While Japanese indie pop rock band BUMP OF CHICKEN pop up every few months with another hit anime theme song it has been, surprisingly, almost five years since they released a full-length album.
That’s since the band’s 2019 ninth studio album Aurora Arc, which hit #1 on the Oricon Albums Chart during its first week of release, as well as made it to #1 on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart.
The album was also certified Platinum in Japan.
And now BUMP OF CHICKEN’s 10th studio album is on its way, with the release of Iris on September 4th.
Another album that, let’s face it, will likely immediately rocket to the top of the music charts.
BUMP OF CHICKEN’s Iris album
As you might expect, while we will be treated to some completely new tracks on the upcoming album, quite a number of songs on Iris will be anime or movie theme songs.
Tracks like ‘Acacia’, the theme song from the Pokémon Special Music Video: GOTCHA!‘, a video that was a gift to the huge Pokemon fan base, and ‘SOUVENIR’, the theme song for the hit anime series SPY×FAMILY.
The latter is also the band’s most recent physical single.
The album also includes tracks like ‘Kaikou’ the theme song for the upcoming Japanese mystery horror movie Onmyoji O, as well as ‘Nanairo‘ the theme for the NHK drama Okaeri Mone, and ‘Chronostasis‘ from the 2022 anime film Detective Conan: The Bride of Halloween.
All songs that are already massive hits in their own right.
BUMP OF CHICKEN TOUR 2024 Sphery Rendezvous
As you also might expect, the alternative rock band will also be heading off on a new Japan tour to promote Iris.
The tour is called ‘BUMP OF CHICKEN TOUR 2024 Sphery Rendezvous’, and it will kick off on September 7th.
It is also what the Japanese call ‘a Dome tour’, meaning the band will only play in a variety of indoor stadiums or “domes” with a huge seating capacity.
In the case of BUMP OF CHICKEN, that will be four domes.
Those domes on the BUMP OF CHICKEN TOUR 2024 Sphery Rendezvous’ then are:
Belluna Dome (Saitama) — Sat, September 7th and Sun, September 8th
Vanterin Dome Nagoya (Aichi) — Sun, September 15th and Mon, September 16th
Kyocera Dome Osaka (Osaka) — Sat, September 28th and Sun, September 29th
Mizuho PayPay Dome Fukuoka (Fukuoka) — Sun, October 27th
As you’ll see from the dates, it’s not a straight tour, as there are big breaks in between concerts in each area, but they are hitting a few areas.
Mark your calendars for any concerts in your area, or in areas you might be in if you’re heading to Japan in September or late October.
Until then, remind yourself why the indie rock band, which was founded way back in 1994, is still one of the most popular bands in Japan — rock or not – by watching that fabulous Pokémon Special Music Video: GOTCHA!‘ below.
You can also keep up-to-date as more news is released about their Iris album via the Japanese band’s official website.