Japanese Rock Band GLAY Celebrate 30 Years With “whodunit,” Featuring JAY of ENHYPEN
Legendary Japanese rock band GLAY dropped their 62nd single “whodunit” on May 29 to mark 30 years since their debut. The song features JAY of K-pop boy group ENHYPEN. In honor of their celebration, GLAY also announced GLAY EXPO 2024, a series of events including the release of “whodunit.”
Celebrate 30 Years with Legends
GLAY was formed in1988 by guitarist TAKURO and vocalist TERU. They then solidified their lineup with HISASHI as the second guitarist and JIRO as the bassist. GLAY officially debuted in 1994 with their leading single “RAIN.” This rock band is highly regarded as trailblazers for the Japanese genre of “Visual Kei.” Marking their 30-year anniversary on May 25, GLAY have achieved many accomplishments such as having a U.S. tour for their 20th anniversary and holding their first show in South Korea for their 25th anniversary. In February of this year, they also performed as special guests for the famous British rock band Queen at their concert in Sapporo.
With a special feature from JAY of ENHYPEN on the track, GLAY have been able to produce an exciting collaboration for “whodunit.” The members of GLAY were eager to bring JAY into this project and expressed gratitude towards HYBE for accepting their collaboration proposal. JAY has always admired GLAY as he is someone who has a passion for rock, the 22-year-old singer told fans via a Weverse livestream. He was honored to have the opportunity to work with the band, he mentioned.
It was also revealed in a press release that TAKURO requested JAY to write the lyrics for his vocal parts. Despite being self-taught in Japanese, JAY made his lines his own and tried his best to make his lyrics seem as if they were “written by a Japanese person,” he also noted in his livestream.
Japan To South Korea
“Whodunit” is accompanied by a music video that was filmed in South Korea. It depicts a fierce vocal battle between JAY and TERU, a concept that was first imagined by TAKURO. The scene is set with the beat of an organ along with the sound of a dynamic drum and guitar riffs. The battle begins when a pirate-themed flag, picturing GLAY, waves and reveals JAY and TERU on a pirate ship. The music video further propels the song into an edgy tension-filled dynamic with its influences from “One Piece” and the show’s acclaimed creator, Eiichiro Oda, serving as a key visual creator.
Life is not as rosy as it seems through rose-tinted glasses. TERU and JAY dive into a serious tone that reflects the honest thoughts in lyrics like “Lost on a wandering path / Two turning their backs on paradise” and “There are no rose-colored dreams here / Everything you can hold is a fake.” The energy between the two singers was widely felt as members and staff on set shared comments about their passion. TAKURO said that their scenes were remarkable and are “moments that will go down in GLAY’s history as one of our greatest collaborations.”
Director Bae Myung Hun, who had the pleasure of working on another music video for GLAY four years prior, commented on how much the band’s charisma has evolved. “Their enthusiasm inspired the entire staff to match their energy and dedication,” Director Bae said in a press release. “Despite the song’s length and the demanding filming process, it was clear how much they love their music and their commitment to creating an outstanding piece of work.”
The celebration is not over for GLAY as they have a few more things in store for their fans. Along with being special guests for Queen in Sapporo and the release of “whodunnit,” they will be holding a concert on June 8 and 9 at Belluna Dome. GLAY continue to prove “time goes on” and “life is short,” as their new song goes, by paving an esteemed path with their music.
Support GLAY by following their Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube as well as checking out their website.
Want to listen to more new hits? Check out our article on B.I’s latest single “Tasty” here!
