Ayumi Hamasaki releases new single ‘BYE-BYE’ on 26th anniversary of her debut! Explosive music video features ayu in school uniform!

As she celebrates the 26th anniversary of her debut, pop superstar Ayumi Hamasaki has released the brand new single ‘BYE-BYE’. ‘BYE-BYE’ was written for the NHK series ‘Minna no Uta’, broadcast in April and May.

As you’d expect from Hamasaki, the song’s immersive lyrics are dark and deep – generating tons of attention among her legions of fans. Along with the release of ‘BYE-BYE’, a music video was also released on Hamasaki’s official YouTube channel.

In a classroom in an apparently abandoned school, Hamasaki and 23 dancers perform intense choreography, especially during the chorus – and all of them, including Hamasaki, are dressed in school uniform.  As soon as this explosive video was released on April 8, social media it up with fan comments, such as “ayu looks so cute in uniform!”, “I have to learn the choreography!” and “This song is the perfect start to her 26th anniversary!”

26 years have passed since the release of Ayumi Hamasaki’s debut single ‘poker face’ on April 8, 1998. As she enters her 27th year, ayu continues to evolve – don’t miss it.

Hikaru Utada Science Fiction Tour 2024: Details for Taipei Shows Revealed!

With Hikaru Utada's highly anticipated SCIENCE FICTION TOUR scheduled to start in Fukuoka on 13th July, the artist announced details for their August live shows in Taipei, Taiwan today.

Utada is scheduled to perform their first solo live show in Taiwan, gracing the stage of Taipei Arena on 10th and 11th August. Marking a significant milestone in their career this year, this performance signifies their first solo international performance in 14 years, including their artist activities internationally as “Utada,” and their first appearance abroad since their memorable showcase at Coachella Music Festival in 2022.

In recent years, their singles “First Love” and “Hatsukoi” have experienced a resurgence in popularity across Asia and beyond, fueled by the success of the Netflix series First Love, making this solo performance a highly-anticipated, must-see event for fans.

To see  details, please visit the official tour website here!

*Please note that tickets purchased from overseas must be paid and issued locally by the due date.

ARKTA Release Brand New Music Video for "The Song for You" from Latest EP!

International hybrid alternative rock unit ARKTA has released a new music video for their song “The Song for You” from their first full EP titled “From Where the City Lights Burn” which was released on February 23rd. The full EP is currently available for listening on all digital platforms worldwide.

Although ARKTA is known to often incorporate programming and synths, “The Song for You” deliberately avoids them, opting instead for a straightforward sound with only raw instrumentation.

Tak, who wrote the lyrics, explains “This is a song for those who've felt crushed by the world, thrown out, and have gotten tired of everything. It's not a grand song about saving someone. I just wanted to turn my wish into a song where no one gives up on themselves. This is because I know people who gave up on life and left this world without giving me a chance to say anything. Because I know people who were rejected by the world due to discrimination. I know everyone is doing their best just by living their life to its fullest, but I thought that even someone like me could deliver a message to the world, that you're not alone. So, I poured my heart into this song. When you're ready to stand up, we'll pull you back up. We'll be here. Just for now, please listen to our song. I’m not saying let's try harder. Let's all just laugh together.”

kenken adds, “This song might feel somewhat different from the other tracks on the EP. But, we hope that listeners will appreciate the gentle, mellow yet powerful message conveyed in this song, which is also one of ARKTA's charms.”

To celebrate the release of their EP, ARKTA will also be having two shows/events in Tokyo, Japan on April 28th at the Shibuya Milkyway with ACME and at the Shibuya ROCKAHOLIC on April 29th which can be purchased here!

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“From Where the City Lights Burn” Digital Jacket Cover

“From Where the City Lights Burn” Track Listing

1. The Lily
2. The Last Day
3. The Angeles
4. The End feat. StellarStairs
5. The Song for You

The common theme running through the entire EP is the transience of the present reality and the fleeting nature of the life we are currently living. The band explains that the term “transience” is not solely negative, but it carries the sentiment that something vague, fragile, and easily crumbling can be beautiful and precious. While some songs touch upon unrequited feelings and eternal farewells, the emotions of longing, yearning for life, and feelings towards companions on the journey of life are also scattered throughout the five songs. The difficulty in expressing emotions through words alone is why, as ARKTA, they wanted to convey them through sound and it's the meaning behind creating and singing songs for them. Stream “From Where the City Lights Burn” on all streaming platforms here

ARKTA EP RELEASE SHOWS IN JAPAN

APRIL 28 – Tokyo, SHIBUYA MILKYWAY with ACME

APRIL 29 – Tokyo, SHIBUYA Rockaholic ARKTA “From Where the City Lights Burn” Release FAN MEETING

Find Tickets Here!

Emerging Superstar Ado Wraps Up Historic First U.S. Tour Invites Fans To Discover A Special Playlist Commemorating Shows!

Ado stands poised to introduce a new era of Japanese music to the world. Since debuting as a high schooler, the 21-year-old artist has created some of the biggest J-pop hits of the 2020s by capturing both the angst and optimism of her young generation, and sharing it with the world. Following a series of sold-out shows across Asia and Europe at the start of 2024, Ado brought THE FIRST WORLD TOUR “Wish” to New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Austin. Each stop sold out, with venues filled completely with fans eager to see a creator who has bridged the worlds of pop music, Vocaloid and anime. 

To celebrate completing one of the most successful debut global tours by a Japanese artist ever, Ado has shared a special playlist, highlighting songs from the tour and bonus voice memos featuring Ado greeting listeners in their respective languages while also sharing her heartfelt memories of every city she visited. 

Fans first found this playlist following the link of large QR codes on the side of Ado-themed buses roving the streets in cities where she performs, as well as in projection displays seen in Los Angeles on April 1st located across several locations, including 6th Vermont Ave., Hollywood and Highland, and Hill Street and 8th.

Amidst a cool evening in downtown Los Angeles, Ado fans gathered at various locations around the city to glimpse at projections on the side of some of  L.A’.s most historic buildings. An image lit up the buildings and fans were treated to a fast-paced video revisiting each stop on Ado’s world tour, spotlighting clips of passionate crowds around the world. Near the end of the recap, a bright QR code appeared at the end of the short film, directing them towards a surprise from Ado: a special playlist of songs from the tour and voice messages from Ado for each city of her historic tour.

Ado came up in Japan’s Vocaloid community — referring to songs made using the singing-synthesizer software of the same name — as someone covering songs using her natural voice. Reflecting that world, she emphasizes the music over herself, hiding her identity and performing in silhouette.

Besides being a force in J-pop, Ado has crossed over into the world of film, providing the singing voice to the character UTA in the film ONE PIECE FILM RED, the latest full-length offering from the globally beloved ONE PIECE series. One song from the film made in collaboration with producer Yasutaka Nakata (Perfume, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu) titled “New Genesis” became a monster hit domestically, while also breaking through abroad. It landed at number one on Apple Music’s Top 100: Global chart, becoming the first Japanese song ever to accomplish this feat.

With THE FIRST WORLD TOUR, Ado has taken an even bigger step into the global limelight, while also underlining the growing interest in Japanese music all over the world. She stands as a key voice in this new era.

All live photos “By Viola Kim (V’z Twinkle)”

All LA projection photos “By Hokan Lo”

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About Ado:

Ado is a new-era creator who first started her music career as part of Japan’s rich Vocaloid community, serving as an UTAITE singer (someone who covers songs made using singing-synthesizer technology with their own voice). She became a mainstream name in Japan via her 2020 major label debut “Usseewa.” The thunderous song, which finds Ado verbally broadsiding modern Japan and its tendency to marginalize younger people, became a hit. “Usseewa” topped multiple charts in the country, garnered hundreds of millions of YouTube views and cemented itself as a defining number of the early 2020s. Her hotly anticipated 2022 debut album Kyougen, which went on to debut at number one on multiple domestic charts

Ado’s domestic momentum didn’t slow down in 2023. She toured Japan throughout the year, including shows at the historic Nippon Budokan. She landed tie-up songs with a variety of Japanese movies and anime series, including the extremely popular series SPY X FAMILY. Her single “Show,” produced by Japanese electronic artists Giga and TeddyLoid, became a hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100 Japan charts for multiple weeks.

Now, she’s stepping out onto the global stage after completing a historic first world tour, with much more to come. 

Keina Suda releases new d Anime Store tie-up song ‘April’, out now!

‘April’ Jacket Cover

Keina Suda has released his latest song, ‘April’. The song features on the commercial for d Anime Store, which was released on March 23, 2024. ‘April’ is a refreshing tune alive with the colors of spring, a mid/up-tempo song that vividly captures Suda’s feelings of yearning for a new phase of life to begin.

Be sure to check out the streaming link for ‘April’ here!

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■ Keina Suda profile 

Keina Suda began his career as a Vocaloid producer on Japanese video-sharing site Niconico, under the name Balloon. His hit song ‘Charles’ and his own self-cover of the same song have been played more than 100 million times on YouTube; the song ranked No.1 on karaoke platform JOYSOUND’s overall chart of songs released in 2017, and No.1 for three years running on JOYSOUND’s per-age-group ranking and teen category, capturing the zeitgeist for today’s youth.

In October 2017, he began recording songs featuring his own singing voice as Keina Suda. In February 2021, his first major-label full-length album ‘Billow’ was released, ranking at No.7 on Japan’s Oricon weekly chart. In 2023, he released his second full-length album, ‘Ghost Pop’, which included songs such as ‘Darling’, whose video by Avogado6 combining animation and live action became a hot topic, and ‘Mellow’, which was used as the theme song for an anime series.

Handling the lyrics, music and arrangements for all of his songs himself, and producing, recording and even releasing his tracks from home, Keina Suda makes the ultimate bedroom pop music, winning fans among young people the world over.