Radwimps (ラッドウインプス, Raddo'uinpusu, stylized as RADWIMPS) is a Japanese rock band who debuted independently in 2003 and signed with Toshiba EMI in 2005. The band's name, Radwimps, was formed from two English slang terms, "rad" and "wimp". According to the band, the coined word had several meanings, including "excellent weakling" and "superlative coward".[13][14]
Radwimps achieved commercial success in 2006 with their album Radwimps 4: Okazu no Gohan and are best known for their later singles "Order Made" (2008) and "Dada" (2011), both of which hit number one on Oricon's single charts. They have also gained recognition for providing the soundtracks to the anime films Your Name (2016), Weathering with You (2019), and Suzume (2022), all three by Makoto Shinkai.
History
Radwimps formed in 2001 in Kanagawa, Japan during their first year of high school.[1][15] The five original members had been friends since middle school.[16] Lead vocalist Yojiro Noda first became interested in music after hearing Oasis in middle school, when he would try to remember the guitar chords and sing to Oasis songs.[15][17]
The band's activities were initially centred on Yokohama,[1] and their first performance took place on BB Street in Kannai district on 5 February 2002.[17] At this point, guitarist Akira Kuwahara dropped out of high school in order to focus on the band.[17] In September and August 2002, Radwimps partook in the Yokohama High School Music Festival and eventually won the grand prize for the competition with the song "Moshi mo".[18] "Moshi mo" was released as the band's debut single in May 2003, with 10,000 copies pressed and sold for 100 yen each.[16] Following this single, Radwimps toured the Yokohama area, including a performance as the sole act at Yokohama's Club 24West.[17] The band released their debut album, Radwimps, in July through independent label Newtraxx, featuring songs they wrote in middle school. The following August, after a guest appearance at the Yokohama High School Music Festival, the band went on hiatus for Noda and other members to focus on their school exams.[15]
Radwimps returned from hiatus in March 2004, though Kei Asō, Yūsuke Saiki, and Akio Shibafumi did not rejoin the group. To replace the musicians, the band added acquaintances, such as drummer Satoshi Yamaguchi and bassist Yusuke Takeda.[16][17] Radwimps immediately began recording new songs, and by July had released a second single, "Kiseki", and performed a three-month Japan-wide tour.[1][17] Right after the end of the tour, the band started work on their second album, Radwimps 2: Hatten Tojō, which was finalized by the end of the year and released in March.[17] Directly after the release, the group departed on a five-month Radwimps Haruna Tour (はるなっTOUR) and also performed at high-profile summer music festivals, such as Setstock, Rock in Japan, and Summer Sonic.[16][17] During this time, the band released a third single, "Hexun / Kanashi", which was their first charting release.[19]
In November, the band made their major debut under Toshiba EMI, with the single "Nijūgoko-me no Senshokutai",[16] followed by "EDP (Tonde Hi ni Iru Natsu no Kimi)" in January, both of which rose to the top 50.[19] In shifting to a major label, Noda explained that the band took the same stance as they had as an independent group, and that "If we thought we were bigger on a major label, that would have been a big mistake".[15][20] The band's third and first major-label album, Radwimps 3: Mujintō ni Motte Ikiwasureta Ichimai, regraded 3 in March 2006, was a landmark in establishing their popularity, debuting at number 13 on Oricon's album charts.[19]Radwimps 3 saw a change in the band's musical style, allowing them to be more experimental in their sound.[21]
By the end of 2006, the band's popularity had increased significantly: their album Radwimps 4: Okazu no Gohan, led by the top-20 singles "Futarigoto" and "Yūshinron" and the top-5 "Setsuna Rensa", debuted at number five[19] and had an initial shipment of more than 100,000 copies.[22] At this time, the band's older releases, such as Radwimps, Radwimps 2, and "Kiseki", began charting for the first time, with Radwimps eventually being certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.[23] In the next three years, both Radwimps and Radwimps 2 charted for approximately 100 weeks, and as of early 2011, Radwimps 3 and Radwimps 4 still continued to chart.[19]
In 2008, the band achieved their first number-one single, with "Order Made", on the Oricon charts.[19] Their 2009 album, Altocolony no Teiri, sold around 213,000 copies in its first week, debuting at number two on the Oricon charts.[24] The band achieved their second Oricon number-one single, "Dada", in 2011.[19]
In 2011, Radwimps released their sixth album, Zettai Zetsumei, which debuted at number two on the Oricon charts and went on to be certified Platinum by the RIAJ. Following this release, the band embarked on their Zettai Enmei Tour throughout Japan from April to August 2011.
On 11 March 2012, Radwimps released the single "Hakujitsu" (白日, "Broad Daylight") on YouTube, commemorating the one-year anniversary of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[25]
Three months after that release, Radwimps returned with their ninth studio album, Human Bloom. On 19 April 2017, while in the middle of their Human Bloom Tour, Radwimps performed as a guest act for Coldplay's A Head Full of Dreams Tour at Tokyo Dome.[33] In the same month, they also added Singapore to their Asian tour.[34] On 10 May 2017, Radwimps released the single "Saihate Ai ni / Sennou".[35]
At the end of 2018, they issued their next album, Anti Anti Generation, featuring Taka of One Ok Rock, singer-songwriter Aimyon, Tabu Zombie of Soil & "Pimp" Sessions, and rapper Miyachi. The record produced three singles: "Saihate Aini / Brainwashing", "Mountain Top", and "Catharsis". The album peaked at number one on both Oricon and Japan's Billboard charts,[36][37] receiving a Gold certification from the RIAJ for sales of 100,000 copies.[38] The band followed it with their Anti Anti Generation Tour 2019, from June to August.[39]
In 2019, Radwimps provided music for Shinkai's next film, Weathering with You, released on 19 July.[40][41] The album debuted at number three on the Oricon Albums Chart before peaking at number two in the following week.[42][43] It won the 34th Japan Gold Disc Award for Animation Album of the Year, which made it the top-selling anime album of 2019, with more than 128,000 copies sold that year.[44] It also won the 43rd Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Music[45] and Best Soundtrack at the 24th Space Shower Music Awards.[46] The band launched a world tour with stops in the United States, Canada, and Mexico in July 2020.[47] However, the tour was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and a planned Japan tour was postponed.[48]
On 22 and 23 November 2020, Radwimps held a special fifteenth anniversary concert at Yokohama Arena.[49]
In September 2021, Akira Kuwahara announced that he would go on hiatus for an indefinite period of time,[50] after the weekly magazine Shūkan Bunshun reported his extramarital affair with a former model.[51]
In 2022, Radwimps provided music for the film The Last Ten Years, released on 4 March.[52] The same year, the band also wrote music for Shinkai's film Suzume, making this the third time they collaborated with the director.[53] In October, Kuwahara returned to the band after his year-long hiatus.[54]
In 2024, the band embarked on a world tour, performing in multiple locations across Asia.[55] In October of that year, they announced that they had parted ways with Kuwahara.[56]
Radwimps have also released music under the moniker Misoshiru's ("The Miso-Soups"), beginning with the song "Jennifer Yamada-san" from the 2006 single "Yūshinron". A band with a primarily punk rock sound who perform disguised in Groucho glasses and red T-shirts, Misoshiru's released their debut album, Me So She Loose, in March 2013.[2][57]
In 2008, Yojiro Noda acted as a record producer for the first time, writing and producing the song "Labrador" for singer Chara, which was used as the leading promotional track for her album Honey.[58] During the recording sessions, Noda collaborated with musicians such as Nobuaki Kaneko (Rize), Yoshifumi Naoi (Bump of Chicken), Susumu Nishikawa (Diamond Head), and Koichi Tsutaya.[59]
In 2010, Radwimps took part in a special project called Terrakoya, a commemorative band formed for the EMI Rocks 50th anniversary of EMI Music Japan rock concert,[60] featuring Radwimps along with Acidman, Fujifabric, Atsushi Horie (Straightener), Susumu Nishikawa, The Telephones, and Kazuya Yoshii. The band released the song "Emi" in November, written by Noda in collaboration with Yoshii.[60][61]
Yojiro Noda made his solo debut under the name Illion in 2013 and released his debut album, Ubu, on 25 February 2013, in the United Kingdom.
Songwriting
Lead vocalist Yojiro Noda writes all of the band's music and lyrics (the only exception currently is the bonus track "Yonaki" from Radwimps 4, written by Akira Kuwahara). Almost all of Noda's lyrics are based on events he has experienced, or nonfictional events.[15] "Enren" from Radwimps 4: Okazu no Gohan, released in 2006, was the first fictional-themed song Noda wrote since the band formed.[62]
Band members
Current members
Yojiro Noda (野田洋次郎) – lead vocals (2001–present), rhythm guitar (2005–present)
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^ abcde"RADWIMPS 特集" [Radwimps Feature]. Neowing (in Japanese). 2006. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
^ abcde基本情報 - RADWIMPS [Basic Information: Radwimps]. Tsutaya (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
^ abcdefghi"Biography". radwimps.jp (in Japanese). 10 April 2008. Archived from the original on 12 January 2006. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
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^"メジャー・デビュー後、2枚のシングルを経て、ついに2/15にフル・アルバムをリリースした4ピース・バンドRADWIMPSを直撃!" [Direct hit by Radwimps, a four piece band who, after a major debut and two singles, have finally released a full album on February 15!]. Vibe-Net (in Japanese). 28 February 2006. Archived from the original on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
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^『白日』 [Radwimps Blog (New Single)]. Radwimps (in Japanese). 11 March 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
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^映画『天気の子』予報 [Weathering with You Teaser Trailer] (in Japanese). Toho Movie YouTube Channel. 9 April 2019. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
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^ブームいつまで!? 羞恥心の2曲目はふられた女の子への応援ソング [Booming forever!? Shuchishin's second song is an encourage song for jilted women]. RBB Today (in Japanese). 25 June 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
^"Charaの新作にRADWIMPSファンが注目、その理由は?" [Radwimps fans should check out Chara's new work, but why?]. Barks (in Japanese). 13 May 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
^"History - MVA07". Space Shower (in Japanese). March 2007. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
^"EXILEが最多3冠達成、「MTV VMAJ」華やかに開催" [Exile crowned three times, a dazzling show at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). 2 June 2008. Retrieved 8 February 2011.
^"スペシャ「MVA」大賞は安室、電気、RADWIMPSが受賞" [Space Shower Music Video Awards, prize winners include Amuro, Denki and Radwimps]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). 22 March 2009. Retrieved 8 February 2011.
^""LIFE MUSIC AWARD 2009"、大賞はRADWIMPS" ["Life Music Award 2009," grand winners are Radwimps]. Barks (in Japanese). 3 November 2009. Retrieved 8 February 2011.
^"CDショップ店員が選ぶアワード『第二回CDショップ大賞』の入賞作品が発表" [CD shop workers' Choice Award "The Second CD Shop Award" nominated works announced]. Cinra (in Japanese). 6 January 2011. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 8 February 2011.
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