Live Report: FRUITS ZIPPER Special Summer Solo Concert ~Summer Vacation Zipper!’

17.August.2022 | MUSIC

FRUITS ZIPPER is a seven-member idol group created by ASOBISYSTEM’s KAWAII LAB project, aiming to introduce Japan’s growing idol culture to the world. Members of the up-and-coming group include Amane Tsukiashi, Suzuka Chinzei, Yui Sakurai, Luna Nakagawa, Mana Manaka, Karen Matsumoto, and Noel Hayase.

 

The group has a simple concept: “From Harajuku to the World.” Ready to transmit what they call ‘NEW KAWAII’ from Harajuku, an area known for fashion and individuality, to their soon-to-be global fanbase, the group has already begun to shatter records. Their song Watashino Ichiban Kawaiitokoro exploded in popularity on TikTok, racking up over 200 million plays and cementing the group’s spot as one of the biggest breakout idol groups of 2022.

 

On August 9, FRUITS ZIPPER held a special summer solo concert titled ‘Summer Vacation Zipper!’ at Yokohama 1000CLUB. The performance was held to continue the summer festival energy pulsing through the country, and as a way to build momentum for the group as they head towards their solo concert at Ebisu LIQUIDROOM on September 12. FRUITS ZIPPER performed a total of 10 songs and effortlessly kept the audience hooked from start to finish. Plenty of curious concertgoers turned up to get a glimpse of the hottest idol group on the scene, and tickets sold out despite the concert being held on a weekday.

 

When it came time for the show to begin, the lights dimmed and the venue was illuminated by lasers. A long intro played along with the colorful lights, gradually building up anticipation with quicker beats and clapping sounds. The members appeared, slowly marching onto the stage and dancing along. With that, the show began in earnest.

 

The summer show kicked off with the song We are Frontier. Red lights illuminated the stage and the seven sang powerfully, giving their all to perform their slick dance moves using their entire body. The audience swayed along, mesmerized entirely by the power of these seven performers. This concert was a hit from the very beginning.

 

Moving into the song Re→TRY & FLY, the girls easily moved to the rhythm. During the chorus, the girls sang in perfect unison, bravely advancing to the front of the stage while raising their fists in the air. As the show continued, the members of FRUITS ZIPPER began to find the stage more comfortable, getting more fired up along with the fans in the crowd.

 

The song Furefure Summer!, perfect for the season, was performed with an air of pure joy, with self-introductions made during the performance to emphasize each member’s individuality. The audience responded with their own towels and glow sticks as the band members ran around the stage, waving their own. The audience was becoming more and more heated up by the festival-like concert. 

 

During the beautiful track Kimi no Akarui Mirai wo Oikakete, the girls looked adorable as they jumped, waved, and reached out to the audience. It was easy to feel how much passion they had for FRUITS ZIPPER, and their expressions were filled with only sincerity. 

 


 

During the MC portion, Suzuka Chinzei gave a comment. “We’ve been holding regular performances every month, but we heard from many of our fans that they just couldn’t win the ticket lottery, so we decided to hold this special performance here at Yokohama 1000 Club!” She also expressed her appreciation to the many people who came out, shocked that the tickets had sold out so quickly.

 

The second half of the concert began with the group’s most popular track to date, Watashino Ichiban Kawaiitokoro. Each member was as cute as could be, each highlighting their most adorable parts. The audience was mesmerized by the detailed dance, filled with cross-steps, hand raises, and perfectly-synced turns. Happy energy spread throughout the venue as the girls transitioned into skyfeelan, a song with a gorgeous melody. The girls sang well, sometimes transitioning into a falsetto. FRUITS ZIPPER contains a wealth of singers with incredible potential, and it seems that the sky is the limit.

 

The laser show was a major highlight of the show. Once the members left the stage, the FRUITS ZIPPER logo and a heart were beamed onto the stage. When the girls reappeared, they danced amid the seven-color lasers and lights as a bass-heavy EDM track played. Eventually, they moved into their newest track RADIO GALAXY, a song with a Kawaii Future Bass sound. The members and fans alike were excited by the rap portion and the singing portion in equal measure, showing the wonderful relationship between the idols and the listeners themselves.

 

The last song of the main portion of the concert was Kanpeki Shugi de☆. In response to the fast and furious number, the entire group gave a sweet performance, moving sideways across the stage, making big hearts with their arms and flashing peace signs. As the lyrics state, “It’s okay, I can do my best because of you–stay with me.” This moving song expressed the desire of the fans to keep following FRUITS ZIPPER–and there’s no doubt that they will.

 

After the main event, fans called out for an encore as the members left the stage. Of course, they obliged, returning to perform the fan-favorites Watashino Ichiban Kawaiitokoro and Furefure Summer! one more time. As the excitement reached a peak, the curtain finally closed.

 

This concert was filled with wonderful summer memories, and it’s clear that FRUITS ZIPPER will continue to create memories with fans well into the future. These girls will make great strides as they continue their activities, so keep your eyes on FRUITS ZIPPER!

 

 

 

Writer: Masaki Ishiyama
Photographer: Masayo

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  • FRUITS ZIPPER’s First Arena Concert Report: Group to Hold Second Anniversary Concert at Nippon Budokan!

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    On October 28, the idol group FRUITS ZIPPER held their first arena concert at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium and announced that they would perform a solo show at Nippon Budokan on May 18, 2024 to celebrate the group’s second anniversary.   During the concert, the group also performed the new song Kimikoi (Dear you) for the first time. The track is filled with gratitude for the legions of fans who have supported the group since their debut and is available to stream now.   This September, FRUITS ZIPPER’s first nationwide tour ‘FRUITS ZIPPER JAPAN TOUR 2023 -AUTUMN-’ took the girls to Osaka, Aichi, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, and Kanagawa. The tour culminated in a sold-out show at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, the first arena performance for the group. Presale tickets also sold out, and around 8,000 people attended the event. Even before the show started, there was plenty of excitement both inside and outside the venue.

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    The second half of the show continued with the same incredible momentum as the first. Each member appeared in new costumes covered in ribbons before performing Sekaiwa Kimikara Hajimaru, Welcome to the ♡ Furuppa, and the incredibly popular Happy Chocolate. Yui Sakurai’s line ‘Naani, naani,’ which trended on TikTok earlier this year as ‘Naaze, naaze,’ immediately struck a chord with fans.   During the second half of the show, the girls gave an energetic and cool performance of Re→TRY & FLY as flames illuminated the stage. The voltage in the venue continued to ramp up as the group performed skyfeelan and Going!, making it the perfect environment for FRUITS ZIPPER to perform their new songKimikoi (Dear you) as a surprise. The track is packed with gratitude for the group’s fans who have supported them from the start and urged them to aim higher, through their first CD release, nationwide tour, and solo concert at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. Kimikoi (Dear you) was produced with the hope of “continuing to make dreams come true together with the fans.” The lyric-like posts that have been posted on FRUITS ZIPPER’s Twitter over the past few days caused a stir among fans, and all foreshadowing led to this new song. The girls thanked everyone from the bottom of their hearts as they sang the moving lyrics with all of their might.   The concert came to a close with FRUITS ZIPPER’s signature track Watashino Ichiban Kawaiitokoro. As the members danced along to their signature track, many people in the audience did as well. 8,000 people dancing in unison truly embodied the heart of "NEW KAWAII.” But the concert wasn’t over yet. The members returned to the stage after hearing the audience loudly begging for an encore, thanking the fans for their support. “We’re not done yet, so I’d like to show everyone an even more incredible performance,” said Yui Sakurai. The group filmed a TikTok with the 8,000 audience members as they performed Watashino Ichiban Kawaiitokoro, so visit FRUITS ZIPPER’s social media to check it out!   For the encore, the girls performed Kimikoi (Dear you) again, this time allowing the audience to record video. “Let’s get this trending,” said Matsumoto as the performance began. Suddenly, a video began playing on the large screen on stage, announcing that FRUITS ZIPPER would be celebrating its second anniversary with a performance at Nippon Budokan on May 18, 2024. The members were also speechless, as they hadn’t been made aware of this exciting news. As some of the girls were moved to tears, the fans congratulated them with loud voices and warm applause. Fittingly, the group then sang Chou Medetai Song ~Konnani Shiawasede Iinokana?, and the entire venue celebrated the overwhelmingly exciting news. The shouts of "Congratulations" rang out louder than ever before at the massive Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. Luna Nakagawa commented on the final performance of the tour with tears in her eyes, expressing her joy at being able to stand on the stage she had always dreamed of. Yui Sakurai, who celebrated her 10th idol anniversary on October 20, also reflected on the day she passed her first idol audition and the day she quit her part-time job to pursue showbiz. “I’m so happy to be able to stand before you all today as an idol, and I’m so glad I came back. Today, I was able to fulfill my dream of making so many people happy, and I hope I was able to repay everyone for their incredible kindness.” Suzuka Chinzei continued with her final remarks. “I want everyone here tonight to be happy,” she yelled with a huge smile on her face before the group launched into their debut song Kimino Akaruimiraiwo Oikakete. The girls showed their determination to strive towards the next stage of their careers, and after the song, Luna Nakagawa asked that the lights in the venue be turned off so that the girls could only see the penlights in the crowd. The seven-colored lights illuminating the venue may as well have been beacons leading FRUITS ZIPPER towards their bright future.   FRUITS ZIPPER has had a total attendance of over 16,000 people since its nationwide tour began in September, and is scheduled to perform at Nippon Budokan in May. Fans look forward to seeing what kind of happy performances await them in the future as the girls continue to evolve. <Member Comments> Comment from Suzuka Chinzei “It’s a miracle that we’ll be able to perform at Nippon Budokan on our second anniversary, and it’s all thanks to the fans and people who have always supported us that this dream is coming true. We’ll give the best possible performance as a girls' idol group worthy of standing on stage at such a legendary venue, so I hope that everyone in the world and the universe comes!”   Comment from Yui Sakurai “I can’t believe that we’ll soon be standing on stage at Budokan. It’s the goal of every idol, and we’re doing it just two years after our debut. I hope that the fans will look forward to that special day–we’ll work hard and do our best to truly become idols worthy of Nippon Budokan!”   ■Set List OP OVERTURE M01 Pure in the World M02 Kanpeki Shugide☆ M03 Kimino Akaruimiraiwo Oikakete M04 Fre-Fru Summer! M05 RADIO GALAXY M06 Roller Coaster Heart M07 We are Frontier -Tour Remix ver- M08 Zutto, Zutto, Zutto! M09 CO-Kosei M10 Pinky Red (Amane Tsukiashi, Karen Matsumoto) M11 Tenshinranman (Suzuka Chinsei, Yui Sakurai, Mana Manaka) M12 Bye-Bye (Luna Nakagawa, Noel Hayase) M13 Sekaiwa Kimikara Hajimaru M14 Welcome to the ♡ Furuppa! M15 Happy Chocolate M16 Re→TRY & FLY M17 skyfeelan M18 Going! M19 Kimikoi (Dear you) M20 Watashino Ichiban Kawaiitokoro Encore M21 Kimikoi (Dear you) M22 Chou Medetai Song ~Konnani Shiawasede Iinokana?~ M23 Kimino Akaruimiraiwo Oikakete   Kimikoi (Dear you) - FRUITS ZIPPER (New Digital Single)