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Billboard JAPAN’s “MONTHLY FEATURE” series highlights standout artists and works making an impact. This month’s spotlight is on LiSA, who is approaching the 14th anniversary of her debut.

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In January, she released her new song, “ReawakeR (feat. Felix of Stray Kids),” the opening theme of the anime Solo Leveling Season 2 – Arise from the Shadow, which also began airing in January. On the song, she was joined by guest vocalist Felix from Stray Kids, a group that has gained global popularity beyond its home country of Korea. The song was written and arranged by renowned producer Hiroyuki SAWANO known for his musical work on hit anime such as Attack on Titan and Mobile Suit Gundam UC. 

Fueled by the growing popularity of anime, which continues to make waves worldwide, “ReawakeR (feat. Felix of Stray Kids)” once again took the No. 1 spot on the “Global Japan Songs Excl. Japan” chart, which ranks the most popular Japanese music outside of Japan. This made it the seventh week that it has ruled the chart.

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On March 5, LiSA released a CD single with “ReawakeR (feat. Felix of Stray Kids)” as its title track. Billboard JAPAN caught up with her to discuss the release and the new territory she explored on the single’s three songs.

Your new song, “ReawakeR (feat. Felix of Stray Kids),” is the opening theme of the anime Solo Leveling Season 2 – Arise from the Shadow. What did you think when they first reached out to you about the tie-in?

It was before Season 1 had even started airing, so first I read the manhwa (Korean comics). Then the show started, and, to put it simply, it was like new life had been blown into the manhwa It was like the anime depicted all kinds of things, like the personalities of the characters and their strengths, in even greater depth.

When you read the manhwa, what part of it drew you in?

The main character, Shun Mizushino, isn’t a hunter because it’s fun. There’s a bit more of a sense of desperation to him, a feeling that this is a job he has to do. He starts out as a weak hunter, and he faces all kinds of struggles before he’s reawakened and takes on a new destiny. It depicts a world that has a very different feel than what you usually see in Japan.

Were there any parts that resonated with you personally?

Yes, actually. The way he gets stronger because of the scars he bears. That sense that he has to keep pushing forward because of his difficult circumstances. I feel like, in my music, I’m also trying to reach that level of resolve.

The song was written and arranged by Hiroyuki SAWANO, and Felix from Stray Kids does guest vocals. Stray Kids’ first Japanese EP includes “Social Path (feat. LiSA),” which you performed on. What led to the idea for this collaboration?

I always had the idea of working with the two of them again, but I didn’t have any specific timing in mind. Hiroyuki was responsible for the theme song and the soundtrack for Season 1, too, so I wanted to take the baton for Season 2 without damaging the aesthetic that Hiroyuki had created.

And what about Felix?

For Season 1, Hiroyuki worked with TOMORROW X TOGETHER (SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]:TOMORROW X TOGETHER “LEveL”), the anime is based on a Korean comic, and Stray Kids had invited me to work with them in the past, so I thought if there was ever a time to return the invitation, this just might be it. My upper register vocals and Felix’s deep bass vocals created a wonderful contrast that gave the song just the right flavor.

How do you see Hiroyuki as a music producer?

When I worked with him for the first time on “narrative” (SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]:LiSA), he used real instruments to create dark rock with a heavy sound. Now, seven years later, I feel like he’s started using dance music and digital sounds in his music, and it feels very natural. He’s evolved a lot. At the same time, he carefully tailors his music to the spirit of the works he’s writing for. In a sense, he’s actually shaping those works.

So he’s a creator with his own signature sound. “ReawakeR (feat. Felix of Stray Kids)” also combines heavy bass with a danceable beat, so it’s a bit of a departure for a LiSA song.

Rock is an important, fundamental part of Hiroyuki’s music. He doesn’t just slap in digital elements, but instead creates dance music that could only come from someone who has the spirit of rock in his heart. I think Hiroyuki’s great at taking music in that direction.

From my understanding, rock is an important part of your own roots, too. With the musical approach you’ve taken on the new single, you’ve added other elements, as well. What led you to go in this direction?

Of course, trends are one part of it, but speaking for myself, I love rock. I love the sound of rock, and I’m confident in the rock music I’ve been creating for the past 13 years. In a sense, I’ve already created the “ultimate” rock, so instead of trying to discover rock that goes above and beyond that, I wanted to apply that spirit of rock to the creation of something a little different. That budding ambition was a big factor in taking this new approach.

What kinds of new experiences and discoveries did you have during the course of the collaboration?

I rediscovered how well it works to have a male voice mixed in. On top of that, Felix is more of a rapper than a singer, and this was my first time doing this kind of collaboration on a song I put out under my own name. But I discovered that even with rap, you can feel that rock vibe, and that you can make a song that really matches the anime itself.

I’d imagine you envisioned Felix’s vocal parts when you were doing the recording. Did you use any different approaches than usual, and were there any areas where you took special care?

It wasn’t so much that I paid special care to something in particular, but I’m usually a solo singer, so having another vocalist by my side to perform together with me was very reassuring.

You’ve also released a music video, which you shot in Korea, right?

Felix is really beautiful in it. He’s like an angel. When the cameras weren’t rolling, he was like this cute young kid. He’s cheerful and friendly, and very considerate of others. He was also very respectful, calling me “LiSA sempai.” But he has a deep voice, so when he starts singing, the impression he makes totally changes. I think part of his appeal is in that gap.

The song has performed really well in the charts, too. As of March 27, it’s been number one on Billboard JAPAN’s “Global Japan Songs Excl. Japan” chart for four consecutive weeks. What has the overseas response been like?

The overseas reaction has been very strong starting back when Solo Leveling was first announced. I’ve performed overseas quite a few times myself, and Hiroyuki and Stray Kids are also very internationally active, so it feels like we’ve really reached the rest of the world.

I’d like to ask you about the B-sides. The second song, “RED ZONE,” is also credited to TOMOKO IDA and TSUGUMI. TOMOKO IDA performed on Tainy’s debut album, DATA, which was nominated for the Best Música Urbana Album at the 66th Grammy Awards. What led to your collaboration with her?

One of the things I wanted to explore was the power of women. I was looking around for someone who could help me with that when I met TOMOKO. TSUGUMI was also one of the artists in SOULHEAD, so when I was doing my vocals, it really felt like I had this passion passed on to me by these artists who had gone before me.

I know you were once in a band and performed mainly at small concert venues. I’m sure it was a primarily male-oriented scene at the time. How did you fit into it, or did you take it head on?

Back when I was a little kid, I found femininity to be kind of oppressive. I was more drawn to women who had a hidden coolness and sexiness, like Avril Lavigne. But when I finally accepted myself as a woman, I found it so much fun to express the power that women have, though I didn’t go out of my way to show it off. Those feelings grew stronger the more I performed. That’s one of the things I talked to TOMOKO about.

How did you make this song, including the rap part, a part of yourself as an artist?

Whenever I take on new challenges, I focus less on putting myself out there than on going out there to soak in new influences. For example, when I started my solo career, I debuted with a mini-album (Letters to U) which I made with a Vocaloid producer. I had my own core essence, and I tried to put that essence into that music. That process shaped a new facet of me. Looking back on it, this is something I’d been experiencing since my time in Girls Dead Monster, and “RED ZONE” was a lot like that.

So it’s not like you’re completely adopting a new character, but more like you’re letting your voice ring out in a world that’s not your usual world.

Yes, but as a vocalist, no matter what I do, it’s always my own voice, and no matter what I sing, it always becomes a LiSA song, so I have faith in that. I believe in my own voice, so when I sing on a song, I feel like I’m laying myself bare and jumping right in.

All three songs, including the other B-side, “Witchcraft,” are very challenging, and I feel that with this single, listeners will discover a new LiSA. 2025 is also the 14th anniversary of your solo debut, and I hear that you’ve decided the theme for the year is “PATCHWORK.”

This is the 14th anniversary, which means next year will be the 15th. That’s a big occasion, so as it draws near, I plan to spend this year meeting more new people and taking on more new challenges, stitching them together in a patchwork.

—This interview by Takuto Ueda first appeared on Billboard Japan

Yu Sakai has recently released his eighth album, PASADENA. The album’s title comes from Pasadena, a city on the outskirts of Los Angeles where he lived when he moved on his own to the U.S. to become a musician. Four of the songs on the album were recorded in L.A., which he has such fond memories of, and the other four songs on the album were created in Tokyo and produced by Shingo Suzuki (Ovall), a musician whom Yu engaged in friendly rivalry after returning to Japan. There are also three bonus tracks, which he recorded in New York last year and which have only been available on streaming until now. 

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In October of last year, Yu celebrated the 15th anniversary of his debut. Billboard JAPAN talked to him about his hopes for his new album, which represents a return to his roots. He also spoke about his recent performance on Tiny Desk Concerts in Washington D.C.

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What led you to start working on the new album, and when did you begin?

It was after we’d finished all of our work on my best hits album (Yu Sakai’s Playlist [White and Black]). I finished the album tour in March of last year, and then beginning in the summer, I starting recording in both L.A. and Japan.

Could you start by talking a bit about recording in L.A.? The producers and songwriters on the new album have worked with world-famous artists like John Legend, Usher, TLC, and Anderson .Paak. Did you co-write the songs?

We co-wrote everything from scratch.

So it started with you going into the studio and playing the piano?

Right. Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but the tracks that they’d prepared for me just weren’t what I was looking for, so I ended up rejecting all of them. They’d created the songs with me in mind. They were all really cool songs, but they didn’t have clear features that shouted “Yu Sakai.” Trying to add those features to the songs they’d already made would have just resulted in a confusing jumble, so I thought it would be faster to start from scratch. We co-wrote the four songs from the ground up.

Were there any creators involved in the L.A. recordings that particularly stood out?

Sam Barsh, who co-wrote “Amakunai Kikenna Kaori,” is a great pianist. I just wanted to hang out with him for a whole day, playing piano, just the two of us. His good qualities really come across in the song. It has this funky, jazzy, urban harmony with a solid beat.

What kind of song were you going for with “PASADENA,” which you digitally released as a single?

L.A. It’s not the kind of song you could make in New York (laughs).

So it has that crisp, fresh groove because you wrote it in L.A.

Exactly. From the start, I’d decided three things: I wanted the listener to be able to picture the scene the moment they heard the music, I wanted this song to be the first song on the album, and I wanted to end the album with a ballad. I decided on the album title, PASADENA, on the same day when we co-wrote the song. I was like, “This album’s got to be called PASADENA!”

You released the song “PASADENA” last December, and this January, the city of Pasadena was hit by wildfires.

I never expected to see anything like that.

The whole situation is so heart-breaking. But the song “Pasadena” starts with the line “I’m back,” and then in the chorus, you’re singing “Pasadena Beautiful,” so it’s also like a song of encouragement for the city.

Yeah, you’re right. I’m still worried about Pasadena, and my heart goes out to everyone affected by the fires. It’s become an unforgettable song for me.

What is the theme of “What About You?”

Politics. It’s asking “What are you going to do?” My own stance is one of active resignation, and my way of thinking can be summed up with “Amakunai Kikenna Kaori” and “Gotta Get Up.”

So the message you were trying to convey was that people should get actively involved with politics?

Yes. Even if you choose to have no interest in politics, you can’t choose to live a life unaffected by politics. Both “What About You” and “Gotta Get Up” have the same message. I think there are a lot of people who are faced by this impossibly huge foe and can’t imagine any way to solve the problems we face, so they feel powerless and they give up engaging with politics. They feel that there’s nothing that ordinary people like us can do. But even if politicians lie, I don’t think government data lies, so one thing we can do is keep a close watch on the data and speak up. Even simply doing that will shine a little light on them.

What were you thinking about when you wrote “Amakunai Kikenna Kaori?”

I wrote about all the nonsense in the world, putting it in song form for people to have fun with. There’s this strange smell all around us, you know? Something you can smell, but you just can’t see. But people are fighting about it. “Look, I told you you could see it!” “What?! Why can’t you see it?!” That’s what the song is about. Arguing is fine, but they’re creating division so we fight each other. We’ve all got to come together.

That ties into “Understanding” and its theme of mutual understanding.

Exactly. “Understanding” is also about politics and history. I guess that’s the mindset I was in with this album.

Changing topics, this March you recorded a Tiny Desk Concert in Washington D.C. Honestly, how was it?

It was and will always be one of the most fun trips I’ve ever taken. It was three nights and six days, though, so it was hard (laughs). I was so nervous and excited that I didn’t catch a wink of sleep the night before. I wanted to keep my vocal cords in good condition, so I didn’t talk to anyone. I just lay in bed thinking, “I’m looking so forward to this. I wonder what it’s going to be like. It’s an office, so does that mean the sound is going to be deadened? Whatever, I get to sing along to Nate Smith’s drumming. I can’t wait.”

Which songs did you perform?

“Get it together,” which is a song I recorded in L.A. a while ago. It’s a laid-back song, but we upped the tempo a bit to make it a good fit for a set opener. I also wanted to do a J-pop medley, so we performed a medley of “Story,” “Gaze, Daydream,” and “Rose & Rhodes,” featuring about a minute and a half of each song, and then we ended with “Sinatra, The Darkness Of Cherry Blossom.” The song is about New York, but Washington is famous for its cherry blossoms, so I wanted to perform it. It was like a 20 minute show. Those 20 minutes went by in the blink of an eye, though.

Yu Sakai

Billboard Japan

What should people watch out for when they see your Tiny Desk Concert?

Playing J-pop in an office right there in Washington D.C. I hope true music fans in America will feel the joy of listening to J-pop.

You started recording overseas around 10 years after your debut, and you began doing more collaborations with overseas musicians. What aspects of you, as an artist, do you think this brings out?

It’s hard to put into words, but it’s not like I think that anything that’s foreign is superior. Japan has its own distinct sound. I like American music, but I’m not a fan of just one specific nationality. If I was head over heels for American music, I’d move to New Orleans, like guitarist June Yamagishi. I’d live over there and make it my base of operations. But I prefer Cape Ashizuri (in Kochi Prefecture) to America. It’s more like when an opportunity arises and the stars are aligned, I’ll go and jam, weaving the tapestry of my own music.

—This interview by Takashi Inomata first appeared on Billboard Japan