With a rocketing career, that follows a whirlwind year, Ayumu Imazu is proving that his talents face no borders. Neither does his ambition.
Hailing from Japan, Imazu has already managed to make his mark on the music industry. A musical prodigy, he has been immersed in the creative world from the time he was six years old.
“I started taking dance classes when I was six, and music has been a big part of my life since then. But I really got into it when I was fourteen—that’s when I moved to New York to study abroad and bought my first acoustic guitar. I started writing songs, and that’s what pulled me deeper into music,” he says in an interview with Culture Cabinet.
With a background in establishing roots intercontinentally, the twenty-four year old artist has become well versed in blending culture and breaking boundaries. Last year, Imazu could boast a meteoric rise in success, as his single “Where Do We Go!” was featured in a commercial for Pocari Sweat Hong Kong 2024, and his song “Superstar” became a viral hit on TikTok, amassing over 100 million streams globally.
“It honestly didn’t hit me at first,” he says of the rise in popularity. “It just felt like the numbers were getting bigger, but I didn’t really feel the ‘buzz.’ But when I performed this song in Korea, and heard everyone singing along, that’s when I realized just how far it had spread.”
But, that was only the beginning for Imazu. His new single, “Thrifted,” was released last week, which comes just in time for a string of performances in the United States, including shows in Los Angeles this week. While these shows officially mark Imazu’s debut as a headlining performer in the United States, he is already looking forward to performing for his American fans.
“I feel like the crowd’s energy is different from the shows I do in Japan, so I’m excited to experience it firsthand. Also, getting to tour with MAX feels like a dream. He’s been a huge inspiration to me for so long, and the fact that my first tour is with him is just insane.”
Anyone looking to see Imazu perform live can expect something more than a simple performance of songs. On top of creating his own music, Imazu notoriously incorporates his own choreography into his music, distinguishing himself in the line between merely a singer-songwriter, and a performer. Though, if it appears that way, it is likely because the gift of performance is simply embedded in Imazu’s being.
“I feel like dance comes most naturally to me; it’s just in my body. So whenever I’m working on melody lines or making tracks, the groove is always there. I’d say dance has a huge impact on my work,” he says. Though, he adds that he is looking forward to seeing how his love of dance translates to the live audiences that attend his shows. “I just want to give the fans a great time- that’s what it’s all about. I’m also really excited for them to see me dance live; they’ll really get to feel my energy.”
Also at the forefront of Imazu’s artistry is his ability to find inspiration in anything. He doesn’t merely stop at the creation of a song, he looks at the entire project holistically, and turns to multiple outlets to find inspiration.
“When I create, the most important thing to me is being able to be my true self. I believe that staying honest and not forcing anything allows good melodies and great songs to come to me. Also, what I think has been really helping me in my creative process is having so many different outlets like songwriting, producing, choreographing, playing instruments, etc. It keeps me from getting tired of doing just one thing. When I hit a wall while writing songs, I’ll switch it up by playing guitar or coming up with dance choreography and stuff like that.”
With climbing success, an international fanbase, and new music on the horizon, it seems all but certain that Imazu has nowhere to go from here but up. But, for now, he seems content in just staying in the now.
“I’m just really excited to go on my first tour in the US!” he says, when asked about what his future plans are. “After this tour, I’m sure I’ll be doing more stuff here and collaborating with artists. My Japan tour is coming up too, so it’ll be great to see my fans there. I’m just super pumped to keep growing as an artist!”
You can stream Ayumu Imazu below.
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