[English]
Hello, I'm AKASAKI, an 18-year-old singer-songwriter.
Once again, I've officially graduated from high school!
And starting this April, I'll be heading to university,
and my parents have given me their permission to keep pursuing music!
(I'm seriously so happy about this...)
This is all thanks to every single one of you
who have been listening to my music. I'm truly grateful!
Thank you so much for your support!
A year ago, I was just an ordinary high school senior
who hadn't even released "Hikikomori" yet.
"Maybe something will change if I start TikTok,"
I thought, so I started writing original songs in secret from my parents
and posting them on TikTok.
But my parents found out almost immediately, haha.
When I told them that I seriously wanted to do music,
they told me, "The music world isn't that easy; there's no way you'll succeed."
So, for the first time, I sang one of my original songs
for my parents to hear.
That song was "Konya wa Kimi to."
My parents were surprised that I could write my own songs,
and they were moved to tears.
At that time, we made a promise: "If you can get results while you're in high school, we'll consider letting you continue with music."
That was the deal.
From then on, I wrote original songs like my life depended on it.
As for the public reaction and how I felt when I released
"Hikikomori" and "Nami Makase,"
I think you'll understand if you watch my video
about "my path after high school graduation."
Then, around July, my TikTok wasn't growing much,
and literally, I was on the verge of giving up.
Just between us, my teachers and parents
were already making arrangements for me to get a job.
But I only have one life, and I didn't want to give up on my dream
by working a job without ever doing the music I truly love.
Thinking it was my last chance,
I wrote about ten original songs.
Two of those were "Natsumi" and "Bunny Girl."
Once I posted those two on TikTok, my whole world changed.
In October, I was selected as a Monthly Artist for
TikTok and Spotify's "BuzzTracker,"
and "Bunny Girl" hit #1 on Spotify's
Daily and Weekly charts.
Out of all the songs released during the BuzzTracker period,
it has achieved the best results to date.
After that, in January, I was selected for
"RADAR: Early Noise 2025," which I'd always aimed for,
Buzz Rhythm's "Top 10 Artists Bound to Break Out in 2025,"
and EIGHT-JAM's "My Best 10 of 2024."
I've also been confirmed to perform at "JAPAN JAM 2025" at the end of this month.
I'm facing a reality that my self from a year ago would never believe.
I think it's because I braced myself and decided this was my final chance.
Even so, I'm not satisfied at all yet,
and I naturally feel the pressure that this could all end here.
My goal is to become an artist who represents Japan
and to perform on the world stage.
With even stronger determination than a year ago,
and to live up to the expectations of everyone supporting me,
from here on, I'll aim for Kohaku Uta Gassen, the Record Awards,
and first and foremost, a concert at the Budokan.
I can really feel that a lot of people are paying attention to me,
so I'll use this pressure as fuel to keep going.
If you ever think I'm slacking off, please don't hesitate to tell me, haha.
First, I'll be releasing "Haikai" next week on April 16th!
And from here, I'll be releasing new songs every month!
Also, next month I have some incredibly exciting
surprise news! (It's top secret).
AKASAKI is going to keep charging forward in 2025,
so please look forward to it!
That's all from AKASAKI!
Please keep watching me as I continue to grow!
(The surprise news is a real surprise).
(And "Haikai" is a song I'm truly confident in).
(そして、徘徊は本気の自信作です)