Last Updated on 2026-01-21 by a-indie
When you observe the music scene for a long time as a media outlet, you occasionally encounter moments that stir your heart beyond reason.
This doesn’t happen when you discover meticulously calculated artists. It happens when you find raw diamonds—awkward yet luminous once polished—where impulse has taken direct form.
What is GIRLFRIENDZ
On January 21, 2026, a four-piece band called GIRLFRIENDZ suddenly emerged in Tokyo’s indie scene.
Their debut single “Tonight” is precisely such a mass of initial impulse.
What’s astonishing is their speed. Formed in December 2025, they recorded the next day, and shot their music video the following day at home using a green screen.
Not signed to any label, operating in complete DIY (self-production) mode, the work was released without waiting for anyone’s permission.
This urgency demonstrates that they are acutely aware of packaging “the air of this very moment” above all else.
About the Members
The members are Mayu Morimoto (Vo.), Hitomi (Gt.), Ido Kyo (Ba.), and composer Miguel, a game sound creator from Spain.
What these four create—crossing borders and backgrounds—is a mysterious soundscape where the sweetness of indie pop coexists with the unease of gothic horror.
The Reality That “Tonight” Depicts
The moment you play “Tonight,” what jumps into your ears is a somehow nostalgic yet twisted pop sound.
The “poison within candy” that Sweden’s The Cardigans possessed, or the “cheerful despair” connected to The Cure—you feel the DNA of 80s-90s alternative music that makes you want to use such descriptions.
However, what most strongly attracted me to this song is the sharp reality its lyrics possess.
Modern society forces us to be “correct” too much. The wellness boom, positive maxims overflowing on social media, careful living.
These are certainly wonderful, but sometimes they quietly tighten around our necks.
Buying crystals, attending therapy, managing mental health with apps. The absurdity and sadness of desperately trying to be “normal” this way.
GIRLFRIENDZ doesn’t deny our contradictions.
What they sing about is not a solution.
It’s the life-sized courage to raise your face and say “I can still show up tonight” while carrying contradictions.
It’s neither resignation nor defiance. It’s simply a trigger for standing on your own feet.
Artwork by Baba, Who Has Worked on Mei Semones’ Works
Furthermore, the visual approach is excellent. The jacket artwork was created by Baba, an artist involved in the works of Brooklyn, NY singer-songwriter Mei Semones.
The illustration, where pain seeps through soft touches, quietly gives form to the complex emotions the song possesses.
About the “Tonight” Music Video
And the music video shot by the members themselves. The footage of skeletons dancing in a decadent gothic horror world is cheap yet very surreal.
This “chaotic lo-fi feeling” is precisely the magic spice that prevents their serious message from becoming oppressive.
Advance Listening in Discord Community
In the Discord community run by BELONG Media and A-indie, we conducted advance listening limited to only about 50 trusted members from Japan and overseas.
Through a trackable distribution mechanism using URL shortening services, they are building close relationships with fans while minimizing publication risks.
Comments like the following arrived from community members, showing that this sound is “hitting” across borders.
The CureとThe Cardigansが好きなら、クリティカルヒット間違いなし🔥 / If you like The Cure and The Cardigans, this is a critical hit for sure🔥
良くない予感がしてもその瞬間の心地良さに抗わないという歌詞がいい。 / I like the lyrics about not resisting what feels good in the moment even when you have a bad feeling.
Really smooth indie pop, very classy.
Very 90s.
this was great!
i think i’ll grab this and play it in my party
BELONG Mediaの記事がきっかけで知ったGIRLFRIENDZ。全てが自分好みで、一瞬で心奪われました。今後の活動がとっても楽しみです。 / I discovered GIRLFRIENDZ from a BELONG Media article. They’re totally my vibe — I was hooked instantly. Can’t wait to see what they do next.
The gathered comments range from those evaluating the comfort of the sound to those resonating with the philosophy of the lyrics.
Particularly, the evaluations of “90s feel” and “classy” from overseas listeners suggest the possibility that their sound doesn’t fit within the mere framework of Japanese indie pop.
Please listen to this work and overlay the “unresolved emotions” within yourself onto this song.
GIRLFRIENDZ Release Information
Artist: GIRLFRIENDZ
Title: Tonight
Release Date: 2026.1.21
Format: Digital
Label: Independent / DIY
Release Link: https://linkco.re/ZpQyMYT3
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlfriendz_band/
GIRLFRIENDZ Event Information
“Diary” By GIRLFRIENDZ
Date: February 13, 2025 (Friday)
Doors / Start: 18:30 / 19:00
Venue: Shimokitazawa THREE
Performers: GIRLFRIENDZ / Emma Aibara @emmaaibara / Yüksen Buyers House @yuksen_buyers_house
Admission:
・Advance ¥3,000 (+1D)
・Door ¥3,500 (+1D)
- is a music media platform run by BELONG, a Japanese music organization. We publish music articles with a focus on indie music.