Japanese singer-songwriter Kenshi Yonezu brought his “2025 World Tour / JUNK” across Europe and the United States for the first time, making his U.S. debut at New York City’s own Radio City Music Hall on April 4.
Originally releasing work under the pseudonym Hachi, Kenshi Yonezu has seen global success for over a decade now. First working within the synthesized voice of musical software and virtual idol Hatsune Miku, Yonezu’s skills as a self-written and self-composed artist have been polished well before he began to utilize his own name and voice for his projects.
Skyrocketing into popularity for his self-identifiable works, Yonezu has since collected a myriad of awards and accolades recognizing his inspiring musical skill and impressive grasp on pop culture- having created introductory tracks to some of today’s most iconic animes- all while drawing eyes all across the globe.
While domestic success has led to several impressive regional performances, the international extension of Yonezu’s 2025 World Tour announced this past October has brought him into entirely new regions of the globe, including his first ever show in the United States at New York’s very own Radio City Music Hall.
As fans filed into the art deco splendor that is Radio City, the excitement for Yonezu’s performance was palpable. The lines for merchandise and concessions quickly wound around themselves as people wove through the crowds and eventually into their seats where already up-and-running fog machines and instruments ready to be played awaited upon the stage.
Accompanying the shimmering haze of steady fog and chatter from the crowd was a stellar pre-show playlist featuring tracks such as Conan Gray’s late-night pop track “Overdrive,” So!YoOn!’s entrancing “Bad,” and the perfectly gritty “Sickly Sweet” by NewDad- a personal favorite that only added to the giddy anticipation felt down to my very bones.
The clock struck eight o’clock and the lights dimmed as the low thrumming of thunder began to hum through the venue, slowly but surely reaching a crescendo accompanied by a bright lightning strike down the middle of the screen, painting the venue in swaths of blood red light and summoning Kenshi upon the stage in an absolutely electric opening.
“RED OUT” set the tone rather quickly- audience members were caught between standing up from their seats from the sheer excitement of it all and staying rooted in their seats, unable to look away for even a second. This enchantment broke into elation, however, when the vibrant horns of “Kanden” began and Yonezu’s supporting dancers emerged from the wings. Within moments the entirety of Radio City was on their feet, where they would remain until the end of the evening.
A similarly exciting performance of “Margherita” followed before leading into a powerful rendition of “Eine Kleine.” It is my firm belief that this song is one meant to be heard live- to be experienced live. To say it cut deep would be accurate in phrasing but misleading in tone- rather than a sharp or cutting feeling, Yonezu used “Eine Kleine” to bring the audience right up there with him in an all-encompassing sonic feeling as his voice paired perfectly with a gritty guitar tone that was buzzed in the chest and some absolutely mesmerizing lighting that fanned out like sunbeams across the audience.
“LADY” maintained the momentum, highlighting the vibrancy of Yonezu’s supporting dancers as they fluidly embodied the track in its entirety, showcasing an impressive amount of expression within movements as minute as the positioning of a wrist. “Azalea” and “Daydream” brought the audience in close once more, the former featuring rippling light patterns reminiscent of water under the sun and the latter choosing to adapt its very electronic dreamscape introduction into something reminiscent of an orchestra tuning up, instruments mingling beautifully before Yonezu’s light vocals and the floaty keys pulled the ensemble right back into action.
Other notable performances included the track “POST HUMAN” which featured the dilapidated buildings and gigantic robotic antagonist of a sci-fi narrative in its visuals, the imagery catching light and sizzling with flames during each chorus while Yonezu and his band delivered guttural, buzzing guitar lines and absolutely transcendent falsettos. If this is what the end of the world sounds like, consider me sold.
After a mellower set of songs, the car door alarm of “Stop Look Both Ways” alerted the audience- in one of the most literal and oddly catchy ways- that it was about time to start dancing again. Yonezu boogied as he sang, continuing to usher in the playful energy with “Flamingo.” The lights flickered, and suddenly he was sitting in a plush orange chair as the dancers re-emerged, this time clad in bright pajama sets that were childish in the best of ways. A lively song with an even livelier set, the dancers could be seen playing leap-frog as Yonezu put his all into embodying the energy of the track.
By that point, it became clear the energy was ramping up to… something. “LOSER” shifted the energy, lights going red as one of the dancers took center stage to display some absolutely insane body control to the sound of bouncing electric guitar and Yonezu’s cheers. As the track went on, the dancers in the spotlight swapped. With each new performance came a new level of fervor, the eventual call and response between Kenshi and the crowd near the end of the song carrying the lightness of pure exhilaration.
It is admittedly difficult to decide what words to use to capture the moment between “LOSER” and the next track on the set list- there are very few that can tangibly put the feeling into something that isn’t pure emotion. “LOSER” concluded with Yonezu standing slightly bent but not hunched- an air of effortless cool about him- and the red of the screen behind him seemed to burn brighter as the lack of a spotlight only emphasized the cutting outline of his silhouette. The distant sound of a chainsaw revving could be heard, a guttural bass line cut through- and Radio City erupted.
One of many previously mentioned tracks for major entertainment programs, “KICK BACK” is featured in the initial trailers as well as the main introduction to the equally gritty, dark, and exhilarating anime Chainsaw Man. It cannot be exaggerated how much more thrilling “KICK BACK” can become when accompanied by exceptionally skilled instrumentalists and dancers.
During the final pre-chorus, the dancers ascended behind him alongside the floating strings towards a glowing white light… before the guitar kicked back in and everything exploded back into a visual storm of red and black. Yonezu took a handheld camera and half-sang, half-yelled the final chorus directly into the audience’s eyes through the giant screen behind him after panning it around the venue. The song concluded, but the momentum simply could not stop- he allowed the audience to breathe for just one moment before beginning yet another iconic media-centric work, “Peace Sign.”
Accompanying the second season of hit anime My Hero Academia’s introduction, “Peace Sign” kept the cheers coming as audience members all raised their arms simultaneously, a sea full of peace signs pointed at the sky before they began to dance and sing along. The bow on this section of songs came in the form of “Donut Hole,” a cover of his own work from his Vocaloid days under the name Hachi.
Following a beautifully theatrical rendition of “JUNK,” Yonezu and his supporting band took their bows… and for the following five minutes, the audience was an absolute cacophony of cheers, claps, and everything in between to summon them back to the stage for an encore.
To Radio City’s delight, Yonezu, his band, and his dancers returned for three more songs- “Bow and Arrow” from the anime Medalist, the invigoratingly spliced “Plazma,” and the title track to his most recent album, “LOST CORNER.” Dancers poured back out onto the stage as he meandered from one corner to the other, saying his goodbyes through an incredibly funky track. One by one the stage emptied, and the concert’s credits rolled. Kenshi Yonezu’s one-night-only concert at Radio City Music Hall and first night performing in the United States ever had somehow come to an end.
Comments are closed.