What happened to Travis Japan from “AGT”?
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For several seasons, “America’s Got Talent” has brought its audience the best of the best when it comes to entertainment. Showcasing a wide selection of highly talented people from the US and around the world, the show has gained a reputation for the excellence of its contestants.
It’s no different for Travis Japan, a boy band from Japan which demonstrated their top-notch dancing and singing skills on the show’s stage for several episodes. Unfortunately, their path in “America’s Got Talent” ended before they could conquer one of the top five spots, but they weren’t forgotten by the massive fanbase they made through the competition.
So what happened to the group from “America’s Got Talent”? Why didn’t they make it to the finals? And are they planning to come back to the show’s stage in the future? Stay here to learn all about the hit boy band Travis Japan’s path in the show!
Path In “America’s Got Talent”
Travis Japan first set foot on the stage of “America’s Got Talent” – widely known as “AGT” – in the 17th season aired in May 2022. Their glimmering clothes and lighthearted personalities immediately caught the attention of the audience and judges, who were also impressed by the boy band’s revelation of wanting to be the ‘biggest stars in the world’.
Following their energetic introduction, Travis Japan auditioned with their original song “My Dreamy Hollywood”. Besides their awesome acrobatics and co-ordinated dance routine, the seven members of Travis Japan easily demonstrated how great they are at lifting their audience’s moods, to the point they received a standing ovation after finishing their performance.
The judges were as impressed as the audience, with Heidi Klum comparing their act to the ones on Broadway, immediately ensuring Travis Japan’s spot in the semi-finals.
Nonetheless, the group’s path in the show was soon to be cut short, when their performance of “Party Up Like Crazy” didn’t satisfy the judges, gaining negative opinions from Howie Mandell, who affirmed their act was similar to a “Saturday Night Live” comedy sketch, and that their singing was ‘off’.
With that, Travis Japan was eliminated from the competition, but they weren’t ready to give up on their dream.
What Did They Do After The Show?
Despite seeing their path in “AGT” cut short, Travis Japan immediately put the feedback they received in the show to good use. One day after their final performance in the show’s 17th season, Travis Japan went back to improving their dancing skills ,and also furthered their signing abilities by speeding up their learning.
As Travis Japan’s member Noel Kawashima told Billboard in August 2023, they took to heart the advice given by “AGT” judges to improve their singing, increasing the frequency of their lessons from one to three times a week.
That said, the fame achieved by Travis Japan during their stay in the US proved its results right away, as they were signed under Capitol Records and Universal Music Japan in September 2022, just a couple of weeks after their final performance at “AGT”. This deal included the release of their debut single “Just Dance!”, which peaked at four On Japan’s music charts. Throughout 2023, Travis Japan released the singles “Moving Pieces”, “Candy Kisses” and “Level Up”, which all obtained a similar success to their debut song.
Later in December, Travis Japan released their first album “Road To A”, which topped Japan’s Oricon music chart.
Other Projects
Besides signing a major record deal and making it to the “AGT” stage, Travis Japan has been involved with several projects in the US. Upon their arrival in the US in mid-2022, they joined the World of Dance Competition during its US leg held in Los Angeles.
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As member Kaito Matsukura told Billboard, their audition took place just one day after arriving in the US, and was choreographed by all of them, making the experience stand up for being a demonstration of their power as a team. Getting one of the top spots in the US series of the World of Dance Competition was a step forward for Travis Japan, as in that event they caught the attention of one of “AGT”’s producers, who invited them to audition for the show.
Later in 2023, Travis Japan performed at the Opening Ceremony for The National Cherry Blossom Festival, an annual event held in Washington, DC in celebration of the bond held between the US and Japan.
With that being said, Travis Japan has big dreams of creating music similar to the likes of Justin Timberlake, ABBA, and Harry Styles, on top of working alongside Lizzo and Kendrick Lamar.
Return To The Show
Regardless of how brief Travis Japan’s journey in the 17th season of “America’s Got Talent” was, the group left a great impression on the audience., and why they gained a spot in the show’s spin-off “Fantasy League”, starting from January 2024.
Given the show’s format, Travis Japan was selected by judge Mel B to guide them through their path in the competition, as she claimed that the boy band was a ‘no brainer’ choice for her, as she’d had her start in a girl group. Mel B praised Travis Japan for their dance routines, claiming their dances were more complex than she and the rest of the Spice Girls used to do.
The return of Travis Japan to the TV show was welcomed with cheers from the audience, who weren’t afraid to show their support for the group. Band members were also excited about having a second opportunity on the “America’s Got Talent” stage, wanting to not only show how much they’d improved since the last time, but also to make Mel B proud.
Travis Japan’s debut performance in “Fantasy League” was met with enthusiasm by the judges, to the point even Howie Mandel praised them for their energy, and sent them to the next round – only time will tell how far Travis Japan will go in the show this time.
