J-Pop Group Atarashii Gakko! on Bringing Their Music to a Global Audience and Why Normal Is “a Bit Boring”

Mere seconds into Japanese pop group Atarashii Gakko!’s recent tour stop at the Hollywood Palladium, the entire sold-out crowd appears captivated by the foursome.

Clad in retro school outfits, the group, comprised of members Mizyu, Rin, Suzuka and Kanon, command the stage, performing unique pop anthems and intricate choreography. Atarashii Gakko! has had an undeniably impressive year so far between attention-grabbing Coachella performances, a U.S. late-night television appearance and a new album. Their global profile has only been growing since their international debut in January 2021 under 88rising.

Last December, the group made their U.S. television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! with a performance of their global breakout hit “Tokyo Calling.” The intense song, with equally intense choreography, is at once a call-to-action and a look at the disillusions of everyday life, with the lyrics: “Dad’s stuck in the grind, the job’s grip is appalling / Brother’s chained to the screen, at his wits end at college / Mom’s escaping reality, addicted to idols.”

Hours before the group bought the October L.A. crowd to their feet, Atarashii Gakko! sat down with The Hollywood Reporter. The powerful four-piece group, speaking through a translator, says they hope fans around the world see them as, in literal translation, a hopeful light. In more metaphorical terms, Atarashii Gakko! hopes to be the light at the end of the tunnel for many around the world through their music and performances.

Below, the group discusses what personal expression means to them, why their music translates to a global audience and their goals for the future.

How has the tour been?

SUZUKA It was a first-time experience for all of us, but we had great support from everyone and so we made sure to put on great performances. We had to shows once per every two days or so, and we focus on putting on great performances.

As a group, you were founded on this idea of pushing against norms and personal expression. What does that mean to you as individuals and members of the group?

SUZUKA We feel like our normal is almost a bit boring, so we consistently think of how to go beyond that. That goes into it, when it comes to making our performances, but also in our everyday lives as well. “How can we enjoy our moments as much as possible?”

Atarashii Gakko!

Courtesy of Atarashii Gakko!

You’ve found success on a global scale, which is not always easy. Why do you think your music translates so well to a global audience?

RIN We actually debuted overseas during COVID, so our debut was actually via the internet. We actually think maybe that has sort of a catch as well our debut through the internet, finding us through social media. Maybe that’s a way that showcases our uniqueness as well as our passion. We also think we’re able to captivate the crowd through… We feel like the fans might see us as almost iconic characters in a sense. We think the fans see us from different types of perspectives rather than just one from one lens.

As you were able to start traveling again, did you find that it was different to play in front of global crowds?

SUZUKA There’s definitely a big difference in the sense of seeing it from the stage. [In] Japan, ever since you’re little, you’re being taught a sense of collectiveness, a sense of unity. If we ask the audience to do something, they do it together. Whereas over here or overseas, everyone has a sense of individuality, so everyone’s enjoying it in their own way. It’s almost like watching a carnival.

What was your Coachella experience like?

SUZUKA Coachella is definitely a festival that the entire world focuses on, and the entire world knows about. The scale of it, the entire atmosphere was definitely something intense, exciting. This tour [the AG! Calling Tour], the set list that we’ve been playing, the base, the foundation was actually set there. The set list that we’re playing right now, was actually prepared for that initially, for the Coachella performance. I think the Coachella performance was where we first showcased AG! from Japan. That concept, that’s where we set the foundation for that. I think the Coachella performance was definitely kind of like the start of 2024, and where we really felt like, “Oh, this is the start of something big happening.”

Speaking of the start of something big happening, “Tokyo Calling” feels like a turning point for you, in terms of global recognition, at least. What has it been like to experience the full life cycle of that song, from when it was release until now?

RIN It’s really cool to be able to see how the reactions from the AG! fans, as well as just other listeners have become more and more massive. It’s actually starting to kind of fit the pattern or fit what we were imagining the song would become when we initially released it. Tokyo is a city that represents Japan, so ever since we created the song, we knew that it would, or I guess, the hope was that it would become this massive song and an intense song. The image is we’re running towards the future. There was a sense of knowing that it would become big. When we see all these fans scream “we are marching” throughout the song, it’s just very, I guess — for lack of a better term — cool. To see how far it’s come.

Atarashii Gakko!

@jamesbaxter

What do you hope your fans take from your music and from you as performers?

SUZUKA, RIN, KANON and MIZYU Honestly, as long as they receive our energy. In a good way, we want to leave it up to them. It’s really up to them how they receive our music, how they receive our performances. We believe our performances are something unique to us. Only the four of us can re-create it. We want to be able to send that energy to the world, and we’re still on an adventure that we can’t even imagine. We’re still going on adventure. There’s literally that Japanese word, omakase, which means leave it up to you. We want to leave it up to them, and throughout throughout all these overseas tours, we see all the different fans are enjoying the concerts, enjoying the performances in their own ways. There are some fans that are crying, there are some fans that are vibing and they’re dancing so much, they’re not even watching the show. [Laughs]. We just want them to enjoy it in their own free ways as long as they’re enjoying our energy.

What are your goals for the year ahead?

KANON It’s our 10th anniversary next year, so we definitely want to do something there, so we’re thinking about that. We went on a lot of overseas tours this year. When we go back we’re actually going on a tour around Japan as well, but next year we definitely don’t want to stop going overseas.