Nao Toyama Announces Three Consecutive Months of Digital Single Releases!

Popular voice actress and singer Nao Toyama has announced her first-ever three consecutive months of single releases as part of her 7th Anniversary/Christmas Eve Project! All three releases will be available via all digital streaming platforms and the concept behind these releases is Nao Toyama’s signature songs.

The first release, titled “Shut Out My Lie,” focuses on Nao Toyama’s strong suit, dance, and is a dance music track. The lyrics convey a sense of not realizing when one has lost their true self, realistically portraying the emotions of people living in modern society, including the feelings of unease that lurk in daily life.

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In the second release, “Mayonaka no Kaiju” (Midnight Monster), Nao Toyama utilizes her voice, which is indispensable in her line of work, in a pop song. She layers her voice multiple times, creating a chorus unlike anything she’s done before. The rhythmic beats, along with the harmonious interplay of guitar and bass, make for an infectious melody that’ll have you grooving without even realizing it.

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For the third release, “(Abbr.) Fanfare for All Humanity,” Nao Toyama sends a musical message of “Congratulations” to everyone, aiming to bring smiles to all. This is her shortest song so far, but has the longest title! The lyrics and composition are by Yusuke Yamada, known for his work on Nao Toyama’s popular songs like “Kimi to Boku no Symphony” and “Goodbye Moratorium.”

Also, mark your calendar for the 7th Anniversary Party “Live☆Pallet,” celebrating Nao Toyama’s 7th year as a singer. The event will be held on February 12, 2024, at Ebisu Garden Hall. Keep an eye on Nao Toyama for more exciting developments to come!

Be sure to check out “Shut Out My Lie” across all streaming platforms here!

YOASOBI x Honeyfeed Writing Contest Begins

YOASOBI has teamed up with Honeyfeed to celebrate the release of their mega-popular debut song “Yoru ni Kakeru” which has amassed one billion plays across various platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. Honeyfeed is a web novel community that has launched a writing contest to celebrate the release. YOASOBI is famous for its motto "novels into music", and was inspired by the Japanese web novel “An Invitation from Thanatos” which was written by Mayo Hoshino.

Honeyfeed has invited everyone who wants to be a writer to pay tribute to their roots by creating a spin-off story based on both the song and the original story. Writers can submit their spin-off story to Honeyfeed starting October 8, 2023, and if they complete the contest by November 5, 2023, they will have the chance to be voted on as one of the three contest winners and win a $1,000 reward. One of those three will also be selected as the grand prize winner and have their novel recognized as an official spin-off plus it will be displayed in the description for the official music video and finally shared by YOASOBI on their social media platforms.

For more information about the YOASOBI x Honeyfeed Writing Contest, including rules, submission guidelines, and updates, please visit https://www.honeyfeed.fm/contests/yoasobi_x_honeyfeed

Virtual singer KAF releases music video for ‘My Voice’, the 14th song in her ‘Suite’ series – a collaboration with Shinichi Osawa (MONDO GROSSO)

‘My voice’ Jacket Cover

The ‘Suite’ series by Japanese virtual singer KAF is a series of collaborations with real-life artists and songwriters.

For the 14th entry in the series, KAF’s collaborator is MONDO GROSSO, the solo project of Japanese artist Shinichi Osawa. Osawa is a musician, composer, DJ and producer who has worked with numerous domestic and global artists as a producer and remixer, as well as producing music for commercials, installations and soundtracks, and even producing a music bar focused on vinyl records. The title is ‘My Voice’. The song was released on September 6 – and now, a music video has also been released.

Created in collaboration with VFX artist group khaki, this is the first music video to feature KAF’s virtual human form. KAF plays the lead in the music video, which uses state-of-the-art technology that is unique to KAF, allowing her to show expressions that transcend dimensions. The video was directed by filmmaker Hironobu Nagasawa.

An infinitely real “somewhere that is not here”. As the boundaries fade, KAF’s ongoing efforts to express her own “my voice” from in between the virtual and the real combine with khaki’s worldview that exceeds imagination and reality, resulting in a video that will leave viewers stunned.

Check out ‘My Voice’ across all streaming platforms here, and its music video below, and check out the current state of KAF’s ever-evolving world – a song that stands apart from past entries in the ‘Suite’ series.

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KAF profile

KAF is a virtual singer and founding member of KAMITSUBAKI STUDIO. She made her debut in 2018 at the age of 14, performing via 3D avatars without revealing her true face. Even in a crowded field where a diverse variety of expression continues to be born, she has established her own style as an artist thanks to her unique singing voice and worldview. Several of the collaborations in KAF’s ‘Suite’ project have grabbed the attention of music fans, generating over 200 million YouTube views and counting, and fostering a devoted fan community in Japan and around the world. 

KAF’s partnership with Iori Kanzaki, who has been her main writer since the beginning of her career, has received high acclaim, and in August 2022 KAF held a triumphant headline performance at the legendary Nippon Budokan in Tokyo titled FUKAKAI III/SOU. In January 2024, she will hold her fourth headline concert at Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, titled Kaika; marking the beginning of KAF’s second chapter, this concert follows her Budokan performance to continue the trend of this solo virtual singer playing arena-sized venues. KAF strives to transcend the boundaries between the virtual and real worlds, setting the standard for a new generation of music artists.

Check out more information via their official website!

MEWLIVE: A New VTuber Space Opens! Commemorative First Livestream!

Bandai Namco Music Live Inc. has announced their plans to open a new VTuber space named “MEWLIVE” on September 28, 2023, with the goal of creating a world where performers can freely express themselves beyond the boundaries of real and virtual. To commemorate this opening, a special livestream is scheduled for the same day at 7:00 PM (JST).

■MEWLIVE Commemorative First Livestream: A New VTuber Space Opens!

This livestream will feature the MEWLIVE CEO, voice actress Kotori Koiwai as the MC, VTuber Musubi Gaou as a performer, and VTuber analyst Sui Kawasaki as a guest.

Throughout the livestream, they will share information about MEWLIVE’s concept, its affiliated VTubers, and upcoming activities, so be sure to check it out!

About MEWLIVE

MEWLIVE is a new space where VTubers serve as a bridge between our world and virtual space. Our goal is to create a world where performers can freely express themselves beyond the boundaries of real and virtual.

■MEWLIVE CEO X (former Twitter)

■MEWLIVE official YouTube channel

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MC

Kotori Kowai

Profile

A voice actress. She has voiced characters such as Renge Miyauchi in Non Non Biyori and Tomoka Tenkubashi in The Idolmaster: Million Live! She is also known as a composer who has written, composed, and arranged jingles that play on TBS Radio. She is renowned as an audio enthusiast who owns over 200 earphones and headphones and gained fame for selling tens of thousands of earphones with just one tweet.

She made headlines as the first voice actress to become a MENSA member. She belongs to Peerless Gerbera.

■Official X (formerly Twitter)

■YouTube channel

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Performer

Musubi Gaou

Profile

The modern incarnation of the once mighty Mosasaurus of ancient oceans. She currently leads a laid back life as a sea god. In fact, she’s so laid back that she fell asleep and washed up on a Japanese beach, where she was picked up by her current owner. With newfound time on her hands and her owner’s PC, she decided to try streaming.

■Official X (formerly Twitter)

■YouTube channel

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Guest

Sui Kawasaki

Profile

While active as a VTuber, she also works as a VTuber analyst.

She regularly shares content that is useful for novice VTubers and provides insights for listeners who are interested in the VTuber industry.

She also has a passion for motorcycles and posts daily motorcycle-related shorts!

■Official X (formerly Twitter)

■YouTube channel

Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club Teams Up with 12 Up-and-Coming Creators for their Upcoming Album!

Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club will release their 5th album Fly with You!! on October 4, 2023. Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club is a spin-off project of the Love Live! series, and up until now, all of its members have released songs that showcase their unique personalities as solo idols. This time, the theme of the album is “love songs.” “Fly with You!!” will feature a total of 13 tracks, including 12 solo songs that reflect the romantic views of each of the 12 members. A preview video has been released.

Lyric videos will also be produced for each of the 12 solo songs. From the album’s release on October 4 up until their 6th live on December 20, one lyric video will be released every week for 12 consecutive weeks. Please look forward to these collaborations between each of the members and talented up-and-coming creators!

Be sure to pre-order Fly with You!! below! Image provided by ©2022 Project Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club

Standard edition

Limited edition

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Lyric Video Release Schedule

October 4
Walking Dream
Singer: Ayumu Uehara (CV: Aguri Onishi) Creater: Mouishida (@mou14da)

October 11
Senobishitatte
Singer: Kasumi Nakasu (CV: Mayu Sagara) Creator: Syamo.G (@syamoij_0114)

October 18
Koakuma LOVE♡
Singer: Shizuku Osaka (CV: Kaori Maeda) Creator: Sena Makino (@3329h0rned0w1)

October 25
My Shadow
Singer: Karin Asaka (CV: Miyu Kubota) Creator: Oreo (@Oreo0789)

November 1
Request for U
Singer: Ai Miyashita (CV: Natsumi Murakami) Creator: Aise Manami (@AiseManami)

November 8
Cooking with Love
Singer: Kanata Konoe (CV: Akari Kito)
Creator: Palf / Ojima Kaito (@PALF_MovieWorks)

November 15
Cherry Bomb
Singer: Setsuna Yuki (CV: Coco Hayashi) Creator: Sisyamo (@sisyamondaaa)

November 22
Koisuru Sunflower
Singer: Emma Verde (CV: Maria Sashide) Creator: Kon-iro (@kon7iro)

November 29
Watashi wa Magnet
Singer: Rina Tennoji (CV: Chiemi Tanaka) Creator: Roly (@yosinO_mo)

December 6
Koufukuron
Singer: Shioriko Mifune (CV: Moeka Koizumi) Creator: SHIG (@s_nexts)

December 13
Lemonade
Singer: Mia Taylor (CV: Shu Uchida) Creator: Mizuki (@mzk_i6)

December 20
5201314
Singer: Lanzhu Zhong (CV: Akina Homoto) Creator: Kuroremon (@remonziru0317)