Artist VK Blanka releases ‘Knightclub’, his first new album in nearly three years!

Japanese musician VK Blanka has released his first new album in nearly three years, ‘Knightclub’, back on Wednesday, September 4 across all streaming platforms!

This is VK Blanka’s first album since the release of ‘FATE’ nearly three years ago. In addition to previously released singles such as ‘Fortress’ (his theme song for the TV Asahi drama ‘The Woman of S.R.I. (Season 24)’and ‘Never Run’, a song inspired by the beats and arrangements VK Blanka experienced firsthand during his North American tour in February, the album also includes brand new song ‘Yomigaeri (with Noriyuki Makihara & Ayaka)’ in collaboration with fellow artists Noriyuki Makihara and Ayaka, and ‘Old Rivals [A Self-Cover of “Rivals!”]’, a new version of his song ‘Rivals!’ that blew fans’ minds when it was featured as part of the ‘Hypnosis Mic’ multimedia project.

Formats of the album packaged with video content include the music video and behind-the-scenes footage for ‘Never Run’, the lyric video for ‘Fortress’, and live footage of Vicke Blanka presents RAINBOW ROAD -TEN- ’, a special concert that was held as Festival Hall in Osaka on May 4, 2024.

About VK Blanka
VK Blanka began to gain attention with his 2018 single ‘Masshiro’, which was featured in a TV drama series, and went on to reach No.2 on the Japanese iTunes album chart. ‘Black Catcher’, his opening song for the ‘Black Clover’ anime series, became a phenomenal long-running hit, entering Spotify’s Top 10 chart of songs by Japanese artists played by overseas users for three consecutive years since 2020 and accruing over 1.5 million monthly listeners. With over 500 million plays across streaming platforms, VK Blankaʼs music has truly captured the hearts of fans worldwide.

VK Blanka has performed at events in Saudi Arabia, Italy and France, attracting over 10,000 fans to his overseas shows. Then, starting with a show in Vancouver on January 31, 2024, VK Blanka undertook his first solo tour of North America, with performances in a total of nine cities. In July, this was followed by the VK Blanka Latin America Tour 2024 in Chile and Mexico.

VK Blanka hosted his third self-produced event, RAINBOW ROAD -TEN- (The Legend), at Festival Hall in Osaka on May 4, 2024. He has also announced the VK Blanka HALL TOUR 2024, which will visit six cities across Japan, starting with a performance in Nagoya on September 27.

Be sure to check out his latest album ‘Knightclub’ on all streaming platforms here, with the lyric video for “Fortress” below!

Multidimensional Artist Project “SZNO” Making Their Major Debut with 1st Digital Single “xx”

Bandai Namco Music Live Inc. , in collaboration with MusicRay’n (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Ryoichi Sugiura), has launched the multidimensional artist project “SZNO” (pronounced: Suzuno), which operates in both the real and virtual realms. We are pleased to announce the release of their debut single, “xx” (pronounced “Bye-Bye”) which was made available across all digital streaming platforms.

▼About SZNO

SZNO is a multidimensional artist project that operates in both the real and virtual realms. It was born from a collaboration between Bandai Namco Music Live, known for its Lantis label and expertise in producing music content like the Love Live! series, and MusicRay’n, a Sony Music Group company renowned for discovering and nurturing talent such as Sphere, TrySail, and CHiCO. Look forward to discovering more of SZNO’s world as it gradually unfolds with each music release.

Be sure to check out “xx” on all streaming platforms here!

MAKI GOTO celebrates 25th anniversary with long-awaited new original album ‘prAyer’, her first in 13 years, out now!

2024 marks the 25th anniversary of J-pop star MAKI GOTO’s CD debut, and she has been announcing a number of anniversary projects to mark the occasion. Following the digital release of GOTO’s long-awaited new single ‘CLAP CLAP’ – her first in around 13 years – she has now released a completely original mini-album, ‘prAyer’, on September 4 across all digital streaming platforms.

 ‘prAyer’ is GOTO’s first long-play release since her digital covers album released two years ago, and her first all-new original work since 2011. This mini-album, which contains seven songs, marks the full-fledged return of MAKI GOTO on her 25th anniversary year, and is sure to thrill fans old and new.

From the album title ‘prAyer’ to the strong yet delicate psychological lyrics and GOTO’s own outlook on life, she sings beautifully about her experiences past and future. While incorporating a new approach to her sound that mixes multiple genres without clinging to the past, it is an ambitious album that shows she has evolved to something more powerful than the catchy sound of her idol days, as showcased by the single ‘CLAP CLAP’.

Be sure to check out the streaming link for ‘prAyer’ here, along with the music video for the track “prayer” below!

 About MAKI GOTO

MAKI GOTO was born on September 23, 1985, in Tokyo. Over the course of her career, she has been a successful singer, YouTuber and model. She joined the legendary J-pop idol group Morning Musume as a third-generation member after passing their second supplementary audition in 1999. After she joined, the group’s single ‘LOVE Machine’ was released, selling over a million copies. In 2001, she made her solo debut with the single ‘Ai no Bakayarou’. She graduated from the Hello! Project collective in 2007 and joined a new agency in 2008. After this, she released ‘SWEET BLACK feat. MAKI GOTO’ in 2009. On YouTube, GOTO’s channels include Gomaki no Guild, which focuses on video game “let’s plays”, and Gomaki to Ouki☆, which provides lifestyle and beauty information, with both channels drawing a large number of subscribers and viewers. In September 2024, she will hold a special solo live tour to celebrate her 25th anniversary.

HIRAIDAI releases the 3rd ‘LUCKY BAG’ series EP ‘Summer Princess’.

Since this June, Japanese singer-songwriter HIRAIDAI has been releasing a series of monthly EPs titled ‘LUCKY BAG’, with each EP including a mix of new songs, past songs selected by HIRAIDAI to match the new ones, and sometimes even home demos recorded in one take on an iPhone. The 3rd EP in the series, ‘Summer Princess’, was released back on August 14.

This 3rd EP includes the new song ‘Summer Princess’, along with five older songs specially selected by HIRAIDAI, with the beach-friendly theme of “songs that will make you feel the waves”.

The EP features six songs in total, including the classic summer tune ‘Summer Queen’ from his 2015 album ‘Slow & Easy’, the bittersweet broken-hearted love song ‘GIRL FRIEND’ from 2020, and the timeless track ‘Thinking of You’ which was released in 2014.

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▼ EP ‘Summer Princess’

1. Summer Princess

2. Summer Queen

3. RIDE THE WAVES

4. To the Beach

5. GIRL FRIEND

6. Thinking of You

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The brand-new title track ‘Summer Princess’ is a sweet, refreshing summer love song for the princess with whom the singer walks on the journey of life. The modern neo-acoustic sound and endlessly smoothing vocals blend perfectly to create a song only HIRAIDAI could make.‘Summer Princess’ is currently airing on radio stations across Japan, along with comments from HIRAIDAI himself.

To coincide with the ‘LUCKY BAG’ series, HIRAIDAI’s official LOSL app is currently offering monthly calendar-style wallpapers that show such as his tour schedule and release information, so don’t miss out. 

▼ Comment from HIRAIDAI

“I decided to create the ‘LUCKY BAG’ series as a way to share my latest songs along with a selection of older songs that suit the new material when heard together, and demos that I have created as rough works at home. I hope you’ll enjoy seeing what’s in the bag each month.”

I Don’t Like Mondays. release new single ‘Sunset Girl’, ahead of 10th-anniversary EP ‘FOCUS’ in October!

Four-piece rock band I Don’t Like Mondays. (known to their fans as IDLMs.) have released new single ‘Sunset Girl’ on August 21. This is a pre-release track from their upcoming EP ‘FOCUS’, which is set for release in October to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the band’s debut.

This summer anthem has an organic, comforting sound enhanced by singer YU’s lyrics, resulting in a song that brings nostalgic late-summer vibes. Be sure to check out the track on all streaming platforms here!

About I Don’t Like Mondays. 

I Don’t Like Mondays. are a four-piece rock band from Japan. With their musical roots in the 1980s and a meticulous sound and groove, they transcend the boundaries between Japanese and Western music. Their songs are filled with the feeling of exhilaration you get when cruising through the city streets.

Known to their fans as IDLMs., the group are renowned　for their sophisticated and passionate concerts that recreate the atmosphere of attending an exclusive overseas high-end fashion sh