Ado Looks Back on 5 Years Since Breakout Smash ‘Usseewa,’ Greatest-Hits Album, World Tour & More: Interview

“What is rightness? What is stupidity? I’ll show you what they are!”

Ado’s song “Usseewa” that begins with these lyrics made a huge impact not only on the Japanese music scene but also on society as a whole at the time. The explosive vocals of the then-17-year-old, the way she led a kind of rebellion on behalf of the people by voicing their frustrations, and her style of never showing her face were all new to listeners, and the mystery singer shot to superstardom. The now-22-year-old songstress voiced the songs for the character Uta in the blockbuster anime movie ONE PIECE FILM RED in 2022, which recorded 31.9 billion yen (approx. $214 million) in global box office revenue, and the film’s theme song “New Genesis” became another domestic mega-hit that later spread around the world.

The enigmatic vocalist, who has quickly grown to become one of Japan‘s leading acts, is set to unleash her first greatest-hits album, aptly titled Ado’s Best Adobum, an exhaustive collection featuring songs from her electrifying debut in October 2020 to the present day. Ado is also about to kick off an unprecedented tour that will take her to 33 cities around the world and draw over 500,000 fans, the biggest global trek by a Japanese artist ever. For more information on the tour, click here.

What has left the biggest impression on you since your major label debut?

I remember so many things, but I think my show at the Saitama Super Arena in 2022 was definitely a highlight. Performing there had been a dream of mine, so that day made big impact on my life.

Ado’s Best Adobum includes two new tracks, “Bouquet for Me” and “ROCKSTAR.” Could you tell us a bit about them?

“Bouquet for Me” is a song written by HoneyWorks as a collaboration with Georgia (Coca-Cola Japan). I’d like you to listen to it in the morning, before going to work or school, when you want a little oomph. It’s a lovely song full of energy that’s sure to encourage you, and I hope people of all ages will listen to it.

The other song, “ROCKSTAR”, was written by a music producer I’ve worked with a lot, jon-YAKITORY. This one was a collaboration with Marubeni, and is still being featured in the corporation’s commercials. jon-YAKITORY has written songs for me in the past and I’ve been featured in theirs, and I’m so grateful to work with him again because when I think of rock music, I think of jon-YAKITORY. There’s a scene in the commercial where I sing “ROCKSTAR” onstage, and it’s a cool song that looks great performed live that will fill your heart with excitement when you listen to it. I’m really looking forward to performing it live one day.

What do you feel has changed or that you’ve grown over the past five years in terms of music production and live performances?

My way of thinking has changed a lot. I’ve become more objective about myself and my career. I have a wider perspective now, and recently have had more opportunities to re-evaluate not only myself but also my fans, the staff who support me, and the environment I am in, and to work through my activities and the many opinions I receive from everyone. I think I’m a lot more put-together now than I used to be.

I also think that my live performances have improved. I feel like I was a bit more awkward when I first debuted. Thankfully, I’ve been able to do a lot of shows and have grown through my experiences. I think my concerts are more impressive now. On the other hand, there are elements of youth and inexperience that can only be felt in my shows in the past, perhaps my fans can find entertainment in my growth as well. 

Which of the songs on the album you would like to share with yourself from back when you first made your major-label debut and why?

It’s quite hard to choose, but the 20th track on Disc 2 called “Sakura Biyori and Time Machine with Hatsune Miku” is one I’d like to share with myself when I was just starting out. It’s that kind of special song for me. Mafumafu, one of my favorite “utaite” (cover artists), wrote it for me, and I’d never be where I am without the Vocaloid songs that have supported me, so singing it with my idol Hatsune Miku was like returning to my roots. If I were to listen to it back then, it would blow me away. I might keel over from the thrill.

How has your attitude towards singing changed?

Around the time I made my major-label debut—and even before then—I really wanted people to listen to my songs and see my thoughts, ideas, and who I am. I used to express emotions like anger very directly, but as I sang more and more songs, I began to notice that each one felt different depending on the lyrics and how much I empathized with them. Now, there are more moments when I confront various emotions by reflecting on my own views on life or by applying my personal experiences to the songs. While I still value both input and output, lately I’ve been feeling more and more drawn to singing a variety of songs in different kinds of “languages”. “Elf,” in particular, is sung in a way that invites more people to enjoy Ado’s music.

What’s your current dream?

My current dream and concrete goal is to win a Grammy. Another goal and dream of mine is to someday do a world tour that will be even bigger than my upcoming Hibana tour.

And you’ll be kicking off that Ado WORLD TOUR 2025 “Hibana” Powered by Crunchyroll, from April.

It’ll be my second world tour, and will also be an unprecedented scale as a Japanese artist, so I’m really looking forward to it. As a Japanese “utaite” and artist, I want to convey the appeal and culture of Japan and the strength of Japanese music to people around the world through performances in over 30 cities. I hope that this world tour will be like its title, “Hibana” (spark), like a small flame that sparks a bigger fire.

Tell us what you’re looking forward to on this tour and what you remember from your previous one, Ado THE FIRST WORLD TOUR “Wish.”

I’m particularly looking forward to Italy on this tour. I really look forward to seeing with my own eyes the scenery that I’ve only seen in books, films and textbooks. I had time to do some sightseeing in Europe on my last world tour, and really enjoyed France. I visited the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, then walked to the river Seine, and after visiting the Louvre, I went to the Chanel flagship store. I have a lot of respect for Coco Chanel, and after seeing the famous staircase where fashion shows were held, I walked along the main street to the Arc de Triomphe. I was wearing stylish boots with heels, so it was hard work climbing the hundreds of steps at the Arc de Triomphe. I remember walking a total of 30,000 to 40,000 steps that day. 

Send a message to your fans.

It’s a bit of a shock to think that five years have passed since I made my debut with “Usseewa.” Five years may not be such a long time, but I’m truly grateful that I’ve been able to continue my activities for so long and that so many people know about Ado. I’m supported by everyone who listens to my music, as well as the media that features me and staff who work with me. Thank you all so much.

—This interview first appeared on Billboard Japan

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