As J-Pop’s reputation continues to rise within the U.S., acts like Yoasobi have constructed a profitable fanbase and fame.
The Japanese duo — made up of producer Ayase and singer-songwriter Ikura — toured the U.S. in 2024, stopping alongside the way in which to play for big crowds at Coachella and Lollapalooza. Earlier this 12 months, the group returned to L.A. for Matsuri’25, an evening devoted to bringing Japanese acts to the worldwide stage. The duo carried out alongside Ado and Atarashii Gakko! on the live performance held in downtown L.A.
Yoasobi’s reputation doubtless comes from its distinctive and recent idea — music based mostly off of novels. Under, the duo speaks with The Hollywood Reporter about why their music appeals to the worldwide viewers, touring within the U.S. and the way they need to be perceived.
Can you’re taking me by way of your course of of making music?
AYASE Now we have a theme — turning novels into music, so clearly there’s an unique story to each music. Every course of begins out by studying the unique story, after which I am going by way of a interval of interested by tips on how to flip that into music, into music. Then I take into consideration how I ought to form that… interested by the melody, the orchestra after which comes the lyrics. Then Ikura goes into recording and the preparations are created.
Is there one thing about this storytelling-based music that you simply discover appeals to a world viewers particularly?
AYASE Yeah, I do suppose so becuase there’s an originality in [turning novels into music]. Now we have plenty of tie-ins with TV animes. In fact, anime is a big a part of Japanese tradition abroad that’s [being] acknowledged proper now. That makes it totally different as properly. Working along with the manga, anime [or] novels, there’s tales linked to the music. There’s a form to it that I believe is a part of our energy.
Do you discover continuously having to step into others footwear has helped you change into extra creatively personally?
AYASE Effectively, sure, however in the end I’m telling my very own experiences by way of these songs as properly. There’s the angle of the protagonist within the lyrics or within the music, and I kind of share my very own experiences by way of the primary characters, what that most important character is making an attempt to say as properly. It’s not as I didn’t have something to do with the inventive strategy of the lyrics or the music. It’s not like that. Nonetheless, the truth that the concepts or the thought course of got here from someone fully totally different to myself — in that respect — I do change into impressed. These ideas fuse with mine, and a chemical response comes from that. It’s a mixture of my very own creativity and someone else’s creativity. What comes out could be very, it’s inspiring.
I noticed you carry out in L.A. earlier this 12 months, and the gang was so engaged in a means that I’ve nearly by no means seen earlier than. What has it been like performing within the U.S. a number of instances over the past 12 months or so?
IKURA Final 12 months and the 12 months earlier than that we did a lot of reveals and festivals within the U.S. For instance, [we performed at] Coachella and Lollapalooza. We did our personal reveals as properly. We just lately carried out at Matsuri’25 in L.A. [There were] three acts together with us. All these J-Pop artists which might be at the moment striving to ship out messages or ship a music to the world — we’re all bringing it with all the things we have now. It was an especially enjoyable evening, and I had a beautiful expertise. It was an expertise that made me understand the potential that J-Pop has for the long run. We’re a part of a J-Pop [community] that’s actually striving to work onerous, to create higher music and to convey it to the world. I hope that that wasn’t only one evening. I hope that we are able to proceed to create nice music for the world to take pleasure in.
How do you hope to be considered as an artist?
IKURA It’s straightforward to touch upon how we’d wish to be perceived, however it’s a distinct matter when you consider how we expect folks really see us.
AYASE Our motto, because the identify implies — as a result of “asobi” in Yoasobi means to play — we need to maintain that sense of that playfulness. We each have our personal respective solo careers, however Yoasobi is an extension of that in that. We need to create issues which might be enjoyable for us, so crucial factor is to take pleasure in ourselves first and create one thing that we expect is cool. Our theme — turning novels into music — that’s one thing that’s by no means been performed earlier than both. I believe we’d wish to proceed to climb mountains to seek for views which have by no means been seen earlier than, by way of reveals. Problem ourselves with new issues. Once we do our reveals within the U.S., folks do inform us that the music is one thing completely totally different or that the present was a very totally different expertise. I believe we’d wish to proceed to create issues that no person has ever considered, and to point out folks issues that they’ve by no means seen earlier than. I believe that’s essential for us. What our predecessors in J-Pop has created, we need to take that after which proceed to problem ourselves to do issues that no person has performed earlier than.