How BAND-MAID Poured Their Determination into ‘Energetic’ Before Their ‘OKYU-JI’ Hiatus
Categoria: Musica
Billboard Japan interviews the group.
Por Billboard | 28/07/2026
BAND-MAID released their new single, “ENERGETIC,” on June 24, which marked their first release of 2026. The band has announced that in 2027, they’ll be taking a short break from their “OKYU-JI” (live shows) to recharge, so one can’t help but see their frame of mind reflected in their new songs, along with the message they’re trying to share. They recently finished their last European stop on their ongoing world tour and returned to Japan, and Billboard JAPAN was able to speak with them at length about everything from their impressions of the tour to the process of creating the new single. You played at five cities on the European leg of your world tour (Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Paris and London), and you performed at Download Festival in the U.K. How was it? KANAMI (Guitar): This was our first time in Europe in seven years, so I was nervous and a bit worried. I was like, “How receptive are they going to be? Will the crowd get into it?” But there were no problems at all. You could tell that everyone had been listening to our music and waiting for us. I was relieved, and happy, and filled with this feeling like “We’re going to be coming back here again!” AKANE (Drums): There were a lot of people who had never been to an OKYU-JI before, which surprised me. Over half the audience at each show. It really made me happy knowing how many new people had found us over the past seven years. Before you left for Europe, you announced that you’d be putting your OKYU-JI on hiatus in 2027. The singles came out after that announcement, so it really feels like you’re baring your hearts, especially on “Days.” MIKU KOBATO (Guitar/Vocals): We wanted to make a song that resonated with the sadness our Masters and Princesses will feel not being able to see us for a year, and a song that would provide us in the band with emotional support during this period of separation from our Masters and Princesses. We wanted it to be like, with this song, we’re fine, and people know we’re doing alright. SAIKI (Vocals): We started playing “Days” on the world tour starting with the Yokohama show (in April). We revealed it pretty early on, because we’d made the announcement (about our OKYU-JI hiatus) and with “Days” we wanted to let everyone know how we were feeling. I wrote really raw lyrics that were honest to a fault, and we wanted to share that message directly through our OKYU-JI. I think of “Days” as being a promise. “ENERGETIC” was written while picturing a bright future, and when talking about it, KANAMI even said “This year, we’re going to make them get out there and dance!” (laughs) KANAMI : When I wrote the song, I was imagining everyone at the 2026 OKYU-JI going wild dancing. SAIKI : We want to create some fun memories. AKANE : “Days” has a message we want to share with our Masters and Princesses, and we want people to pay close attention to the lyrics of the chorus. That’s why I went with a simple beat, a drum phrase that would highlight the melody without ge