Dance and vocal group Lead will be releasing a new song, “Don’t Stay,” on June 6th. This song is the ending theme song for the Netflix movie “Hanma Baki VS Kengan Ashura,” which was announced to be released worldwide on June 6th.
The lyrics were written by Furuya Keita, the rap lyrics by Taniuchi Shinya, and the music was composed by Kagimoto Teru, and all members of the band were involved in the production of this song, which features emotional vocals and a powerful band sound, and expresses “the strength that lies in weakness, and the weakness that comes from being strong.”
New visuals will also be released to coincide with the release, and the “Don’t Stay” music video will premiere on YouTube at midnight on June 6th.
Additionally, from 10pm on June 5th, the full live video from the Nakano Sunplaza performance of their first solo tour, BRAND NEW ERA, held in 2004, will be premiered on YouTube.
Please check the Lead official website for details.
Comments from Lead members
Akira Kagimoto
Because it is a work that I love, I was very unsure about how to approach it.
If you want to express strength simply, a destructive sound would be fine, but if you want the ending theme song to leave you immersed in the afterglow of the work, a medium tempo or ballad would be fine too.
After much deliberation, I finally decided to make a song that had both.
Even the strong have weaknesses, and it is because they feel weak that they want to become stronger.
I want to aim for even greater heights than where I am now.
I took to the keyboard, hoping to express the feelings of those warriors and fighters through melody and sound.
A clash that transcends boundaries between Baki Hanma and Kengan Ashura.
We ourselves created this work with the aim of fusing sounds, dance styles, and various forms of entertainment.
Rather than mixed martial arts, we aimed to create something like “mixed entertainment,” so I hope that viewers can feel our commitment to that concept.
Keita Furuya
I wrote the lyrics while thinking about the theme of this work, “What does it mean to seek strength?”
Shinya Taniuchi
When writing the rap lyrics, I put in the passionate feelings of pushing forward while exceeding one’s limits, which are appropriate for the worldview of Hanma Baki and Kengan Ashura!
In order to match the worldview of the work, I recorded it with a brave, husky voice like never before.
Lead “Don’t Stay”
Release date: June 6
Streaming link:https://lead.lnk.to/DontStay
“Don’t Stay” MUSIC VIDEO Premiere URL
Lead 1st live tour～BRAND NEW ERA～＜August 25, 2004 @ Nakano Sun Plaza＞Premiere URL
https://youtu.be/3-TqRYtKh_o?si=k5T1Fqxi8FEgCqNQ
Netflix movie “Baki Hanma vs. Kengan Ashura”
The “Baki” series (originally written by Itagaki Keisuke) currently being serialized in “Weekly Shonen Champion” (Akita Shoten) is a hugely popular fighting manga with a total circulation of over 100 million copies, depicting the fights between various fighters, centering on the deadly battle between Baki Hanma and his father, Yujiro Hanma, known as “the strongest creature on earth.”
“Kengan Ashura” (original story by Sandrovich Yabako, art by Daromeon) is currently being distributed on the website “Ura Sunday” and the comic app “Manga One”. It is a battle action manga in which office worker Yamashita Kazuo meets a mysterious fighter named Tokita Ohma and gets caught up in the “Kengan Jiai”, a competition in which companies pit fighters against each other for their own profits.
An unlikely collaboration between two underground fighting organizations, the two greats of the fighting manga world, “Baki” series and “Kengan Ashura”, has finally come true!!
A match card that will make your blood boil and make you “unable to resist getting excited”!! An unpredictable, extreme battle!! The battle between the “bad guys” representing both works is about to begin!!
Become a witness to the legend!!
The Netflix movie “Baki Hanma vs. Kengan Ashura” will be available worldwide starting Thursday, June 6th!
Watch on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81648184
Lead Regular Radio Program
FM Yokohama 84.7
“Thursday Boys’ Gathering” (Every Thursday from 1:00am to 1:30am)
https://www.fmyokohama.co.jp/program/mokuyoubinodanshikai
Artist Information
Lead Official Website:https://lead-fc.jp
Lead Official Fan Club “Leaders”:https://lead-fc.jp
Lead Official Blog “Leadship”:http://ameblo.jp/lead-blog/
Lead Official X:https://x.com/Lead_tvLeadOfficial TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@leadofficial
Lead Official YouTube Channel:http://www.youtube.com/user/LeadOfficialCh
Lead Official LINE:https://line.me/ti/p/%40lead
Lead Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/lead_staff/
profile
Lead is a dance and vocal unit consisting of Shinya Taniuchi, Keita Furuya, and Teru Kagimoto.
Hiroyoshi Nakadoi, Shinya Taniuchi, and Teru Kagimoto met at a dance school in Osaka and started performing on the streets. Later, Keita Furuya from Fukuoka Prefecture, who was selected in an audition organized by the agency, joined the group, and the four formed Lead. They recorded a peak attendance of 7,000 people at Osaka Castle Park, commonly known as “Joten,” a mecca for street performances in Osaka. Amid much buzz, they debuted with the single “Manatsu no Magic” on July 31, 2002, at an average age of 14.5. Their second single, “Show me the way,” won them the New Artist Award at the 44th Japan Record Awards in 2002. They then went on to win the Gold Award at the Japan Record Awards in 2004 and 2005.
Lead’s true strength is their live performance. They have held solo concerts every year since 2004, and their stamina, which allows them to dance from start to finish at concerts, has been praised by many artists and dancers. Their stage performances, which fully display their stoicism, are synonymous with Lead and are said to be their greatest weapon. In addition, the family-like feeling they have with their fans, known as “Leaders,” is also one of the features of Lead’s live performances.
Since 2008, the members have been releasing songs that they write and compose on a regular basis. In March 2013, Hiroyoshi Nakado, who had been the leader for 11 years since their debut, graduated. Lead has started its second chapter with only three members.
In 2016, their seventh album “THE SHOWCASE” debuted at No. 2 on the Oricon weekly charts, breaking the record for the highest ranking in Lead’s history, including all singles and albums released over the past 14 years.
In 2017, the group celebrated its 15th anniversary, and the three members wrote the lyrics for their 28th single, “Beautiful Day.” As of 2023, they have released a total of 35 singles and 10 original albums. In recent years, in addition to their artist activities, they have been active in a wide range of fields, including appearing in stage plays and musicals. On July 31, 2022, they will celebrate their 20th anniversary since their debut, and they will continue to move forward as a guiding light for everyone, so that they can continue to “lead” the times, which is the origin of their group name.
