"YOLO" is the second single by Japanese rock band

Band-Maid Band-Maid (stylized as BAND-MAID® until 2016) is a Japanese rock band formed in 2013, consisting of singer Saiki Atsumi, guitarist/singer Miku Kobato, lead guitarist Kanami Tōno, bassist Misa, and drummer Akane Hirose. The band combines a rock ...

. Released in Japan on November 16, 2016, by Crown Stones, it is the band's first single on a major record label. The title track is featured as the theme song of the video game ''Valiant Knights''.

Composition

In 2019, as Band-Maiko, they released an alternate version of "YOLO" (retitled "YOLOSIOSU"), with traditional Japanese instruments and lyrics rewritten in the

Kyoto dialect The is a group of Japanese dialects in the Kansai region (Kinki region) of Japan. In Japanese, is the common name and it is called in technical terms. The dialects of Kyoto and Osaka are known as , and were particularly referred to as suc ...

Background and release

The single was released in two versions: a standard edition, and a limited edition, which contains the CD and a

music sheet Sheet music is a handwritten or printed form of musical notation that uses musical symbols to indicate the pitches, rhythms, or chords of a song or instrumental musical piece. Like its analogs – printed books or pamphlets in English, Ara ...

for the song "YOLO", enclosed in a

sleeve A sleeve ( ang, slīef, a word allied to ''slip'', cf. Dutch ) is the part of a garment that covers the arm, or through which the arm passes or slips. The sleeve is a characteristic of fashion seen in almost every country and time period, acro ...

. Both editions of the single feature the

b-sides The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

"Unfair Game" and "Matchless Gum", along with an instrumental version of the title track. The artworks were designed with the motif of the

headband A headband is a clothing accessory worn in the hair or around the forehead, usually to hold hair away from the face or eyes. Headbands generally consist of a loop of elastic material or a horseshoe-shaped piece of flexible plastic or metal. T ...

s that Saiki (Limited Edition) and Miku Kobato (Regular Edition) wear usually on the stage.

Critical reception

Trent Cannon of Rice Digital called the title track "High energy and forceful" and that it "...features an incredible guitar riff that really highlights Tono’s skills as well as the harmonies between Atsumi and Kobato’s voices."

Music video

The music video for the title track was released on October 1, 2016.

Live performances

"YOLO" was debuted at the "Brand New Maid Release Tour Final" show at Tsutaya O-West on October 1, 2016. "Matchless Gum" was debuted at the "Brand New Maid Release Tour Final additional service" at Shimokitazawa Garden on October 23, 2016. "Unfair Game" was debuted at the "YOLO Release Out-store mini-service" at Club Vijon on December 7, 2016. To promote the release of the single, the band performed "YOLO" on December 3, 2016, at

Tower Records Tower Records is an international retail franchise and online music store that was formerly based in Sacramento, California, United States. From 1960 until 2006, Tower operated retail stores in the United States, which closed when Tower Records ...

Shibuya Shibuya ( 渋谷区 ''Shibuya-ku'') is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. As a major commercial and finance center, it houses two of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shinjuku Station (southern half) and Shibuya Station. As of April 1 ...

as a part of the "Tower Records Maid 'YOLO' Release Memorial ~ Mini Service ~ event". The band also played "YOLO" and "Unfair Game" at the "1st Full Album" Just Bring It "Pre-Release One-man ~ New Year's First Serving Start ~" at Akasaka Blitz in Tokyo. Footage of "YOLO" taken from this concert was released in a bonus DVD for the limited edition of their third single "

Daydreaming/Choose Me "Daydreaming/Choose Me" is the third single by Japanese rock band Band-Maid, released in Japan on July 19, 2017, by Crown Stones. Band-Maid made a cameo appearance in the 2021 Netflix film ''Kate'', playing "Choose Me". "Choose Me" was used in the ...

Track listing

Credits and personnel

Band-Maid members * Misa – bass * Miku Kobato – vocals, guitar * Saiki Atsumi – vocals * Akane Hirose – drums * Kanami Tōno – guitar Recording and management * Recorded at Nasoundra Palace Studio * Recording Engineer: Masyoshi Yamamoto * Mixed at Mix Forest * Mix Engineer: Masahiko Fukui * Mastered by Shigeo "MT" Miyamoto (form The Master) * Art Direction: Masashi Nakazato (Number NC) * Photograph: Riu Nakamura * Stylist: Mayako Shigeta Credits adapted from "YOLO" single liner notes.

Charts

Release history

References

External links

Discography
– Band-Maid official website {{Authority control 2016 singles Band-Maid songs Japanese-language songs