NHK has unveiled the lineup for the 76th Kohaku Uta Gassen, Japan’s iconic year-end music show. The Red Team will feature aespa of SM Entertainment and ILIT of Belift Lab, while the White Team will include HYBE’s localized group &TEAM as K-pop artists.

Aespa, who debuted in 2020, will perform on Kohaku for the first time, making them the first SM Entertainment artist to appear since TVXQ and Girls’ Generation in 2011, a span of 14 years.

ILIT will appear for a second consecutive year, and &TEAM will also make their Kohaku debut following their debut.

Notably, the lineup also includes Japan’s boy group M!LK.

Earlier this year, M!LK released a teaser for their second album M!X lead single “イイじゃん,” whose melody and choreography drew comparisons to Whiplash, sparking plagiarism discussions. MilK’s agency StarDust Promotion did not issue an official statement, and their Kohaku matchup against aespa has drawn attention domestically and internationally.