It feels fitting that this is SixTONES week. They were the first STARTO concert I experienced on my first trip to Japan, and their greatest hits album MILESixTONES was my final purchase before I left.

This time, I made sure their latest single 「一秒 / Rebellion」 would be my first as a resident.

Eight tracks of pure rock energy from the self-proclaimed bad boys of J-pop (plus two instrumentals), this is easily one of their strongest releases to date.

I’ve already covered both A-sides, but they’re worth revisiting. 「一秒」 (English: One Second), the Nippon Television Network 2026 Athlete Support Song for the Winter Olympics, shot to the top of the Genius Japan charts. It’s a song about perseverance, a reminder that even when the odds stack high, success belongs to those who keep going, who choose to rise again after every fall.

「Rebellion」serves as the opening theme for the NTV Sunday drama PUNCH-DRUNK WOMAN -XX Days Until Escape- starring member JESSE. It threads classical instrumentation through a sleek, modern rock backbone. The music video, set in a sterile gallery, the members become living exhibits, observed, analyzed, and consumed by both patrons and us, the audience.

「Bring the Bass」is sexy, chaotic, and a lot of fun. It’s a cool, seductive ride that echoes the kinetic edge of late-90s and early-2000s anime like Cowboy Bebop. One of my new favorites from the group for sure!

Slower and more reflective「Flower Cloud」showcases the group’s emotional depth and the distinct color of each voice as they come together.

I am not sure what I was expecting from the Britpop Rearrange of「Stargaze」but this wasn’t it. It’s giving 90s boyband realness in the best sense of the word. The only STARTO group (that I’ve discovered) that does these remixes of their previous singles, they’re what I look forward to most when I purchase the singles – and this one does not disappoint.

The full group versions of previously released unit tracks were also an added treat with 「EXTRA VIP 」(originally recorded by JESSE and Juri Tanaka absolutely taking the cake as the best song of the bunch, it’s almost like… magic (heehee).

A solid release, and with the group’s first stadium tour on the horizon, I hope I get the chance to see some of these performed live.

There will be more SixTONES soon so…

Stay Tuned!