J-Pop group Atarashii Gakko! on how to bring their music to fans around the world

Just seconds into Japanese pop group Atarashii Gakko's recent tour! at the Hollywood Palladium, the entire sold-out audience seems enthralled by the quartet.

Dressed in retro school clothes, the group, consisting of members Mizyu, Rin, Suzuka and Kanon, commands the stage, performing unique pop anthems and intricate choreography. Atarashi Gakko! has had an undeniably impressive year so far between attention-grabbing performances at Coachella, a late-night TV appearance in the US and a new album. Their global profile has only grown since their international debut in January 2021 under 88rising.

Last December, the group made their US television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! with a performance of their global hit “Tokyo Calling”. The intense song, with equally intense choreography, is both a call to action and a look at the disillusionments of everyday life, with the lyrics: “Daddy's stuck in the rut, the grip of work is scary / Brother is chained to the screen”, burned out in college / Mom escapes reality, addicted to idols.

Hours before the group brought out the October crowd in Los Angeles, Atarashii Gakko! he sat with The Hollywood journalist. The powerhouse four-piece, speaking through a translator, say they hope fans around the world see them, in the literal translation, as a light of hope. In more metaphorical terms, Atarashii Gakko! hopes to be the light at the end of the tunnel for many around the world through their music and performances.

Below, the group discusses what self-expression means to them, why their music translates to global audiences, and their goals for the future.

How did the tour go?

SUZUKA It was the first experience for all of us, but we had great support from everyone and therefore we made sure to deliver great performances. We were supposed to do shows once every two days or so and we focus on putting on great shows.

As a group, you were founded on this idea of ​​going against norms and self-expression. What does this mean for you as individuals and group members?

SUZUKA We think our normal is almost boring, so we constantly think about how to go beyond it. This is important when it comes to performing our performances, but also in our everyday lives. “How can we enjoy our moments as much as possible?”

Atarashi Gakko!

Courtesy of Atarashii Gakko!

You've found success on a global scale, which isn't always easy. Why do you think your music translates so well to a global audience?

RIN We actually debuted overseas during COVID, so our debut was over the internet. We actually think that maybe this has some sort of problem with our internet debut as well, finding ourselves through social media. Maybe it's a way that showcases our uniqueness as well as our passion. We also think we're able to captivate audiences through… We feel fans might see us as almost iconic characters in a way. We think fans see us from different types of perspectives rather than just one lens.

When you started traveling again, did you find it different playing in front of global audiences?

SUZUKA There's definitely a big difference in the sense of seeing it from the stage. [In] In Japan, from an early age, you are taught a sense of collectivity, a sense of unity. If we ask the public to do something, they do it together. While here or abroad, everyone has a sense of individuality, so everyone enjoys it in their own way. It's almost like watching a carnival.

How was your Coachella experience?

SUZUKA Coachella is definitely a festival that the whole world focuses on and that the whole world knows about. The scope of it, the whole atmosphere was definitely something intense, exciting. This ride [the AG! Calling Tour]the setlist we played, the base, the foundations were actually laid there. The setlist that we're playing right now was actually originally prepared for that, for the Coachella performance. I think the Coachella show was where we first introduced AG! from Japan. That concept, that's where we lay the foundation. I think the Coachella performance was definitely a little bit like the beginning of 2024, and where we really felt like, “Oh, this is the start of something big happening.”

Speaking of the start of something big, “Tokyo Calling” seems like a turning point for you, at least in terms of global recognition. What was it like living the entire life cycle of that song, from when it was released until now?

RIN It's really nice to be able to see how the AGs react! fans, as well as simply other listeners, have become more and more numerous. It's actually starting to fit the mold or fit into what we imagined the song would become when we initially released it. Tokyo is a city that represents Japan, so since we created the song, we knew it would become, or I guess, the hope was that it would become a huge, intense song. The image is that we are racing towards the future. There was a feeling of knowing he was going to be great. When we see all these fans screaming “we're marching” throughout the song, it's just very, I guess – for lack of a better term – beautiful. To see how far she's come.

Atarashi Gakko!

@jamesbaxter

What do you hope your fans take away from your music and you as performers?

SUZUKA, RIN, KANON and MIZYU Honestly, as long as they get our energy. In a positive sense, we want to leave the decision up to them. It's really up to them how they receive our music, how they receive our performances. We believe that our performances are something unique to us. Only the four of us can recreate it. We want to be able to send that energy out into the world and we're still on an adventure that we can't even imagine. We are still going on adventures. There's literally that Japanese word, omakasewhich means letting you decide. We want to leave the decision up to them, and during all these overseas tours, we see all the different fans enjoying the concerts, enjoying the performances in their own way. There are some fans who cry, there are some fans who vibrate and dance so much that they don't even watch the show. [Laughs]. We just want them to enjoy it in their own way, as long as they enjoy our energy.

What are your goals for the year ahead?

KANON Next year will be our 10th anniversary, so we definitely want to do something there, so we're thinking about it. We have done a lot of overseas tours this year. When we come back, we will also tour around Japan, but next year we definitely don't want to stop going abroad.

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