J-popNews

BE:FIRST detail fourth album ‘BE:4U’ ahead of debut anniversary

BE:FIRST have revealed the first details of their fourth album, ‘BE:4U’, set for release on November 3rd, five years to the day after the group debuted in 2021.

First announced during BE:FIRST Stadium Live 2026 We are the “BE:ST” at Ajinomoto Stadium in May, ‘BE:4U’ will be their first original album in around two years. Its 13 tracks span recent singles, all-new songs, unit tracks, and a re-recorded version of one of the group’s signature songs.

Previously released songs ‘BE:FIRST ALL DAY’, ‘Rondo’, ‘Lighting Up The Town’, ‘Missing’, and ‘Why, Why’ are confirmed, alongside ‘H.A.R.E.’, performed by SOTA, MANATO, JUNON, and LEO for a Suntory Draft Beer campaign.

‘It’s not a bad life’ will also appear on the album. Written for the film RYUJI 竜二, in which JUNON appears as Hiroshi, the track saw him take part in both its lyrics and composition. The film opens in Japan on October 30th. ‘BE:4U’ will also include ‘Mainstream (2026 ver.)’, a newly recorded version of their 2023 single.

Five of the album’s 13 tracks remain unrevealed, including additional unit songs. At least one of the new tracks will receive a music video, with both the video and behind-the-scenes footage already listed among the album’s bonus content.

‘Missing’ was co-written and co-produced by British DJ and producer Jonas Blue, reuniting him with BE:FIRST four years after their collab track ‘Don’t Wake Me Up’. Its writing team also includes British songwriters Ed Drewett and RØMANS, London-based Eyelar, and SKY-HI.

RELATED: SKY-HI and BE:FIRST join Recording Academy as Grammy voters

BE:FIRST reach their fifth anniversary having already played their largest standalone concerts to date. Their two-night Ajinomoto Stadium show in May drew a combined audience of 100,000, while BE:FIRST WORLD SHOWCASE 2026 “WATCH ME” will take the group to Bangkok, Taipei, Manila, and New York from September.

Speaking with Electric Bloom Webzine earlier this year about their first five years together, BE:FIRST described themselves as “a group that represents challenge and evolution”.

“We’ve always wanted to push the boundaries of what a group from Japan can be”, they said, adding that they intend to “continue to create music that defines what ‘mainstream’ means next”.

‘BE:4U’ will be released in CD, LIVE, MV, and BMSG MUSIC SHOP editions. The LIVE edition includes video and live audio from MTV Unplugged: BE:FIRST, recorded at PIA ARENA MM in March. The MV edition adds videos for a currently unrevealed new song, ‘Lighting Up The Town’, ‘BE:FIRST ALL DAY’, and two versions of ‘Missing’, alongside a special dance performance of ‘Rondo’ and BE:FIRST’s THE FIRST TAKE performances of ‘Muchuu’ and ‘I Want You Back’.

The BMSG MUSIC SHOP edition combines material from the LIVE and MV editions with additional documentary footage following the ‘BE:4U’ jacket shoot, MTV Unplugged: BE:FIRST, and the production of the album.


BE:FIRST
BE:4U

Release date: 03/11/2026
Label: B-ME
Pre-order: Official links
CDJapan: CD / CD+DVD / CD+Blu-ray / 2CD+DVD / 2CD+Blu-ray

Dates and tickets

Affiliate information

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DateLocationTickets
25 Sep 2026Samyan Mitrtown Hall, Bangkok, ThailandShow time: 20:00
27 Sep 2026Legacy TERA, Taipei, TaiwanShow time: 19:30
3 Oct 2026New Frontier Theater, Quezon City, PhilippinesShow time: 20:00
22 Oct 2026Racket NYC, New York, USShow time: 20:00
23 Oct 2026Gramercy Theatre, New York, USShow time: 20:00

About BE:FIRST 

BE:FIRST are a Japanese dance and vocal group created through SKY-HI's audition project THE FIRST and managed by BMSG. Debuting in 2021, the group were built around the idea that members should function as individual vocalists and performers rather than fixed background and centre positions, with hip-hop and R&B forming much of the project's musical foundation. Following RYOKI's departure in 2025, BE:FIRST continue as the six-member line-up of SOTA, SHUNTO, MANATO, RYUHEI, JUNON, and LEO. Their catalogue combines J-pop accessibility with rap, dance, R&B, and contemporary global pop production, while the members increasingly participate in choreography, lyrics, and other creative decisions.