as the Space Shuttle Discovery
crew wake-up call in August 2005, on STS-114
Flight Day 13. The song was covered and re-arranged by heavy metal
guitarist Marty Friedman on his 2006 album Loudspeaker
.
Compilations
Remix albums
Mini albums
Their variety program SMAP×SMAP
shows several types of entertainments ranging from cooking, comedy, and games to singing and dancing, often with celebrity guests such as Mariah Carey
, Ayumi Hamasaki
, Michael Jackson
, Will Smith
, Hikaru Utada, David Beckham
, Tom Cruise
, The Backstreet Boys, Paris Hilton
, Matt Damon
, Madonna
, Coldplay
, Kylie Minogue
, Justin Timberlake
, Catherine Zeta-Jones
, Sheryl Crow
, Richard Gere
, Avril Lavigne
, Kwon Sang Woo, Tohoshinki, Brad Pitt
, Lady Gaga
and Quentin Tarantino
, though most guests are Japanese tarento
.
Besides singing and acting, the group also manages to be active in numerous other forms of media fields as well. In August 1991 a Saint Seiya
musical sponsored by Bandai
, was shown in the Aoyama theater in Tokyo, Japan. The story recalls the Sanctuary and Poseidon chapter, starring the members of SMAP as the five bronze saints and Poseidon. In 2002, the group released a soft drink
called "Drink! SMAP" in order to promote a CD of the same name. They did this once again in 2010 to promote the album "We are SMAP!".
SMAP was also chosen to be official spokespersons for Square-Enix's popular Dragon Quest
series of role-playing video games. This actually is not the first time SMAP was associated with the series. SMAP starred in a musical based on the Dragon Quest games.
It was announced on June 10, 2010 that SMAP will appear in their first drama special in almost six years. Titled , it is said to be the industry's first "candid-camera drama", in which much of the filming for the drama special went on without SMAP's knowledge.
annual music awards ceremony, the Japan Gold Disc Award
s.
|-
| 1992
| SMAP
| Best 5 New Artist Award
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1995
| Cool
| Album Award
|
|-
| Sexy Six Show
| Music Video Award
|
|-
| 1996
| SMAP 007: Gold Singer
| Album Award
|
|-
| 1997
| SMAP 008: Taxomax
| Album Award
|
|-
| 1999
| "Yozora no Mukō"
| Song of the Year (Special Award)
|
|-
| 2001
| "Lion Heart"
| Song of the Year
|
|-
| 2002
| SMAP Vest
| Pop Album of the Year
|
|-
| rowspan="3"| 2004
| "Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana"
| Song of the Year
|
|-
| Smap! Tour! 2002!
| rowspan="3"| Music Video of the Year
|
|-
| Live MIJ
|
|-
| 2006
| SMAP to Icchatta! SMAP Sample Tour2005
|
|-
| 2007
| Pop Up! SMAP Live
| rowspan="2"| Best Music Videos
|
|-
| 2009
| SMAP 2008 Super Modern Artistic Performance Tour
|
|}
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
formed by Johnny & Associates
Johnny & Associates
is a talent agency formed by Johnny Kitagawa in 1962. Johnny & Associates trains and promotes groups of male idols, collectively known as , in Japan.-1962–1989:...
. While originally consisting of six members, the current group members are Masahiro Nakai
Masahiro Nakai
is a singer, actor and host for music events and variety shows such as the long-running music show Utaban. He is the leader of the Japanese idol group SMAP.-Early life:...
, Takuya Kimura
Takuya Kimura
, nicknamed , is a Japanese singer and actor. He is also a member of the Japanese idol group SMAP. Most of the TV dramas he starred in produced high ratings in Japan...
, Goro Inagaki
Goro Inagaki
is a Japanese musician and actor from Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan. Inagaki is a member of the Japanese pop group SMAP. His career began while he was in junior high school, when his sister submitted his picture to a talent company; he was subsequently chosen to join SMAP, which has a considerable...
, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi
Tsuyoshi Kusanagi
is a Japanese entertainer. Kusanagi is a member of the popular Japanese idol group SMAP and has also appeared in a number of television dramas, variety shows and movies.-Background:Kusanagi grew up in Kasukabe, Saitama, Japan....
, and Shingo Katori
Shingo Katori
is the youngest member of SMAP, a popular Japanese idol group from the agency Johnny & Associates, and he is from Yokohama, Japan. Shingo Katori has acted in several dramas such as Three Peace, and has appeared as a voice actor in such anime series as Akazukin Chacha, in which he voiced the part of...
. The group's name is an acronym standing for Sports Music Assemble People.
SMAP debuted their first CD in 1991 and has since released over forty singles and twenty albums. Approximately half the singles and a third of the albums reached the top of the Japanese Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
music charts. In recent times, the interval between the band's single CD releases has become longer, and are now released approximately once a year.
The members of SMAP have also pursued careers outside of music, including involvement in television variety show
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
s, dramas
Japanese television drama
, also called , are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including murder romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, and many others...
, commercials
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
, and movies, making them one of the most popular Johnny's groups. Largely due to their popularity, Johnny & Associates became the most successful agency in Japan, with earnings of almost three billion Japanese yen
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
in 1995. Their fanbase consists primarily of Japanese women.
1988–2002
Prior to SMAP's official debut in 1991, the group's lineup continuously rotated and, at one point, even included future V6V6 (band)
V6 is a six-member Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates. The group debuted on November 1, 1995 with the single "Music for the People", which was used as the image song for the World Cup of Volleyball in 1995...
leader Masayuki Sakamoto and future Tokio
Tokio (band)
Tokio is a Japanese rock/pop band formed by Johnny & Associates that debuted in 1994. It is made up of five men who were signed with Sony Music Entertainment from 1994 to 2001, with Universal Music Japan from 2001 to 2008, and are now signed under J Storm, a label owned by Johnny & Associates...
member Taichi Kokubun. Once the official lineup of Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, Shingo Katori and Katsuyuki Mori was decided in 1988, the group began to work as backup dancer
Backup dancer
A backup dancer is a performer who dances with or behind the lead performers in a live musical act or in a music video. Their movements provide a visual symmetry and rhythm to accompany the music....
s for their Johnny's
Johnny & Associates
is a talent agency formed by Johnny Kitagawa in 1962. Johnny & Associates trains and promotes groups of male idols, collectively known as , in Japan.-1962–1989:...
seniors
Senpai
and are an essential element of Japanese seniority-based status relationships, similar to the way that family and other relationships are decided based on age, with even twins being divided into elder and younger sibling...
Hikaru Genji.
On September 9, 1991, SMAP made their official CD
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
debut by releasing the single "Can't Stop!! Loving", which debuted at number two on the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
singles chart. The group faced a quick decline in sales as their next string of singles became some of their lowest-selling singles in their history despite the fact that the singles all debuted within the Top 10 on the singles chart. It was not until 1994 did SMAP see their first number one single .
Since SMAP was so unsuccessful, Nakai asked Johnny's office to let SMAP host their own variety show to make people laugh with their unique personalities. The show was called . Through this show, SMAP slowly gained popularity. 1993 was a year of opportunities for SMAP. They had a hit single, and SMAP member Takuya Kimura was in a TV drama called "Asunaro Hakusho
Asunaro hakusho
is a manga series by Fumi Saimon that was serialized in Shogakukan's Big Comic Spirits. It won the Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga in 1992.-Cast:*Hikari Ishida as Narumi Sonoda*Michitaka Tsutsui as Tamotsu Kakei*Takuya Kimura as Osamu Toride...
", in which he played Osamu Toride, a shy boy. Asunaro was a big hit and Kimura's popularity soared. At the same time, SMAP also provided the opening and ending themes for the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
Hime-chan's Ribbon
Hime-chan's Ribbon
is a magical girl manga series created by Megumi Mizusawa that was serialized in Ribon Magazine from August 1990 to January 1994. It was later developed into a 61 episode anime series, produced by Studio Gallop, that aired from October 2, 1992 to December 3, 1993. Hajime Watanabe's first project as...
, and Tsuyoshi Kusanagi appeared in multiple episodes as himself doing the voice of a regular character. SMAP also recorded the opening song, "Kimi Iro Omoi", for the anime Akazukin Cha Cha, and this time the youngest member, Shingo Katori, lent his voice for the whole show as the young strong werewolf, Riiya.
After that, SMAP members starred in movies both individually and as a group. In 1996, shortly after member Katsuyuki Mori left the group to pursue a career as a motorcycle racer, SMAP started their own variety program called SMAP×SMAP
SMAP×SMAP
SMAP×SMAP is an ongoing weekly Japanese variety show on Kansai TV and Fuji TV starring the members of SMAP. The show began on April 15, 1996 and it airs from 22:00 to 22:54 every Monday...
. On SMAP×SMAP, they cook (on a regular section of the show called Bistro Smap), perform in comedy sketches (often parodies of other shows), play games, sing and dance with other musical groups. As "an idol group that does anything", they began starring in a wide variety of programs such as live stage to music, dancing, hosting other programs, acting in movies and commercials.
SMAP continued to release new hit singles composed by professionals. Their 1998 single and their 2000 single "Lion Heart" sold more than one million copies each. Their song "Yozora no Mukō" was mentioned in some Japanese textbooks. Their 2001 greatest-hits album Smap Vest sold more than one million copies in only one week.
In 2000, NTT East produced two animated and two live-action television commercials for their ISDN service featuring a more updated version of the anime series Science Ninja Team Gatchaman
Science Ninja Team Gatchaman
is a 5-member superhero team that is composed of the main characters in several Japanese anime created by Tatsuo Yoshida and originally produced in Japan by Tatsunoko Productions and later adapted into several English-language versions...
. The live action commercials featured some of the members of SMAP in Gatchaman costumes.
In August 2001, Inagaki was involved in a traffic altercation, and there were allegations of wrongdoing on his part. Though he briefly retreated from the public spotlight and had all his commercial tie-ins and television appearances canceled and withdrawn, Inagaki made a comeback and starred in a 2004 drama about a fictional Japanese investment banker killed in the events of September 11
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
. There were speculations that SMAP would disband following Takuya Kimura's announcement of his marriage and Goro Inagaki's traffic altercation in 2001.
2003: "Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana"
Noriyuki Makihara
, nicknamed by his fans, is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter.- Biography :He was born on May 18, 1969 in Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan. He attended Aoyama Gakuin University to study English literature. In addition to creating songs for his own music career, he has written, produced and performed songs...
wrote and composed SMAP's 2003 single . The single sold more than 2.57 million copies and became the ninth best-selling single in Japan in Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
history. Along with Hikaru Utada's "Colors"
Colors (Hikaru Utada song)
"Colors" is Hikaru Utada's 12th Japanese-language single , and is the only single she released in 2003. It was released on January 29, 2003 and debuted at #1 on the Oricon charts with 437,903 copies sold in the first week, and became her fifth single to perform the rare two-consecutive weeks at...
, it was one of the only two singles to sell over a million copies in 2003, a year that saw CD sales declining due to the Japanese economic slump. The single made it to the top of the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
2003 Yearly singles chart.
In 2003, Nakai was identified as the highest tax payer of any entertainer in Japan by the Japanese National Tax Bureau. That same year, he was involved in at least four television shows simultaneously, in addition to commercials.
2004–present
"Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana" held the number one spot for the first few weeks into the year and finished the year as the eleventh best-selling of 2004. They were invited to perform in Kōhaku Uta GassenKohaku Uta Gassen
, more commonly known as simply Kōhaku, is an annual music show on New Year's Eve produced by Japanese public broadcaster NHK and broadcast on both television and radio, nationally and internationally by NHK's networks and some overseas broadcasters which bought the program...
that year, but refused for the second time since 2001. They did not release any new single or album that year. All the individual members had so many commitments that year, such as movies and dramas, that they wanted to rest.
2004 was a year that did not have a single million-selling CD in Japan. Although they did not release even a single in 2004, the popularity of SMAP was still strong in 2005. This was reflected in the charts, where both their album and single (Sample Bang! and "Bang! Bang! Bakansu!" respectively) topped the respective Oricon weekly charts just moments after their release.
SMAP's 40th single was released on October 11, 2006. It is an expression of thanks in honor of the 15th anniversary of their debut.
In 2008, they had a six-day tour at the Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium...
, becoming the first Japanese artist to have a total of six shows at the Dome in a single tour. They also released a new album Super Modern Artistic Performance (stylized as super.modern.artistic.performance) on September 24, 2008, the first day of the tour. will.i.am
Will.i.am
William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...
of The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
produced the first track of the album, "Theme of 019 Super Modern Artistic Performance". On October 1, 2008, since Super.Modern.Artistic.Performance topped the Oricon charts at 214,000 in sales, SMAP achieved total album sales of ten million, making them the second musical group of vocalists after Chage and Aska
Chage and Aska
or Chage and Asuka are a Japanese popular music duo composed of two singer-songwriters from Fukuoka Prefecture, and . To date they have sold over 31 million albums and singles in Japan....
to do so.
While SMAP was scheduled to perform in their first overseas concert at the Shanghai World Expo
Expo 2010
Expo 2010, officially Expo 2010 Shanghai China was held on both banks of the Huangpu River in the city of Shanghai, China, from May 1 to October 31, 2010. It was a major World Expo in the tradition of international fairs and expositions, the first since 1992...
on June 13, 2010, Shanghai World Expo officially announced on June 5, 2010 that the event had been canceled due to the possible chaos surrounding the first-come-first-serve concert ticket giveaway method on the day of the event. SMAP's album We Are SMAP, which included the song "Trust" written by Tetsuya Komuro
Tetsuya Komuro
, also known as TK, is a Japanese keyboardist, guitarist, singer, songwriter and music producer born on November 27, 1958 in Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan. He is recognized as being the most successful producer in Japanese music history and introduced dance music to the Japanese mainstream...
, was released on July 21, 2010. SMAP's 2010 national concert tour program We Are SMAP! Tour 2010 commenced on July 31, 2010, including nineteen performances at five venues in Japan. With We Are SMAP! debuting at number-one of the Oricon weekly album chart, it was announced on July 27, 2010 that SMAP is the third group to accomplish the feat of having a number-one album in three consecutive decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s) after Southern All Stars
Southern All Stars
, also known by the abbreviations or SAS, is a Japanese pop/rock band that formed in the mid 1970s.The band is composed of Keisuke Kuwata , Yuko Hara , Kazuyuki Sekiguchi , Hiroshi Matsuda and Hideyuki "Kegani" Nozawa...
and Chage and Aska.
It was announced on August 2, 2010 that SMAP will go on holding their first overseas concerts at the Shanghai Stadium
Shanghai Stadium
The Shanghai Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Shanghai, China. It is currently used mostly for football matches.The stadium was built in 1997 when the 8th National Games of the People's Republic of China was held in Shanghai. It can hold about 80,000 people, so it is also called the "80,000...
on the ninth and tenth of October 2010. On August 10, 2010, SMAP's forty-fifth single "This is Love" took the number-one spot on the Oricon weekly singles chart, selling around 276,000 copies.
However, the planned October concert in Shanghai has been delayed. Speculation has arisen the delay was caused by reaction to the 2010 Senkaku boat collision incident
2010 Senkaku boat collision incident
The 2010 Senkaku Boat Collision Incident occurred on the morning of September 7 2010 when a Chinese trawler, Minjinyu 5179, operating in disputed waters collided with Japanese Coast Guard's patrol boats near the Senkaku Islands...
.
SMAP had finally staged their first overseas concert performance on September 16, 2011 at the Beijing Workers Stadium
Workers Stadium
The Workers Stadium , often called Gongti or Gong Ti, is a multi-purpose stadium in the Chaoyang District of north-eastern Beijing, China. It is mostly used for football matches...
in China under the theme of "Come on, Japan. Thank you, China. Asia is a united home", as a symbol of gratitude for China's assistance in the aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
tragedy, and the strengthening of friendship between the two nations.
Musical style
SMAP's singing abilities vary, as fans go as far as to admit that "Nakai’s inability to sing is somewhat of a national joke today in Japan". In spite of that, their up-beat songs have been highly praised and well-received by the Japanese public, such as their best-selling single . It is about individuality, as the first and last line of the song is "No. 1 ni Naranakute mo iiMoto Moto Tokubetsu na Only One", which roughly translates to "You don't have to become the best. You're special to begin with, the one and only (you)". The song was selected as the Space Shuttle Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery is one of the retired orbiters of the Space Shuttle program of NASA, the space agency of the United States, and was operational from its maiden flight, STS-41-D on August 30, 1984, until its final landing during STS-133 on March 9, 2011...
crew wake-up call in August 2005, on STS-114
STS-114
-Original crew:This mission was to carry the Expedition 7 crew to the ISS and bring home the Expedition 6 crew. The original crew was to be:-Mission highlights:...
Flight Day 13. The song was covered and re-arranged by heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
guitarist Marty Friedman on his 2006 album Loudspeaker
Loudspeaker (album)
Loudspeaker is an instrumental album by the guitarist Marty Friedman, released in 2006 in Japan, and 2007 in United States. It entered the Japanese national chart at #33...
.
Discography
Studio albums- 1992: SMAP 001
- 1992: SMAP 002
- 1993: SMAP 003
- 1993: SMAP 004
- 1994: SMAP 005
- 1994: SMAP 006: Sexy Six
- 1995: SMAP 007: Gold Singer
- 1996: SMAP 008: Tacomax
- 1996: SMAP 009
- 1997: SMAP 011: Su
- 1998: SMAP 012: Viva Amigos!
- 1999: Birdman SMAP 013
- 2000: S-map SMAP 014
- 2002: SMAP 015/Drink! Smap!
- 2003: SMAP 016/MIJ
- 2005: Sample Bang!
- 2006: Pop Up! SMAP
- 2008: Super Modern Artistic Performance
- 2010: We are SMAP!
Compilations
- 1995: Cool
- 1997: Wool
- 2001: Smap Vest
- 2001: Pams
- 2011: SMAP Aid
Remix albums
- 1995: Boo
Mini albums
- 1998: La Festa
Other projects and activities
SMAP×SMAP
SMAP×SMAP is an ongoing weekly Japanese variety show on Kansai TV and Fuji TV starring the members of SMAP. The show began on April 15, 1996 and it airs from 22:00 to 22:54 every Monday...
shows several types of entertainments ranging from cooking, comedy, and games to singing and dancing, often with celebrity guests such as Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
, Ayumi Hamasaki
Ayumi Hamasaki
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, record producer, model, lyricist, and actress. Also called "Ayu" by her fans, Hamasaki has been dubbed the "Empress of Pop" because of her popularity and widespread influence in Japan and throughout Asia. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she moved to Tokyo at fourteen to...
, Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, Will Smith
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
, Hikaru Utada, David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
, Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
, The Backstreet Boys, Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton
Paris Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...
, Matt Damon
Matt Damon
Matthew Paige "Matt" Damon is an American actor, screenwriter, and philanthropist whose career was launched following the success of the film Good Will Hunting , from a screenplay he co-wrote with friend Ben Affleck...
, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
, Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
, Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
, Catherine Zeta-Jones
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Catherine Zeta-Jones, CBE, is a British actress. She began her career on stage at an early age. After starring in a number of United Kingdom and United States television films and small roles in films, she came to prominence with roles in Hollywood movies such as the 1998 action film The Mask of...
, Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
, Richard Gere
Richard Gere
Richard Tiffany Gere is an American actor. He began acting in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and a starring role in Days of Heaven. He came to prominence in 1980 for his role in the film American Gigolo, which established him as a leading man and a sex symbol...
, Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...
, Kwon Sang Woo, Tohoshinki, Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt
William Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
, Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
and Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
, though most guests are Japanese tarento
Tarento
is a Japanese rendering of the English word "talent" and is used as a catch-all term for mass media personalities who regularly appear on television. Detractors of the phenomenon have referred to it in an English sense as "famous just for being famous" because many that fall into this career line...
.
Besides singing and acting, the group also manages to be active in numerous other forms of media fields as well. In August 1991 a Saint Seiya
Saint Seiya
, also known as Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac or simply Knights of the Zodiac, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada and serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1986 to 1991, and adapted into an anime TV series by Toei Animation from 1986 to 1989.The story follows...
musical sponsored by Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
, was shown in the Aoyama theater in Tokyo, Japan. The story recalls the Sanctuary and Poseidon chapter, starring the members of SMAP as the five bronze saints and Poseidon. In 2002, the group released a soft drink
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
called "Drink! SMAP" in order to promote a CD of the same name. They did this once again in 2010 to promote the album "We are SMAP!".
SMAP was also chosen to be official spokespersons for Square-Enix's popular Dragon Quest
Dragon Quest
, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
series of role-playing video games. This actually is not the first time SMAP was associated with the series. SMAP starred in a musical based on the Dragon Quest games.
It was announced on June 10, 2010 that SMAP will appear in their first drama special in almost six years. Titled , it is said to be the industry's first "candid-camera drama", in which much of the filming for the drama special went on without SMAP's knowledge.
Japan Gold Disc Awards
SMAP won fourteen awards from Recording Industry Association of Japan'sRecording Industry Association of Japan
The Recording Industry Association of Japan is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved the music industry...
annual music awards ceremony, the Japan Gold Disc Award
Japan Gold Disc Award
The Japan Gold Disc Awards for Music sales in the Recording Industry Association of Japan, is major music awards held annually in Japan also released as a CD.- List of the Artists of the Year :************...
s.
|-
| 1992
| SMAP
| Best 5 New Artist Award
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1995
| Cool
| Album Award
|
|-
| Sexy Six Show
| Music Video Award
|
|-
| 1996
| SMAP 007: Gold Singer
| Album Award
|
|-
| 1997
| SMAP 008: Taxomax
| Album Award
|
|-
| 1999
| "Yozora no Mukō"
| Song of the Year (Special Award)
|
|-
| 2001
| "Lion Heart"
| Song of the Year
|
|-
| 2002
| SMAP Vest
| Pop Album of the Year
|
|-
| rowspan="3"| 2004
| "Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana"
| Song of the Year
|
|-
| Smap! Tour! 2002!
| rowspan="3"| Music Video of the Year
|
|-
| Live MIJ
|
|-
| 2006
| SMAP to Icchatta! SMAP Sample Tour2005
|
|-
| 2007
| Pop Up! SMAP Live
| rowspan="2"| Best Music Videos
|
|-
| 2009
| SMAP 2008 Super Modern Artistic Performance Tour
|
|}