Japan

YOASOBI hit the Mojave Stage on Day 1 (April 12) of opening weekend of the 2024 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, taking part in the annual desert music festival featuring headliners Lana Del Rey, Tyler, the Creator and Doja Cat. A correspondent for Billboard Japan was on site at the Indio, Calif., stage to witness the J-pop duo’s first-ever Coachella set.
Ayase and ikura have been expanding their reach outside Japan, performing in the U.S. for the first time last August at 88rising’s Head in the Clouds Los Angeles event. At the Mojave Stage on Friday, some fans eagerly waited at the very front from the preceding act’s set to see YOASOBI up close, suggesting that the J-pop stars have been gaining recognition Stateside as well. The front row was packed with fans of various ethnic backgrounds — from local fans, to Asian fans, including those who traveled from Japan and Japanese residents in the U.S., and Latino fans, with conversations in languages other than English being heard all around during the change-over between acts. The common denominator was that they were all young and excited about the upcoming performance.

The “Idol” duo’s set was downsized and simplified compared to their usual concert production, due to the nature of music festivals and the limited space onstage. But it also proved to be a fan-friendly environment where the distance between the audience and artists was close.

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The lights went dark at 8:20 p.m., the scheduled time of YOASOBI’s set, and the bandmembers got into their respective positions as lasers flashed from the stage and visuals shot across the screens. Ayase and ikura then appeared together on the approximately 6-foot-high platform with a screen in the center of the stage, and after the vocalist introduced themselves by simply saying, “We are YOASOBI,” the band kicked off the set with the duo’s breakout hit “Yoru ni Kakeru” (“Into the Night”). The voltage of the audience was high from the beginning, and Ayase couldn’t seem to hold back his joy as he smiled and waved to the crowd through dark shades.

For the next song, “The Blessing,” ikura got off the platform and stood in the center of the stage, which underscored the closeness between the audience and the stage. Shouts of “I love you!” and “YOASOBI!” flew from the crowd, as well as heartfelt calls of “Aishiteru!” (“I love you” in Japanese) from fans who probably memorized the phrase for the occasion.

The vocalist used English to address fans throughout the show, starting off by saying, “Good evening everyone, we are YOASOBI from Japan” and introducing herself and music producer Ayase. “Honestly, we’ve been waiting to meet you all. Being here at Coachella is so unreal. Oh my gosh,” she continued. “It’s honestly a big dream come true for us, wow! Thank you for being here as part of a magical moment. What an honor.”

“We came ready to rock the stage. Coachella! Get ready to groove!” she then hyped up the audience. “Are you ready to dance? Are you ready to sing with us? OK, come on Coachella, make some noise!” The band launched into “Seventeen” and the audience shouted “Oi! Oi!” along to the hard-hitting rock track. The keyboardist Misohagi Zakuro danced to the song, highlighting her versatility as well as the band’s ability to deliver.

Midway through the set, ikura said, “For the next song, I want to feel a sense of unity” and requested fans to turn on the light on their phones. The crowd was quick to react as the slow-tempo intro to “Probably” began, indicating their dedication to the hitmakers. During the next number, “The Brave,” some fans were jumping and headbanging along to the beat, each enjoying themselves to their heart’s content.

“So, Coachella, we’re getting close to the end. Let me see your energy! More!” ikura said before performing their hit “Monster,” then on to “Gunjo,” where she switched the lyrics that mean “I’m irreplaceable” to “you’re all irreplaceable.” The band closed its hit-filled set with “Idol,” Billboard Japan’s song of the year for 2023 that topped the Japan Hot 100 for a record 22 weeks.

While ikura used English to speak to the crowd during the 9-song, 45-minute performance, the set list featured songs performed in their original Japanese. As the singer explained during the set that the duo is “trying to bring our music from Japan to the world,” this was a memorable live performance that effectively delivered “our music” with Japanese lyrics to the audience gathered at the world-famous Coachella music festival and to listeners all over the world through livestream.

YOASOBI also took the stage at the 88RISING FUTURES showcase on day three. The duo appeared after Tiger JK and Yoonmirae opened the set, and ikura again addressed the crowd in English before the duo first performed “Probably” for the Mojave Stage crowd. “I love you all so much. Thank you. Let’s sing together,” she said, and the intro to “Idol” followed. After ikura sang, “What type of guy do you like? / Who’s your partner? / Come on, answer me,” she called out, “Welcome, ATARASHII GAKKO!” and invited the four members of the group onstage. The alternative J-pop girl group joined in to add some flair to the show, performing what’s known in Japan as “otagei” (geek dance moves) during the chorus. The audience enthusiastically responded, “Hey! Hey!” in time to the music, bringing the euphoric moment to a climax.