5 Years of YOASOBI: A Look Back at the Duo’s Unprecedented Rise to J-Pop Superstardom

YOASOBI celebrated its fifth anniversary on Oct. 1. The J-pop duo, consisting of composer Ayase and singer ikura, launched its career in 2019 as a group that turns creative writing into music. The “Idol” hitmakers have since released numerous hit songs and gained popularity that transcends generations and borders, expanding their reach worldwide as one of the biggest breakout J-pop acts in recent years. How did YOASOBI cement its current position as a musical sensation like no other? Let’s take a look back at their journey.

YOASOBI originally formed for a project by the online creative writing site “monogatary.com,” run by Sony Music. The pair’s debut single, “Yoru ni Kakeru” (“Into the Night”) is based on an original short story by Mayo Hoshino entitled “Thanatos no yuuwaku” (“Seduction of Thanatos”) that won the grand prize in the Monocon 2019 competition hosted by the site. At the time, Ayase was a songwriter who released music online as a “vocaloid producer” (vocalo-p), and ikura was a solo singer-songwriter releasing music under the name Lilas Ikuta. The two artists got together for the YOASOBI project and released the music video accompanying their debut track on YouTube in November 2019.

As the above introduction suggests, the members of YOASOBI initially had no idea they would become as successful as they are now, since the unit formed as part of the online website’s project. At first, they didn’t even know whether they would continue to work as a duo in the long term. But the appeal of their music spread naturally and the music video for “Yoru ni Kakeru” sailed past a million views in just a month after it was released. This is an exceptional number for a new, unknown act.

The YOASOBI phenomenon kicked into full swing the following year. The reaction that had spread rapidly online was also picked up by television and other media from around April, and the buzz expanded into the mainstream. “Yoru ni Kakeru” made it into the top 10 of the all-genre Billboard Japan Hot 100 song chart for the first time on the list released Apr. 29, 2020. It continued to stay in the upper ranks throughout the year and also took the top spot on the year-end Japan Hot 100. The breakout duo also performed for the first time on NHK’s Kohaku Uta Gassen, the prestigious annual New Year’s Eve live music extravaganza.

One of the reasons why the duo’s music gained popularity so quickly was probably the atmosphere of the times. Many people were spending time at home due to the pandemic and the number of those enjoying online entertainment increased. The distinctive animated music videos were also a factor. But it goes without saying that the biggest factor in their success was the power of the music itself. In 2020, YOASOBI released five songs in quick succession, including “Tabun” and “Gunjo.” The songs varied in taste, but Ayase’s signature, catchy melodies and ikura’s vivid vocal expression were demonstrated in each, and the group established its unmistakable pop style.

YOASOBI’s breakout success continued. In 2021, they moved beyond the buzz around a single release and focused on showcasing their appeal as artists. The group worked on high-profile tie-ins including including the dark, electro-pop number “Monster,” featured as the opening theme of the anime series BEASTARS Season 2, and released a number of singles that expanded their musical range. In July that year, they dropped the English version of “Yoru ni Kakeru” called “Into The Night,” which fans noticed had lyrics that sounded like Japanese in places.

YOASOBI’s live performance debut was also a major turning point for the duo whose activities initially took place mainly online. In February 2021, the pair held their first live show — entitled KEEP OUT THEATER — at a building under construction in Shinjuku, Tokyo (the current Tokyu Kabukicho Tower), filmed without an audience and livestreamed for viewers at home. Their headlining solo concert at the historic Nippon Budokan in Tokyo in December that year, called NICE TO MEET YOU, became the duo’s first show in front of a live audience. 

The hitmakers further expanded their activities in real-world settings the following year. In August 2022, they took the stage as headliners at their first summer music festival, ROCK IN JAPAN. In December, they performed for the first time outside of Japan at 88rising’s Head In The Clouds festivals held in Indonesia and the Philippines. That same year, they collaborated with four Naoki Prize-winning authors for a project called Hajimete no (“…for the first time”), and their song “The Blessing,” released in October, was featured as the opener for Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Season 1 and became a huge hit.

In 2023, YOASOBI scored its biggest hit to date with “Idol,” featured as the opener for the anime Oshi no Ko. Released in April, this single quickly became a sensation immediately after its release. It held the No. 1 spot on the Japan Hot 100 for a whopping 22 weeks, with 21 of those weeks in succession from the chart dated April 19 to September 6, 2023. This is an all-time record for any act in the history of Billboard Japan’s song chart, and naturally the track also topped the year-end list for 2023. The song’s popularity spread to countries around the world, and it reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Global Excl. U.S. chart dated June 10, becoming the first Japanese-language song to top this list.

The duo followed up that hit with another, releasing “The Brave,” the opener for the TV anime series Frieren, in September that year, and the momentum of YOASOBI’s rise to superstardom reached its peak when the group’s debut track “Yoru ni Kakeru” became the first Japanese song to collect a billion streams (it later reached 1.1 billion on May 29, 2024).

The pair also grew remarkably as artists through their powerful performances on stage. In May 2023, they hit the road for their first headlining domestic arena tour, and in August, they performed for fans in the U.S. for the first time at Head In The Clouds Los Angeles. From December 2023 to January 2024, the group toured other Asian countries. The enthusiastic reaction from the crowds in each city must have given the two artists a great deal of confidence.

This year, YOASOBI continues to take on new challenges. In April, they took the stage at Coachella, and also held their first headlining show in the U.S. In August. They also performed at Lollapalooza, steadily expanding their reach in North America. YOASOBI’s first headlining dome concerts in Tokyo and Osaka are planned for October and November, and another run through Asia is set for December to February next year. Music-wise, they released a new song called “UNDEAD” in July. Featured as the theme for the anime Monogatari Series: Off & Monster Season, the latest track’s musical style is even more aggressive and chaotic than before, showcasing a new musical direction for the pair. 

YOASOBI’s five-year journey has been unprecedented, and their success has ushered in a new era in J-pop culture. The hitmakers have adhered to the initial concept of turning creative writing into music, meaning all of their songs, including ones written as tie-ins, continue to be based on original narratives. Each song has its own story, organically linking with other works including anime and films, and can be enjoyed in many ways from different angles. This is one of the true joys of YOASOBI’s music, and the breakout duo will surely show fans new horizons in the future.

—This article by Tomonori Shiba first appeared on Billboard Japan