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ONE N’ ONLY digitally released a new song called “Freaking Happy” on Nov. 14. This uplifting number about the spirit of heading into the future was featured as the theme song for TV Tokyo’s five-day event from Nov. 15 celebrating the broadcaster’s upcoming 60th anniversary in 2024.

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ONE N’ ONLY celebrated its fifth anniversary this year. In this new interview, members HAYATO, REI, TETTA, NAOYA, EIKU, and KENSHIN chatted with Billboard Japan about their latest release, being tapped to participate in TV Tokyo’s 60th anniversary celebrations, and also share anecdotes from their ongoing tour spanning all 47 prefectures in Japan entitled ONE N’ SWAG ~ Hook Up!!!!!! ~ that kicked off in October.

Your new song “Freaking Happy” is being featured as the theme of TV Tokyo’s 60th anniversary celebrations. Good job!

ALL: Thank you!

It’s a pretty major tie-in project for you. How did you all react when you first heard the news?

HAYATO: We were so psyched! We were told about it when we were together and it took us all by surprise. 

“Freaking Happy” is a really positive and energetic number.

REI: It’s a great song, isn’t it? It has a friendly feel and is upbeat, the kind of tune that’ll lift you up when you hear it in the morning. If you listen to it every day before you go out, I’m sure you’ll feel its effect. [Laughs]

KENSHIN: I really couldn’t believe it when this tie-in came through and was like, “Is this about us?” It didn’t feel real. It was good enough that we were invited to perform on such a major music program, so we’re thrilled that our song was chosen as the theme for the festival. The roster of the music show has been announced and every act is a big name, and since we’ve been asked to perform alongside them, we intend to do so with our heads held high.

NAOYA: It’s a surprise that a song of ours was chosen as the theme for TV Tokyo’s 60th anniversary festival and I’m really grateful. It’d be great if more people get to know us through this tie-in and our SWAG (ONE N’ ONLY fans) grows in numbers. Above all, we’re really grateful to be able to perform on a music program like this, and hope to do a good job so other EBiDAN groups can follow in our footsteps.

HAYATO: It’s a feel-good song and is unabashed about it. I hope it makes people smile when they hear it. I’m sure the event will be a lot of fun too, so it’d be nice if our song becomes a part of people’s good memories.

EIKU: It’s a pretty straightforward track and easy to chime in. A really fun song that’ll bring our SWAG and us together even closer.

KENSHIN: You’re right.

EIKU: It gives me this sense of coming together with those who have supported us and not just amongst ourselves. Not only will it make people feel positive, but it’ll also be a good opportunity for them to get to know what we’re all about.

Such a catchy number is actually pretty rare in the group’s catalog.

TETTA: Right. You know what, though, we haven’t settled on the choreography yet. But when the track played over the speakers during the mic test at our 47-prefecture tour the other day, it was just so cheerful and while I was singing it, I kept thinking how it’d be so much fun if our SWAG were here.

Since the tie-in was a last-minute deal, that must mean your schedule for learning choreography and shooting a music video and whatnot must also be tight.

NAOYA: Yes, the EP was set for release in December, so we’ve been working on the choreography and recording while also doing the 47-prefecture tour. We’ve been spending quality time.

What will the choreography be like?

HAYATO: We want to make the choreography catchy to match the song. We were thinking it’d be nice to have a dance part that everyone can imitate on TikTok. We want to give a performance that will leave an impression even after one viewing.

TETTA: I could come up with (the choreo), you know.

REI: Hey man, don’t bother. [Laughs]

HAYATO: His ideas never fly! [Laughs]

TETTA: I suggest ideas like, “How about moving our hands like so” every once in a while, but they’re never considered. Why?

HAYATO: You’re always a bit too direct. Like if the lyrics say “run,” you’d suggest a running motion, right? You translate stuff too literally.

TETTA: So that’s why! [Laughs]

HAYATO: You can do your own choreo when you go solo someday…

TETTA: Why? [Laughs]

HAYATO: But for this song, I asked a dancer who’s around our age, Rena (Hattori), to handle it. I have a feeling (the dance) will go viral!

It’s a big project. Was it your idea to ask Rena to do it, HAYATO?

HAYATO: Yes. She’s really busy so I was prepared to be turned down, but she kindly agreed to do it and I’m grateful for that. We had an online meeting and…

TETTA: Was she nice? Does she seem strict?

REI: Is that what you’re worried about? [Laughs]

TETTA: I mean, I’ll get in trouble if she’s too strict. [Laughs]

You’re a global star, you have it in you to handle a bit of strictness.

TETTA: Will do my best! [Laughs]

HAYATO: It’s a pretty major collaboration, so if it gets people talking about us, that’d be great. Rena is known for her catchy choreography, so I’m sure we’ll be able to show a good dance performance that’s not too easy and takes advantage of our strengths.

What will the music video be like?

NAOYA: The music video will be directed by Shintaro Sakai, who has produced videos for INI and NiziU. He shoots really lovely visuals using state-of-the-art technology and captures light and the design so beautifully in his works, so I can’t wait to begin shooting.

It looks like you guys are moving up to the next level in terms of the visuals and music and choreography. Since your new song has such a positive vibe, our next question is, who has the most positive outlook these days?

(Everyone besides TETTA looks at him.)

TETTA: What? We’re all positive!

REI: Well, you’re always pretty much the same. But you’re so noisy!

TETTA: That’s because when I’m feeling down or when I’m quiet, I automatically get sleepy.

HAYATO: Just by being quiet?

TETTA: Yeah. I get increasingly drowsy. So I have to keep myself hyped up!

KENSHIN: Is that positive? [Laughs]

NAOYA: It’s certainly energetic. [Laughs]

HAYATO: I appreciate that he’s always cheerful, in good times and bad.

EIKU: Whenever it sounds like something is going on, it’s usually TETTA messing around. [Laughs]

REI: It’s fun to watch when it’s amusing, but it depends on the situation. Sometimes he can’t read the room, you know what I mean?

TETTA: I read rooms just fine!

I guess it’s good for an energetic group to sing a positive number because it’ll amp up the energy.

HAYATO: You’re really good at putting things back on track.

Thank you. [Laughs] You’re currently in the midst of your domestic tour spanning all 47 prefectures. How’s it going so far?

TETTA: We’ve only done four shows, but it’s been a lot of fun. In the more rural areas, we’ve been performing in small “live houses” (night clubs) and the like. I’m always conscious of the cameras in large venues, but in smaller ones, I can look each person in the eye and sing. Of course I try to remember to do so in large places, but it’s a lot of fun performing while seeing how everyone’s doing. Also, the acoustics are different at each venue and so are our respective positions, so I feel like I’ve learned a lot about how to deal with such things.

EIKU: Most of all, it really reminds me of when we first started out. We used to perform in small venues when we first made our debut, so things like checking the lighting and doing our own makeup feel really familiar. I’ve been remembering stuff from our early days while performing. Also, the vibe in each venue is completely different.

KENSHIN: It really is different, isn’t it? That’s why I thought it was very meaningful to tour all 47 prefectures. We’ve toured Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and other major cities before, but there were SWAG we couldn’t meet because it was hard to go. Now we can really visit them all and we’ve been so psyched about it. Like the other day, we went to the Hokuriku area (northeastern part of Japan’s main island) that we don’t get to visit often, and were happy to see so many local people there! We can communicate with our fans in the smaller clubs we’re performing at, and it feels like our ability to do live shows has genuinely improved.

You’re getting better at hyping up the audience.

KENSHIN: Yes. We also change the way we stir things up. Since we’re traveling to a lot of places, it wouldn’t be interesting if we did everything the same. The members are having a lot of fun, too.

NAOYA: Because we’re so close to SWAG, the concerts feel more spontaneous. The way the audience gets into the music is different, and the way the stages are set up is also different, so it’s really fun. The set list changes daily and we also have medleys, so I hope people enjoy themselves.

REI: There are things we can do only on small stages, and because we’re close to the audience, the view from where we are is also different. At this point, I just want to do my best to make it through the entire tour. Personally, I’m looking forward to going to Shikoku. I had some bonito tataki in Kochi once, and it was amazingly good.

KENSHIN: I want to try the udon (noodles) in Kagawa too.

NAOYA: Udon in Kagawa is really good.

KENSHIN: Can’t wait to try some! We had a sauce katsudon (pork cutlet served on top of a bowl of rice) and seafood in Hokuriku and they were awesome!

HAYATO: Yeah, that was great. We’re also enjoying the traveling bits, too. It almost feels like a school trip, so I want to keep having fun as we charge through this tour. The schedule is quite packed and there are periods we can’t return to Tokyo, so I’m hoping to enjoy that as well while we’re at it. I’m just really happy that we’re able to tour all 47 prefectures at this point in time. The group is celebrating its fifth anniversary and we’re tighter than ever, so we want to keep gathering speed from this point forward.

EIKU: We also went to Brazil (this year). Oh, and so far each of us has been staying in our own hotel rooms.

NAOYA: Yeah!　

HAYATO: But we all end up getting together to go a hot spring or something.

TETTA: We’re making an effort to visit tourist attractions together during this tour. Most recently, we went to a park with windmills in Kashiwa, Chiba.

Where will you go before the Toyosu PIT show (in Tokyo)?

KENSHIN: What? Lalaport Toyosu (shopping mall)?

HAYATO: No doubt about it. [Laughs]

EIKU: I can really feel us getting better during this tour, so I’m really looking forward to seeing where we stand when we finish it.

NAOYA: After touring all over Japan, we’re doing a show at Pacifico Yokohama, which I’m sure will be an amazing sight. It’ll be the biggest venue we’ve ever performed in, and just imagining the view from the stage gives me feels.

You’ll be moved to tears.

REI: KENSHIN will cry.

KENSHIN: What? Of course I’ll cry! I almost cried when the Pacifico Yokohama show was announced!

TETTA: KENSHIN always cries, so it makes me stay calm.

HAYATO: It doesn’t make you cry in sympathy?

TETTA: REI usually stands next to me and he’s level-headed, so that calms me down, too. [Laughs]

REI: KENSHIN cries good tears. I’m looking forward to it. [Laughs]

KENSHIN: OK. [Laughs]

—This interview by Kana Yoshida first appeared on Billboard Japan

On the night of Nov. 5, Awich established her solid position as Japan’s top artist of the new age. Appearing before an audience of 18,000 fans that packed K-Arena in Yokohama, Japan, a new venue that opened in late September, she put on a three-hour show that was a crystallization of her full potential. From the first note to the last, Awich gave off an aura of authority with a down-to-earth, personal feel, in a way that no other Japanese artist has. A rapper from Okinawa, Awich gave voice to our modern age, both as a mother and as an entertainer without precedent. She showed the delight and exhilaration hip-hop and rap music could bring to the masses. She elevated not only the hip-hop scene but Japanese culture as a whole. Her listeners and the members of the audience share an actively open and receptive approach to modern society and Awich’s music, and she guided these fans to a new stage of music. Awich understands that this is something she is uniquely positioned to do — her mission.

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The artists that are the chosen of their generation do not simply follow a path set out for them by the gods. She is proof of that. She’s struggled and experienced her share of hardship. At one point, she was even on the verge of putting down the mic and leaving the music world altogether, but thanks to the support of her daughter and other musicians, she kept on with her creative efforts. Buoyed by the tide of hip-hop and rap music, which has become a symbol of youth culture, her efforts ultimately brought her here, to the K-Arena. That’s why she has taken on the showbiz world while preserving her raw, unvarnished sensibilities as a rapper. She brought together a “union” of hometown friends, rappers and dancers from different hoods that she met through hip-hop, minyo folk singers, classical Japanese dancers, and her own daughter, who joined her on-stage, bringing together their collective power to put on the night’s spectacle.

Last March, while Japan was still struggling with the pandemic, Awich put on a solo show at the Nippon Budokan that is recognized by all as simply legendary. Since then, she hasn’t slowed down a bit. On October 25 of this year she completed her new album, THE UNION, and now she put on this show at the K-Arena, driving a paradigm shift.

As the lights fell at the start of the show, the packed audience brimmed with expectation and the air rang with cheers. The opening number was “THE UNION,” the title song of her new album, which elevated traditional Okinawan music to a new level. On the massive LED screen, a black-and-white video played, a flashback encapsulation of Awich’s life and the path she had forged as an artist. The eyes and ears of all 18,000 people in the audience were locked on the stage as Awich descended. When she began rapping, a huge sun began rising on-screen. The opening number, along with several other songs in the show, had been specially arranged for live performance, and the beat was truly dynamic. The stage presentation, including the video, likely produced by Kento Yamada, created a whole new world.

From the very start of the show, Awich performed alongside numerous guest rappers and dancers — you really need to see the set list to get the full impression. On the sixth song, Awich was joined by NENE, LANA, MaRI, and YURIYAN RETRIEVER (with AI joining with a video comment) in performing “Bad Bitch Bigaku Remix,” the most powerful Japanese sisterhood anthem of 2023. This was followed by many other unforgettable songs.

Awich’s daughter, Yomi Jah (Toyomi), was an irreplaceable addition, performing sometimes as a dancer and sometimes as a rapper on “Call On Me” and “TSUBASA.” In the first block of the show, Awich and her friends from her hood presented a true-to-life expression of the beauty and potential inherent in the culture of Okinawa, where Awich was born and raised. The block ended with Awich and Toyomi sitting in front of the DJ booth, looking at each other and holding hands as Awich quietly sang “Wait For Me,” a song from a mother to a daughter. It was a truly moving performance.

Then Awich performed “Burn Down,” whose lyrics express the light and dark sides of the internet, together with GADORO, who has a major presence on Awich’s new album, THE UNION. Also from THE UNION was “Twinkle Stars,” in which Awich joined BIM in shining a bright light into the lonely night with their melodious singing over the beat laid down by STUTS. YURIYAN RETRIEVER and Nadaru (from Korokoro Chikichiki Peppers) then took the stage, putting on a live performance of their viral YouTube cover of Awich’s “THE FIRST TAKE” video, in which YURIYAN RETRIEVER played Awich and Nadaru played KEIJU. This was immediately followed by Awich and KEIJU themselves coming on-stage and kicking off a tremendous performance of “Remember.”

The set continued. “Link Up feat. KEIJU, ellow Bucks,” “Brainwashing feat. DOGMA & CHINZA DOPENESS,” “Yacchi Maina (Get Em) feat. ANARCHY,” “WHORU? feat. ANARCHY,” and “SUPER GIRA GIRA feat. JP THE WAVY, YZERR.” The guests, drawn in by the magnetism of Awich, put on an overwhelming show that aggressively demonstrated the power of the hip-hop scene. Awich told YZERR of her hopes for the success of BAD HOP’s February 2024 show, which will be their last show before the group dissolves and Japan’s first Tokyo Dome solo show by a hip-hop artist. She also thanked YZERR for encouraging her on the day of this K-Arena show by telling her “You can do it!” She talked about her unswerving desire for everyone to come together in union to raise the level of the hip-hop scene and grow together.

Then an announcement video began playing. It announced that, starting in 2024, Awich would be setting out to make her true overseas debut. The video hinted there there was a lot of information that couldn’t yet be revealed, but the screen showed a figure resembling RZA from the Wutang Clan, mentioned in the lyrics of “THE UNION,” and expectations rose even further.

“All of you, go get passports! I’ll show you something you’ve never seen before. But that doesn’t spell an end to my musical activities here in Japan!”

This was immediately followed by the announcement of a Japanese tour with The Union starting in April 2024 and a birthday show on Awich’s birthday in December. In other words, starting now and then all through 2024 and beyond, Awich is going to be on a whirlwind schedule through Japan and around the world.

For her last two songs, Awich chose “Queendom” and “Love Me Up.” After putting on a superb performance during “Queendom” that represented all of the qualities of the show, she boarded a trapeze that lifted her high into the air while she sang “Love Me Up.” She looked down with love at the audience that packed the arena as she closed with the ultimate gentle, romantic rap and singing performance. Once she left the stage, a hand-written message from Awich appeared on the screen:

To everyone,

I’m about to set out into the world, forging a path for everyone to take!!

Thinking about it, sometimes I get scared. Sometimes I get anxious. But that’s why I have to do it.

If you’re a true Awich fan, then you’re also a fan of yourself!

So no matter how big the stage I perform on becomes, never get the wrong idea that I’ve left you and gone off far away. Never be lonely. Let’s grow together!!!

Believe in yourself and grow, just like I’ll keep trying to do, for the rest of my life♡

November 5, 2023

See you soon

PEACE

Awich

Awich set great things in motion that night. Her story will continue as she achieves that which has never been achieved before, together with all of her fans.

Full setlist:

1. “OKINAWAN OPENING SHOW” with Ryukyu Buyoudan

2. “THE UNION” with Ryukyu Buyoudan

3. “Guerrilla” 

4. “ALI BABA” with MFS 

5. “IKEMENTAL” with NENE 

6. “Bad Bitch Bigaku Remix” with NENE, LANA, MaRI, YURIYAN RETRIEVER 

7. “Kuchini Dashite (Say it all)”

8. “Kuchini Dashite 2 (Say it all 2)”

9. “Shut Down” with CYBER RUI 

10. “Call On Me” with Yomi Jah 

～ DJ U-LEE TIME ～ 

11. “Ryukyuaika Remix” 

12. “NINGEN State Of Mind II REMIX” with RITTO 

13. “RASEN in OKINAWA” with Tsubaki, OZworld, CHICO CARLITO 

14. “LONGINESS REMIX” with SugLawd Familiar, CHICO CARLITO 

15. “TSUBASA” with Yomi Jah 

16. “Wait For Me” with Patrick Bartley (Sax) 

17. “Revenge” 

18. “Burn Down” with GADORO 

19. “Twinkle Stars” with STUTS, BIM 

20. “Kakurembo”

21. “Remember -THE FIRST TAKE ver.- ” by Nadal, YURIYAN RETRIEVER 

22. “Remember” with KEIJU 

23. “Link Up” with KEIJU, ellow Bucks 

24. “SENNO” with DOGMA, CHINZA DOPENESS 

25. “Yacchi Maina (Get Em)” with ANARCHY 

26. “WHORU?” with ANARCHY 

27. “SUPER GILA GILA” with JP THE WAVY, YZERR 

28. Queendom 

29. Love Me Up 

—This article by Shoichi Miyake first appeared on Billboard Japan

Vaundy has recently released his second album, replica. His first album in three years, replica‘s 35 songs span two discs (15 songs on Disc 1 and 20 songs on Disc 2). Disc 1, which includes “replica versions” of “Backlight” and “Kaiju no Hanauta,” is a crystallization of Vaundy’s current sound. Disc 2, on the other hand, contains all of the singles Vaundy has released over the past three years, leading up to this album release, presented in the order in which they were released.

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Vaundy graduated from university this spring, and Billboard Japan talked to him about the album, which he calls his “graduation project.”

It’s been roughly three years since your first full album, strobo. Was there some specific reason for this timing?

Actually, it’s part of my graduation project. I started working on the album around June of last year, but I also had a tour and a few collaborations at the end of the year, so I just didn’t make much progress on my songwriting. That’s why it’s taken me over a year to release the album.

Replica ended up being a huge double album with 35 songs.

Originally, I wasn’t planning on creating a Disc 2. I was going to include my existing songs as “replica versions” on Disc 1. But, it just wasn’t possible. Disc 1 is the real album. Disc 2 is a collection of singles, which is included as kind of a bonus. Disc 2 is in the order of my releases, so I think if you listen to the two albums, you’ll hear how much I’ve grown since strobo.

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Is there a unifying concept behind Disc 1? Or is it like strobo, a playlist that gives a snapshot of Vaundy in the here and now?

Both. I knew it would be a playlist-like album. I spent so long on the mastering I thought my ears were going to give out (laughs). But Disc 1 includes the sound effect tracks “Audio 007,” “Audio 006,” and “Audio 008,” so I think it also expresses a unified aesthetic. The songs are all different, but the listener will feel like they’re all somehow part of the same world. I think the album’s more consistent than strobo.

Could you explain what you mean by consistent?

I think it’s expressed by the title, replica. The works that people think of as being originals are, essentially, the products of generations of replication, right? Just like the Earth is a giant sphere, covered by different strata, with music, as well, you have the same layers of history. Layers like music theory, or knowing that a song sounds good sung in a certain way, or knowing that some melody will sound beautiful paired with a certain chord. Together, these build up into a huge ball, forming the music. I don’t know exactly how big it is, but it’s big enough that if you took a drill and started digging down into it, you’d find various layers — various replicas — as you dug. When creating replica, I felt like I was standing on the surface of that giant ball, and that’s what the titular track is about.

So the reason that there’s so much variety in the album is that you’re standing there on this planet of music, digging down in different directions, through different musical strata.

I mean, that’s what the word “digging” originally meant, right? I love David Bowie, so first I dig down to David Bowie. In doing so, I pass by other people who love David Bowie. And then I dig beyond David Bowie, and I see the artists that David Bowie was looking at. On this album, each song is like that. In that sense, I’d agree that the album has songs that come from all kinds of different directions. To be honest, now, with the album all finished, I can’t remember where I was digging. When I’m digging through references, I listen to all kinds of music, so the tunnels I dig might be filled with twists and turns.

And in addition to that, you have your own originality.

I hope that comes across. The basic approach is to copy something, to sketch something out. People will tell me that songs I write sound like this song or that song, but I don’t know the songs they’re talking about at all. And then I’ve gone and listened to the songs and thought “man, that does sound similar.” But, at the same time, that means that my musical choices weren’t wrong. All I did was put what I thought was the best-fitting melody line over a chord progression.

The lyrics of “NEO JAPAN” are critical of society. Do you see connecting to society through your music to be an important part of your activities as an artist?

Yes, very important. I think of replica as being pop. The aesthetics of pop aren’t simply about conveying simple messages, but about conveying complex messages in easy-to-understand ways. And, what’s more, in a way that sticks with you. For example, consider gummy candies. I’m sure at the start, nobody understood them. But then they made them into animal shapes and other everyday shapes, so people wanted to try them out. I think that’s why Haribo’s been in business for over a century. When you have these replica-like elements, which have been steadily stacking up over time, that’s pop. I think my new album really embodies this idea. It’s a fresh, new batch of replicas.

So it’s the newest form of pop music, part of an unbroken chain through the years.

That’s why reflecting modern times is so important. Pop consists of following the pattern of these replicas that have stacked up over time, but it’s always being updated. What I want to do is create the newest type of pop music. However, my timing is often off. A good number of my singles are songs I wrote one or two years ago. For example, “Carnival” feels kind of old to me.

“Backlight” is a cover of music you wrote yourself for another artist, and the arrangement is really tight. The guitars are credited to TK from Ling tosite sigure. What kind of interaction was there between you and TK?

I met him once and shared my vision for the song, and I used what he came up with, just as it was. I only reach out to people that I trust 100%. I knew that he was the one of the people who established what I call “grotesque pop” — music like “unravel” from Tokyo Ghoul. For me, he’s really a standout artist.

Disc 2 ends with “Todome no ichigeki feat. Cory Wong.” This is the ending song to season 2 of the TV anime SPY x FAMILY. What aspects of SPY x FAMILY were you trying to express through the song?

It’s about Yor’s struggles. Season 2 is when the story starts to look at what she’s going through — what kind of assassin she wants to be, whether or not she should focus on being a mother. I thought season 2 was the most serious, really focusing on what family is about. That’s why I thought it would be best not to write a song that’s overly happy. I tried to reflect that wistfulness, and it ended up having a city pop feel.

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What led you to having Cory Wong make a guest appearance on the song?

I just wanted to meet him and work with him. I knew he’d understand the atmosphere of the song better than anyone and his guitar part would be perfect. He’s got a real revival feel, and he understands what makes Japanese pop appealing, plus he’s very technical. I could have played the guitar part myself, but I just knew, intuitively, that Cory would make the song even better. And it turned out really wonderful. He’s amazing.

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Now that the album is finished, what direction are you going to be taking in the future? Is there any music that you find yourself interested in or drawn to now?

Next, I want to create warmer music with a more human touch. Conceptually, I’m thinking like Haruomi Hosono, but the kinds of songs he writes are hard to create even if you try. Following replica, I’d like to focus on themes like “warmth.”

What led you to want to make that kind of theme the theme of your music?

I think warmth and pain are the heart of pop. You can’t just make music haphazardly. These feelings just come out in the music. They connect directly to the lyrics and the chord progressions. I want to create songs that help cultivate an appreciation of beauty, both for myself as a musician and for the people who listen to my music. When I’m old and gray, the kids who complain about it can just be better than me. I think the keys are always in the hands of the children.

So it’s like making music as the foundation for future generations?

Right. An old man’s job is to build the foundations. That’s why I’m saying we’re replicas. A few years from now, listening back on this album, people may think it’s garbage. But as long as we’ve evolved in the meantime, that’s fine. I think that, at the very least, I’ve created an album that is a sign of better things to come. I did all that I could. I hope the people who listen to my music enjoy the fact that I’m alive. I hope they enjoy Vaundy, this main character that lives inside me and that I control.

Billboard Japan caught up with the members of J-pop rock band Ryokuoushoku Shakai for its Monthly Feature interview series highlighting artists and works of note. Formed in 2012, the four-member group with a goal to “become a household name” has gained massive support from a wide range of listeners for its solid pop sound and the variety of their songs made possible by having all the members involved in songwriting.

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Ryokushaka, as the band is called by fans, recently dropped a new track being featured as the opener for the anime series The Apothecary Diaries called “Hana ni Natte,” which the members say is the “most difficult” song to play in their catalog. The four members — Haruko Nagaya (vocals & guitar), peppe (keyboards), Issei Kobayashi (guitar) and Shingo Anami (bass) — spoke about their latest release that enhances the graceful and glamorous world tinged with precarious malice and intrigue depicted in the anime, while also looking back on the band’s journey this past year and shared their future plans.

The anime series The Apothecary Diaries is a story about Maomao, a young woman assigned as food tester in the inner palace who solves difficult cases that occur in the royal court. How did everyone react to being tapped to write the opener for this work?

Haruko Nagaya: I’d already been reading the manga adaptation of the original novel and loved it. So I was surprised when we were asked to do it and was immediately like, “I want to do it!” I first discovered the manga when it appeared at the top of a comic app. It caught my attention because I could sense the historical background of the story just by looking at the cover. When I previewed it, I thought Maomao’s multifaceted character was really charming, too. At first, I expected it to have a rom-com element to it from the style of the artwork, but it isn’t like that at all. The thrilling storyline drew me in and I found myself captivated by it.

Were there any requests from the producers of the anime regarding the music?

Nagaya: Since the work deals with poison and because Maomao is an unprecedented kind of protagonist, something like addictiveness was a theme.

You wrote the music, Shingo. What inspired your composition?

Shingo Anami: I kind of felt that a melancholy melody would suit the song. When I was trying to come up with something while playing the guitar, the piano phrase at the end came to mind, and I expanded it from there. When I read the manga, I got a kind of “continental (China)” feel from the vast landscape, so the clapping in the intro was inspired by that. Also, I think Maomao’s stance towards medicine and the way she gets carried away pursuing what she loves is linked to the drive of this song.

Haruko wrote the lyrics. Could you share some of the process with us?

Nagaya: When I heard the music, I felt that it was solidly addictive and had a well-honed vibe. The melody is different from anything we’ve ever done before and also has a playful feel to it. Those aspects linked to the protagonist Maomao in my view. We’d also been given the keyword “self-love” as a theme for the lyrics, so I considered how to connect it to the characters. I think we imagine main characters (of manga and anime) to be cheerful or brave and such, but Maomao is the complete opposite. I find her facial expressions interesting as well. Even when she smiles, it’s in an eerie way but it’s charming. So I wrote the lyrics around the theme of self-love and wanting people to love you as you are.

And the arrangement is by Shingo and producer Keita Kawaguchi.

Anami: I had this heavy rock sound in mind when I first arranged it, and Mr. Kawaguchi improved upon it. He added some fast guitar riffs, for example. The most distinctive parts were the traditional Chinese instruments, like the erhu and gongs, that appear mainly in the “B-melo” section. I hadn’t considered such instruments at all, so they changed the impression of the song a lot.

peppe: The piano is pretty much the same structure as in the demo. The original version was so good that I didn’t think it was necessary to add my own color to it this time. But it was hard to practice. Like, the phrases were the kind that people who constantly play the piano wouldn’t come up with. It was experimental and fun, though.

What about the guitar?

Kobayashi: When I first heard the demo, I was like, “Don’t blame me if I can’t play this live.” [Laughs] But Mr. Kawaguchi is also a guitarist and he can probably play it with ease. In any case, I had to be able to play it before the recording, so I practiced sweep picking for the first time in my life.

How was the vocal recording?

Nagaya: When I write songs, I sing the lyrics as I go along, and don’t think I would have come up with that catchy fall in the chorus where I sing, “Hana ni natte.” Also, I wanted to sing powerfully, but not be too loud. For example, the A-melo part has interjections alongside a melody with distinctive tempo, but the B-melo is slow and silky, then the chorus brings up the pace again. Each block of the song has a completely different expression, so I tried to be aware of the difference in nuance when I sang it. The song was like sports day at school.

You’ve been making great strides in recent years, like headlining a show at the prestigious Nippon Budokan last September and performing on the historic year-end music program on the national broadcaster NHK, Kohaku Uta Gassen, for the first time. Could you tell us how you feel about where you currently are in your career?

Nagaya: We’d always been aspiring to perform in those places, so it feels like we’ve achieved our dreams. But I don’t think the way people see us has changed a whole lot because of that. In a way, the fact that we reached our ten-year milestone and fulfilled our dreams of performing at the Budokan and on Kohaku kind of lifted a weight off our shoulders. That’s why we were able to take on ambitious works like pink blue and “Hana ni Natte.”

In September you dropped “Summertime Cinderella,” the theme of the drama series Manatsu no Cinderella, broadcast on Fuji Television’s popular “getsu-ku” (Monday nights at nine) slot. The track has been charting on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 since its release. This single is what you could categorize as mainstream J-pop.

Anami: When we were making pink blue, we discussed whether or not to make the title track the lead single. We’d just been tapped to do the drama series and knew we’d definitely do something classic for that collaboration, so we figured it’d be okay to have fun with the album. That’s how we planned our project, trying to find a balance.

The fact that “Summertime Cinderella,” a song you wrote with the intention of doing something classic, is being widely heard must have given you all confidence since you’ve always said the band’s goal was to become a household name.

Nagaya: When we were asked to do it, I felt a lot of pressure. The song would be featured on the popular “getsu-ku” series being aired over summer vacation, meaning a lot of people would watch it. Furthermore, I’d never written a mainstream love song like that before. Plus, we were working on the pink blue album. So I was really worried about so many things when writing that song and wasn’t in a mindset of being confident about it or anything like that. I kept wondering if what I was doing was right. Now that it’s out there and many people have listened to it, I do have a sense of accomplishment, but it also kind of struck home how there still are acts that sell more records than us.

Kobayashi: Nagaya and I co-wrote the lyrics for “Summertime Cinderella,” but this time we discussed the content with the producers of the drama series while writing it, so it doesn’t feel like we delivered 100 percent of ourselves. To me it feels a lot like the song itself took us along its journey.

Nagaya: But tie-ins tend to be like that, you know? They’re hard in some ways because you’re making them together (with the clients). For the pink blue album we were allowed to do whatever we wanted. I was worried about whether people would accept it, but surprisingly, we had people tell us they liked that kind of music, too. So pursuing what we want to do is something we can try more, but it’s also not enough. After making “Summertime Cinderella,” it felt like music with that kind of catchy style and easy-to-understand lyrics is something people want, and I think it actually also suits our band’s style. It’d be best if we could strike a balance between the two.

peppe: That could be the way to keep the band going for a long time, to keep making music while enjoying what we do.

Nagaya: I mean, we originally formed the band to write songs we wanted to play. But we also love mainstream J-pop, so we want to keep exploring that kind of music as well. I don’t think we’ve fully given everything we’ve got. There has to be a kind of J-pop that suits us. I hope we can establish that as well. Ryokuoushoku Shakai’s J-pop.

Since the pandemic, streamed shows have become a well-known format for live performances. Initially, these shows were seen as being streamed live because it wasn’t possible to perform in-person shows. However, they’ve evolved over time, and now many shows include elements that create an appeal that only streaming shows are capable of.

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One example are shows that use the metaverse — an online 3D virtual space. With the metaverse, for example, it’s easy to completely change the stage, location, and costumes for every song, something that isn’t feasible with in-person shows. Also, because the venue is the internet, it’s easy for listeners in Japan or around the world to enjoy watching the show using just their everyday smartphone. For example, in August 2020, Kenshi Yonezu became the first Japanese artist to hold a virtual Fortnite show with his Kenshi Yonezu 2020 Event / STRAY SHEEP in FORTNITE. Yonezu himself appeared as an avatar wearing a sheep’s mask like the one on the jacket of his STRAY SHEEP album. Fans (or, rather, the avatars of fans) from around the world gathered to see his performance.

In the case of the Fortnite show, the onstage performance wasn’t technically by Kenshi Yonezu himself, but by his avatar. This surely didn’t sit right with some listeners, who want to see the actual artists as they perform. But what if, instead of an avatar, it were the artist themselves, performing in the metaverse? ReVers3:x (pronounced “reverse cross”), created and released by Sony Music Labels, is an “XR” short live performance project that seeks to create content that brings together the best parts of in-person live performances and metaverse live performances.

XR stands for “cross-reality,” a collective term for the pioneering technologies of augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR). ReVers3:x uses the latest technologies from the Sony Group to perform volumetric capture using 3D cameras. This technique captures the subjects it films — both their movements and their locations — as 3D data. With volumetric video, people can enjoy high resolution, natural-feeling live videos that appear like an artist actually performing within the virtual space. Another key point of the project is that original virtual spaces that act as the performance stages can be created for each performance.

ReVers3:x is updated irregularly, but so far it has been used for a total of four live performances. These performances were broadcast around the world through its official YouTube channel, and the channel’s archives contain all four performances in their entirety. The majority of these shows have been by hip-hop artists. For the first show, held in March 2022, in the middle of the pandemic, they selected the artist KEIJU. The second show, in May 2022, featured OZworld, an NFT artist in his own right. The third show, which was the first to be broadcast live, was a multi-artist show by CHEHON, Ryoff Karma, and CHICO CARLITO.

And just recently, on October 30, 2023, the fourth show was broadcast: BOSO TOKYO Presents “ReVers3:x Feat. GIRL’S POWER.” This show, the project’s first collaboration, was held within Virtual Halloween 2023, an online event conducted by KDDI, Future Design Shibuya, and the Shibuya City Tourism Association. Perhaps due to the Shibuya location, or perhaps inspired by the “Y2K” trend, the concept of this event was “gyaru.” The main artists were Yayoi Daimon, a singer-songwriter and choreographer who recently has drawn a great deal of attention by supplying music for Hypnosis Mic, and the creative team Sister Hood, which Daimon leads and which includes creators like dancer BROWNFISH ERI, makeup artist and designer MARIN KADOWAKI, and DJ XUNA. The show also featured three women rappers: CYBER RUI, a finalist on ABEMA’s RAPSTAR Tanjyou 2021, Rei(c)hi, who rose to fame from her “high school girl battle” with Chanmina on BS SKY PerfecTV’s BAZOOKA!!! High School Rap Tournament, and MaRI, who is still fresh in our memories thanks to her guest appearance on Awich’s “Bad Bitch Bigaku.” The virtual site also had 10,000 gyaru audience members. Together with the stage set, a Halloween-inspired design created in conjunction with the BOSO TOKYO NFT project, it was a show where you could feel the same excitement and passion as a real, in-person performance, right through the screen.

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ReVers3:x defines itself as a “collaboration project that combines planning and production for real-world live events, exhibition events, NFTs, and more,” focusing on XR live performances. Its official YouTube channel contains not only live show videos but also behind-the-scenes videos and original music by the project’s own virtual artist, ICQ. It shares excitement in a variety of ways, from both musical and technological perspectives.

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Worldwide. XR. NFTs. Every one of ReVers3:x’s keywords is one that has taken the limelight in today’s Japanese entertainment content industry. Eyes are trained on the future to see what kinds of new creations the Sony Group will produce using its state-of-the-art technologies.

—This article by Maiko Murata first appeared on Billboard Japan