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BAND-MAID kicked off 2025 with a new digital single called “Zen,” released Jan. 13. The track is being featured as the opening theme song for ZENSHU, an original TV anime series produced by MAPPA. The collaboration between the all-women rock band and animation studio hailing from Japan with fans around the world is poised to gain a wide global audience suitable to celebrate the start of a new year.

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The five members of BAND-MAID chatted with Billboard Japan about the production process of the new single, the tracks on Epic Narratives, their first studio album in three and a half years, and their outlook for what is already looking to be a super-busy 2025 for the group.

“Zen,” your new single, has a different flavor from the songs on the Epic Narratives album. Did you start working on it after you finished the album?

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Miku Kobato (Guitar/Vocals): It was around the same time. We were asked to write it when we were still working on the album. KANAMI started off by coming up with a number that fit the requirements for the tie-in while also having a different feel from the album.

KANAMI (Guitar/Vocals): I was given the script for the main story and received quite specific requests regarding the music, so I simplified the image I had in mind to create the track.

MISA (Bass/Vocals): When I listened to the demo, I thought that this song had a strong melody, so I made the bass line feel solid to bring it out. I usually tend to play bass lines that move around a lot, but this time I tried to really focus on the melody and held back on being too technical. 

AKANE (Drums/Percussion): I was also very aware of making a melody-oriented beat. Since many of BAND-MAID’s songs have fast BPM, this one might sound a bit mid-tempo, but I tried to avoid making it sound simply like a chilled-out mid-tempo track by adding little details, like creating beats with fills, that would become the hook. Basically, though, I wanted people to listen to the vocals throughout the song, so it’s a simple beat that supports the vocals.

It might be a little simple for BAND-MAID, but when you compare it to songs by other rock bands, it’s not laid back at all.

AKANE: Right. [Laughs] When the melody line is extended like this and the drums are keeping a simple eighth-note groove, it sounds mid-tempo when our band does it. But I didn’t want to erase its speedy feeling, so was conscious of creating a beat that wouldn’t get boring. In terms of the anime, it’s like being reincarnated in another world. I added a furious drum fill before the final chorus, and had these two themes of another world and the real world in my mind when I recorded it.

Kobato: I’ve felt that there are surprisingly few songs with a simple feel recently, so I’m thinking of playing the guitar parts in our live shows [the band calls its concerts “Okyuji,” meaning “to serve”] in a way that would complement the catchy melody, po. SAIKI sings in a way that really brings out the story, so I tried to sing the chorus in a way that would support her from behind, changing the nuances and singing with a lot of range. The chorus work is rich, so I tried to sing it with that in mind, po.

SAIKI, when you wrote the lyrics, what did you focus on in the work it accompanies?

SAIKI (Lead vocals): The title “Zen” was there from the demo stage, and the ZENSHU team were like, “Perfect, that’s great,” so we kept it. I was able to really get into the work by watching all the episodes as moving images, and picked out words from the story and incorporated them into the lyrics. ZENSHU taught me all kinds of things about being an animator, the profession of the protagonist, and thought it’d be nice to convey how creators like that feel. I think musicians and animators are the same in that we both create, so there were lots of parts I could relate to as a musician, and the lyrics in the chorus also reflect how we feel as BAND-MAID.

When (an anime) is based on a work that exists, you might already like it and be able to get into it right away, but since ZENSHU is an anime by MAPPA with an original story, I imagine it must have been difficult to grasp its worldview and reflect that in the lyrics.

SAIKI: It was. [Laughs] But I went over the plot and script and everything many times and worked on it after becoming a fan before anyone else. I felt that the song was “kayou [vintage Japanese pop music] rock.” We don’t often do songs in that style, and because of that, I figured my lyrics would reach people without sounding off, so I did pretty much what I pleased. As a vocalist, I recall recording it in a simpler way. In the first verse, I did simple chorus work, and from the second verse I tried to show off my own quirks, and added more and more harmonies to each chorus.

In terms of the performance, the descending part at the end of the chorus is memorable. What was the inspiration for that arrangement?

KANAMI: I wanted to create a kind of conclusion to the song. I also considered ending all together with the members, but since the work is about reincarnation, I wanted to include a fantasy-like image.

Your guitar solo, on the other hand, has an ascending, chaotic nuance that’s cool.

KANAMI: Thank you, I like it myself. It’s quite difficult technically, but I always want to play melodies that stick in your ears, and I think I’ve created a guitar solo that leaves a strong impression.

On the Zepp tour last year, you also performed songs off your new album Epic Narratives. How do you feel about the album now?

Kobato: After we “served” them live, we were like, “This album is really good after all,” and our masters and princesses [fans] have told us that that they felt the album was even more wonderful after hearing it live, so that made me happy, po.

SAIKI: It really struck me once again how much we love performing live, and felt that our music is something that is completed by “serving” it to the audience.

The music video for the song “Memorable” off your new album features scenery from overseas. It’s a song you feel strongly about, isn’t it?

Kobato: Yes, po. After COVID restrictions were lifted and we were finally able to go on another overseas tour, we thought it’d be a good idea to write a song about how we felt then, so KANAMI wrote the chorus during the tour. From there, we filled the song with memories of our U.S. tour, like including the English phrases we spoke on the stage and making it so that the people who came to see us at the time could envision the scenery when they listened to the song. The song turned out like that because we decided to write a straightforward ballad with a tempo we’ve never done before as BAND-MAID, po.

Lastly, please say a few words as a New Year’s greeting to your to your masters and princesses.

KANAMI: Happy New Year! I’m really looking forward to 2025, especially because we’ll be able to “serve” [play live] in lots of different places. I’ll write more songs this year and work hard so that we can entertain everyone. Thanks in advance.

SAIKI: This year we’ll be releasing not only the new single “Zen” but also an EP, and there’s more good news to come. I hope you’ll all stay healthy and look forward to it!

AKANE: Last year we were able to perform with some bands we respect, like Incubus and The Warning, and our dreams are steadily coming true. I hope we can continue to make the dreams of BAND-MAID as a whole come true again this year.

MISA: I think we’ll be able to “serve” a lot this year, so I plan on cherishing each show. I want to grow personally and grow as a group and make it a fun year.

Kobato: We’ll be “serving” in lots of different places this year, and there are also lots of things we haven’t announced yet, so I think the year will really pass faster than the last, po. I’m really excited about it, and think that 2025 will bring joy, surprise and all sorts of other feelings to our masters and princesses, so I hope you look forward to it, po. One of our strengths is that we work both in Japan and abroad, so we’d like to continue doing projects that our masters and princesses overseas can enjoy too. I’m looking forward to meeting lots of masters and princesses in 2025, po.

Anything else you want to add as a message to your masters and princesses outside of Japan?

Kobato: We’ve received lots of passionate requests from overseas for us to come and “serve” them, and we also really want to meet lots of people everywhere. We hope masters and princesses from outside Japan can come see us “serve” at Billboard Live this year, and we’ll be “serving” on many other occasions as well, so we’d love for you to plan a trip to Japan and come and see us, po!

—This interview by Takayuki Okamoto first appeared on Billboard Japan

Billboard Japan’s Women in Music initiative launched in 2022 to celebrate artists, producers and executives who have made significant contributions to music and inspired other women through their work, in the same spirit as Billboard’s annual Women in Music celebration that has continued since 2007. This interview series featuring female players in the Japanese entertainment industry is one of the highlights of Japan’s WIM project, with the first 30 sessions published as a “Billboard Japan Presents” collection by writer Rio Hirai.

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J-pop singer-songwriter miwa spoke with Hirai for the latest installment of the WIM interview series. The 34-year-old musician has taken the stage at Billboard Live every November for the past few years for her “miwa CLASSIC” concert series. The singer and actress celebrating the 15th anniversary of her career this year recently moved to Canada. She shares her views on the driving force behind her 15 years of changes and challenges. 

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This interview, in Japanese, is also available in podcast form on the Billboard JAPAN Spotify and YouTube channels.

You made your debut while you were a university student, and performed at the historic Nippon Budokan for the first time in March of the year you graduated. You’ve established yourself as an artist in your twenties and thirties, which is a period when the stages of women’s lives change greatly in general.

When my friends were looking for jobs (before graduating), I was thinking, “I’m going to make a career out of music,” but still felt like a student in some ways. I became more and more professional as I focused on music as my sole career. As the years went by, I felt a stronger sense of responsibility towards my fans. What hasn’t changed is my desire to keep taking on challenges. I started going to graduate school a decade after getting my undergraduate degree, and moved to Canada last fall. I also try my hand at new genres of music. I don’t want to be fixated on just one thing, and want to keep moving forward.

Why are you able to keep taking on new challenges?

It occurred to me that ramen restaurants that always have queues are constantly updating their flavor and continually improving. When you think, “This taste’s great, as always,” it actually means the flavor has improved from last time. I realized this when I was talking to a hair and makeup artist, and began to think I wanted to be an artist like that. Someone who can always improve and shine more and more. I want to be an artist who can grow little by little in that way.

I’d like to talk a little about the Billboard Japan charts. On the 2023 year-end Japan Hot 100 song chart, there were 64 entries by male artists, 19 by female artists, 16 by mixed groups, and one by an artist whose gender wasn’t disclosed. This ratio hasn’t changed significantly for many years. This Women in Music interview series was inspired by the question of why this is the case, when there are so many wonderful female artists like yourself in the Japanese music industry. Were you aware of this gender imbalance on the charts?

I’ve never been aware of it. Regarding gender inequality, I’ve felt that opportunities are limited for female artists at rock festivals. There’s a big hurdle there. I’ve used adversity as an impetus, believing that if I have the ability, I’ll be able to overcome it.

How do you think being a woman has affected your life?

I think there are so many changes. My values are so different from when I was 19 and just getting started, and the things I want to I cherish now and the way I use my time are completely different. I’ve changed so much more than I could have imagined when I was 19 — even the country I live in isn’t the same now. That’s why it’s probably important not to be stubborn or be fixated on things. There will times when things don’t go the way you want them to, but if you can accept that, I think it will give you strength.

If you were to give advice to yourself when you were first starting out, what would you say?

Well, in my first year, I was so busy with so many things that I didn’t know what to do and just threw myself into the work in front of me. There were lots of things I couldn’t do well, and there were times when I was so frustrated that I’d cry as soon as I got off the stage. I just had to gain experience. I’m the kind of person who practices a lot, so I tried to be fully prepared at all times and kept practicing hard.

So 15 years of doing that has led to who you are today. What do you think is necessary for women to thrive in this country’s music and entertainment industry?

In the course of a woman’s career, there will inevitably be periods when she has to take some time off, and I think it’s going to be very important to think about how to support them during those periods of absence. Looking at women’s careers in the long term, support from the people around them is key to ensuring they can continue to work without interruption.

You studied at the graduate level at Keio University’s Neurosciences and Music Laboratory and graduated in March 2023. How did your experience at graduate school affect your current activities?

I had the opportunity to talk with younger classmates, and it was such a good experience to relearn things. I was very happy to learn that efforts are being made to seriously consider music from various perspectives and try to prove it scientifically. It’s been scientifically proven that music can be effective in helping people lead happy lives, and I was able to feel the potential of music all over again. I chose to research live performances, and studied why people are moved by them. I was able to realize once again that the things I’m trying to convey are reaching the audience, and that their feelings of support and being moved by the performance also reach the artists onstage.

What would you like to try next?

The challenge is whether I can make going back and forth between Canada and Japan work. Living abroad has always been a dream of mine. This year is the 15th anniversary of my career, so I want to meet my fans in person and share some time with them.

Lastly, please give a message to women everywhere.

There are so many changes and choices in the way women live their lives, and I think it’s up to each individual to choose the path they want to take, but there may be times when people say things to you based on your age or what’s considered the norm. But I believe that the moment you can truly feel happy about having come into this world is when you believe in your own choices and live your life as you are. So let’s live together, confident about what we choose, not comparing ourselves to others and not bound by age or what’s considered the norm, believing in our own choices.

That was a really lovely message. Have you always had faith in your own choices in life?

Well, I think that when you’re in doubt, you have to trust yourself. Even if you make a mistake, if you can go, “This is the path I chose, so I’ll just correct my course,” then you can try again from there. There are many different paths in life, so if the door you open happens to not be the one, you can just look for a completely different door and go down that path.

—This interview by Rio Hirai (SOW SWEET PUBLISHING) first appeared on Billboard Japan