ACCAMER released the song Nomic on streaming services on October 7. The track serves as the ending theme for the anime series I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss, and on October 15, the music video was revealed!

The new music video was produced by the song’s writer Sheeno Mirin, and is a unique creation perfectly suited for the track. In the past, ACCAMER has worked with eminent video creators on her music videos, including sakiyama, Ryuuseee, and Yuma Saito. 

The music video was illustrated by up-and-coming artist Meri, who also created the cover art for Nomic. The video was edited by video director bondbond, and fans will also want to keep an eye out for ZAZA’s avant-garde CG work. The lyrics, which scroll vertically, are somewhat hypnotic, and this is certain to be one video you won’t forget!

Popular boys group BE:FIRST has released the music video for Message. The track was featured on the group’s chart-topping first album BE:1 released on August 31.

Message is BE:FIRST’s first love song, featuring a soundscape punctuated by sweet guitar riffs. The mid-tempo ballad is a collaboration between singer-songwriter eill, whose songs reflect elements of soul and R&B and whose silky, soulful voice is incredibly addicting; Matt Cab, whose musical sense and unique sound is perfect for a wide range of genres; and MATZ and SKY-HI, who have attracted attention as next-generation artists who lead the Japanese dance music scene.

The music video shows seven people in love and was filmed like a drama series. The seven performers portray their daily lives as they fall in love, struggle with love, and learn to move forward. The powerful dance is also a highlight. Check out the dramatic performances of the seven members in this elaborate setting.

BE:FIRST is currently on its first nationwide tour, titled BE:FIRST 1st One Man Tour “BE:1” 2022-2023. The tour will take the members to 17 cities nationwide for a total of 29 shows.

Be sure to watch this dance-filled music video, offering a glimpse at a new side of BE:FIRST.

Rock band BUMP OF CHICKEN has released the music video for the song SOUVENIR, the second opening theme for the popular anime series Spy x Family. The second cour of the series began airing on October 1.

SOUVENIR is the band’s first new song in about six months and was added to streaming services on September 29. Unsurprisingly, the track has been a hit, performing well on the charts.

The music video was directed by Spikey John, who is working with BUMP OF CHICKEN for the first time. 

Prior to the music video’s release, a fast-paced teaser video shot on a highway was released, and many fans have been anxious to see what the full-length video would look like.

Are you watching Spy x Family? How do you feel about the new opening song and animation? 

©遠藤達哉/集英社・SPY×FAMILY製作委員会

Born in Niigata and living in London, international singer-songwriter Rina Sawayama released her second album Hold The Girl on September 16. The album has already received rave reviews from media outlets worldwide, with NME calling it “the best British pop album of the year.” 

Sawayama has now released the music video for her single Hurricanes, which can also be found on her newest album. The impressive video features an incredibly powerful performance with the band in the middle of a violent storm. Be sure to check it out below!

Hurricanes – Rina Sawayama (Official Music Video)

https://youtu.be/LbB1Qtq3FHY　

A studio performance version of the song This Hell, the first single from the album and a fan favorite, has also been released. The video features incredible dancers and a live band.

This Hell (Live) – Rina Sawayama | Vevo Studio Performance

https://youtu.be/7cilizyYBdQ　

Sawayama has also announced that she will hold her first solo Japan tour in January 2023, which will stop in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka. 

On August 31, 2022, the voice actor, hero, and music project PRELUDERS released the album By Your Side. Now, the music video for the song Horizon Climber by High Five has been released, and it’s absolutely gorgeous!

High Five is a group led by Asuka Morito (Junya Enoki), and Horizon Climber is a song filled with hope. Young people are encouraged to listen to imagine the kind of hero they’d like to become!

Horizon Climber Music Video

The music video for Horizon Climber depicts the fifth and final chapter of the voice drama Koubou (Beam of Light), in which the members of High Five and S-quad finally confront the two members of Vice Versa, voiced by Atsushi Tamaru and Shintaro Asanuma. The battle is ready to start, with Asuka (Junya Enoki) and Ko Kujikami (Yuma Uchida) taking on those who would threaten their friends. Be sure to keep an eye out for more from this exciting project!

Be sure to give this gorgeous video a watch!

（C)PRELUDERS

Mannequin rap duo FEMM released a music video for the song Crystal Ball from their new EP THE SIX, released on August 17.

This song is a powerful ballad produced by Danny L. Harle, a pioneer of hyper-pop who has worked with Rina Sawayama and other artists, and John Ryan, who has provided many songs for One Direction, Maroon 5, and more. FEMM added some particularly poignant lyrics to the track, including the line “take the unexplored path (not the one shown to you by someone else) illuminated by the light you emit, even if it is still weak.”

Crystal Ball (Music Video) on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/CYh9RUBiQyI

The music video was produced in collaboration with majotae, a Japanese fabric brand that uses hemp, a sustainable material that has become popular worldwide in recent years. The costumes were based on origami and were designed by Tomomi Ono, a fashion designer who worked for Maison Martin Margiela in Paris and has been developing a “brand without a name” since 2009. The video was directed by 2nd Function, which has provided creations for global fashion brands like GUCCI.

The music video’s color palette is reminiscent of Japan, combining plenty of white and red objects. The video aims to inspire viewers to remember and accept the past while moving ever forward, so be sure to give it a watch. 

Since their debut in 2014, the female mannequin rap duo FEMM has continued to wow audiences with its avant-garde approach to music. The two have been active mainly in the United States and Europe.

Since their debut, the duo has continued to release unique new music. The main track from their latest album Tokyo Ex Machina, We Got Each Other, managed to chart for 12 consecutive weeks on the major U.S. radio chart MEDIABASE/Activator Chart.

FEMM’s new track THE SIX has been chosen as the theme song for the MBS/TBS drama series Ikinokotta 6-nin ni Yoru to, which is currently airing in Japan. 

The aggressive and avant-garde song may be a first for a Japanese drama theme song. With a sound typical of FEMM, the track was written by the duo themselves after receiving an offer from the drama’s director Ken Ninomiya. The series follows survivors of a zombie apocalypse, and in response, FEMM’s song stresses the importance of staying true to oneself in any situation, no matter how terrifying. 

Director Ken Ninomiya gave the following comments about the song.

– – – – –

FEMM’s music gives off this innate cheerfulness and a mischievousness that I thought would be perfect for the drama’s theme song, so as a fan and creator myself, I had to make an offer. 

I asked that the song be a celebration of the six main characters as they grow and reforge who they are day after day. 

And thus, THE SIX was born. The song, which calls out the characters’ names over and over, not only embodies their strength and their desire for a brighter future, but also encapsulates the drama in a tangible way. (More on that later.)

I’m happy to be able to tell this story along with this incredible song.

– – – – –

The song is also the title of FEMM’s upcoming EP THE SIX, and a music video has been released. The video was shot in an industrial area by the sea in Chiba Prefecture, the same setting as the drama. Described as a “summer dystopian movie,” it has an unusually sad storyline created by FEMM and features the two dressed as zombies. The choreography was created by GENDAI, who leads the popular dance team KUROKO.

Be sure to listen to THE SIX and check out the drama series if you can!

GARNiDELiA has chosen REBECCA’s legendary track Friends as the ninth song in their ongoing cover series, also releasing a music video.

GARNiDELiA is composed of Maria, the lead vocalist, and toku, the group’s composer. The duo’s J-pop cover song project was started after the pandemic under the title ‘GARNiDELiA Cover Collection,’ and many popular songs have been featured so far, including Gurenge by LiSA, Hakujitsu by King Gnu, Pretender by Official Hige Dandism, Haru Yo Koi by Yumi Matsutoya, and Kaikai Kitan by Eve. Unsurprisingly, the project has pulled in over 5 million views.

Friends – REBECCA (Covered by GARNiDELiA)

MARiA does the styling for her musical activities and serves as a producer. For Friends, the artist focused on highlighting the feel of the 80s, the era when the track was initially released.

Check out the GARNiDELiA Cover Collection for some new and classic titles covered by this talented duo!

On August 6, BiSH, known as a ‘punk rock band without instruments,’ released the music video for their song Sayonara Saraba! The 8th single released across 12 consecutive months will drop on August 31. 

Sayonara Saraba – BiSH (Official Music Video)

Sayonara Saraba was created in collaboration with Taka from ONE OK ROCK and MEG from MEGMETAL and features lyrics written by KENTA from WANIMA. This is the first time BiSH has collaborated with an outside producer for a series of releases, and this electrifying rock number shows a different side of the group. 

The coupling song, A long way to go, was composed by Taka and MEG from MEGMETAL and written by JxSxK. 

The music video was directed by Kento Yamada, who has produced a number of other videos for the group.

The teaser trailer, released previously, shows a stylish video with an eye-catching red and black color scheme.

Sayonara Saraba – BiSH (Teaser)

More information regarding the 9th and 10th consecutive single has been released! The 9th song will be released on September 21, while the 10th will be released on October 26. Be sure to give them both a listen!

FRUITS ZIPPER, a new idol group from ASOBISYSTEM, has a simple concept: “From Harajuku to the World.” Ready to transmit what they call ‘NEW KAWAII’ from Harajuku, an area known for fashion and individuality, to their soon-to-be global fanbase, the group consists of seven members: Amane Tsukiashi, Suzuka Chinzei, Yui Sakurai, Luna Nakagawa, Mana Manaka, Karen Matsumoto, and Noel Hayase.

This spring, the group released the song Watashino Ichiban Kawaiitokoro, which exploded in popularity on TikTok racking up over 200 million plays. The song also ranked on the TikTok HOT SONGS list and ranked at #1 on Spotify’s viral chart. Fans requested a music video, and after its release, it pulled in over 1.1 million views in one month.

The group’s long-awaited new single RADIO GALAXY was released on July 29, 2022.

This is FRUITS ZIPPER’s 4th single, created in collaboration with trackmaker, singer, and producer YUC’e, who has provided songs for numerous artists and idols in the past.

YUC’e is known for her dance music inlaid with ‘KAWAII’ elements, and the artist has become incredibly popular both in Japan and abroad. It’s no surprise that she chose to work with the adorable members of FRUITS ZIPPER, who are aiming to bring Harajuku culture to fans around the world.

A music video for RADIO GALAXY was posted to YouTube ahead of the song’s streaming release.

FRUITS ZIPPER’s artist photos were created by YUKARI, a video director, art director, and 3DCG artist from the digital creative company OFBYFOR TOKYO.

RADIO GALAXY – FRUITS ZIPPER (Music Video)

A special campaign to celebrate the release of the new song is ongoing on a number of music streaming sites. In addition, FRUITS ZIPPER will hold their first solo concert at Ebisu LIQUIDROOM on September 12.

For a long time, RADIO GALAXY was only known to fans in the in-crowd who saw it performed at FRUITS ZIPPER live shows. Now, everyone can dance along! 

Hybrid voice actress-idol group i☆Ris is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2022. The group released its new track, Queens Bluff, on July 20, and the music video for the song is now available on YouTube! 

Queens Bluff is being used as the ending song for the anime series Kakegurui Twin, which will air on Netflix globally starting August 4, 2022. 

Queens Bluff Music Video (Full Version)

The music video teaser trailer was released on June 5, and the song was first performed during the final performance of i☆Ris’s national tour on July 7. The member’s speedy dance moves and style quickly caught on on social media, and the song has been called the most ‘seductive’ track in the group’s discography.

Since debuting in 2012, i☆Ris has been active in the voice acting scene, with the members starring in the PriPara series. They have also starred in stage performances and films, while also carrying out solo activities.

On November 7, i☆Ris will hold their 10th anniversary concert at Tokyo International Forum Hall A. In addition, they will also release their first best-of album to celebrate this huge milestone. To express their gratitude to their fanbase, the best album will also include a new track written by the members. This song will be performed for the first time at the 10th anniversary concert.

Be sure to keep an eye out for more from i☆Ris on the group’s 10th anniversary!

Japanese hip-hop R&B girls group XG released their second single MASCARA on June 29, 2022. Since then, the group has appeared on a series of popular Korean music shows such as Mnet’s MCOUNTDOWN, KBS 2TV’s MUSIC BANK, and MBC’s Show! Music Core. On July 4, XG revealed a special choreography video for the track on YouTube. 

MASCARA – XG (Choreography Video)

Fans of the group have been posting dancing videos on TikTok and YouTube since the song was released, and many posts describe the choreography during the chorus as the ‘shuriken dance.’ The choreography video shows off the member’s slick moves and fashion, and we doubt you’ll be able to watch it just once.

The original MASCARA music video surpassed 4 million views within four days of its release. Additional videos on the girl’s YouTube channel continue to rank in the YouTube Fastest Rising Ranking for music simultaneously. The group is seeing a massive influx of followers on social media and their momentum seems unstoppable!

XG also appeared on the Korean music program THE SHOW on SBS on July 5. Expectations are high going forward, so keep an eye on XG!