"I finally understand the Harua obsession": Fans swoon over Hybe's rookie from &TEAM

HYBE's new rookie, Harua from &TEAM has been the talk of the town, right from his days on the survival show &Audition - Howling, which premiered earlier this year. The release of the boy group's debut single, Under the Skin, has reminded fans just why they were drawn to Harua in the first place.

On November 1, 2022, HYBE LABELS JAPAN released &TEAM's first music video, which brought back a lot of attention to the boy group. Though the team as a whole was praised by their fans for the list of talents they showcased in the music video, Harua took a special seat in the hearts of his fans.

&TEAM is a nine-member J-pop boy group that was formed through the audition program that HYBE LABELS JAPAN held earlier this year, and the 17-year-old Japanese idol was one of the contestants that participated in the show. The show, which started off with eleven members, announced the nine winners who'll be debuting as &TEAM under the label, and Harua was one of them.

---

Harua from &TEAM makes fans around the world swoon

&Audition - The Howling, a reality survival program conducted by HYBE LABELS JAPAN, aired its first episode on July 9, 2022. Right from then on, Harua was in the spotlight with his fans, owing not just to his looks but also to the multiple talents he possesses.

The show drew a lot of attention when it first aired, establishing a strong fandom for its participants way before the &TEAM debuted. When the show reached its finale, it was revealed that Harua had taken second place, which fans found well-deserved. With his calm composure, one might be surprised as he reveals the multi-talented idol in him on stage.

The band's kickstart as an official J-pop boy group revealed much more of the idol's potential. If fans set high expectations for him during the show, the J-pop idol only raised them further with his performance in the music video. Being the group's vocalist, as well as the dance skills he displayed during the show, sealed him as the bias of many fans. The Under the Skin music video only cemented the same.

The 5-minute music video, which entails a mellow-pop Japanese song, showcased the various talents of the nine members. However, fans were once again drawn to Harua. Already known for his lovely vocals and impressive dance style, he revealed another skill of his, acting. Soon after the song's release, fans took to Twitter to express the emotional roller coaster that the music video had left them on.

---

&TEAM's journey on &Audution - The Howling

Given the popularity of the label HYBE in the entirety of the music industry, the search for their first J-pop boy group through the survival show had a huge audience. As the eleven members slowly decreased to nine, the size of the fanbase increased along with the love and support the band received.

The members of &TEAM, K, Fuma, Nicholas, EJ, Yuma, Jo, Harua, Taki, and Maki, have slowly worked their way up through their impressive performances. The group put on great shows for their fans, such as their covers of TXT's Blue Hour, BTS' Black Swan, Film Out, and RUN, etc. To top it off, the boys performed new Japanese tracks for the final round, proving their worthy win.

Fans are excited to see more of &TEAM and Harua after the release of the Under the Skin music video. The debut days are often a busy time for K-pop idols as they stack up their schedule with stage performances, album releases, promotions, interviews, etc.

It also means that fans will have overflowing content of both the young idol and &TEAM. With fans already obsessing over the concept photos for their new single, Under the Skin, their enthusiasm only adds on as the members progress as a group in the coming months.