Japanese indie pop band CHAI have announced their split after more than 10 years. in a social media statementthe quarter wrote that they will “eternalize NEO KAWAII” (breaking up as a band), after a farewell tour in Japan.
“To continue our journey of self-love, as CHAI has always said, and to continue fulfilling our own personal visions, we have decided to go our separate ways,” CHAI wrote. “We are very sorry to surprise you with this news. CHAI would never have been able to travel the world without all the support from him and we cannot thank them enough for the love and courage they have given us.”
CHAI went on to say that each member of the group will “continue to represent and spread NEO KAWAII in our own individual ways” after “traveling around Japan on our last tour to give LOVE to all of our NEO KAWAII BABIES one last time.”
Twin sisters Mana (vocals/keyboards) and Kana (guitar) formed CHAI in 2012 with drummer Yuna and bassist/lyricist Yuuki, when all four members were still in high school. With the aim of redefining the Japanese word “kawaii” (or “cute” in English), they created a NEO KAWAII aesthetic and were inspired from the beginning by artists such as Basement Jaxx, Jamiroquai and Gorillaz, with the latter they collaborated in 2020.
His second album, PUNK, gained them an international following and they signed to Sub Pop in 2020. CHAI's last studio effort was a self-titled album released last September. Their farewell tour kicks off in Sapporo, Japan on January 28 and will make stops in Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo and more. Get your tickets here.
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