EMPiRE, a Japanese idol group formed in 2017 under WACK and Avex Trax, debuted as an alternative J-pop act. The group was announced on April 2, 2017, with the name EMPiRE revealed on August 23 of the same year. Their debut album, The Empire Strikes Start!!, released in April 2018, featured the song "Black to the dreamlight", which served as an ending theme for the anime series Black Clover. The group's first EP, EMPiRE originals, was released on August 27, 2018. In February 2019, EMPiRE released their first single, "Pierce", which was used as an ending theme for the final season of Fairy Tail. Their second album, The Great Journey Album, was released in December 2019. The group's third album, Bright Future, came out in November 2021. EMPiRE embarked on several tours, including the Empire Ultra Vibes Tour in 2021 and the Empire Dope Magic Tour in 2022. On June 2, 2022, it was announced that the group would re-debut under the name ExWhyZ later that year. Their final release as EMPiRE was a digital EP titled The Final Empire, released on August 17, 2022.
