ONE OR EIGHT's SOUMA and STARGLOW's TAIKI Turn Years of Competition into "ONE WHO GLOWS"
Before they had debut dates, or any idea of where their careers would lead, ONE OR EIGHT's SOUMA and STARGLOW's TAIKI were two trainees pushing each other to become better. Years later, that history has found its way into music with "ONE WHO GLOWS," a special three-song session released on YouTube that brings the two artists back together for a high-energy rap exchange.
SOUMA and TAIKI first met during their trainee years, when both were working toward the same goal and spending their time practicing, competing, and challenging one another. Their careers eventually took them in different directions, with SOUMA debuting as a member of the eight-member global boy group ONE OR EIGHT and TAIKI becoming of the five members of STARGLOW alongside RUI, KANON, GOICHI, and ADAM. SOUMA's grouped debuted on August 16, 2024, and has since built its identity around the all-or-nothing spirit of "ichi ka bachi ka" and the motto "BET ON YOURSELF," while TAIKI's STARGLOW journey began through BMSG's audition series THE LAST PIECE before the group officially debuted January 2026. Despite the different paths, both artists have continued building careers around performance, music, and the determination that first brought them together as trainees.
"ONE WHO GLOWS" has a beat-jack structure that gives those memories room to sit alongside a much more aggressive rap performance. The opening immediately establishes the attitude of the session with lines about being able to do anything, moving from north to south and east to west, and making everyone a fan, before the writing turns inward toward the years of practice. That movement between bravado and personal history becomes one of the defining characteristics of the session. The confidence is not presented as something separate from the work that came before it where the rappers can talk about taking over stages and refusing to stop near the top because the earlier verses have already shown what went into developing that confidence. References to Tekken 8, Jin Kazama, Air Force 1s, and ONE OR EIGHT's own "YANKEE SQUAT" give the verses a contemporary, personal vocabulary instead of relying entirely on generic victory language. Even the self-reference to "YANKEE SQUAT" ties SOUMA's solo writing back to the group he represents now, allowing the session to function as its own piece while still carrying traces of ONE OR EIGHT into the performance.
The most revealing lyrical shift comes when the confidence briefly gives way to uncertainty. After the repeated "Go get it" refrain and the declaration that they have already built their hype, the writing moves into the image of standing frozen in front of a door and having moments when there was no clear direction to take. That change prevents the earlier confidence from reading as through the path was always obvious. The song acknowledges hesitation before moving toward the discovery of a place to belong, then immediately pushes forward again with reference to EN-GÏNE, traveling around the world, and bringing that momentum with them. This gives space for the two artists to exist next to each other.
The final memories make that idea even more personal because the lyrics do not suddenly replace their ordinary lives with glamorous images of success. they look back at taking photographs together in Harajuku, practicing with their crew, trying something new, and even eating at Ichiran on a day when they won an award. That Ichiran reference is especially effective as a piece of songwriting because an award would normally be the detail chosen to represent the achievement instead. The celebration remains tied to something familiar by reminiscing those long practice days, random meals, inside jokes, familiar places, and friends who were around before anyone else knew their names. By putting those moments into the lyrics, "ONE HWO GLOWS" makes their history feel lived-in instead of turning it into a polished story. Fans can hear the confidence of the two trainees who were figuring everything out together.
"ONE WHO GLOWS" gives fans more than a reunion between two artists who trained together. The songs let SOUMA and TAIKI show off their individual rap styles while filling the lyrics with everyday memories that came before their debuts. The confidence, uncertainty, inside references, and small moments of friendship all sit next to each other, making the session feel like a snapshot of where they came from and where they are now.
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