In honor of Kis-My-Ft2’s complete videography being uploaded to YouTube (in edited form, of course…), I can’t resist writing about each single. To put this in context for Bias List readers, Kis-My-Ft2 (or Kisumai, as they’re often known) are my J-pop version of Infinite. That’s how much I love them and their discography.

Yet, I rarely write about them because finding online links to their music was so hard… until now!

I’m wrapping up this feature with two songs that don’t neatly fit anywhere else. Fire Beat and Inori are both pre-debut songs, with music videos released alongside Kisumai’s first album.

Johnny’s & Associates works differently than K-pop agencies. Before debuting, a “junior” group hone their skills on tv shows, concerts, dramas and events. This means each of these acts develop a collection of original songs. But, the studio versions of these songs aren’t released until after the group debuts, which could be years or (gulp) never.

As someone who often loves pre-debut songs even more than post-debut material, this is a big frustration. When I hear a song I like, I want to play the studio version over and over again. That’s just not a reality with many of these tracks.

Fire Beat

Fire Beat is an iconic Kisumai song, covered by many junior groups. It establishes their rock influences with a headbanging beat and energy to spare. The guitar hits hard, but it’s that anthemic, shout-along chorus that gets the job done.

Inori

Inori is more subdued, delivering a mid-tempo pop sound with Latin elements. The guitar riff that heralds the track is especially nice, giving way to swirling strings before the beat drops. The chorus is lovely, bolstering Inori with a stately centerpiece.

Want to check out all 47 entries in this series? Click here for the masterpost!