"THE MUSIC DAY 2024" now available for viewing! A compilation of enthusiastic comments from top artists (1)

■Imase, HY, AKB48, New School Leaders, Yamashita Tomohisa, Nogizaka46, and XG express their feelings in their own words!

“THE MUSIC DAY 2024” was broadcast live for approximately eight hours starting at 3:00 p.m. on July 6th.

The main host was Sho Sakurai. The theme for 2024 was “surprise.” On the day, some of the artists’ comments were also broadcast, livening up the show.

“THE MUSIC DAY 2024” is available for pre-order on TVer. Be sure to tune in along with the comments from each artist.

■Imase
Imase performed “NIGHT DANCER” and “Ichi Hi Hana feat. Imase & Narashino High School Wind Orchestra,” a collaboration with Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra which will be the new theme song for the Nippon Television morning information program “ZIP!” starting in July.

Q: What are some of the highlights of today’s performance, costumes, etc. that you would like to share with viewers?
imase:This will be the first time we perform our collaborative song “Ichi Nichi Hana” with Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra. It’s a really powerful song that I think will make many people feel like they’re starting something new, so I hope to give a powerful performance that will cheer up the audience. I will be performing in the same suit as Ska Paradise Orchestra. (The suit) is a very refreshing color, like light green. I feel really honored to be performing together with them in the same suit, and because it’s that color of suit, I think it’s a costume that will make you feel very cheerful.
I think “NIGHT DANCER” is the song that has gotten people to know me the most. The song itself is a very catchy and danceable song, so I hope to perform it in a way that will make the audience’s hearts dance.
Q: Regarding your collaboration with Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, please tell us your thoughts on the song and any impressions you had.
imase:As it’s the theme song for “ZIP!”, listening to it in the morning gives you energy, and it’s a truly wonderful song that doesn’t just make you feel like starting your morning, but also makes you feel like the beginning of love, or the catalyst for starting something, or any other kind of beginning that can happen in any place.
(The collaboration started when) I had the opportunity to greet him at an event I performed at on the same day as Skapara. I really liked the song “Monhakuchou” that was a collaboration with Ishihara Shinya of Saucy Dog, and when I heard the song, I thought “I’d like to collaborate someday too,” so I told him directly. Then, two or two weeks later, I got a call from Yanaka (Atsushi) saying “I’d love to collaborate, Imase-kun,” and I was so happy.
The first thing that made an impression on me was how kind everyone was. Before recording, we went into the studio and practiced together, and even then, they talked to me so that I wouldn’t be nervous, and Kitahara (Masahiko) let me play the trombone, and everyone was really saying “That’s great!” during the recording, so it was really fun and I’m really glad I was able to participate this time.
Q: You have some festival appearances coming up. What are you looking forward to this summer?
imase:I’m really looking forward to performing at a lot of festivals this year. I’ve been to Hokkaido and other places on my own tours before, but I haven’t performed there many times, so I’m really looking forward to meeting fans for the first time and enjoying the festivals.
Q: Finally, please give a message to the viewers.
imase:There will be some songs being performed for the first time, as well as some of my own songs. I hope you enjoy both. Thank you.

■HY
HY performed “366 Days (Official Duet ver.)”.

Q: What are some of the highlights of today’s performance, costumes, etc. that you would like to share with viewers?
Hideyuki Niizato:The costumes are particular about the color pink. There are trend colors every year, right? HY also has a tendency to go for this color once a year. HY is doing it in the style of “25th anniversary year is pink,” so I would like people to pay attention to that as well.
Q: Please tell us the thoughts you put into “366 Days (Official Duet ver.)”.
Izumi Nakasone:“366 Days” was written 16 years ago, and at the time it was a song made from the feelings of many fans who said, “I can’t forget my ex-boyfriend.” But after 16 years, I think it can be used to express not only romantic love, but also love in general, for example, people you will never see again, or people you have lost. Now I sing this song thinking of the people who were important to me and who I will never see again. So I want everyone to listen to this song thinking of their loved ones, whether they are family or friends, and I want to sing it thinking of my loved ones.
Q: It’s the 25th year since the formation of HY, and you have released many songs that have resonated with many people. What have you valued up until now, and what do you want to continue to value in the future?
Nakatoshi:What I hope to convey to listeners and viewers is the strength of the communication and bond between the four of us. I hope that we can continue to connect at a deeper level in the future. Also, we really value our hometown, Okinawa, so this is an important thought for our hometown. I think that everyone who listens to our songs has a place to return to, so our songs are born with the hope that they will look back at their hometowns and fall in love with their surroundings.
Q: With summer approaching, what are you looking forward to?
Shinsuke Kyoda:We’re going to have a tour commemorating our 25th anniversary in September, so we want to make it a tour that everyone can enjoy and be surprised by. We really hope we can go all over the country, so we hope everyone is looking forward to it.
Q: Finally, please give a message to the viewers.
Hideyuki Niizato:HY is a live band, so we will deliver a new version of “366 Days” while enjoying the live feeling of having the audience in front of us (even on the live broadcast of “THE MUSIC DAY”) and the atmosphere we have. I hope you will listen to “366 Days” again and enjoy it as your current, grown-up self, while remembering all the various memories from 16 years ago (when the song was created).

■AKB48
AKB48 performed “Ponytail to Shushu” as part of the “Full-venue Microphone Relay Medley.”

Q: What are some of the highlights you would like to share with viewers about today’s “THE MUSIC DAY” performance, costumes, etc.?
Sato Kisei:THE MUSIC DAY“There will be a total of 42 people performing in the show, and the costumes are seven different colors, so each person’s costume will stand out, and the costumes are really cute. The costumes are summery and go really well with “Ponytail and Scrunchie.”
Q: The current members will be performing your 2010 hit song “Ponytail to Shushu.” What were your thoughts and what did you keep in mind when performing this song?
Narumi Kuranoo:One of AKB48’s strengths is that they can perform with a large number of people. I want to do my best so that our generation can perform AKB48’s classic summer song, “Ponytail to Shushu,” brilliantly, so that we can brighten up the entire venue.
Q: I think there will be a lot of activities coming up for the “New AKB48”. Please tell us what you would like people to see and what you would like to express as the “New AKB48”.
Sato:We have more new members and I think the balance between the young and senior members is great, so I hope everyone will see the fresh, sparkling, and traditional idol feel.
Q: Do you have any memorable stories from the dressing room or behind the scenes during rehearsal today?
Kuranoo:There were simply so many people, and even when we tried to coordinate the choreography, there were so many of us that we had to practice dancing in my mind in front of my seat in the dressing room.
Q: Finally, please give a message to the viewers.
Sato:I think “Ponytail to Shushu” is AKB48’s signature song, so I would like to bring energy and smiles to many people and brighten up the summer with enough power to blow away the summer.

New School Leaders
The New School Leaders performed “Arigato” and collaborated with Ayako Imoto on “Otona Blue.”

Q: What are some of the highlights of the performance, costumes, etc. that you would like to share with viewers?
RIN:We will be performing “Arigato,” a song we first performed at the world’s biggest festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, in April, wearing the sailor uniforms we performed at that time. The things we’ve printed on our socks up until now and the beliefs we hold dear are engraved on these sailor uniforms. And for “Otona Blue,” our collaboration with Imoto-san, we’ll be wearing our regular sailor uniforms and forming a five-piece group with Imoto-san, and we hope to put on a great performance.
Q: Is there anything that stands out in your memory from your interactions with Imoto Ayako so far?
SUZUKA:When you go out into the world, you definitely have to get on a plane, right? We talked about how to spend your time on the plane. I was told that not eating the in-flight meal and just sleeping is a good way to deal with jet lag and other things. We went to 13 cities in a month, and took twice as many flights (round trip), so I wanted to learn how to spend time on the plane, and that advice resonated with me. I realized that wearing an eye mask because the light can wake you up, and just sleeping on the plane is a good way to take care of many things.
Q: As mentioned earlier, you were the final act on the GOBI STAGE at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 14th. What were your thoughts at the time and how enthusiastic you are about your future activities both in Japan and abroad?
MIZYU:It was a very emotional stage for us as we experienced our scope of activities expanding throughout Japan in 2023 and once again approached the world. By performing there, it was a time when we felt proud of ourselves and that we were carrying Japan on our shoulders as we went out into the world, so it was a good experience.
Q: Do you often talk about these kinds of future plans?
KANON:We quite like talking about the future, and since we are facing each other as a group of four, we basically have a constant conversation. However, we are doing our best to face ourselves now, and we wonder if the four of us can come together and enjoy life together.

■Yamashita Tomohisa
Yamashita Tomohisa will perform with TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s TAEHYUN on “PerfectStorm (feat.TAEHYUN of TOMORROW X TOGETHER)”.

Q: What was the highlight of today’s performance?
Tomohisa Yamashita:It’s been a while since I’ve released a collaboration, so I hope you can see the harmony and fusion that I can’t show by myself.
Q: What kind of song is “Perfect Storm (feat. TAEHYUN of TOMORROW X TOGETHER)”?
Yamashita:I think there are times when storms come and clouds hang over the sky, but there is always a big sky above it, and it is a song filled with hope that we should move forward no matter what. (In the song production) I collaborated with a Korean team, and since there are many English lyrics, I had an English teacher come and train us, and I learned a lot by creating songs in a different environment than usual, and since we are from different generations (with TAEHYUN), I think we were able to expand each other’s horizons in a good way. He has studied Japanese a lot, so I would like to work hard on my language skills as well.
Q: This year you are holding the Asia tour “TOMOHISA YAMASHITA ASIA TOUR 2024 Sweet Vision+ Up-Close”, with a performance in Shanghai coming up next week.
Yamashita:I don’t often have the chance to meet the people who support me from overseas, so I hope I can enjoy myself and give back to them. I’ll do my best to perform in Japan, so please continue to support me!
Q: Finally, please give a message to the viewers.
Yamashita:Don’t forget to stay hydrated and get through this.

■ Nogizaka46
Nogizaka46 performed “Ohitorisama Tengoku.”

Q: What would you like viewers to see in today’s “Ohitorisama Tengoku” performance?
Kazu Inoue:The version we will be performing this time will be like a Nogizaka46 live performance, with members coming out from all over the place and the audience being able to see our performance up close. We also want to cherish the energy of a live performance as we perform.
Q: Do you have any stories from today’s rehearsal?
Sakura Endo:(For today’s formation) the members were often waiting in various places, so we had a lot of time to talk about what it would be like, and we were also rehearsing it in the dressing room until the very last minute, so it feels like we’re more motivated than usual.
Q: The “Nogizaka46 Midsummer National Tour 2024” is just around the corner. Please tell us your enthusiasm for the tour.
Minami Umezawa:This year’s tour is bigger than last year’s, and we will be performing at the Dome. Since we have a lot of members in our group, we have many different ways of showing and expressing ourselves, so we are looking forward to cherishing our group’s colors, getting everyone excited about the summer together, and ending the summer in a good way. We are all currently preparing so that we can show a more powerful Nogizaka46 than last time, so we are really looking forward to it.
Q: Finally, please give a message to the viewers.
Umezawa:It’s a type of performance that you can only see today, and it uses the entire venue to get the audience excited, so I hope that you’ll be excited watching it on TV too.
Inoue:This is a performance that can only be seen today, so I hope that even those who have seen it at other live shows or on TV programs will find it fresh, and I would be happy if they could see that Nogizaka46 can perform in this way.
Endo:We feel that the production, with members appearing from various places and livening up the entire venue, is similar to a live concert, so we want to perform with all our might so that people think, “Nogizaka46 concerts are this much fun,” and since it’s a summer song, we hope we can have a fun performance.

■XG
XG performed “WOKE UP” and “SHOOTING STAR”.

Q: This is your first performance on Nippon Television. Is there anything in particular you would like to tell the viewers about today’s performance?
JURIN:This will be the first time we perform “SHOOTING STAR” on a Japanese TV program. Our fans have said they want to see “SHOOTING STAR!”, so we’re looking forward to it too. “WOKE UP” has a very strong hip-hop identity, and I think it’s an “extraordinary” song and performance for us, XG (the “X” stands for). I hope you’ll look forward to it.
Q: Please tell us again about each song and how you feel about it.
JURIN:“SHOOTING STAR” has the meaning of making a wish and of a star in the darkness, so it’s a special song for us.
CHISA:“WOKE UP” is an all-rap song, and it was the first time that JURIA, HINATA and I rapped, so we did a lot of research, and we practiced and prepared a lot to bring out XG’s hip-hop identity to the fullest. We took on this song with a new feeling and a challenging spirit, so it’s a song that we’re really passionate about, because we want to show our hip-hop spirit.
Q: The Japan leg of the “XG 1st WORLD TOUR “The first HOWL”” ended in May, and you will be touring various parts of Asia starting next week. Please tell us your thoughts about this world tour.
COCONA:A world tour has always been a dream for us, so we are honored to be able to start like this. It’s a great opportunity to show ALPHAZ (fandom name) the colors that only we can produce, whether it’s R&B or HIPHOP, and our motivation is to go and meet ALPHAZ all over the world. We are very happy for ALPHAZ, and our goal is to create the best space in the universe with “X-POP”.
JURIA:Above all, I’m most looking forward to meeting everyone in ALPHAZ and showing them my performance.
Q: Finally, please give a message to the viewers.
JURIN:We always hope to deliver love and hope to many people in a powerful way. With the slogan “Buchikama CRAZY,” we want to go all out and go crazy, so we hope to have fun with many people.