Timelesz (stylized as timelesz, formerly known as Sexy Zone) is an eight-member Japanese boy band managed by Starto Entertainment (formerly of Johnny & Associates).
As Sexy Zone, the group consisting of Shori Sato, Kento Nakajima, Marius Yo, Fuma Kikuchi and So Matsushima, debuted in 2011, with their group age average 14.2, breaking the record in the agency for the youngest group to debut. They were the 5th group from Johnny & Associates to debut as special supporters for the "FIVB World Cup Volleyball", after V6 (1995), Arashi (1999), NEWS (2003) and Hey! Say! JUMP (2007). In 2013 they appeared in Kouhaku for the first time. They sold 3 million copies in Japan. Yo left the group and retired from the entertainment industry in 2022. Nakajima left the group on March 31, 2024.
As Timelesz, they started official activities on April 1, 2024, with the three remaining members. Almost a year later, a new era of timelesz started on February 15, 2025, after holding open auditions to select new members to add the group. 18,922 candidates auditioned, out of which 5 new members were ultimately chosen, with timelesz subsequently resuming activities as an 8-person group.
Contents
Career
As Sexy Zone
Sexy Zone was announced as a group in a press conference on September 29, 2011. Johnny & Associates's CEO Johnny Kitagawa said, "The group name came from Michael Jackson's sexiness". The members were revealed to be Kento Nakajima, Fuma Kikuchi, Shori Sato, So Matsushima, and Marius Yo. Kitagawa chose the members considering the "sexiness of men". The average age of the members at the debut was 14.2 years, breaking the record held by Hey! Say! JUMP, which was 15 years.
After the press conference, the members appeared in Teigeki Johnnys Imperial Theatre Special "Kis-My-Ft2 with Johnny's Jr.", and premiered their debut song "Sexy Zone", which was subsequently released on November 16, 2011, from Pony Canyon. This song was also the image song of the 2011 FIVB Women's World Cup and the 2011 FIVB Men's World Cup, with the group becoming the events' special supporters, the fifth group in the agency, after V6, Arashi, News and Hey! Say! Jump. Sexy Zone would repeat as Musical Ambassadors for the FIVB Volleyball World Cup on March 2, 2015, where they performed their 10th single, Cha-Cha-Cha-Champion and announced the players as they entered the court. They continued supporting the Japanese volleyball team via their songs "With you" (2012), Kimi no tame noku ga iru" (2012), "Shouri no hi made" (2016), and others.
By May 2014, Sexy Zone was working as three groups: Matsushima was paired with Kaito Matsukura and Genta Matsuda, now members of Travis Japan, then of Johnny's Jr., as "Sexy Matsu"; Marius was paired with Genki Iwahashi and Yuta Jinguji, former King & Prince members (Johnny’s Jr. at the time), as "Sexy Boyz"; and the main group (which would keep the name of Sexy Zone), that would focus on Nakajima, Kikuchi and Sato. The three groups, together with the fans (called "Sexy Girls"), would become known as "Sexy Family". It would be the first time that a group would not have a fixed number of members. Three would remain as core, and the other members would be picked from the "younger sibling groups" (Sexy Matsu and Sexy Boyz). It was reported by Nikkan Sports in 2014 that the group's then-upcoming single, their seventh, "Otoko Never Give Up", was recorded by only three of its five members, as later did their eighth "Kimi ni Hitomebore" and ninth single "Cha-Cha-Cha Champion", featuring only members Kento Nakajima, Fuma Kikuchi and Shori Sato. This resulted in rumors amongst fans about the future of Marius and Matsushima, the two youngest members of the group. However, they were guaranteed that the two youngest would not be leaving, they would just be expanding the range of the group by working in their own projects. For their 10th single, "Colorful Eyes", released in December 2015, Marius and Matsushima returned to Sexy Zone, resuming activities as a 5-member group.
As Timelesz
On April 1, 2024, the three remaining members appeared in a streamed live, in which they announced, not only the group's new name, but a new project. The group, now called "timelesz", which was taken as a reminder of their origin (from the song "Timeless", one of the last sung as a 5-men group, and the "sz" from the group's previous name), announced they would be holding auditions for new members, as well as a 7-city, 25 concert tour. They also announced the name for the fandom, "secondz", with the reading of the name ("secondz" or "secandz") being put to a survey. Regarding the concert series, "We're timelesz Live Tour 2024 episode0", it was announced to take place from June 22, 2024 (Hokkaido), till August 25, 2024 (Osaka)
The group released their first extended play under the new name in June 2024. The eponymous single, out in three formats (deluxe edition, limited edition, and standard edition), included the previously released songs "Honne to Tatemae", "Jinsei Yūgi", and "Puzzle". The lead song from the new EP, "Anthem", was written and produced by Tomohisa Yamashita. Yamashita's comment on the song: "I wanted them to sing about the strength of turning the impossible into the possible. I wrote these lyrics because I thought that having them sing this song now would give courage and hope to many people!". The song was premiered on their radio program "timelesz's QRZONE", the music video was released the following day in their official YouTube.
As revealed in April 2024, the group held auditions for new members. Out of 18,922 candidates, 350 passed to the second stage. This part of the recruitment was taped for the Netflix series "timelesz project -AUDITION-", with the members screening every candidate. The Netflix series started distribution on September 13 in Japan, and later worldwide. A sort of "director's cut" backstage series, with comments by the members, has been shared in YouTube under the name "timelesz behind the audition" as companion series to the Netflix one.
A single, "Because", was released on November 20, and was their collective 27th single, but the first as timelesz.
The last episode of the Netflix series, aired on February 15, 2025. After singing the last pair of songs ("Run" and timelesz' new single, "Rock This Party"), the winners of the project to be the new members were revealed: Shuto Inomata, Taiki Shinozuka, Masaki Hashimoto, as well as Starto members Takuto Teranishi and Yoshitaka Hara. The new members were introduced to the press 5 minutes after the end of the program. In the press conference, Kikuchi proposed a toast, giving each of the new members a colored drink, which ended being the color each one was to adopt: Shinozuka, white, for him to "look for your own color"; Teranishi, light blue, "support the people around while being calm, trustworthy, and mature"; Hashimoto, pink, "cute, yet strong and passionate"; Inomata, yellow, "kind, loving and positive mind" (Hara added that Inomata is like the sun "I hope that the sense of closeness will permeate the fans", while Kikuchi joked on the choice of color, not knowing if he should have chosen "Yamabuki color"). As Sato started the toast, Hara blurted out that his drink was bitter, and Matsushima smiled saying "let's go on with this". Hara asked Kikuchi if he had prepared a normal, "refreshing drink", and he answered "Sorry, it was a mistake". Hara's color is yellow-green.
Members
Fuma Kikuchi (菊池風磨)
Shori Sato (佐藤勝利)
So Matsushima (松島聡)
Shuto Inomata (猪俣周杜)
Taiki Shinozuka (篠塚大輝)
Masaki Hashimoto (橋本将生)
Takuto Teranishi (寺西拓人)
Yoshitaka Hara (原嘉孝)
Former Sexy Zone members
Kento Nakajima (中島健人)
Marius Yo (マリウス葉)
Discography
Studio albums
As Sexy Zone
One Sexy Zone (2012)
Sexy Second (2014)
Sexy Power3 (2015)
Welcome to Sexy Zone (2016)
XYZ=Repainting (2018)
Pages (2019)
Pop × Step!? (2020)
The Highlight (2022)
Chapter II (2023)
As Timelesz
Fam (2025)
Momentum (2026)
Filmography
Television
Yan Yan Jump (April 2011- TV Tokyo)
Johnnys'Jr. land (October 2011- Sky Perfect TV)
Waratte Iitomo! (November 3, 2011 Fuji TV)
Music Station (November 11, November 18, 2011, April 27, 2012 TV Asahi)
Sexy Zone Channel (start February 26, 2014) Fuji TV)
ZIP
Fuller House (December 22, 2017, Netflix)
timelesz project -Audition- (start September 13, 2024, Netflix)
Nino san (first appearance as guests) (February 24, 2025)
Geinōjin ga honki de kangaeta! Dokkiri GP (special, guests) (March 15, 2025)
with Music (first appearance as musical guests) (March 8, 2025)
Timelesz man (first eponymous variety show) (April 20, 2025)
Mirai hito ni nokoshitai! Furusato Timelesz capsule (未来人に残したい！ふるさとタイムレスカプセル) (June 2025)
Timelesz Familia (October 2025)
Timelesz no Jikan desu yo (timeleszの時間ですよ) (June, October 2025)
Jidai chōetsu! Timelesz Ranking (January 2026)
Timelesz Project ~REAL~ (February 2026)
Chikyū marugoto dai jikken: Nature Teacher (地球まるごと大実験 ネイチャーティーチャー) (July 2025) (Hara and Shinozuka, with Chocolate Planet)
Radio
As Sexy Zone
Sexy Zone no Qrzone (2012-2024)
Radirer! Saturday (2016-2019)
Radirer! Saturday New Year Special (2021, 2022)
''All Night Nippon Premium'' ("4-hour challenge" Sp, 2020)
As Timelesz
Timelesz no Qrzone (2024- )
All Night Nippon Premium (Original 3-member Sp) (February 3, 2025)
Takuya Kimura Flow (5 new members guest appearance) (April 13, 20, 27, 2025)
Commercials
ABC-Mart
Climacool (collaboration with Adidas Japan) (May 2025-)
Aoki Clothing Store
Formal / Pijama suits (2024, 3-original–member group) (2025, 8-person group)
Google Pixel (2026, members Taiki Shinozuka, Masaki Hashimoto, and Shuto Inomata)
Inforich
ChargeSpot (2025–)
Kakaku.com
Kyujin Box (2026, members Taiki Shinozuka, Masaki Hashimoto, and Shuto Inomata)
Nissin Foods
Nissin Chikin Ramen (2025–, members Taiki Shinozuka, Masaki Hashimoto, and Shuto Inomata)
Stella Seed
8 The Thalasso (2025, 5–new–member group)
Uber
Uber Eats (2026) members So Matsushima and Yoshitaka Hara, in collaboration with the 2nd season of Timelesz Project
Awards
GQ Japan Men of the Year 2025 ~Breakthrough Pop Icon Award~