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Perfume no Okite (2025-Mix)

iTunes TOP 100 Electronic Singles Chart today in Japan 2025.09.23

Well it's a fairly recognizable cycle: anniversary projects, a big milestone show (Tokyo Dome in Perfume’s case), and then either a hiatus or a shift in activity. Fans who’ve followed similar acts (like Arashi, SPEED) can usually see the signals building up.

These signals were there in the past anniversaries too though. But especially the past weeks felt kinda off. Repeating always changes without changing, talking about personal things more than ever like injuries and physical exhaustion.

After all this break could be good for the complete production team too.

There is no need to worry about Nakata’s future. There is much talk about Yasutaka Nakata (CAPSULE) in the media — this year more than it has been in a long time.

It’s quite possible that more of his productions will now be released exclusively through ASOBISYSTEM, since that’s his employer. The most commercially successful projects remain video games, movie and drama soundtracks and of course anime tie-ins, and the demand for them is generally higher than ever. Outside of commercial commissions, he can always come back with CAPSULE, and there might even be a short return into live clubs. More one-off collaborations are also conceivable.

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu – as you noted, her commercial peak has passed, and sales are modest at best now. She’s more of a cultural icon than a chart-topper. ASOBISYSTEM is trying to relive her career as a music artist since her return. Booking a lot of festival appearances for example recently.

Close up Producing songs for Perfume, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, and more. Exploring the true face of a sound creator who attracts the world’s attention.

2025.08.26 & 2025.08.28 RKB Radio Grooooow Up

A new way of recording

Another shift came during the making of Nebula Romance. Nakata suggested a change: he would focus on writing as many songs as possible, and trusted staff would oversee recording.

“At first we were shocked,” a~chan laughs. “‘Wait, what? Without Nakata-san there?’ But then we realized it gave us freedom to try different ways of singing. Sometimes belting out, sometimes almost like humming. Staff would capture everything, and Nakata would later choose the takes.”

Message by Yasutaka Nakata

Congratulations on your 25th anniversary. I believe the three of you have become artists with a definite individuality and expressive power.

Now, there's no need for me to say anything—in fact, seeing each of you deepen your own unique qualities has been an incredibly valuable experience for me. When working on the song “Meguru-pu,” I thought, “What were we thinking back then?” And, “How would the three of us back then feel if they saw the three of us now?”

I worked on it while imagining things like that. Meeting the three of you was without a doubt one of the most fortunate events of my life.

It felt both long and fleeting at the same time. I truly hope that the works born during this time continue to be cherished by many people as precious memories, and also enjoyed as new experiences for a long time to come.

I pray from the bottom of my heart that you’ll continue moving forward with your unique selves—lightly, and powerfully. Once again, congratulations on your 25th anniversary.