Chairman Naoki Yamazaki to Yuuki Sato: “Your Own Songs Aren’t Selling — Why Are You Dancing to Other People’s?”

Background and Key Points of the Discussion

In recent years within Hello! Project, TikTok cover-dance videos have become a primary tool for individual members to build recognition — Rena Tanaka is a case in point, racking up hundreds of thousands of followers on cover-song views despite being in a position where she can’t release her own music. Up-Front, meanwhile, wants to prioritize promoting the songs on Yuuki Sato’s own label, and the chairman’s remarks appear to be this friction surfacing publicly. The thread split between those with an on-the-ground sense that TikTok functions as an “entry point to the mainstream,” and those taking a management-first view that “if the company is footing the bill, its own songs should come first” — with many in the latter camp pointing out the inconsistency, given that Hello! Project itself has repeatedly featured other artists’ songs in Music Station cover segments and at its own concerts. It’s also worth noting that Yuuki Sato debuted in 2010 and is a 16-year veteran, which raises the question of whether promotional tactics suited to a rookie are even appropriate here.