78 Release and Promotion

In the early 2020s, Japanese popular music could probably be summed up in one line as ‘the golden age of faceless singers.’

The reason for that, roughly speaking, was that the generation that had enjoyed Vocaloid and utaite culture had risen into the mainstream.

It could also be attributed to the growing popularity of music consumption centered on platforms like YouTube and TikTok rather than television, but fundamentally, it was possible because they were good at making music.

Rather, because they didn’t reveal their faces, they were able to attempt distinctive musical styles, and those distinctive qualities made faceless singers’ songs popular, especially through short-form content.

“It was the time when the pandemic had only just begun…”

Strictly speaking, this was the point when people who stood out among the faceless singers were beginning to emerge.

If I could join that group, breaking into the Japanese market—something Seo Siyeon had judged difficult—would become much easier.

Even aside from those calculated reasons.

“What the hell? Why is this coming out so well?”

Once I decided to create an alter ego, the songs suddenly started coming out strangely well...