Stay up to date with our latest artist interviews, press coverages, news, and more.
Feel the Heat: Psychic Fever Announces High-Energy North American Tour
PSYCHIC FEVER from EXILE TRIBE is set to embark on their first-ever U.S. tour, titled ‘PSYCHIC FEVER: First U.S. Tour 2025,’ in collaboration with Konnect'd Entertainment. This rising Japanese group, known for their energetic fusion of hip-hop, R&B, and J-Pop influences, will perform in six major cities across the United States. The tour begins in Washington, D.C., on February 2 and will include stops in New York (Feb. 5), Chicago (Feb. 8), Dallas (Feb. 10), and Seattle (Feb. 12), before concluding in Los Angeles on February 14.
Travis Japan Returns to Los Angeles for a Sold-Out Show on the ‘Road to A’ World Tour
Tokyo-based J-Pop group Travis Japan had a line of Traja-tan (fandom name) from the El Rey Theatre wrapped around the block down the side of the Korean Cultural Center. No wonder – the group sold out their October 14 stop of the Travis Japan World Tour 2024: Road to A in Los Angeles along with the other stops of their first-ever world tour. The group is made up of seven members including Chaka, Shime, Genta, Noel, Machu, Shizu, and Umi who lit up the stage in the familiar city.
aespa Makes History as First Foreign Female Artist to Sell Out Tokyo Dome Twice & Debuts “Hot Mess” on ‘THE FIRST TAKE’
K-Pop powerhouse aespa is on fire, and their recent two-day day concert, 2024 aespa LIVE TOUR - SYNK : PARALLEL LINE - in TOKYO DOME - SPECIAL EDITION-, was legendary. On August 17 and 18, 2024, the Tokyo Dome pulsed with the energy of 94,000 MYs, aespa’s fanbase, and made history. aespa has become the first foreign female artist to rock Tokyo Dome two years in a row!
FLOW in Denver: Rock and Anime Collide
On July 28, the Japanese rock band known for their iconic anime OSTs, Flow, stopped in Denver on their ‘World Tour 2024 - 2025 Anime Shibari.’ FLOW’s concert in the mile-high city was a vibrant showcase of their dynamic sound and charismatic stage presence displaying their infectious blend of rock and pop.
Global Princess of J-Pop Anna Aya Releases New Single “Hit Me With Your Love”
International singer, model, actor, and multilingual artist Anna Aya released her second bilingual single “Hit Me With Your Love” on May 31, 2024. Exploring themes of infatuation and empowerment with a mix of English and Japanese lyrics, Anna’s powerful vocals and magnetic presence shine through every verse in “Hit Me With Your Love” — embodying the strength of a woman who knows what she’s worth.
YOASOBI Leaves Audience in Awe for Their First Solo Concert in America
As YOASOBI heads into weekend two of Coachella, the Japanese pop music duo, in partnership with Crunchyroll, decided to make a pit stop at the iconic Shrine Expo Hall in Los Angeles on April 18 for their first solo concert in America. Composed of producer, Ayase, and singer-songwriter, LIlas Ikuta, YOASOBI released their debut track “Yoru ni Kakeru” in 2019 and have been gaining traction ever since — their song “IDOL” became the first Japanese song to be placed in the top 10 of Billboard’s U.S. and Global 200 Charts.
Sakurako Ohara Celebrates Her 10th Anniversary
In 2013, Sakurako Ohara debuted as an actress in the movie Kanojo wa Uso wo Aishisugiteru, where a high school student who aspired to be an actress achieved an audition to choose the heroine of a movie whose role is a vocalist. The Japanese film is famous in South Korea as well because it was remade into a TV drama series where the same role was performed by Red Velvet’s Joy.
ATARASHII GAKKO! Shakes Toronto with an Energetic Performance
ATARASHII GAKKO!, the trailblazing Japanese group comprised of Mizyu, Rin, Kanon, and Suzuka, is redefining their musical boundaries. The dynamic quartet brings a melting pot of genre-blending music paired with synchronized dance moves to their first North American tour, The SEISHUN Tour. ATARASHII GAKKO! arrived in Toronto, Canada for the first time on November 13 at The Axis Club.
XG: The New Revolution of Empowerment and Self-Confidence
Xtraordinary Girls, most commonly known as XG, are a 7-member Japanese girl group formed by a subsidiary of Avex, XGALX. Consisting of members; Jurin, Chisa, Hinata, Juria, Cocona, Maya, and Harvey, the group debuted in March of 2022 with their first English single titled “Tippy Toes.” XG’s debut brought something new to the industry as a Japanese girl group singing in English, who chose to do their music promotions within the competitive market of South Korea. While this brought the group a lot of attention, it has ultimately been the group's message of self-appreciation and female empowerment that has made them a group to beat.
On The Rise: 10 Artists We Are Featuring For July 2023
As the world keeps growing and evolving, so do musicians. It’s hard to keep up with every single emerging artist around the world, but finding new sounds can help you broaden your musical horizons. Join us as we explore these 10 featured rising artists this month: LØLØ, WOODZ, Girl Ultra, Su Lee, brb., Diya Maeve, Kim Siwon, Rovv, Kenta Dedachi, and miida.