Trainee Rivals Turn Years of Competition Into Epic Beat-Jack Session
Souma of One or Eight and Taiki of Starglow trained together before they had a group or debut dates. Now they have reunited to turn those years of pushing each other forward into music, dropping a special beat-jack session, “One Who Glows,” on YouTube.
The three-song rap medley lets both artists reflect on where they came from and where they are going next. Souma is part of the eight-member global boy group One or Eight, while Taiki is one of five members of Starglow.
Souma and Taiki Reunion: From Trainee Days to a Rap Medley
The two first met as trainees and spent years competing, practicing and challenging each other to get better. Both have since debuted in different groups, but none of that distance stopped them.
This is not a polished reunion for the sake of nostalgia. Across the session, they put their own words to the years they spent chasing the same dream.
Those words range from the days when becoming an artist was still something they were working toward to the determination and responsibility of standing on stage as members of established groups. The result is a high-energy exchange.
That exchange pairs two artists who already know exactly how hard the other has worked to get here. For Souma, making the session was a chance to turn that history into something tangible.
For Taiki, spending time together in the studio brought back the days when they were simply two trainees trying to make it. It also gave them a new way to show how far they have come.
One or Eight, Starglow Enter New Chapters: EP, Album and Arena Tour
With the beat stripped back, the artists’ individual flow, delivery and writing take center stage. That makes “One Who Glows” feel less like a standard collaboration and more like a conversation between two artists who have been sharpening each other for years.
The timing comes as both groups enter major new chapters. One or Eight released its first EP, “EN-GÏNE,” on Sept. 16 and has confirmed an Asia showcase in Singapore, Manila and Bangkok.
The Asia dates are part of a wider run that also includes a 47-prefecture fan-meeting tour across Japan. Starglow will release its first album, “Aurora,” on Nov. 18 and has announced its first arena tour for 2027, spanning seven cities and 14 shows.
“One Who Glows” isn’t just a look back at where Souma and Taiki started. It’s proof that the push they gave each other as trainees never really stopped. It just found a new form.
