How J-pop duo Yoasobi blazed a trail to the top: from performing at Coachella 2024 to producing the most streamed single, ‘Yoru ni Kakeru’, in Japan and theme songs for Netflix anime Beastars

Mar 1 , 2024

J-pop duo Yoasobi winning the best animation video and song of the year for “Idol” at the MTV VMAs Japan, in October 2023. Photo: @lilasikuta/Instagram

Since debuting five years ago, J-pop duo Yoasobi have released hit singles and given energetic live performances all over the world – and will be appearing at this year’s Coachella

Both Ayase and Ikura started playing music at a young age, with the former having a band that never really took off and the latter getting her head start by signing with Sony Music’s trainee programme

If its performance at last year’s Clockenflap in Hong Kong was any indication, J-pop duo Yoasobi has risen to the top of the Japanese music scene in just five short years since its debut.

Yoasobi performing at Clockenflap in November 2023, in Hong Kong. Photo: @lilasikuta/Instagram

While many bands often come together through organic meetings and a shared passion for music, Yoasobi is a highly produced duo that brought together songwriter Ayase and vocalist Ikura, who met for the first time at the inception of their act.

Here’s what you need to know about them …

How did Yoasobi get into music?

Japanese duo Yoasobi has been performing all over the world lately. Photo: @lilasikuta/Instagram

Both members were exposed to music from a young age. Ayase reportedly picked up the guitar and dropped out of high school after forming the band Davinci in his hometown, Ube. The band would later move to Tokyo to pursue a larger audience, but never achieved mainstream success.

One half of the duo, Ayase, previously had a band called Davinci. Photo: @ayase_0404/Instagram

Ikura, aka Lilas Ikuta, was born in Japan but moved with her family to Chicago shortly after her birth and lived there until she was three. Then she returned to Japan, where her parents’ love for music profoundly influenced her, according to an interview with March 17 Music Magazine. She recalled that her father would write lyrics for her mum during Valentine’s Day.

She entered numerous music competitions and busked throughout high school with little success, until she landed a spot in Sony Music’s trainee programme in 2016.