NEWS
Daiki Ueno
BB Japan/Masanori NaruseBillboard Japan and TikTok kicked off the February edition of Next Fire on Feb. 4 with a live studio performance by rising singer-songwriter Daiki Ueno.
Next Fire is a show on TikTok Live highlighting the hottest artists of the moment, based on the Billboard Japan Heatseekers Songs chart. The collaborative program streams live performances and pre-recorded interviews by the featured artist of the month to present a multifaceted view of their artistry.
The online showcase on Feb. 4 featured a compact five-song set by the 25-year-old artist, including a gripping performance of his poetic take on losing a loved one called “Love Song,” currently buzzing on TikTok. A total of 11,558 viewers tuned in to see the studio concert.
Emerging on a stage illuminated by simple lights, Ueno slung his acoustic guitar over his shoulder and adjusted the tuning of his instrument before launching into the first track, “Onaji Tsuki wo Miteiru” (Looking at the same moon). Accompanied by Akira Murata on keyboard, the young singer’s slightly husky voice quickly filled the studio with a melancholy yet somehow warm vibe.
“It’s only for a short time today, but I hope everyone enjoys the show,” he told viewers after the opening number, and went on to perform “Te,” a relatively short but evocative track with earnest lyrics that deeply touch listeners’ hearts.
For the next song, called “Obose,” he explained that he wanted to take the special opportunity to show viewers how he usually did things and performed the number by himself with just his guitar, delivering an emotional take on the realistic lyrics. Then, joined again by Murata on keyboard, Ueno performed one of his recent hit singles entitled “Nami ni Ki” off his latest album Hogata, engaging viewers with his affecting vocal prowess.
He put down his guitar for the closing song of the evening, the TikTok favorite called “Love Song,” performing the gently profound number about death and loss with only keyboard and vocals. The lyrics bluntly depict suicide and appear shocking at first glance, but the song’s kindhearted message — “Love song, love song, keep spreading out more until the other world and this world stick together,” he sings in the chorus — stands out in the end. In fact, the latter half of the number exuded a sense of euphoria through the repetition of the chorus, and many viewers noted in the comment section that they were drawn into the performance. Ueno ended the song on a quiet note, as if to let viewers linger in the meaning of the final line: “Love song, love song, with more volume, so that it’ll reach that person,” he sang. “So that it’ll reach you.”
A pre-recorded interview by Ueno will stream Friday (Feb. 18) at 8 p.m. Japan time on Billboard Japan’s TikTok channel, as well as an archived version of his Feb. 4 livestream.
KATSEYE have officially begun a fresh chapter with the announcement of their forthcoming single, Pinky Up.
The K-pop girl group sparked curiosity online after sharing a string of mysterious posts that quickly had fans trying to piece together the clues.
The first teaser, posted on March 30, featured the Mona Lisa gently raising a hot cup of tea with her pinky finger lifted. The next video, uploaded the next day, showed an arcade claw machine labeled with the group’s name pulling a sword from a mix of sparkling plush toys and a single teacup. Making things even more intriguing, the caption stated: “We’re screaming from cloud nine!!”
Their third update finally revealed the song title along with its cover art. The image showed a figure kneeling on a rug next to a teacup and a toy cat, while the title appeared in bright hot pink text across the visual. The group also confirmed the release date as April 9.
Pinky Up will arrive just one day before KATSEYE appear at Coachella on April 10, which will mark their first time performing at the famous festival.
The single also marks their first comeback since HYBE and Geffen confirmed that member Manon Bannerman would be stepping away for a period of time to prioritize her “health and well being.”
In a message posted on Weverse, they shared: "Hello. After open and thoughtful conversations together, we are sharing that Manon will be taking a temporary hiatus from group activities to focus on her health and wellbeing."
The group expressed that they “fully support this decision,” and added: “KATSEYE remains committed to showing up for one another and for the fans who mean everything to us. We look forward to being together again when the time is right.”
While she is away, the group will continue promotions with Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza and Yoonchae Jeung.
They closed their message by saying: “Thank you to our EYEKONS for your continued love, patience, and understanding.”
