Imase

Imase (stylized in all lowercase; born November 9, 2000) is a Japanese singer-songwriter who debuted in 2021 and found success with the 2022 viral single "Night Dancer". His first EP, Pop Cube, was released in 2022 by Universal Music Japan. He debuted in 2021 with his single "Have a Nice Day" only a year after learning how to write and compose music, according to his signed label Universal Music Japan. His success with "Night Dancer" only a year later has given him the "monster rookie" nickname. Junji Ishiwatari, a former member of alternative rock band Supercar, called Imase's sudden rise to stardom "a true event that is stranger than fiction". Five months after his debut, Imase was hired to sing the Pocari Sweat jingle, which is considered an honor, and he had over 1 billion TikTok views. On August 19, 2022, he wrote his most famous song, called "Night Dancer", the song's name associating with light and darkness. The lyrics evoke a sense of nostalgia and a desire to cherish the present moment, with themes of love and joy. The song went viral and was highly successful, especially in South Korea. It was also the first J-pop song to enter the Top 20 in South Korea. He became a topic of interest on South Korean blogging forums after "Night Dancer" entered the Melon 100 chart, the first ever Japanese song and Japanese singer to achieve this feat. In 2023, Imase produced the songs "Jewelry" and "Dresscode" for the K-pop group Le Sserafim. His song "Outline" was selected as the official theme song for the 103rd All Japan High School Soccer Tournament. Imase also performed the song live on the final day of the competition on January 13, 2025. On August 4, 2025, he announced that he would take a break...