YOASOBI live in London: J-pop storytellers bring blockbuster ambition to Wembley

It takes a special kind of pop act to turn a literary brief into a generational calling card, and YOASOBI, who just wrapped a two-night London debut at Wembley Arena, are exactly that. A Sony-conjured concept duo, they emerged in 2019 with a premise that sounds more like a creative writing challenge than a chart strategy.

Vocaloid producer Ayase and singer Ikura (Lilas Ikuta) broke out with ‘Yoru ni Kakeru’ (‘Racing into the Night’), a dark narrative wrapped in glossy electropop that became a pandemic-era anthem and record-breaking streaming juggernaut. Since then, they’ve refined their “novel into music” concept across a catalogue threaded with anime themes, multilingual releases, and a growing international footprint that’s seen them play Coachella, Radio City, and now London.

Originally booked for a single date, demand pushed it to two after day 1 tickets sold out within moments. We caught the second night, where the crowd was thinner but no less enthusiastic. At the centre was a touring inflatable maximalist creature, first seen at their Primavera Sound set a few days earlier. Ringed by LED walls, it looked like a mash-up of cartoon styling and abstract contemporary art straight out of the Tate Modern; Murakami meets Nicktoons.

A countdown triggered chants from the crowd as the YOASOBI logo flashed onto the screen, red lighting casting an ominous tone. Claws ripped through the visuals before the screen shattered, revealing the duo atop the central structure, backlit by a massive pink eye. They launched into ‘Seventeen’, a high-concept fantasy J-pop cut drawn from a Naoki Prize-winning short story, as lasers filled the arena and a towering monster loomed behind them. It was a supercharged cinematic opening to the night.

‘Shukufuku’ (‘The Blessing’), their Gundam theme, followed in a flash of machine rhythms and high-speed visuals. Then came ‘UNDEAD’, a blast of club-pop excess rooted in Monogatari series mythology. Its thick kicks and neon-flecked EDM hit with the force of a Tomorrowland headliner at full tilt. ‘PLAYERS’ rode the wave next, a gleeful ode to gaming nostalgia. The visuals, ripped from their PlayStation anniversary MV, felt like a celebration of millennial wonder, complete with crowd chants echoing through the digital haze.

‘Watch me!’, their latest single and Witch Watch opener that made its live debut the previous night, lifted the energy after a chill mid-tempo dip in the set. Playful and wide-eyed, it arrived visually sugar-coated with the anime’s light-hearted teenage romance charm. ‘Tabun’ (‘Probably’) then hushed the room. Phone torches flickered as Ikura glided through the track’s theme of heartbreak, while smooth jazzy keys and low bass cradled the track. ‘Monotone’ entered with a steady R&B/trap intro that erupted into prickly cathartic rock. Grayscale visuals synced with the track’s emotional ache before bursting into colour.

BEASTARS ballad ‘Yasashii Suisei’ (‘Gentle Comet’) came next, Ikura standing in the spotlight as the screens turned to starlight, with another beam casting attention stage-left for a slick in-and-out guitar solo. A moment of calm before easily the night’s sharpest dynamic shift. The arena turned red, and Ayase shouted over the mic: “Round two starts now!”. ‘Kaibutsu’ (‘Monster’), their BEASTARS opener, detonated with math-rock riffs, EDM punches, and blood-pulse lighting. The crowd surged back into motion.

‘Yūsha’ (‘Hero’) steadied the pace, but as the theme to Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, one of the most talked-about anime series of 2023–2024, it didn’t lose momentum. The track balances grief and resolve through crystalline electropop, rolling drums, steel drum textures, harp flourishes, and layered choral chants, drawing from high fantasy while keeping its pop structure intact.

Next up was ‘Ano Yume o Nazotte’ (‘Tracing That Dream’), a dreamt fireworks confession turned reality. Its wistful piano build erupts into a full-band showcase: drums, bass, keys, and guitar all flaring. The sound felt like an early 2010’s throwback, somewhere between AKB48 with a BiSH bite.

Then orchestral stabs and choral bursts hit, purple lasers slicing the dark. Ikura called out, “Let me see your passion, OK?”. What followed was pure overload. Their Oshi no Ko theme, ‘Idol’, is a fragmented genre clash of idol pop, trap, chiptune, and gospel, all jostling for space in a track built on stylistic whiplash. The visuals leaned into its message; smartphone UIs, browser windows, and glitch cuts, all pointing to the song’s focus on fractured identity and image manipulation. The crowd reaction was instant and unanimous, every “hey!” chant barked back with force. No surprise then that ‘Idol’ picked up multiple wins at last month’s MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN, including Best Music Video, Best Anime Song, and Top Global Hit from Japan. It’s one of their biggest tracks for a reason, and easily the group’s most full-bodied release of the set.

Part thank-you, part origin story, Ikura reflected on her path from ignored street busker to headlining in London. At only 24 years old, and backed by Sony since her teens, the underdog narrative doesn’t quite land, but you can’t knock the work ethic. Her repeated mention of “heart beat” cued the next track with little subtlety. ‘HEART BEAT’, their Gen-z penned anthem from NHK’s 18Fes, arrived with lyrics in romaji projected onscreen, inviting a singalong. A sincere gesture, but as cameras swept the arena, they struggled to find many joining in. The idea of unity was there, but it landed a little awkwardly among the largely non-Japanese speaking crowd.

‘Gunjō’ (‘Ultramarine’) closed the main set in a blaze of blue. A fan favourite since 2020, it channels the spirit of creative self-expression, throwing yourself fully into what you love. Its roots are a little less romantic, tracing back to a prose piece called With Blue on Your Side, inspired by Blue Period and commissioned by Bourbon, the confectioner behind those blue-packaged biscuits. That’s at least four shades of blue.

Quirky corporate tie-in aside, the track is built on layered choral backing, piano-led verses, and surging full-band instrumentation. It moves with the energy of a graduation anthem, equal parts farewell and push forward. Released during peak lockdown, it landed as a kind of generational rallying cry for Reiwa-era youth, providing motivation at a moment when everything else was standing still. The final chorus arrived with confetti cannons and sweeping lasers, glitter catching the air as the band took their leave. Down at the front, a “YOASOBI mou ikkai!” chant started and quickly spread across the arena.

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The encore opened with ‘Butai ni Tatte’ (‘Standing on the stage’), a guitar-driven anthem written for NHK’s 2024 Olympic coverage. Ikura returned to the stage strapped with a guitar for a full dose of J-rock energy: straight open chords, steady progression, and the kind of bright perseverance you’d expect from a sports anime opener. A feel-good pop rock number, it’s one of YOASOBI’s most accessible songs to date, though stripped of the layered storytelling and production quirks that gives their breed of J-pop its edge.

Ayase and Ikura shared a final message, thanking London and leading the arena in a chant of “YOASOBI saiko!”, a final shared cheer before the closer. ‘Yoru ni Kakeru’ (‘Racing into the Night’), their debut single and still their most recognisable, landed with the weight of something sacred. Adapted from a story about a suicide pact and a spectral intervention, its minimalist electropop still feels sharp-edged, carrying the emotional geometry of lockdown-era Japan. Phones lit up. Some people wept. For a song that began life as a net release, it’s remarkable how vital it still feels six years on.

Day 2 wasn’t flawless. The half-capacity floor meant some moments might not have hit as hard as the previous night’s full-house setting, but the production never dipped—confetti, lasers, and visuals ranged from retina-scorching to beautifully toned down. Ikura’s voice held it together throughout, gliding between syrupy sweet pop, breathless rap, and soft-focus ballads, mostly in step with the arrangements, but stealing the spotlight when it counted. On tracks like ‘Ano Yume o Nazotte’, her voice on the soaring chorus was a chill bringer.

At times, their music flirts with toybox aesthetics, but the themes are rarely that light. Most tracks trace grief, longing, or existential crisis, even as they sparkle. That duality is what keeps YOASOBI interesting: music built on story structure, delivered with a thoughtfulness that pop sometimes skips. Add in some standout genre mashed experimental production, and there’s plenty of space to get lost in the details. Only the fourth Japanese act to headline Wembley, they closed with a promise to return. London, by all indications, will be waiting for YOASOBI.

Photos by Tom Pallant (@tmpllnt)

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