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BMSG Trainees – Real Sound interview series, #12 COTA
With THE LAST PIECE coming to a close and new members joining the BMSG Family as Trainees, Real Sound Music began a long interview series with all disclosed BMSG Trainees leading up to the BMSG Trainee Showcase 2026.
#1 - RYOTO
#2 - RYOMA
#3 - KEITO
#4 - KEI
#5 - HAL
#6 - KAIRI
#7 - YUTA
#8 - REN
#9 - KEISHIN
#10 - AOI
#11 - KANTA
#12 - COTA
Twelfth Trainee to be interviewed is Cota!
Original interview link: https://realsound.jp/2026/02/post-2310561.html
60-second PR video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7ANW7lDeAY
- Cota has loved music ever since he could remember. He is always dancing to something. By the time he was old enough to remember (4 yo), he was already attending dance school.
- He didn’t have a role model in mind, he simply loved music
- If music was playing, his body will move on its own
- In kindergarten and elementary, he was quite active, playing dodgeball or soccer with his friends. He still likes sports now and prefers being outdoors than indoors
- At school, he is usually the leader - something in him makes him want to do something for everyone. In elementary, he was the Student Council President. Now in junior high, he is the class rep for his grade level.
- Whether at home or outside, Cota is always a cheerful person. Emotionally, he doesn’t have a lot of ups and downs, so he has many friends. He thinks all of this helps him in his current environment.
- He began dreaming of becoming an artist because he admires Sandaime J SOUL BROTHERS. Cota thinks they’re great at singing and dancing, their songs are really cool. Cota has always liked cool music, past and present, so he was really drawn to how cool they are
- Cota didn’t know where or how to become an artist but he came across THE FIRST on TV and was really moved by boss’s words and how hard working everyone was in the show. It made Cota want to join this company, so he started looking them up online and found the application page for BMSG Trainees. After he applied, he thought, “If I don’t get in, it can’t be helped,” but to his surprise he passed and went to Training Camp and became a BMSG Trainee.
- BMSG Trainee was Cota’s first ever audition. He also wasn’t affiliated with a company so Cota wasn’t really confident. He wanted to give a shot anyway, just to see where he stood against the others.
- Cota recently watched the video he used to audition for BMSG Trainees when organizing his photos and videos and thought, “I can’t believe I got accepted with this” 😂
- Cota was really nervous for the 2nd Screening that took place in-person at Tokyo. It was his first time in Tokyo, and everyone was so good at singing and dancing while waiting backstage. Cota thought it wouldn’t be good if he wavered here, so he gave his Trainee audition screening his all. He had a really good time at the Training Camp, Cota was nervous but everyone was friendly and he got along with the boys on his team.
- As Cota spent time as a BMSG Trainee and saw the success of BE:FIRST and MAZZEL, it made him realize working as an artist who is a part of a group is amazing.
- Around the time TLP called for auditions, Cota also thought he would shine brighter in a group so it felt like the ultimate opportunity. Boss staked his life on TLP so Cota felt he had to do the same. He understood that whatever the outcome is, it will be the turning point of his life, so he felt like he had no choice but to give it everything he’s got
- Cota had a great experience in TLP. Normally, in an audition like this you would see everyone around you as your enemy, but in TLP everyone respected each other and helped each other like it was the most natural thing to do. The environment felt like it was from a movie, and Cota was really touched by that. It’s something that doesn’t really happen in your daily life and he was right there, it felt like a dream
Cota’s happiest TLP memory was when Ren held his hand out [to congratulate him] when he passed TLP Round 3 and sat next to Ren. Ren was kind to Cota since the start of the Training Camp and was like an older brother to him, so the gesture helped ease Cota’s nerves and relief washed over him. Combined with Ren’s kindness, it made Cota incredibly happy and he started to cry. (This wasn’t caught on camera)
- Ren and Cota are very close, like family. They often go out to eat together or go shopping, Ren also calls Cota his little brother. They became even closer after TLP was over and he would sometimes stay at Ren’s house.
- For Cota, Ren is like his senior in life – Ren’s great at rapping, singing, and at dancing too, there’s a lot Cota can learn from him. Having someone like Ren by his side is what helps Cota when he is going through a tough time.
- Although Cota was the first to be eliminated from TLP, Ren was the first person he sent a message to (Cota sent a “Thank you”). He wanted to express his gratitude to Ren first once results were announced.
Cota’s saddest / most frustrated moment in TLP was his elimination, but it was the kind of frustration without regrets. He made a lot of friends through TLP and got to make music. He’s truly grateful for the environment in TLP, including all the vocal and dance instructors and staff. He gave his final performance (TLP Round 4) his all, so he has no regrets. Although being eliminated was frustrating, the feeling that it was all a good experience is much stronger.
The biggest change for Cota after TLP was the desire to make songs. He’s sure STARGLOW is much more involved with music than he is. Because they listen to a wide range of music, there are more tools at their disposal and they have the skills to use them effectively.
- Through making his own songs, this has also fundamentally changed how Cota approaches music
- Although Cota listens to a lot of music, he’s been thinking of expressing himself through his own songs, rather than songs by someone else. He thinks his feelings will come across better.
- After TLP, Cota has also started listening to Western music, not just Jpop. Through TLP, he discovered that other members listen to various different artists. It helped Cota make the connection, “Oh, this person listens to this kind of music so that’s why he sings a particular way.”
- Cota is mostly self-taught in songwriting and production, but he will seek advice from other Trainees sometimes. He honestly didn’t know anything about it at all, but he decided to stop being shy and just ask for help
- Cota started with using free tracks on YouTube, adding the melody and lyrics to them, but lately he has been challenging himself to start with the beats first.
Through making songs, he can tell his preferences for music come through.
- In his day to day, he is also thinking how he can best express his own style.
- He has started to note down flow he likes or sounds that would suit him
- For lyrics, he will jot down ideas in his notebook when they pop into his head, he has accumulated some of them by now!
He still thinks “cool music” is what suits him the most. Drums that pack a punch or a fast tempo. He often gets lost in a ballad and reads the lyrics too much. He’s drawn to cool, upbeat tracks where the moment you hear the first note you go, “Wow, that’s cool!” So he often wonders if he can sing them and express himself through songs like that.
- For Cota, all of BE:FIRST’s songs are cool: the song is great, the lyrics are great.. It’s hard to say what exactly he likes about them 😂 but whenever a new song by BE:FIRST comes out, he usually likes the song from the very first note ✨
For now, Cota wants to improve all of his skills. The other Trainees have their own strengths, such as rap, dancing, or singing, but he wants to hone his skills across the board before focusing on one.
- Even if it’s a song he is not really good at, he wants to be able to infuse his own color to it without losing the song’s atmosphere
- He is a little insecure with ballads and falsettos right now because he is going through voice-change, but he wants to work hard on those too
Hope you enjoyed!
Please note I translate these for free and I'm not a professional, so they may not be 100% accurate.
Retranslations or sharing of the summaries is fine! For retranslations, please notify me beforehand and credit once posted!
Translations do take time to complete, so if you like my translations you can consider tipping me on Ko-Fi!
#1 - RYOTO
#2 - RYOMA
#3 - KEITO
#4 - KEI
#5 - HAL
#6 - KAIRI
#7 - YUTA
#8 - REN
#9 - KEISHIN
#10 - AOI
#11 - KANTA
#12 - COTA
Twelfth Trainee to be interviewed is Cota!
Original interview link: https://realsound.jp/2026/02/post-2310561.html
60-second PR video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7ANW7lDeAY
Cota and his childhood
- Cota has loved music ever since he could remember. He is always dancing to something. By the time he was old enough to remember (4 yo), he was already attending dance school.
- He didn’t have a role model in mind, he simply loved music
- If music was playing, his body will move on its own
- In kindergarten and elementary, he was quite active, playing dodgeball or soccer with his friends. He still likes sports now and prefers being outdoors than indoors
- At school, he is usually the leader - something in him makes him want to do something for everyone. In elementary, he was the Student Council President. Now in junior high, he is the class rep for his grade level.
- Whether at home or outside, Cota is always a cheerful person. Emotionally, he doesn’t have a lot of ups and downs, so he has many friends. He thinks all of this helps him in his current environment.
- He began dreaming of becoming an artist because he admires Sandaime J SOUL BROTHERS. Cota thinks they’re great at singing and dancing, their songs are really cool. Cota has always liked cool music, past and present, so he was really drawn to how cool they are
Cota and BMSG Trainee
- Cota didn’t know where or how to become an artist but he came across THE FIRST on TV and was really moved by boss’s words and how hard working everyone was in the show. It made Cota want to join this company, so he started looking them up online and found the application page for BMSG Trainees. After he applied, he thought, “If I don’t get in, it can’t be helped,” but to his surprise he passed and went to Training Camp and became a BMSG Trainee.
- BMSG Trainee was Cota’s first ever audition. He also wasn’t affiliated with a company so Cota wasn’t really confident. He wanted to give a shot anyway, just to see where he stood against the others.
- Cota recently watched the video he used to audition for BMSG Trainees when organizing his photos and videos and thought, “I can’t believe I got accepted with this” 😂
- Cota was really nervous for the 2nd Screening that took place in-person at Tokyo. It was his first time in Tokyo, and everyone was so good at singing and dancing while waiting backstage. Cota thought it wouldn’t be good if he wavered here, so he gave his Trainee audition screening his all. He had a really good time at the Training Camp, Cota was nervous but everyone was friendly and he got along with the boys on his team.
Cota and TLP
- As Cota spent time as a BMSG Trainee and saw the success of BE:FIRST and MAZZEL, it made him realize working as an artist who is a part of a group is amazing.
- Around the time TLP called for auditions, Cota also thought he would shine brighter in a group so it felt like the ultimate opportunity. Boss staked his life on TLP so Cota felt he had to do the same. He understood that whatever the outcome is, it will be the turning point of his life, so he felt like he had no choice but to give it everything he’s got
- Cota had a great experience in TLP. Normally, in an audition like this you would see everyone around you as your enemy, but in TLP everyone respected each other and helped each other like it was the most natural thing to do. The environment felt like it was from a movie, and Cota was really touched by that. It’s something that doesn’t really happen in your daily life and he was right there, it felt like a dream
Cota’s happiest TLP memory was when Ren held his hand out [to congratulate him] when he passed TLP Round 3 and sat next to Ren. Ren was kind to Cota since the start of the Training Camp and was like an older brother to him, so the gesture helped ease Cota’s nerves and relief washed over him. Combined with Ren’s kindness, it made Cota incredibly happy and he started to cry. (This wasn’t caught on camera)
- Ren and Cota are very close, like family. They often go out to eat together or go shopping, Ren also calls Cota his little brother. They became even closer after TLP was over and he would sometimes stay at Ren’s house.
- For Cota, Ren is like his senior in life – Ren’s great at rapping, singing, and at dancing too, there’s a lot Cota can learn from him. Having someone like Ren by his side is what helps Cota when he is going through a tough time.
- Although Cota was the first to be eliminated from TLP, Ren was the first person he sent a message to (Cota sent a “Thank you”). He wanted to express his gratitude to Ren first once results were announced.
Cota’s saddest / most frustrated moment in TLP was his elimination, but it was the kind of frustration without regrets. He made a lot of friends through TLP and got to make music. He’s truly grateful for the environment in TLP, including all the vocal and dance instructors and staff. He gave his final performance (TLP Round 4) his all, so he has no regrets. Although being eliminated was frustrating, the feeling that it was all a good experience is much stronger.
Cota after TLP
The biggest change for Cota after TLP was the desire to make songs. He’s sure STARGLOW is much more involved with music than he is. Because they listen to a wide range of music, there are more tools at their disposal and they have the skills to use them effectively.
- Through making his own songs, this has also fundamentally changed how Cota approaches music
- Although Cota listens to a lot of music, he’s been thinking of expressing himself through his own songs, rather than songs by someone else. He thinks his feelings will come across better.
- After TLP, Cota has also started listening to Western music, not just Jpop. Through TLP, he discovered that other members listen to various different artists. It helped Cota make the connection, “Oh, this person listens to this kind of music so that’s why he sings a particular way.”
Cota and songmaking
- Cota is mostly self-taught in songwriting and production, but he will seek advice from other Trainees sometimes. He honestly didn’t know anything about it at all, but he decided to stop being shy and just ask for help
- Cota started with using free tracks on YouTube, adding the melody and lyrics to them, but lately he has been challenging himself to start with the beats first.
Through making songs, he can tell his preferences for music come through.
- In his day to day, he is also thinking how he can best express his own style.
- He has started to note down flow he likes or sounds that would suit him
- For lyrics, he will jot down ideas in his notebook when they pop into his head, he has accumulated some of them by now!
He still thinks “cool music” is what suits him the most. Drums that pack a punch or a fast tempo. He often gets lost in a ballad and reads the lyrics too much. He’s drawn to cool, upbeat tracks where the moment you hear the first note you go, “Wow, that’s cool!” So he often wonders if he can sing them and express himself through songs like that.
- For Cota, all of BE:FIRST’s songs are cool: the song is great, the lyrics are great.. It’s hard to say what exactly he likes about them 😂 but whenever a new song by BE:FIRST comes out, he usually likes the song from the very first note ✨
Cota from here
For now, Cota wants to improve all of his skills. The other Trainees have their own strengths, such as rap, dancing, or singing, but he wants to hone his skills across the board before focusing on one.
- Even if it’s a song he is not really good at, he wants to be able to infuse his own color to it without losing the song’s atmosphere
- He is a little insecure with ballads and falsettos right now because he is going through voice-change, but he wants to work hard on those too
Hope you enjoyed!
Please note I translate these for free and I'm not a professional, so they may not be 100% accurate.
Retranslations or sharing of the summaries is fine! For retranslations, please notify me beforehand and credit once posted!
Translations do take time to complete, so if you like my translations you can consider tipping me on Ko-Fi!