ATARASHII GAKKO! take London by storm: A bold debut from Japan’s emerging icons

After a whirlwind 6 months, ATARASHII GAKKO! showed London what 9 years of cultivating true J-pop innovation looks like at their UK debut performance as part of the first leg of their inaugural world tour.

Formed in 2015 when the members were still in school, ATARASHII GAKKO! officially debuted in 2017 under Victor Entertainment. However, it was their move to the US-based label 88rising in 2021, along with their rise on TikTok, that catapulted their global career. AG! consists of Suzuka, Mizyu, Rin, and Kanon, each with distinct personalities that significantly influence their music and performances. Part idol, part experimental, the group’s influences range from the uniform-clad leader of jazz punk group Midori, Mariko Goto, to US hip-hop legends Beastie Boys.

Following their 2024 Coachella debut, a collaboration with Sheena Ringo, the release of their third album ‘AG! Calling’, and now their mammoth global tour spanning Europe, Asia, and North America, the group are on the biggest roll of their career.

At the tail-end of the six-date European leg, the group made their hotly awaited London debut on June 10th at indigo at The O2. The venue has previously played host to Japan’s rock heavy hitters like L’Arc-en-Ciel and Ling Tosite Sigure, and now finally it was AG!’s time to shine.

Before the show began, the sounds of classic 90s hip-hop tracks picked from their AG World Tour pre-show Spotify playlist filled the air. The crowd nearly filled out the 2350 capacity venue, with an array of people from metalheads to otaku to whole families- a testament to ATARASHII GAKKO!’s wide appeal.

At 8:30PM the school chime rang, signaling AG!’s impending entrance. A heavy drum beat and the group’s rapping washed over the speakers, before the group bounded onto the stage and launched right into ‘Toryanse’. Wearing their iconic kimono-like happi coats from the video, the group quickly got everyone following along with the dance moves.

This strong start invigorated the already excited crowd, getting us ready for an onslaught of songs played back to back. Dance-centric track ‘Giri Giri’ had everyone singing along, followed by Suzuka asking the crowd to clap their hands before quickly donning their long school jackets from the ‘Pineapple Kryptonite’ remix video, evoking the image of delinquent high-school biker gangs. The group formed a motorbike like formation, with Mizyu acting as the handlebars with her twintails, and Rin and Kanon being the sides, while Suzuka sat atop as the biker. The hard dance Yohji Igarashi remix lit a fire under the crowd, igniting a flurry of arms punching the air.

Next up was a call and response segment, with the group asking “Can you say ATARASHII GAKKO?!” before treating us to a very 80’s styled interlude of electronic sounds and visuals. This led right into the award winning viral track ‘OTONABLUE’, one of, if not possibly the song that launched the group to international prominence. The crowd went wild for it. During the track the members of AG! introduced themselves one by one to much screaming and applause from the crowd. However, it was here that we really began to truly see how much of a star leader Suzuka is- the crowd’s screams for her engulfed the venue, and might have even been loud enough to beat the cheers for next door’s Liam Gallagher show.

The girls then grabbed their bedazzled broom mic-stands for ‘Arigato’, Suzuka calling on the crowd to yell “ARIGATO!”. The group danced about with the brooms, using them as guitars, garnering laughs from the crowd.

Suzuka then took the opportunity for more call and response, this time getting the crowd to chant “arigato”, in increasingly silly voices. She then thanked the crowd for coming to their first ever London show, and asked the crowd to yell “konnichiwa!” before complimenting us all “nice Japanese!”. This ran right into the next song ‘Hello’, and then into ‘Candy’ with some neon psychedelic CG visuals.

The setlist really didn’t let up, with the group’s energy seemingly never-ending. Looking around at the crowd, you could see people of all types dancing away through the night, even some on the balcony getting up and giving it their all.

Money Mark-produced track ‘Fantastico’ gave the girls a chance to show off their dance prowess. The group were visibly having fun, with limbo dancing under Suzuka’s arm, to body popping, breakdancing, and headbanging during their “tomodachi dance”.

Next up we had another crowd favourite in ‘WOO! GO!’, a small child in full AG! costume behind me screeching “I LOVE THIS ONE!”. This was one of the strongest tracks in the set, getting the whole crowd to dance and sing along. After this we had Mizyu stuttering on the mic “su…su…su…suki…” before Suzuka yelled “LIEEEEE!”, jumping right into ‘Suki Lie’, the children behind me enthusiastically singing along to every word.

Suzuka then took to the mic once more to ask “London, are you having fun?” and telling us about their latest album release. “What’s your favourite song?” she asked, before jumping down to crowd level and asking people one by one. Eventually, someone gave her the answer she was after, “Fly High”, AG!’s latest single and theme song for the new ‘Baki Hanma vs Kengan Ashura’ movie. The track was another highlight of the night, and perhaps it’s recency bias, but it might have been one of my favourites from the set. The girls danced while faux fighting each other, perfectly fitting the fighty theme of the track. This led quickly into ‘Tokyo Calling’ to which the crowd completely erupted. Everyone screamed along, the crowd united in their chants.

Finally, it was time for the last song of the main set. Suzuka climbed onto the barricade and announced ‘NAINAINAI’, and continued the performance from her perch, before jumping onto stage and onto Kanon’s shoulders. As the song came to a close, Mizyu, Rin, and Kanon tried to pry Suzuka away from the stage, Suzuka frantically trying to break free and keep the performance going. Eventually she did just that, and launched herself back onto the barricade. Finally, though, it was time for them to leave the stage.

The chants for “one more song” and “AG!” began loud and clear. The opening beats for 2021 single ‘Free Your Mind’ came across the speakers, the group appearing back on stage wearing their tour t-shirts.

Suzuka said to the crowd “Are you crazy? You are so big voice!” before asking for a crowd photo and chanting “London calling, London calling!”. She then sadly said “Next song is really really really really last song”, eliciting sad cheers from the crowd. The last track of the night was the sweet and introspective pop track ‘Que Sera Sera’, a fitting closer for the show.

Suzuka took the chance for another MC and explained that “my heart is explosion!” and then asked Rin, Kanon, and Mizyu one by one to do their best explosions. They closed out by telling us “We miss you! We love London! We want to come again!” before more chants of “London calling!” erupted.

RELATED: ATARASHII GAKKO! announce North American world tour dates

It was a night to remember, ATARASHII GAKKO’s insane star power on full display. Suzuka in particular really showed what a presence she has, although that’s not to say the other members don’t have their own star power. Rin stood out for her hard-hitting rapping, Kanon for her sweet and melodic voice, and Mizyu for being the seemingly shy wildcard- the quiet girl who seems normal until she isn’t. It’s undeniable that AG!’s whimsical and fun approach is contagious- it’s hard not to smile when seeing their antics.

ATARASHII GAKKO! have successfully captured the essence of Japan’s underground pop scene and melded it with mainstream sensibilities to create a presence on the music scene like none other. They have captured the attention of everyone from niche Tokyo live house dwellers to TikTok preteens on the other side of the globe, and everyone in between. If they can continue to build on the momentum they’ve gained in the first half of this year, ATARASHII GAKKO! could become the biggest and best thing to happen to the global pop scene this decade.

Photos by Charles Shepherd

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