Kenshi Yonezu Talks World Tour, Music Styles And The Future Of A.I.

Kenshi Yonezu is a man of few words.

Though he may be one of the biggest Japanese artist in the world, he doesn’t want to talk about it, but rather use his music to speak for him. It may be one of the many reasons why he’s reached domestic and international success, creating experimental Vocaloid songs as Hachi in 2009 and, later, his own music, which includes the theme songs to the Academy Award-winning animated feature film The Boy and The Heron and the popular anime series Chainsaw Man.

Known for his eclectic blending of J-pop, rock, and electronic sounds, Yonezu’s music has been said to pull “listeners into a unique and dynamic musical journey" with his captivating melodies, masterful visual concepts, and deep, thoughtful lyrics. His music has been his gateway of expression, as the 34-year-old “shy” artist admits he finds it difficult to have a conversation, often leading him to second-guess his responses. But, when he’s on stage and in the studio, he becomes a different person – one where he feels the most “open and free.”

“When I’m performing music, that’s music I’ve created and been playing for a long time,” Yonezu says through an interpreter over Zoom. “I had this time to work out my feelings as I’m [making] music. [My music is] very honest in terms of how I feel because I know that it comforts me.”

U.S. fans got the opportunity to see this side of Yonezu as he performed sold-out shows in New York and Los Angeles last week for his JUNK World Tour. His set included music from his singles and many albums – including his latest album Lost Corner (2024) which features “Kick Back,” the opening theme for Chainsaw Man and the first Japanese song to receive RIAA Gold certification.

For Yonezu, he was “ecstatic” to be able to perform for his fans in the U.S. Although he was last in LA about 14-15 years ago, his stop at Radio City Music Hall was the very first time he’s been to New York. He nods, giving a slight grin, “I’m having a lot of fun.”

Below, the J-pop star talks about his decision to finally tour Europe and North America and how different the fans are from Japan, how he defines his music style, J-pop’s emerging popularity, and how he feels about artificial intelligence (A.I.) in art and music.

Laura Sirikul: What finally made you decide to tour Europe and North America?

Kenshi Yonezu: As you know, Japanese music has gradually become welcomed overseas recently. That’s the present situation right now. Since I've been doing Vocaloid for a long time, there have been people who have been waiting for me, and I thought the time was right to be able to go overseas and do a live performance for them.

Sirikul: Your music sound has changed throughout each project – from pop to R&B to rock to a bit of jazz. How do you define your sound and music taste?

Yonezu: I’m not really interested in pursuing my own style per se or one fixed style. Since the beginning, I’ve always been more of the type to pursue what I’m interested in. What I feel is fun for me at the moment [is]

the type of music I’ve always loved: alternative rock. That was what I loved initially. There was a time when I was in a band, but unfortunately, being in a band wasn’t really for me. When I started working on my own was when I really released myself from thinking about one particular style. When working on your own, there are no restrictions about what you have to do. I was free to do anything. If I had to define myself, I do believe I am pursuing J-pop.

One style does not define you; you love experimenting and trying new things. Is there one that you would love to experiment with? Is there a style that you would love to do in the future?

Kenshi Yonezu: I’m a person who creates songs, so melody is very important to me. That’s the core of what I do. It might be interesting to be able to [make] music that doesn’t rely on melody too much. Maybe rap [would] be interesting.

Sirikul: You’ve been in the industry since 2009 as "Hachi" and debuted as yourself in 2012. How has the music industry changed? How have you changed since your debut?

Yonezu: My music career started on the internet, so I benefited from new technology at the time, which was Vocaloid. Nowadays, Vocaloid has gone beyond Japanese borders and has been accepted around the world. But, when I was creating Vocaloid music, it was really a culture within the Japanese scene, so that was where I come from. Recently, the Japanese music scene has become even more domestically oriented. Sadly, not many [Japanese] people are listening to music from overseas. It’s usually the choice between either Japanese music or K-pop. That’s the tone in Japan at the moment. But I’ve been influenced by Western music, so it makes me sad that that’s the situation right now. On the other hand, it might indicate that the Japanese are more comfortable with their own identity. I don’t think that [is] a bad thing if you think of it on those terms. Of course, the population in Japan is receding right now, so the Japanese music industry hasn’t grown exponentially recently. I’m not sure what sort of changes are to come. As a musician, whether there is going to be or won’t be a change, I have to keep thinking about which way to travel in the future.

We have seen a wave of Japanese influence come in and out of American culture—the popularity of Japanese anime and films and the increase of Japanese musicians and artists. Being involved with both music and [your music in] popular animations, how have you seen this shift in appreciation in Japanese culture and content from the West?

I do sense the change and shift [in the West] very strongly. The COVID pandemic was the catalyst for Japanese anime to expand even more in the global scene. That helped a lot. When I started, it was the Vocaloid scene. So the internet was huge in that respect, serving as a way for cultural exchange between my music and people from other countries. That was part of it. The internet isn’t always good, but it can be used for good purposes, [despite] some negative aspects to it. However, the fact that people overseas listen to my music makes me very happy.

Sirikul: You’ve been involved with many beautiful anime series and films, including Hayao Miyazaki’s Academy Award-winning film The Boy and the Heron. You’ve also beautifully illustrated your album and single covers. Recently, there has been a rise of artificial intelligence copying artwork, including Studio Ghibli’s work. What is your take on this growing trend of using A.I. to create art?

Yonezu: In terms of A.I., it’s a huge problem or theme for people working in music. I've heard songs on the internet where people have used A.I. to imitate me. They're really well crafted. When I listen to these songs, they're supposedly my voice- sometimes I really think that was me. Did I actually sing that? Perhaps there might not be a need for myself because A.I. can take over. Of course, when most people come across something beneficial or easy to access, they'll use it because it's there. So, why wouldn't you use it? But my generation of people [has] an aversion towards things created by A.I.. Eventually, there will be generations to come who will accept it wholeheartedly. You might not feel the same way we do at the moment. Of course, when I started in the Vocaloid scene, [many] people used to say,' these aren't songs [and] you're demeaning songs' [in a trivial way.] It [was] silly. Nowadays, for young people at the time in my generation, it was fascinating. You can't equate A.I. with Vocaloid. They're totally different things, and you can't speak of them in the same terms, but it's not exactly the right way to go. But in culture, what we accept as natural now or [what they're used to] becomes a form of habit- it depends on the age you're living in. Western chamber music started with the bourgeois. It eventually filtered down to us, regular human beings. I'm not from aristocratic roots or not virtuous at all, but if that hadn't happened in the course of [that] time, [then it wouldn't have] become acceptable as an everyday form of music. [They] wouldn't have been okay with listening to chamber music at all. I don’t want you to take this to mean I’m advocating A.I. I do feel strongly that it's immoral. But, as a musician, I have to find a way to work together with it. That's how I feel at the moment. There are some core aspects of myself that I can't let go of, but I have to find a healthy way to work with it and move forward.

Sirikul: Now that you’ve performed in Europe for Western audiences. What differences do you see in the Western culture versus the Eastern world?

Yonezu: Personally, I was most surprised by the stomping of the feet that accompanied the cheering from the crowd. The sound was almost akin to the rumble of the ground from deep below. I’d never experienced anything like that at my concerts in East Asia, so that caught me by surprise.

Sirikul: You’ve had six successful studio albums, multiple chart placements, and several sold-out tours, and you have taken part in many globally successful projects, including Chainsaw Man and The Boy and the Heron. What is another goal that you’d like to take on in the future?

Yonezu: Right now, I’ve become more focused on how long I’ll be able to continue creating [music]. I don’t have a concrete goal, but this world tour has helped me realize just how many people outside of Japan have been listening to my music. I was profoundly moved to have been so passionately welcomed by them. So in the future, I’d like to be more conscious of these people who live outside of Japan as I continue with my career in music.