JO1 has released the music video for “ANIMAL,” the title track of its U.S. debut EP. The song, produced by Dem Jointz, carries a message of unleashing one’s inner wildness.
October/2/2026 13:54Related Groups & Members
The music video for “ANIMAL,” the title track of the U.S. original EP “ANIMAL,” which was released today (the 2nd) as JO1’s U.S. debut work, has been unveiled. “ANIMAL” was produced for all six included songs by Dem Jointz, a world-class music producer/songwriter who has won multiple Grammy Awards, the highest honor in the music industry. As a work marking JO1’s U.S. debut, it is a piece packed with a wide variety of charms. Member Takumi Kawanishi also participated in composing the title track “ANIMAL.” It contains the message of “unleashing the wildness (ANIMAL) hidden in everyone’s heart in one’s own way,” and it is a dance anthem full of energy like breaking out of a cage and being set free, making it a song that truly symbolizes the theme of the EP. In the music video, they go beyond Japan, the “cage,” into the world, the “jungle.” It expresses them pushing forward by instinct without even a moment’s hesitation, striking down their impulses, and it depicts a dance performance that conveys ferocity and individuality released from a minimal world. The choreography incorporates wild animal-like gestures and an Afro style based on traditional African dance, and JO1’s new 모습 of dancing wildly has been drawing major attention even before the release. It has already been previewed on large stages such as “KCON LA 2026” and “ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2026,” captivating audiences with its overwhelming intensity. Especially breathtaking is the outro performance. With as many as 30 dancers accompanying them, it is structured as a grand finale in which they dance the night away after being freed from the “cage” that had bound them, and it is the biggest highlight, symbolizing the message they want to convey through this work.
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