GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE Goes Unchained with Baki Hanma in their Latest Release!

Baki Hanma

© Keisuke Itagaki (Akita Shoten) / Baki the Grappler Production Committee

Popular boy group GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE has released their new song, "Unchained World (Anime Size)" today, September 2 across all digital music streaming platforms. The song was selected as the Ending theme of Baki Hanma, which will be exclusively streamed worldwide on Netflix from 30 September 2021. It is a song that is wrapped in lyrics that strongly portray the worldview of the animation with a sense of speed and a fierce feeling!

The original Baki series that was serialized in Akita Shoten's Weekly Shonen Champion is about the youngest champion of the underground arena, Hanma Baki, and his father, who is called "the strongest creature on earth." It is a popular fighting manga with a cumulative circulation of over 85 million copies, expressing the struggle of various fighters centered on a fierce death battle with Yujiro Hanma. The 30th anniversary project is also underway.

Baki The Most Deadly prisoner story arc from 2018 and The Centennial Tournament story arc from 2020 was broadcasted on Netflix and TV. Finally, the third part of the Baki series, Baki Hanma which depicts the two parents and children as they collide with each other with all their spirits and will be exclusively streamed worldwide on Netflix in the fall of 2021.

The members of GENERATIONS are also big fans of the series. Below are their comments regarding this song:

GENERATIONS members comment

■ Alan Shirahama

I've read all of the Baki series and I've been a big fan so I'm very happy that our song has been chosen as the ending theme, especially in this Oliva story arc! I remember being scared while reading it when Oliva came out because I don’t know whether there will be a guy that is strong enough to beat him! It's my bible-like manga because I admired Baki so much that I started weight training myself! Inspired by Oliva's nickname "Unchain", the song is completely conscious of this anime!!! This expresses the place where Baki fights and the momentum of the character who gave his life, so I hope to convey this to a lot of people!!!!

■ Ryota Katayose

I am very honored to be involved in the popular anime Baki Hanma as an ending theme.

I hope this song will give people who didn't know GENERATIONS previously a chance to learn about our songs and performances. The song is a very powerful song that is close to the worldview of the source material. I was so impressed that I went to the recording quite fired up so as not to lose the power.

■ Ryuto Kazuhara

I was really surprised because I never thought that my song would be used for the ending theme of Baki Hanma, which is my favorite anime work, but I am very happy!

I hope that this song can make this anime more amazing and make people who listen to this song go beyond their limits!

■ Hayato Komori

When I heard that this was decided, I was so surprised that I thought it was a lie!

I've known Baki ever since I was little, and I'm full of joy to be involved in the work I'm reading and wish I could go back and tell my younger self about it! 

The title of this song and the keywords of the lyrics come from Mr. Unchain, Olivia, in the anime. When I listen to the completed song and when the performance was completed, releasing this song in the present world where there are many regulations and restrictions, I imagine the joy of being released from this state and the vitality that springs from your heart. I want the song to be something that can be a pillar of support for everyone who is fighting now!

■ Reo Sano

I still can't believe that it will be used as the ending theme for the popular manga anime work, it's a strange feeling! The worldview of the work, which is to push forward powerfully, is linked to the taste and lyrics of the song, so I hope that even in the performance of GENERATIONS, I can express and transmit these feelings while being close to the world view of the work!

■ Mandy Sekiguchi

When I first heard about this, I was really happy to be honest! It's strange to be involved in a work that I've known since I was a kid, but the song is perfect for the worldview of "Baki Hanma", so I hope it will reach people all over the world in conjunction with the series. I noticed that many of the ending themes of past Baki Hanma works had a rock taste. We made this song with a the sense of putting a rock feel through the GENERATIONS filter and created a new genre.

■ Yuta Nakatsuka

I am very happy and honored to be able to do the ending theme of my favorite anime! I'm excited that our songs will be used in the anime I've been watching. I was able to make another dream come true! There are many lyrics that depict the world of Baki Hanma, and the performance is reminiscent of anime, so please look forward to it!

Be sure to sure to check out the track here!

VivaOla Brings the Moon in Latest Release!

“My Moon (feat. ZIN)” Digital Jacket Cover

To hype up his upcoming release, vocalist VivaOla released the track “My Moon” across all digital music streaming platforms. "My Moon" is a song from VivaOla's upcoming first full-length album Juliet is the moon which was released September 1. Produced with Soulflex's ZIN, “My Moon” is a danceable song with a contrast between two vocals which you can enjoy. The track’s music video, directed by Kazumi Watanabe, is available on YouTube. The upcoming album will feature ten tracks and a CD-only standard edition.

As we look forward to the upcoming release be sure to check out the music video for “My Moon” along with the track here and the order link for Juliet is the moon below!

Standard edition 

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VivaOla「Juliet is the moon」

CD

01. Saving Grace (Intro)   

02. Not Enough For You   

03. My Moon (feat. ZIN)   

04. Love you bad (feat. YonYon)  

05. All This Time  

06. Goodbye  

07. Waste   

08. Mixed Feelings   

09. Over The Moon (feat. Sagiri Sól)  

10.Two Years (Outro) 

TAEYO Brings A New Color With Upcoming Album!

Pale Blue Dot Jacket Cover

Vocalist TAEYO announced that he will be releasing a brand new album, Pale Blue Dot, September 14. This will be his first album release under this new moniker; his prior was Taeyoung Boy, which he’d held since March of 2019. The album will come with 13 tracks total and drop with a CD-only standard edition. To hype up the release of the album, TAEYO also released the music video for his track “RUNNIN’” on his YouTube channel and the track itself was made available across all digital streaming platforms. The music video was directed by Leo Youlagi, a photographer-video director who has created TAEYO's visuals with him. The video consists of TAEYO's running scene and images closely related to everyday life.

As we look forward to the upcoming release be sure to check out the music video for “RUNNIN’” along with the pre-order link for Pale Blue Dot below!

Standard edition

Kaz Marks the End of Summer With Mai Anna in Latest Release!

“Summer is Over (feat. Mai Anna)” Digital Jacket Cover

Kaz of the boy group, INTERSECTION, has released “Summer is Over feat.Mai Anna” across all digital music streaming platforms, this closely follows his single  “Drown feat. Hikari Mitsushima” which was released earlier this month. This track epitomizes the feeling of Summer’s end and reflecting on all of the memories and romance of the season. 

This is the third self-produced single that Kazuma has released this year and is the last before the release of his first solo EP, CODE LOVE, on September 13th. It will include “White Stallion” (which was downloaded 250k times on the first day of its release in China alone, breaking the record for a Japanese artist)  and “Drown feat. Hikari Mitsushima” as well as “Summer is Over feat.Mai Anna”

“I have produced this song with a producer Solomon Fox, who is a singer-songwriter in the U.S. This song was created at the end of summer as the title says when I was 19. My friend Mai Anna, who goes to the same school as me, joined to write the lyrics.

The melody is soft as it lets you imagine the scene of the end of the summer, but I added the warmth and the sense of the human temperature. Although it’s nostalgic when summer is over, this is the song about the passional romance relationship.” - KAZ

Be sure to check out the track here!

Dramatic Untold History of ‘PPAP’ Documented in Special Video, Commemorating 10 Years Since Superstar PIKOTARO’s Debut!

Artist PIKOTARO is nearing the 10th anniversary of his debut. To mark this momentous occasion, on August 25 – the same date as his worldwide smash-hit song “PPAP” was originally uploaded to YouTube in 2016 – he has released a special commemorative video titled “The miracles of PPAP”.

The special video documents PIKOTARO’s astonishing achievements in the decade since he began his career, including the runaway global success of “PPAP” and the many records it smashed. From performing in 17 countries and regions around the world and even being appointed as a cultural ambassador for Japan, PIKOTARO has achieved things that no other Japanese artist has before. As these accomplishments are detailed in the video, PIKOTARO reflects on how he went about creating “PPAP”, his hopes for the future and more. Within 5 minutes and 23 seconds, learn the untold history of one of Japan’s biggest stars.

“PPAP” is a household name all around the world, but the epic drama behind this unlikely hit song has been unknown to many of us – until now. This video is a must-see below!