The globally popular four-member dance and vocal group Atarashii Gakko! has released the music video for their song Otonablue, originally released in 2020.

The live performance video of Otonablue currently has over six million views on YouTube, with related TikTok videos pulling in 400 million views to date. The song’s choreography–particularly during the chorus–became a big hit on TikTok after a television performance last year, inspiring a music video to be created.

In the video, the members perform the retro-inspired number in nostalgic and gimmicky locations that pay homage to the Showa era. The video is a must-see for fans both young and old.

In addition, tickets for the group’s live performance in Tokyo and Osaka, tentatively titled We’re working on some amazing new songs and we’re dying for everyone to see our newest evolution at Tokyo and Osaka ZEPP, have almost sold out. An additional performance will be held at Zepp Shinjuku on May 1.

The four-member dance and vocal group Atarashii Gakko! continues to cause a buzz. The group’s song Otona Blue has racked up 400 million plays on TikTok, and the new song Janaindayo is scheduled to release on March 22! The track is being used as the theme song for the upcoming film Baby Assassins 2.

The song was written and composed by jon-YAKITORY, a Vocaloid producer who had a viral hit with Shikabanese (feat. Ado). The chorus features the catchy phrase “nothing’s a given,” and the fast-paced rock track is sure to be another hit. The artwork was designed by BEY, an illustrator who creates works based on the theme ‘Wamerican,’ blending traditional Japanese art styles like ukiyo-e with American pop culture.

The original Baby Assassins film was released on July 30, 2021 and ranked at the top spot in Filmarks’ first-day satisfaction ranking and won the Japan Movie Critics Award for Best New Director (Yugo Sakamoto) and Best New Actress (Saori Izawa). Expectations are high for this long-awaited sequel! The full song will be unveiled on FM802’s THE NAKAJIMA HIROTO SHOW 802 RADIO MASTERS on March 2.

<Comment from Atarashii Gakko!>
“This is our first time working with jon-YAKITORY and the song turned out to be packed with energy! During recording, we made sure to sing with as much excitement as we could–it was easy, given how straightforward the message was. We were so impressed by the battle scenes in Baby Assassins 2, we challenged ourselves to incorporate more realistic action into the choreography! The song expresses the strength that can come from recognizing your own weaknesses. We hope you enjoy listening and watching us perform it!”

<Comment from jon-YAKITORY>
“Because this track is being used as the theme song for Baby Assassins 2, I kept in mind the sense of speed and coolness that both the film and Atarashii Gakko! have in common.
I hope you’ll enjoy watching the character’s daily life in the movie as you listen to this youthful and exciting track.
In the past few years, the world has become a place where things that used to be a given are no longer a given, and I believe that this has really been perfectly expressed by the members of Atarashii Gakko! Be sure to listen!”

On February 24,  Atarashii Gakko! released the new digital single The Edge.

This global release from the American-based music label 88rising is an energetic and highly-addictive pop track. The track is currently being used in the trailer for Crunchyroll’s winter anime season.

The official visualizer for the song has also been posted to YouTube.

The artwork and visualizer effects were created by Fantasista Utamaro. Incorporating aspects of Japanese pop culture from lo-fi games and manga style to bright neon colors, this super cool pixel animation is the result of a collaboration with pixel artist APO+.

Atarashii Gakko! has become a social media hot topic around the world, with their previous single Otona Blue surpassing 400 million views on TikTok.

Amazon Music’s first music entertainment show for kids and families to be released in Japan is here! Hee! Hee Hoo! premiered on Prime Video on January 26. The four-member vocal and dance group Atarashii Gakko! is also participating in the project.

Hee! Hee Hoo! is a body-themed four-episode series featuring surreal and psychedelic visuals along with Amazon Music Original music for young kids and their parents. This project was made to entertain and educate babies and children by using original images and music to address the physical changes they’ll experience from birth to death and to explain the sensations they feel.

The members of Atarashii Gakko! appear in the first episode, performing the song BABY which was written exclusively for the show.

<Comment from Atarashii Gakko!>
“The theme for this show is so great–the four of us had so much fun coming up with ideas, writing lyrics, and making choreography! I hope even fetuses can enjoy it!!”

Atarashii Gakko! will hold solo concerts at Zepp venues in Tokyo and Osaka in April and May of 2023.

These performances will be held almost a year after the girls held their solo concert at Zepp DiverCity in Tokyo last May. This year’s events will be held at Zepp Osaka Bayside on April 30 and Zepp Shinjuku in Tokyo on May 2.

ATARASHII GAKKO! – HANAKO (Official Music Video)

ATARASHII GAKKO! – Pineapple Kryptonite (Official Music Video)

The sequel to the May 2022 suspense drama series Nani ka Okashii (Something’s Strange) is now streaming on the Paravi streaming service. It has been announced that Atarashii Gakko! will provide the theme song titled Suki Lie.

The original series featured a mysterious radio program and a murder mystery. The story was first written by occult horror writer Uketsu, whose bestseller Strange House sold over 300,000 copies.

<Comment from Atarashii Gakko!>
“We’re honored that our song Suki Lie will be used as the theme song for Nani ka Okashii 2! Thank you so much!
The song is a strange pop tune, and that strangeness makes it perfect for this show. We’re looking forward to the show’s ending, where Uketsu will dance to our choreography! We also get to appear as radio guests in the drama in Episode 12, so keep an eye out!”

Atarashii Gakko!

<Comment from Yutaro>
“I’m Yutaro and I’ll be starring in the series as a listener. I’ve been watching Uketsu’s YouTube channel last year, so I was so happy to hear this new story. I really hope you’ll enjoy this unique drama series.”

Yutaro

<Comment from Director and Screenwriter Yu Ota (TV Tokyo)>
“Nani ka Okashii 2 is complete. In every episode, someone gets badly hurt, but a bad ending is rarely seen in Japanese dramas. The show sees someone hurt, and the malice born from that action splashes up and hurts someone else, and so on.
The cast for this series is incredible and extremely varied. The people on the radio booth side–who will be playing themselves–were asked to be calm with no connection or interest in horror or drama. On the other hand, those on the other side needed to have stronger personalities.
I’m also so happy to hear the theme song by Atarashii Gakko! Many people on the staff are fans of their music, and we thought it would be incredible to have Uketsu dance to their bizarre choreography as part of the series.”

©テレビ東京

The sequel to the May 2022 suspense drama series Nani ka Okashii (Something’s Strange) is now streaming on the Paravi streaming service. Atarashii Gakko! will provide the theme song titled Suki Lie. The show will air on TV Tokyo in 2023. In addition, actor Yutaro stars in episodes 9-12. 

The original series featured a mysterious radio program and a murder mystery. The story was first written by occult horror writer Uketsu, whose bestseller Strange House sold over 300,000 copies.

<Comment from Atarashii Gakko!>

“We’re honored that our song Suki Lie will be used as the theme song for Nani ka Okashii 2! Thank you so much!

The song is a strange pop tune, and that strangeness makes it perfect for this show. We’re looking forward to the show’s ending, where Uketsu will dance to our choreography! We also get to appear as radio guests in the drama in Episode 12, so keep an eye out!”

<Comment from Yutaro>

“I’m Yutaro and I’ll be starring in the series as a listener. I’ve been watching Uketsu’s YouTube channel last year, so I was so happy to hear this new story. I really hope you’ll enjoy this unique drama series.”

<Comment from Director and Screenwriter Yu Ota (TV Tokyo)>

“Nani ka Okashii 2 is complete. In every episode, someone gets badly hurt, but a bad ending is rarely seen in Japanese dramas. The show sees someone hurt, and the malice born from that action splashes up and hurts someone else, and so on. 

The cast for this series is incredible and extremely varied. The people on the radio booth side–who will be playing themselves–were asked to be calm with no connection or interest in horror or drama. On the other hand, those on the other side needed to have stronger personalities.

I’m also so happy to hear the theme song by Atarashii Gakko! Many people on the staff are fans of their music, and we thought it would be incredible to have Uketsu dance to their bizarre choreography as part of the series.”

©テレビ東京

Popular dance and vocal unit Atarashii Gakko! performed at the Head in the Clouds music festival on December 3 in Jakarta, Indonesia, and December 8 in Manila, Philippines. Local fans showed up in droves for the incredible show.

The Head in the Clouds music festival is organized by the record label 88Rising, and the event took place in Los Angeles in August. The label is known for representing Asian artists, with YOASOBI also appearing at the two shows in Jakarta and Manila.

The Jakarta show was attended by around 20,000 people, making it as large as the United States show. The members of Atarashii Gakko!, with their addictive energy and impressive talent, quickly became a talking point among fans not only in the audience but around the world.

In addition to the recent shows in Jakarta and Manila, Atarashii Gakko! recently embarked on a five-show US tour, including a solo performance at the Crunchyroll Expo in San Diego in July. Keep an eye out for what these girls will do next!

Photo: Lindsey Blane

On October 31, the dance and vocal unit Atarashii Gakko! released their new song HANAKO via 88rising.

Atarashii Gakko! made their world debut last year through the record label 88rising. This year, the group held a successful solo concert at Zepp DiverCity in May, followed by two sold-out solo concerts in the U.S. and a five-show U.S. tour including an appearance at the Head in the Clouds festival organized by 88rising. In a relatively short time, Atarashii Gakko! has become a smash hit with fans abroad.

The new song HANAKO is based on the classic Japanese school horror story Hanako-san. The urban legend tells the story of a young girl who haunts school toilets. Manny Mark produced the song, following his involvement in the group’s previous tracks. The lyrics were written by Atarashii Gakko! themselves and the track has a bizarre yet cutesy vibe.

The lyric video for HANAKO was released at midnight on October 31, with the music video dropping at 13:00 on the same day. The unintentionally chilling, ghost-story-style video set in an elementary school is also sure to make an impression.

Comment from the Members

“HANAKO is the perfect spooky song for Halloween and we’re happy to release it on October 31.

The song was actually being made concurrently with SNACKTIME, which we released last year! (With Money Mark, of course.)

The four of us would have meetings about the melody and lyrics while we were in LA. We stopped working on the song when it was still in the demo phase, but when we went to LA this summer, we worked with Money Mark to evolve it into something new. As we continued to build it, it became creepier and creepier.

It’s a ghost story. It’s all about being terrified, but also about being curious. Hanako is a popular urban legend in Japan about a ghost that haunts school bathrooms. In the legend, if you say the ghost’s name three times, it might respond…or even appear in front of you.”

Metaverse Music Festival will feature a MetaTokyo area this year! The event is being organized by Decentraland, a global Web3 Metaverse platform. A number of Japanese artists will perform, including Edo Lena, MISOSHITA, and Atarashii Gakko! 

In the special MetaTokyo area, a giant Metaani x Kyary Pamyu Pamyu character will be dancing to the beat. The popular collab appeared in April of this year and was an instant hit with NFT fans around the world. Those with an interest in Japanese culture can also enjoy some unique content streamed in the area. The Metaverse Music Festival will be held from November 10 until November 13, 2022.

Participating Japanese Artists

According to a recent announcement from Decentraland, Ozzy Osbourne, Soulja Boy, Dillon Francis, SNH48, and others will perform at OZZFEST, a festival organized by Ozzy Osbourne. Atarashii Gakko! will perform on the main Tower of Babel Stage.

The festival area will also feature special stages and areas in collaboration with a number of partners. MetaTokyo is one such partner sure to be a hit with audiences around the world!

Within the MetaTokyo area, Metaverse diva and artist Edo Lena and Metaverse creator MISOSHITA will perform. Other J-pop artists are scheduled to perform for audiences worldwide.

Giant Metaani x Kyary Pamyu Pamyu 

A giant Metaani x Kyary Pamyu Pamyu will appear within the Metaverse. First appearing in April 2022, guests will be treated to Kyary’s popular song Dodonpa when they first enter, and will be able to take selfies with the huge character in a way not possible in the real world.

Calling all dancers! Starting August 5, Adobe began the Adobe DANCE VIDEO FES, which is accepting dance video submissions until August 31, 2022. Those wanting to participate will be dancing to one of four songs by a few very unique artists: Dodonpa by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Emome no Natsu by Lucky Kilimanjaro, STARLIGHT by iri, and WOO! GO! by Atarashii Gakko! The campaign challenges contestants to create a dance video in which they show off their original dance moves to the song of their choice. These videos can be easily edited using Adobe Premiere Rush, a piece of software that can also be installed on smartphones.

If you’re not incredibly confident in your dance moves, don’t worry. Rather than contestants being judged on their technical or editing skills, dancers will be evaluated on the amount of fun they have! The event is meant to emulate the excitement of a summer festival, so both beginners and pros are invited to participate. Just record your dance and upload it to YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok with the designated hashtag.

If the video you upload is selected by one of the participating artists, it will be featured in the official campaign dance video. Creators will also have the opportunity to appear in the artists’ live performances and dance videos in the future.

In addition, a total of 22 entrants will be selected by drawing to receive Sennheiser wireless headphones, a 12-month Adobe Creative Cloud Complete Plan, a pair of tickets to the D.LEAGUE 22-23 season opener, or an Amazon gift certificate worth ¥30,000.

Comments from Participating Artists

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: “Dodonpa is a song that’s perfect for all kinds of dances, so I hope that you’ll dance in your own special way! I’m hoping I can find an amazing dancer to perform with me at my Budokan show on October 19, so I’m looking forward to hearing from you!”

Lucky Kilimanjaro: “Our band’s concept is to surprise the world every day, so we were so honored that our song was chosen!
We hope you’ll express yourself and show us your unique dances!”

iri: “My new song STARLIGHT is a difficult song to choreograph, so I’m really looking forward to seeing the dances you come with!”

Atarashii Gakko!: “We’re happy to announce that our song WOO! GO! has been chosen as a track for Adobe DANCE VIDEO FES! I hope you can add some really cool edits to your videos so that they reach the largest amount of people! Whoever submits the most impressive video will get to appear in an official dance video. We’re waiting to see your dances!”

Enter this contest with the same energy as if you were participating in a summer festival!

“YOUR NEW FAVORITE J-POP GROUP.” – Hypebae

“Please inject this chaotic Japanese idol group straight into my veins.” – i-D

“Whatever Atarashii Gakko! are doing next, we’re listening.” – The Fader  

“Indescribably enticing.” – Bandwagon

Four-member vocal-dance group Atarashii Gakko! have announced their first headlining shows in the U.S. The energetic members, who signed to 88rising in January 2021, will perform at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall on August 17th and Los Angeles’s The Roxy on August 18. Tickets are on sale now. 

This exciting news comes days before the group performs at San Diego’s Comic-Con on July 22. Presented by anime distribution and production company Crunchyroll, the concert will be free to all Comic-Con attendees. 

The girls will be returning to California for the first time since their impressive performance at last year’s Head in the Clouds Festival, an annual music event organized by 88rising. Their 2021 performance highlighted their new EP at the time, SNACKTIME. Produced by Money Mark, a sound producer and melody maker who worked with the Beastie Boys for nearly 20 years, the five-track EP can’t be assigned one particular genre. All it does it make the listener want to dance. 

Atarashii Gakko! is making their career doing what most girl groups won’t do. Their name, which translates to new school, highlights their unique approach to the J-Pop scene. Instead of the typical high-pitched voices found in most Japanese idol groups, these girls prefer to sing on the level. Instead of their dance moves being perfectly in sync, they move their bodies freely to the music. Instead of acting cutesy and airheaded, they’re not afraid to make funny faces. The girls wear the standard Japanese school uniforms found in the 70s and 80s, complete with high socks and long skirts. Not afraid to be loud and over-the-top with their dance moves, the four seem to combine the more taboo and interpretive Japanese butoh style of dancing with intense headbanging and hip-hop swag. Their music combines the J-Pop of today with 70s and 80s pop, punk, rap, and techno. Can the music of Atarashii Gakko! really be defined. Not at all. That’s their superpower. 

Atarashii Gakko! Upcoming Shows

July 22 – San Diego, CA / Crunchyroll presents Rady Shell at Jacobs Park

Aug 5 – San Jose, CA / Crunchyroll presents San Jose Convention Center

Aug 17 – San Francisco, CA / Great American Music Hall

Aug 18 – Los Angeles, CA / The Roxy

Aug 20-21 – Pasadena, CA / Head in the Clouds Festival

About 88Rising

88rising is a global music company with roots in the United States. Highlighting Asian and Asian American artists, 88rising wants to bridge the gap between Asian and American music and help Asian artists cross over to the global music scene. The company’s impressive roster includes Rich Brian, Joji, Higher Brothers, Niki, Jackson Wang, Keith Ape, and more. They have also collaborated with a number of high-profile Japanese artists such as Verbal and Utada Hikaru.

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