KPOP DISCOVER

4th generation · LAPONE

INI

アイエヌアイ / 아이엔아이

INI came out of PRODUCE 101 JAPAN SEASON2 and built everything on 11 people hitting the same angle at the same moment.

  • 2021DebutNov 3, 2021
  • 11Members
  • 4thGeneration
  • MINIFandom
▶ Start hereView members
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Rocketeer / Official MV
Rocketeer / Official MV

Last updated:

01

In 30 seconds: INI

The label is the same one behind JO1, so Korean production methods are being applied to a Japanese release schedule, and performance films exist for album tracks as well as singles.

Choose this if large-cast formation work is the thing you watch for.

02

Key facts

Group name
INI
Reading / Hangul
アイエヌアイ / 아이엔아이
Company
LAPONE
Debut date
November 3, 2021
Days active
1,823 days (4 years, 11 months)
Debut song
Rocketeer
Generation
4th generation
Fandom name
MINI(ミニ)
03

Member guide

木村 柾哉키무라 마사야 · MASAYAView in Japanese髙塚 大夢다카쓰카 히로무 · HIROMUView in Japanese田島 将吾다지마 쇼고 · SHOGOView in Japanese藤牧 京介후지마키 교스케 · KYOSUKEView in Japanese尾崎 匠海오자키 다쿠미 · TAKUMIView in Japanese西 洸人니시 히로토 · HIROTOView in Japanese松田 迅마쓰다 진 · JINView in Japanese許 豊凡쉬 펑판 · FENGFANView in Japanese池﨑 理人이케자키 리히토 · RIHITOView in Japanese佐野 雄大사노 유다이 · YUDAIView in Japanese後藤 威尊고토 다케루 · TAKERUView in Japanese

Profile comparison

MembersBirth dateBlood typeMBTINationality
木村 柾哉1997-10-1029175cmBNot disclosedJapan
髙塚 大夢1999-04-0427167cmONot disclosedJapan
田島 将吾1998-10-1328179cmANot disclosedJapan
藤牧 京介1999-08-1027168cmANot disclosedJapan
尾崎 匠海1999-06-1427173cmONot disclosedJapan
西 洸人1997-06-0129173cmABNot disclosedJapan
松田 迅2002-10-3024171cmBNot disclosedJapan
許 豊凡1998-06-1228176cmANot disclosedChina
池﨑 理人2001-08-3025179cmONot disclosedJapan
佐野 雄大2000-10-1026178cmABNot disclosedJapan
後藤 威尊1999-06-0327176cmABNot disclosedJapan

Ages are as of 2026-10-31.

Selected releases

04

Start here

Follow a few songs from the starting point to the group's current sound.

SWING (RIHITO, SHOGO, HIROTO) artwork

October 12, 2026 · Digital Single

SWING (RIHITO, SHOGO, HIROTO)

View tracks
View the full discography →
Rocketeer MVRocketeer MVRocketeer is the debut, and the matched angles across 11 people are the calling card.FANFARE MVFANFARE MVFANFARE is the most watched of the videos, bright and wide in both melody and movement.All 4 U MVAll 4 U MVAll 4 U is the newest title track and also exists in Korean, which says where the group is heading.
MVView in JapaneseDance PracticeView in JapanesePerformanceView in JapaneseLiveView in JapaneseStageView in JapaneseAudioView in Japanese
View all official videos →
05

From debut to now

  • 2021
    Formed as 11 members through PRODUCE 101 JAPAN SEASON2, debuting on November 3 with Rocketeer and Brighter from the debut single A.
  • 2022
    I and M arrived, and in December came the first album Awakening. SPECTRA, Dramatic and BAD BOYZ filled in the footage for the newer songs.
  • 2023
    FANFARE, from the fourth single DROP That, became the most played song among the published footage, and the fifth single TAG ME followed.
  • 2024
    LEGIT, from the second album MATCH UP, switched direction, and the run continued through LOUD on THE FRAME and WMDA (Where My Drums At) on THE VIEW.
  • 2025
    The work ran around DOMINANCE from the third album THE ORIGIN, and in November came Present from the eighth single THE WINTER MAGIC.
  • 2026
    All 4 U, from the ninth single PULSE, arrived, and a Korean-language version brought an appearance on the Korean music shows. The digital releases have continued as well.
06

Achievements

Key milestones

2021The debut single AA arrived on November 3 as the debut, with official music videos for the two songs Rocketeer and Brighter published at once.
2023FANFAREFANFARE, from the fourth single DROP That, became the most played music video among those published on the official channel.
2025The third album THE ORIGINThe third album carrying 13 tracks lined up four years of songs since the debut on one release.
2026The Korean-language version of All 4 UA Korean-language version of the title song from the ninth single PULSE arrived and was performed on the Korean music shows.

Verified information

Verified English information is not yet available for this section.

10

Official links

Official site

INI OFFICIAL SITEini-official.comLAPONE ENTERTAINMENTlapone.jp

Official social accounts and platforms

YouTubeInstagramXTikTokOfficial site

Shopping guide

Verified English shopping links are not yet available.

12

KPOP DISCOVER's INI note

The official INI channel keeps publishing performance videos for album cuts at the same density as the music videos for the title songs. Songs placed second or later on a single, such as BOMBARDA, DILEMMA, STRIDE, Walkie Talkie and ONE NIGHT, have their own footage, so following song by song rather than release by release gets closer to the real shape of the group.

The other axis is INI STUDIO. All 11 members put out solo songs and covers, which gathers in one place the individual voices and dancing that last only seconds in a group song. While learning the members, taking their positions in the formations from the performance videos first and then moving to INI STUDIO makes names and expression easier to connect.

Editors' take Reading across the three layers of title songs, album-cut performances and INI STUDIO shows the roles of 11 members fastest.

Trivia worth knowing

Name

The name INI holds an I meaning us and an I meaning you, joined by a Network.

Formation

The 11 members chosen by the final ranking on PRODUCE 101 JAPAN SEASON2 debuted on November 3, 2021.

Fandom

The fandom name is MINI, read as Me + INI.

Member colours

All 11 members have an official colour, used in the light-stick displays at concerts and on merchandise.

Music

The official channel keeps posting performance videos for album tracks, not only videos for the title songs.

Solo activity

Each of the 11 puts out solo songs and covers through INI STUDIO, so a voice with only a short part in a group song can be heard all the way through.

Korea activity

All 4 U, from 2026, came with a Korean-language version that was performed on music programmes in Korea.

Agency

The company behind the group is LAPONE, which also runs JO1, while ME:I and IS:SUE sit with LAPONE GIRLS.

13

Japan activity score

KPOP DISCOVER original metric
No. 2/ 241 groups

No. 2 of 241 groups with recorded activity in Japan (top 1%)

  • 27Japanese releases
  • 98Japan-related tracks
  • 10Members from Japan
  • 1Official Japanese accounts

The denominator is the 241 groups, out of 564 covered by KPOP DISCOVER, whose raw score reaches at least one point. The score adds 10 points per Japanese-market release, 3 per Japan-related track, 12 per member from Japan, and 8 per official Japanese account. Japanese-market releases carry the most weight because they are the most direct evidence of activity; related tracks add track-level detail; members from Japan stand for Japanese-language communication and continuity; official accounts stand for a permanent point of contact. The weights are an editorial judgement, not a statistical optimisation, and the ranking tracks release volume in Japan closely. Source: releases, tracks, members, and official links recorded by KPOP DISCOVER (updated 2026-10-29).

How this score is calculated →View in Japanese

Frequently asked questions

What defines INI?
The label is the same one behind JO1, so Korean production methods are being applied to a Japanese release schedule, and performance films exist for album tracks as well as singles.
Why should a new listener start with INI?
Choose this if large-cast formation work is the thing you watch for.
Which songs should a new listener try first?
Start with Rocketeer, FANFARE, All 4 U, then continue to the official video index.