After captivating millions with his hit “Black Catcher” for Black Clover and racking up over 500 million streams worldwide, the singer-songwriter has taken his genre-bending pop from Japan to international stages, from Anime Friends São Paulo to North America and Europe.
VK Blanka “Black Rover” (anime music video):
Vicke Blanka “Black Catcher” (Anime music video):
Currently in the middle of his biggest world tour yet, and following the release of his ambitious album Knightclub, VK Blanka opens up about his musical evolution, international ambitions, and the personal journey behind his success.
Vicke Blanka / AL “Knightclub” Live Digest:
We sat down with VK Blanka to reflect on his journey. Together, we explored three key themes at the heart of his identity as an artist: stage & performances, travels & foreign cultures, and the evolution of his career.
AnimeTV: Since 2023, you’ve been expanding internationally, and your last North American tour had a big impact! How has this experience musically enriched you since 2024?
VK Blanka: The richest thing that has happened to me is that I can now create music with the feeling that I have fans all over the world. The number of faces that come to mind when I’m composing has gone from 100 million to 8 billion. I think it’s a wonderful change.
What are your expectations for your upcoming 2025 tour?
The 2024 tour was a lot of fun and really changed my career. I promised myself and my fans then that I would tour again. I’m happy to make that happen and it promises to be a great time.
You’re known as a true showman on stage.
What are your rituals or training routines to prepare for a high-quality performance?
It sounds very strange, but I try not to have a routine. If I did, when I wanted to play here right now, my routine would get in the way and I wouldn’t be able to play, right? I try to match when I’m relaxed and when I’m most ready.
How does it feel to perform all around the world and meet people who support you internationally?
When we played Lucky Ending and Walk on tour, everyone was singing along, and it must have been difficult to sing so perfectly in Japanese. It was a very valuable experience for me. Also, on the tour, when I asked the audience, “Which song would you like to hear? they knew a lot of songs that were not anime theme songs. I was surprised that some people said they liked my early songs.
I am truly grateful to my fans who show their love to me in so many different ways. I wish I could invite them all to my house for a party, but that’s not going to happen. It makes me feel so blessed. I can’t help but return the favor.
Throughout your career, you’ve had the chance to travel and perform across four different continents. How do you feel about returning to North America for this new tour?
I remember the last time was winter. And all the fans encouraged me to come in the summer! So this time I listened to them and held it in the summer. So this time I listened to them and decided to hold it in the summer. I hope to experience a different atmosphere in North America and interact with everyone again.
I am happy that we were able to keep our promise to come back and that we were able to hold the event a second time.
What stood out to you the most in each continent you’ve visited?
The sincerity of South America, the aura of North America, the faith of Europe, and the isolation of the Middle East. There are still places I’ve never been, and my dreams are only getting bigger.
On your previous international tours, you have visited beautiful places and created visuals in amazing locations.
During your previous international tours, you’ve visited beautiful places and created visuals in stunning locations.
What stood out to you the most in each continent you’ve visited?
North America is a big place, so I don’t know where to go, so I’ve been collaborating with local fans on insta-live and asking for recommendations on places and food. I’m looking forward to experiencing what I hear from everyone. I’d love to hear what else you have to say, so follow me on social media and let me know.
Your latest album “Knightclub” brought a very interesting musical direction. Could you share with us a story or anecdote from the creation of this album?
The song “Daddy” was inspired by a funny thing that happened when I was performing at an event in Europe and a fan called me Daddy, Daddy. That’s where I got the idea for the song. Now it has become a popular song on the Japan tour, it’s funny, isn’t it?
What are your personal favorite tracks from “Knightclub”?
It’s hard to narrow it down to one, but I think….Yomigaeri. It’s about life and death. It sounds like a difficult theme, doesn’t it? But it doesn’t have to be. As I travel and tour around the world, I am drawn to things that we all have in common, and the most important of these is life and death. It’s the simplest theme of all.
The reason why I collaborated with Makihara-san and Ayaka is that I had their voices in my head from the beginning. They are also good friends of mine in private, so I took the plunge and asked them for a collaboration, and they immediately said yes. Thanks to them, Yomigaeri became many times better than it was before. I thank them from the bottom of my heart.
Do you plan to collaborate with other foreign artists in the future?
Of course! I and my team are very open to international collaborations and we are looking for and recruiting partners right now.
Besides your album “Knightclub” and your upcoming tour, what are your next plans for your music career?
New songs are coming out, new kinds of jobs are coming in, I’m not going to fight the flow, I’m going to go as far as I can go. Life with no predictability sounds fun, doesn’t it?
I’d like to do some gigs overseas in countries I’ve never been to.
Your career as a performer and musician commands respect and inspires perseverance. What advice would you give to aspiring artists today?
I hope you create music that has never been heard, pictures that have never been seen, and things like that. It is a shortcut to success, and I think only such things can strike people’s hearts. How do you get people to listen to it? How to show them? That’s something you can leave to your trusted friends.
Do you have a personal message you would like to share with your fans all over the world?
Now you know we are not far apart anymore, right? Let’s make many memories together! I will visit your city with great music.
Artist photo:
More about VK Blanka:
With over 500 million streams and more than 1.5 million monthly Spotify listeners, VK Blanka has become a standout voice in Japanese pop. His 2018 breakthrough single Masshiro made waves through its appearance in a TV drama, and his anime theme Black Catcher for Black Clover solidified his global status—remaining in Spotify’s Top 10 most-played Japanese songs overseas for three years running.
Since expanding internationally in 2023, VK Blanka has performed across North America, Europe, Saudi Arabia, and Latin America, notably closing Anime Friends São Paulo 2024 with a high-energy set for 10,000 fans. Following his first North American tour in early 2024 and shows in Chile and Mexico, the singer launched his biggest world tour to date this spring.
The North America & Japan Tour 2025 is currently underway, with recent stops in Montreal, Toronto, New York, Mexico City, Vancouver, and Los Angeles, and will continue across Japan in Tokyo, Nagoya, Hokkaido, Fukuoka, Miyagi, Ishikawa, and Osaka.
■ North America & Japan Tour 2025 tickets:
https://vkblanka.lnk.to/NorthAmericaJapanTour2025
■ VK Blanka album Knithclub streaming link:
https://vkblanka.lnk.to/Knightclub
■ VK Blanka links:
Instagram：https://www.instagram.com/itsvk/
X：https://twitter.com/VickeBlanka
YouTube：https://www.youtube.com/c/VickeblankaTV
TikTok：http://www.tiktok.com/@vicke_blanka
WEB：https://vickeblanka.com/
© Avex Music Creative Inc.
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