X Japan are back with their first new song in eight years. The veteran rock act has released “Angel,” written by band leader, composer, drummer, and pianist Yoshiki.
As one of Japan’s biggest rock bands of all time, X Japan have sold more than 30 million albums during their illustrious career, which began in the early ’80s as they pioneered the visual kei movement.
“Angel” marks X Japan’s first new song since 2015’s “Born to Be Free,” and it happens to come at a time when the band has found itself back in the news thanks to Elon Musk’s re-branding of Twitter, specifically his desire to rename Twitter Japan as “X Japan.” That has led to an outcry from fans in support of the band’s trademark.
The song itself is a ballad sung in English, with vocalist Toshi delivering Yoshiki’s heartfelt lyrics, such as, “Where do we go, I asked myself, I asked my shadow/ Twilight’s still throwing the silhouette ahead/ The edge of the night drapes the shade in New York City/ If I could fly from skyscrapers I’d be flying to you/ Like an angel.”
It’s been five years since X Japan have played a concert, with their last shows being a three-night stand in September 2018 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan. That same year, the band played Coachella, and released the documentary We Are X in theaters worldwide.
Regarding the release of the new song, Yoshiki tells Consequence, “I wanted my fans to know I’ve been working on X Japan, regardless of my billion other projects. Also, I’ve been fighting internally inside my heart to create the best art through X Japan’s filter. I’m glad that somehow we could release this art to the world, even though it took a long time.”
As for the song “Angel,” Yoshiki reveals, “Musically, I originally composed this song for my classical solo project, which I’ll be touring this October at Carnegie Hall, Dolby Theatre, Royal Albert Hall, and more — but eventually I started thinking this would fit with X Japan’s style. I wanted to add an aggressive side to this beautiful melody.”
He continues, “Lyrically, I wanted to write something about how people in this world are suffering. People are hurting, including myself. I wanted to emphasize that you will also be loved. I’m saying, ‘Try to love, don’t give up. Don’t die.’ That’s also a message to myself.”
And when it comes to the potential conflict with Twitter’s rebranding, Yoshiki reasons, “First of all, I respect Elon Musk. I think he is very innovative and inspirational. I named the band ‘X’ decades ago in Japan. It’s not about what I should decide, but what fans should decide. At the same time, I don’t think this is something people should fight about — let’s make something positive out of this. If I may say one thing – as you know from the title of our recent documentary, ‘We Are X.’”
In addition to Yoshiki and Toshi, X Japan’s current lineup features Pata (guitar), Heath (bass), and Sugizo (violin/guitar). Listen to X Japan’s “Angel” in the player below.
Japanese Twitter users are noting that the decision to replace the iconic Twitter brand name with the letter “X” could turn Twitter Japan into “X Japan.” It’s a name that has been used for decades by one of Japan’s most famous rock bands. pic.twitter.com/BOgvvLdZkd
— Jeffrey J. Hall ???????????????? (@mrjeffu) July 24, 2023
#XJAPAN 商標登録してあると思うけどなー????
I think it’s already trademarked.#YOSHIKI#X #TWITTER #TwitterJapan
— Yoshiki (@YoshikiOfficial) July 24, 2023