The fourth season of Produce 101 Japan Shinsekai is nearing its finale, with audience votes set to decide a 12‑member boy band. Recent GROUP BATTLE and POSITION BATTLE episodes have highlighted a new "FREE Part" rule that lets trainees choreograph and arrange songs themselves , putting their production skills under the spotlight.

FREE Part rule reshapes the GROUP BATTLE on April 9 and 16

During the two GROUP BATTLE episodes aired on April 9 and April 16, 101 trainees were split into 16 groups, each tackling one of eight songs. The new FREE Part rule let each team craft its own choreography and song structure , meaning judges and live audiences evaluated not just performance but also creative decisions.. According to the source, this shift forced a closer look at each trainee’s self‑production abilities.

JO1’s "Love seeker" streams jump 197% after arena tour boost

One of the most talked‑about results came from JO1’s "Love seeker," which saw streaming numbers rise by 197% in Japan and the same percentage across Asia during the week the episode aired.. The surge coincided with JO1’s solo dome tour at Tokyo Dome (April 8‑9) and Kyocera Dome Osaka (April 22‑23), suggesting live‑event hype amplified the song’s exposure.

Wanna One’s "Energetic" spikes 468% amid Seoul fan meeting

Wanna One’s "Energetic" experienced the biggest jump, with a 468% increase in Japanese streams and a 219% rise across Asia. The source links this to the group’s first fan meetnig in seven years on April 6 in Seoul, which likely reignited interest in their back‑catalog during the broadcast.

Position Battle OPEN ROUND lifts Imagine Dragons, INI, ZEROBASEONE tracks

The OPEN ROUND episodes on April 30 and May 7 featured nine teams performing different songs. streaming for Imagine Dragons’ "Natural" rose 199% in Japan and 104% in Asia, while INI’s "DOMINANCE" and ZEROBASEONE’s "Doctor! Doctor!" climbed 167%/166% and 218%/173% respectively. The source notes that INI and ZEROBASEONE headlined a May 8‑10 concert at Makuhari Messe, further driving listener interest.

Who will lead the final 12‑member group?

Leaders for each song were chosen from the top two trainees in the first‑round ranking and the top performer of each GROUP BATTLE song, but the final lineup remains undecided. The source emphasizes that fans are waiting anxiously for the announcement, with voting open to both Japanese and global audiences.