Virtual idol KizunaAI has made her comeback with ‘Kamone’, released today. Within three hours, the video had already surpassed 200,000 views.
KizunaAI went to “sleep” 3 years ago, and has “reawakened” today, February 26th. ‘Kamone’ is the first in many songs she plans to release this year. With music written by producer ESME MORI, and lyrics by KizunaAI, Nishina, and ESME MORI, ‘Kamone’ is a gentle and catchy electronic pop song with the phrase “Hello again” repeated through the chorus.
The video is produced by qootain, known for their work on anime openings and endings, including BEASTARS and You Are Ms. Servant. KizunaAI expressed that she wanted the visuals to reflect the “mystical, sparkling world” she envisioned while hearing the song, making qootain a natural choice.
Following the release, she shared a video titled “I’m Back”, explaining her return and the theme behind ‘Kamone’:
“I wanted my first song after returning to be about awakening from sleep. And to capture that feeling, I asked ESME MORI and Nishina to help write the lyrics!”
She highlighted her favorite lyric, “This might be even better than waiting for a miracle”, before urging fans to pay attention to her improved vocals.
Reflecting on her hiatus, KizunaAI said:
“After thinking about it, from the moment I fell asleep to the moment I woke up I realised that if I want to connect with more people on a deeper level, music was the best way to do it! I can express everything I’ve learned and all the emotions born from my connections through music. And I also think that music transcends barriers like language and preconceptions and allows me to connect with even more people.”
She goes on to note that she is planning on an album release this year, and wants to release more than 10 songs within the year. KizunaAI also hinted at the chance of a live show happening this year, “And with that many songs… There might even be a concert?”. Notably, she says she wants to “perform a real live show in front of everyone around the world!”.
Additionally, she announced a second song is set for release on either March 12th or 19th.
About KizunaAI
KizunaAI is often referred to as the first Vtuber, and is credited with coining the phrase “Virtual YouTuber”. She made her YouTube debut on November 29th 2016, reaching one million subscribers by December 2017. On July 15th 2018, she released her first original song, ‘Hello, Morning’, the same day she hit two million subscribers. Her first live show, hello, world, took place in December 2018.
After years of speculation, in 2020 it was confirmed that Kasuga Nozomi is KizunaAI’s voice. Then, in 2022, she held her final live show. “hello, world 2022” featured appearances from over 1000 “virtual friends”, and marked the debut of her vocal synth character #KZN. Following this, she announced an indefinite hiatus, going “to sleep” for three years.
In November 2024, a video titled Can you wake up? teased her return, counting down to February 26th 2025—the day she officially made her comeback with ‘Kamone’.
KizunaAI
Kamone
Release Date: 26/02/2025
Label: PONY CANYON
Stream: Spotify
