back number

Rock trio back number incorporate swooping string sections and chugging guitars in swooning ballads about new love or desperate desire. Lead vocalist Iyori Shimizu longed to start a band while still living in his home region of Gunma Prefecture in 2004, and within a couple of years, he recruited bassist Kazuya Kojima and drummer Hisashi Kurihara for the project. After making waves with their 2009 indie mini-album Nogashita Sakana, the group made their major-label debut with 2011’s Super Star. They quickly became Japan’s go-to soundtrack for heartbreak and nostalgia. Their sound pairs soaring, melodic rock arrangements with Shimizu’s remarkably earnest lyrics, a combination that propelled albums like 2015’s Chandelier and 2019’s Magic. Massive anthems like 2015’s “Christmas Song” and the 2021 acoustic ballad “Suiheisen” highlight their rare ability to make deeply personal grief feel universally comforting. That same vulnerability anchors their 2023 album HUMOR, which proves their blend of melancholy and warmth remains as vital as ever. Whether they are scoring hit television dramas or filling stadiums, back number remain grounded in the messy, relatable truths of human connection.