Lead is a Japanese hip-hop dance and vocal group, comprising Shinya Taniuchi, Keita Furuya and Akira Kagimoto, initially formed under the name Rhymix in Osaka, Japan. Lead made their official debut on July 31, 2002, with the single "Manatsu no Magic," quickly gaining attention for their impressive dancing and vocal abilities at a young age. Their second single, "Show Me the Way," earned them the Best Newcomer Award at the 44th Japan Record Awards with their debut album, Life On Da Beat, released in April, reaching number 5 on the Oricon charts. In 2010, Lead transitioned from Flight Master to Pony Canyon's parent label, releasing the single "Speed Star" and the group continued to enjoy success with a series of top-5 singles, including "Wanna Be With You" (2012), "Still" (2012), "Sakura"(2014), "Tokyo Fever" (2017), "Bumblebee" (2018), "Hide and Seek/Sunset Refrain" (2020), and "See Your Heart" (2023). Their album The Showcase (2016) became their highest-charting album, reaching number 2 while their follow-up album Milestone (2018) debuted at number 7 and became their longest-charting album, remaining on the charts for seven weeks. Their subsequent album Singularity peaked at number 12. In 2024, Lead returned with XTLIKE, released in September, preceded by the singles "Don’t Stay" and "GRAVITY."
