Vicke Blanka Goes Through Changes in Latest Release!

“Changes” Jacket Cover

Vicke Blanka’s new single “Changes” was released globally this past week across all digital music streaming platforms.“Changes” is the ending song to ‘La Revanche des Crevettes Pailletées’ (‘Revenge of The Shiny Shrimps’), the sequel to hit French movie ‘The Shiny Shrimps’. The new film was released in France today, and the ending song will also be included when the film is released globally. “Changes” was written especially for the movie; Vicke Blanka delivers lyrics with a message about embracing change, singing a characteristic melody line in his beautiful falsetto voice. In the cover photo, Vicke Blanka has cut his trademark shoulder-length hair short as he touchingly sheds a tear.

Vicke Blanka said of the new single, “It’s a song about change. I wrote the lyrics while reflecting on how all of us want to change, how I want to change, how some things need to change, and how some things need to be changed. I’m honored to be involved in such an important movie.”

During the production process, Vicke Blanka exchanged emails in English with the film’s French directors, Cédric Le Gallo and Maxime Govare, to discuss the details. Of the directors, Vicke Blanka said, “I feel grateful for their clear opinions. The communication went very smoothly – which is probably to be expected, because all of us wanted to make the film as good as it could possibly be.” The directors also praised Vicke Blanka. “Vicke Blanka always put the needs of the film first, and he truly understood the emotions the film required,” said Le Gallo. Govare added, “Following our communication with Vicke Blanka, he provided the perfect song to close the film’s two hours of intense emotion. The song will find many dedicated fans in France!” On the same day, the music video for “Changes” was also released.

As indicated by the word “changes”, the video features magnificent and beautiful imagery that expresses how a change can provide the catalyst to resolve a situation that had previously held us back. Not only does this release act as a bridge between France and Japan, but it also marks a moment of “change” in the career of Vicke Blanka, whose work through music and now film will continue to send a message of encouragement to listeners all over the world.

La Revanche des Crevettes Pailletées is the sequel to The Shiny Shrimps, which was released in March 2019 and was a No.1 hit in France, as recorded by IMDb’s Box Office Mojo. The series depicts the real-world gay water polo team from France, the Shiny Shrimps. The sequel will be released in Japan on Friday, October 28, 2022. The new film follows the uniquely quirky members of the Shiny Shrimps as they travel to Japan to participate in the latest edition of the Gay Games, the world’s largest LGBTQ+ sports and culture festival. It is an exciting road movie filled with hilarity and drama.

In addition, Vicke Blanka will hold a national tour in Japan, titled THE TOUR ‘Vicke Blanka’. It will be the artist’s largest tour to date, taking in seven cities around Japan from August 27 through October 30. It will be exciting to witness the stage performance of Vicke Blanka as he celebrates the fifth anniversary of his major-label debut.

Be sure to check out the music video “Changes” below along with the streaming link for the track here!

Josh Cumbee and Vicke Blanka Unites with a New Sound of Your Name!

“Sound Of Your Name (with Vicke Blanka)” Digital Jacket Cover

Los Angeles-born singer-songwriter Josh Cumbee and popular Japanese artist Vicke Blanka have united for new single “Sound Of Your Name (with Vicke Blanka)”, released worldwide on Friday, May 28 across all digital music streaming platforms.

“Sound Of Your Name (with Vicke Blanka)” is an acoustic version of Cumbee’s debut smash “Sound Of Your Name” freshly re-recorded in collaboration with Vicke Blanka, a breaking Japanese musician whose songs have been used as the theme tune to hit anime Black Clover and on a TV spot for Spotify Japan. The pair first met when Cumbee mixed “Bakashi Hour Night” by Vicke Blanka VS Taiiku Okazaki, which was released back in October of last year. The new collaboration is a natural extension of their friendship, born of mutual respect between two artists.

Vicke Blanka added his heartwarming vocals and new arrangements to this ephemeral acoustic rendition of “Sound Of Your Name”, exposing a new side to this song that sings of the deep wound that opens afresh whenever the singer thinks of his lost lover. The magnificent final chorus, sung by both musicians in unison, is a particular highlight.

The track instantly racked up "New Music Friday"; one of the most influential official Spotify playlists compiling the hottest and most notable recent releases, in Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia. In addition, the track made its way into Spotify “Acoustic Melodies Tokyo” playlist in Japan.

The song is accompanied by a lyric video, which expresses the melancholy of the lyrics with a selection of cute emoji. Some of these emoji will be especially familiar to Vicke Blanka fans, so be sure to pay close attention.

Cumbee made his debut as a solo singer in February of last year, after having built his career as a producer and songwriter for world-class artists such as Madonna, Chris Brown, Kygo, Rita Ora and Adam Lambert, and recently writing the worldwide hit “Wondering” for Olivia Rodrigo and Julia Lester. He has demonstrated his unique musical sense again and again through his production work, while his singing voice has been widely acclaimed since even before his singer-songwriter debut, when he was a guest vocalist on the hit single “Sunny Days” by veteran Dutch DJ/producer Armin van Buuren.

Having worked in genres including ballads, dance music, rock, K-pop and C-pop, Cumbee is a songwriter of exceptional talent. Be sure to check out “Sound Of Your Name (with Vicke Blanka)”, his first collaboration with another artist as a solo singer-songwriter.

Comment from Josh Cumbee

“I had the honor of mixing ‘Bakashi Hour Night’ for Vicke Blanka and Taiiku Okazaki a little while back – a super fun record to work on, and a very collaborative mixing process during which I got to know a small fraction of Vicke’s incredible talent. A little while later when I put out the acoustic version of my first single ‘Sound of Your Name’, I was surprised and thrilled to hear that he wanted to try it out as a collaboration. While sitting on a layover at the airport in Amsterdam I sent over the parts, and a few weeks later got back an incredible vocal from Vicke. He had some very inspiring harmony ideas that pushed me to add some additional creative touches for the new version… And just like that, the song was born.”

Comment from Vicke Blanka

“When I first listened to ‘Sound Of Your Name’, I instantly had the urge to collaborate with Josh, and so I contacted him. I’m grateful that things worked out so quickly. I hope you enjoy our dynamic chorus arrangements. We will definitely be working together again in the future.”

Be sure to check out the lyric video for “Sound Of Your Name (with Vicke Blanka)” below, along with the streaming link for the track here!

Vicke Blanka Brings it Back with Latest Music Video!

“Ponytail” Jacket Cover

Vocalist Vicke Blanka is blowing up big, with theme songs for several anime, TV dramas and commercials in Japan, while his music has received sustained attention from around the world, racking up some 200 million plays on streaming services. Today (February 12) he releases his latest single, “Ponytail”, along with an accompanying music video.

This breaking Japanese singer-songwriter disregards genres such as pop and rock to deliver his own brand of melodic music. Among his various tracks for popular TV shows and commercials in Japan, “Black Rover” and “Black Catcher” – his two opening theme tunes for the anime series Black Clover – have been especially successful, finding massive audiences both in Japan and overseas.

“Black Rover”, which was the opening track for Season 3 of Black Clover, has generated more than 50 million plays on streaming services outside of Japan, while fan-made cover videos of the song have totaled some 100 million plays on YouTube. Among these, versions by anime-song cover artists Raon Lee and BLINDING SUNRISE have received over 10 million and 4 million plays on YouTube, respectively. Truly, the song has been performed and adored by a variety of artists around the world.

Amid all of this worldwide recognition, Vicke Blanke today releases his latest single, “Ponytail”, along with a music video. “Ponytail” is a delicate mid-tempo ballad with a springtime theme tinged with the melancholy of fleeting romance. The track was arranged by Akimitsu Honma, who has produced hit artists such as Porno Graffitti and Ikimonogakari. The track’s powerful and touching sound perfectly carries Vicke Blanka’s ephemeral melody line.

The music video stars Hinako Sakurai, a rising young actress who is currently attracting a lot of attention in Japan. It follows two young people as they follow their dreams; the past and the present intersect, and their story unfolds with both joy and sorrow. With themes of opening the door to something new, taking a bold step and making a fresh start, it is perfect for springtime.

Be sure to check the music video in question below, along with the digital streaming link for “Ponytail” here!

Vicke Blanka vs. Taiiku Okazaki Sing of Friendship, Music and Retro Gaming on New Single!

Vicke Blanka’s collaboration single with Taiiku Okazaki, “BAKASHI HOUR NIGHT”, is now available worldwide across all digital music streaming platforms. The music video has already accrued over 2 million plays on YouTube. The collaboration was the result of a deep friendship between two kindred spirits – Vicke Blanka and Okazaki are not only partners in music but gaming buddies, too.

The Japanese word ‘bakashi’ means ‘bewitching’ or ‘enchanting’, and “BAKASHI HOUR NIGHT” is a song about friends hanging out together and wistfully longing to “mess around together for decades”. The music was composed and arranged by Vicke Blanka, and the lyrics were co-written by both Vicke Blanka and Okazaki. The song was mixed by Josh Cumbee, a music producer who has worked with Kygo, Rita Ora and Adam Lambert. Cumbee’s expertise helped the two artists reach for a new level of world-class dance music. 

The music video was directed by Mani Kato, who has created memorable videos for a number of artists including Kyuso Nekokami, Gesu no Kiwami Otome and Superfly.The video features Vicke Blanka and Okazaki dressed as a fox and a raccoon as they hang out in Vicke Blanka’s room, which is cluttered with records, games and other so-uncool-it’s-cool paraphernalia. The two friends play retro video games, fire up the DJ decks, and even perform a perfectly synchronized dance together. Scenes filled with humor and heart beautifully showcase the personalities and chemistry of these two close friends, while also expressing the magic of the song itself, making for a must-watch video.

In addition, fans are encouraged to use the duet feature on TikTok to learn the choreography and collaborate with other fans around the world on original ‘BAKASHI HOUR NIGHT’ TikTok videos – and experience their own night of bewitchment in the process.

Comments from Josh Cumbee

I was deeply honored that the team at AVEX put all this together for me to mix on such an awesome song. The track was so musical, the melodies so infectious, and the vocal performances so effortless yet impressive.. I woke up every day for two weeks straight humming the synth line of the drop while working on the tune. Also, going back and forth on mix notes with Vicke was so refreshingly fun and collaborative, a real highlight for me and testament to his artistry. Congrats on the release Vicke Blanka and Okazaki - it's an awesome record and I'm glad I got to play a small part in it!

Be sure to check out the music video in question below along with the digital streaming link here!