YOASOBI
The J-pop duo YOASOBI was formed in 2019 by vocalist Ikura and producer Ayase. Ikura — the stage name of singer/songwriter Lilas Ikuta — had already built a moderate audience with solo EPs like 2017's Rerise and 2019's Jukebox, while Ayase had likewise launched a solo career with releases like 2019's Ghost City Tokyo. Together, they began crafting songs featuring Vocaloid software, pop melodies, and lyrics based upon short stories, debuting this approach with "Yoru ni Kakeru." Released in December 2019 and based upon Mayo Hoshino's Thanatos no Yūwaku, the song became a chart-topping, platinum-certified hit in Japan, climbing to Number 1 on Oricon Combined Singles, Oricon Digital Singles, and Billboard's Japan Hot 100. "Ano Yume o Nazotte" followed in 2020 and became the duo's second Top 40 hit, with that platinum-selling "Halzion" cracking the Top 10 later that spring. Another Top 10 hit, "Tabun," appeared during the summer of 2020, followed by the gold-certified "Haruka" in December. Those singles were all featured in YOASOBI's debut EP, The Book, which charted at Number 2 in Japan upon its January 2021. A number of non-album singles followed that same year, including "Kaibutsu," "Yasashii Suisei," "Mō Sukoshi Dake," and "Sangenshoku." All became Top 10 hits in Japan, prompting YOASOBI to release an English version of "Sangenshoku," retitled "RGB," in July 2021. Before the year was up, the band had also released E-Side and The Book 2, the latter of which reached Number on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart. E-Side appeared one year later and cracked the Top 10. Two additional EPs, Hajimete no – EP and The Book 3, were released in 2023, along with the triple-platinum single "Idol," which topped the charts in Japan.
©Copyright Music Story Andrew Leahey 2023
