Japan's premier music extravaganza, the "Kohaku Uta Gassen," has just dropped the lineup for its 76th annual show! As a yearly national obsession, everything from the performing artists and hosts to the judging panel always sparks major buzz.
Today (12/23), Kohaku officially confirmed that Kenshi Yonezu, the artist behind "IRIS OUT" – the record-smashing theme song for "Chainsaw Man Reze Arc" – will join the White Team for the grand event! He'll be performing "IRIS OUT," marking its very first live public performance.
Kenshi Yonezu also shared:
"It's truly an honor to be invited back to Kohaku this year. This will be my third time, and honestly, when I first started making music, I never imagined I'd ever stand on that stage, let alone three times! I'll do my best to make sure everyone feels like 'the third time was just as worth it,' hoping to add some excitement to this important and grand final stage of the year. I'll give it my all and perform happily. Thank you for your continued support!"
"IRIS OUT" has absolutely dominated, snagging the top spot on the "Oricon Weekly Streaming Chart" for an incredible 13 consecutive weeks – making Kenshi Yonezu the first male solo artist to achieve such a streak! This year, it also hit number five on the US Billboard Global Chart, a historic first for any Japanese song.
And let's not forget the official "Reze Dance" short video that recently dropped, becoming the most-liked anime-related X post of all time! It's gone totally viral, sparking a massive trend of fans trying to mimic the moves.
As the theme song for "Chainsaw Man Reze Arc," "IRIS OUT" has ridden the movie's hype train, absolutely sweeping music charts worldwide, while the film's box office continues its march towards the 10 billion yen milestone. So, it's no surprise at all to see it hit Kohaku! If you're a Kenshi Yonezu fan, make sure you tune into this year's Kohaku Uta Gassen at the end of the year!