YOASOBI celebrated its fifth anniversary on October 1st. The J-pop duo, consisting of composer Ayase and singer ikura, began their career in 2019 as a group that turns creative writing into music. The “Idol” creators have since released several hit songs and gained popularity that transcends generations and borders, expanding their reach globally as one of the biggest J-pop acts in recent years. How did YOASOBI cement their current position as a music sensation like no other? Let's take a look at their journey.
YOASOBI was originally created for a project by the online creative writing website “monogatary.com”, run by Sony Music. The pair's debut single, “Yoru ni Kakeru” (“Into the Night”) is based on an original short story by Mayo Hoshino titled “Thanatos no yuuwaku” (“Seduction of Thanatos”) which won the grand prize at the 2019 Monocon competition. hosted by the website. At the time, Ayase was a songwriter who released music online as a “vocaloid producer” (vocalo-p), and ikura was a solo singer-songwriter who released music under the name Lilas Ikuta. The two artists came together for the YOASOBI project and released the accompanying music video for their debut track on YouTube in November 2019.
As the introduction above suggests, the members of YOASOBI initially had no idea that they would become as successful as they are now, since the unit was created as part of the website project. At first, they didn't even know if they would continue working as a duo in the long run. But the appeal of their music naturally spread, and the music video for “Yoru ni Kakeru” crossed one million views in just one month after its release. This is an excellent number for a new, unknown act.
The YOASOBI phenomenon began the following year. The backlash that had spread quickly on the Internet was also picked up by television and other media from around April, and the buzz spread to the mainstream. “Yoru ni Kakeru” entered the top 10 of the all-genre Billboard Japan Hot 100 song chart for the first time on the list released on April 29, 2020. It continued to stay in the upper ranks throughout the year and also took the top spot on the year-end Japan Hot 100. The duo also topped NHK's for the first time Kohaku Uta Gassenthe famous annual New Year's Eve live music extravaganza.
One of the reasons why the duo's music gained popularity so quickly was probably the atmosphere of the times. Many people spent time at home due to the pandemic and the number of people enjoying online entertainment increased. Subtle animated music videos were also a factor. But it goes without saying that the biggest factor in their success was the power of the music itself. In 2020, YOASOBI released five songs consecutively, including “Tabun” and “Gunjo”. The songs varied in flavor, but Ayase's signature, catchy melodies and ikura's lively vocal delivery were on display in each, and the group established their unmistakable pop style.
YOASOBI's success continued. In 2021, they moved past the buzz around a single release and focused on showing their appeal as artists. The band worked on high-profile tie-ins including the dark, electro-pop number “Monster”, which appeared as the anime series' opening theme BUILDINGS Season 2, and released a string of singles that expanded their musical range. In July of the same year, they released the English version of “Yoru ni Kakeru” called “Into The Night”, which fans noticed had lyrics that sounded like Japanese in places.
The debut of YOASOBI's live performances was also a major turning point for the duo whose activities initially took place mostly online. In February 2021, the pair held their first live performance – entitled KEEP OUT THEATER – at a building under construction in Shinjuku, Tokyo (now Tokyu Kabukicho Tower), which was filmed without an audience and broadcast live for viewers at home. Their headlining solo concert at the historic Nippon Budokan in Tokyo in December of that year, titled NICE TO MEET YOU, marked the duo's first appearance in front of a live audience.
The hitmakers further expanded their activities into real conditions the following year. In August 2022, they took the stage as headliners at their first summer music festival, ROCK IN JAPAN. In December, they performed outside of Japan for the first time at 88rising's Head In The Clouds festivals held in Indonesia and the Philippines. That same year, they collaborated with four Naoki Prize-winning writers on a project called Hajimet no (“…for the first time”), and their song “The Blessing”, released in October, appeared as the opening act for Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Season 1 and became a huge hit.
In 2023, YOASOBI scored its biggest hit to date with “Idol”, which appeared as the opening act for the anime Oshi no Ko. Released in April, this single quickly became a sensation upon its release. Held the No. 1 spot on the Japan Hot 100 for 22 weeks, with 21 of those weeks consecutively charting from April 19 to September 6, 2023. This is an all-time record for any act in the history of the Billboard Japan Songs chart , and of course the track also topped the year-end list for 2023. The song's popularity spread to countries around the world and reached No. 1 on Billboard's Global Excl. The US chart dated June 10 became the first Japanese-language song to top this list.
The duo followed that success with another, releasing “The Brave,” the opening of the anime television series Frieren, in September of that year, and the momentum of YOASOBI's rise to superstardom reached its peak when the group's debut track 'Yoru ni Kakeru' became the first Japanese song to amass one billion streams (later reaching 1.1 billion on 29 May 2024).
The pair also developed impressively as artists through their strong performances on stage. In May 2023, they embarked on their first headlining domestic arena tour, and in August, they performed for fans in the US for the first time at Head In The Clouds Los Angeles. From December 2023 to January 2024, the group toured other Asian countries. The enthusiastic response from the crowds in each city must have given the two artists great confidence.
This year, YOASOBI continues to face new challenges. In April, they took the stage at Coachella, and also held their first US headlining show in August. They also played Lollapalooza, steadily expanding their reach in North America. YOASOBI's first concerts in Tokyo and Osaka are scheduled for October and November, and another Asia tour is planned for December to February next year. Musically, they released a new song called “UNDEAD” in July. Featured as a theme for the anime Monogatari Series: Off & Monster Seasonthe musical style of the latest track is even more aggressive and chaotic than before, showcasing a new musical direction for the pair.
YOASOBI's five-year journey was unprecedented and their success ushered in a new era in J-pop culture. The hitmakers have stuck to the original idea of turning creative writing into music, meaning all their songs, including those written as tie-ins, continue to be based on original narratives. Each song has its own story, organically connected to other works such as anime and movies, and can be enjoyed in many ways from different angles. This is one of the true joys of YOASOBI's music and the duo is sure to show fans new horizons in the future.
—This article by Tomonori Shiba first appeared on Billboard Japan
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