The Star (stylized in all caps) is the first studio album of Japanese boy group JO1, formed through the reality competition show Produce 101 Japan.

[11][12] JO1 subsequently released performance videos for tracks "Safety Zone" and "Monstar",[13][14] both directed by Naokazu Mitsuishi [ja].

[15][16] JO1 promoted the album by performing "Shine a Light" in several television shows, including the 2020 FNS Music Festival held on December 2, 2020.

[18][19][20] On December 4, member Junki Kono performed an acoustic solo version of "Infinity" on the music YouTube channel The First Take.

[21] Due to the exposure from his appearance on the channel as well as the group's performances on the FNS Music Festival and MAMA, four songs from the album, "Infinity", "Shine a Light", "Monstar" and "Oh-Eh-Oh", reappeared in the top 100 rank of Oricon's YouTube Chart of the week.

[33][34] Released with a concept about teenagers in distress, the music video of its lead track "Oh-Eh-Oh" features members of JO1 fighting against a mysterious group as high school students.

It depicts the members roaming around the same intersection in a fictional city, separated by time and era, with shining light as the only connection between the different timelines.

[42] The concert amassed an estimate of 120,000 viewers from 30 countries and regions besides Japan, such as the United States, Australia, China, South Korea, and Indonesia.

[46] With a concept of traveling in space with the group, the concert featured a longer set list, a series of spacecraft-themed VCRs, and a live band.

[47][48] According to news reports, the concert was viewed by more than 120,000 people from 40 countries and regions, including Japan, the United States, Australia, South Korea, Thailand, India, and France.

[50] The set list for the show was the following:[47] Azusa Takahashi of Real Sound [ja] praised the group's rapid growth that is evident throughout The Star, especially in singing.

[52] It eventually ranked at number two on the weekly chart after BTS' album Be with 158,333 copies sold and received a Gold certification from the RIAJ.