Many J-pop artists spend their whole career trying to land a spot on NHK's "Kohaku Uta Gassen" end-of-year televized music extravaganza. The five members of Foorin team E, however, got the call-up the same day they properly debuted.
"Before we've even done our first proper concert, we are right on the biggest show in Japan," Len, 12, says, adding with a chuckle, "I think we have a lot of pressure."
He and the other four children in the outfit — Clara, 6, Corban, 8, Jasmine, 10 and Evangeline, 12 — are speaking to me a few hours ahead of making their live debut at NHK Hall as part of the annual Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union Television Song Festival. They join the original Japanese-language Foorin group to perform the hit song "Paprika," gracing the same stage as some of the continent's biggest acts, including Japan's Hey! Say! Jump and South Korea's Twice.
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