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Mamoru Hosoda's Belle Film Theme Song to Feature at 2021 Kōhaku Song Contest

NHK revealed the lineup for the 72nd Kōhaku Uta Gassen ("Red and White Song Contest"), Japan's most-watched music television program, on Friday. The yearly New Year's Eve contest pits two teams of female singers (the red team) and male singers (the white team) against each other.

"U," the theme song of Mamoru Hosoda and Studio Chizu's new Belle anime film will feature in the prestigious program. Singer-songwriter Kaho Nakamura, who plays the protagonist Suzu/Belle, and the group Millennium Parade, which wrote the song, will make their Kōhaku debut.

The full lineup for the 72nd Kōhaku Uta Gassen includes:

(Note: The number in parenthesis represents how many times the singer/group has appeared on the program, including this year.)

RED TEAM

• AI (4)
• Aimyon (3)
• Sayuri Ishikawa (44)
• Awesome City Club (debut)
• Mone Kamishiraishi (debut)
• Fuyumi Sakamoto (33)
• Sakurazaka46 (2)
• Yoshimi Tendo (26)
• Tokyo Jihen (2)
• NiziU (2)
• Nogizaka46 (7)
• Perfume (14)
• Hinatazaka46 (3)
• Seiko Matsuda (25)
• MISIA (6)
• Kaori Mizumori (19)
• milet (2)
• Millennium Parade x Belle (Kaho Nakamura)
• Hiroko Yakushimaru (2)
• YOASOBI (2)
• LiSA (3)

WHITE TEAM

• KAT-TUN (debut)
• KANJANI∞ (10)
• King & Prince (4)
• Hiromi Gō (34)
• GENERATIONS (3)
• Junretsu (4)
• Masayuki Suzuki (4)
• SixTONES (2)
• Snow Man (debut) (NOTE: The group was originally slated to debut last year, but pulled out after a member tested positive for COVID-19)
• DISH// (debut)
• BUMP OF CHICKEN (2)
• Kiyoshi Hikawa (22)
• Dai Hirai (debut)
• Masaharu Fukuyama (14)
• Gen Hoshino (7)
• Tomoyasu Hotei (debut)
• Mafumafu (debut)
• Hiroshi Miyama (7)
• Hiroji Miyamoto (2)
• Keisuke Yamauchi (7)
• YUZU (12)

In this year's contest, actress Haruna Kawaguchi (Ouran High School Host Club live-action film actress) is leading the red team, and TV personality Yo Oizumi is leading the white team. NHK newscaster Mayuko Wakuda is announcing. The event will be held with a physical audience, after foregoing one in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The theme this year is "Colorful."

Sources: NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen's official website, Comic Natalie