As the popularity of R&B and soul-inspired pop music continues to rise in Japan, a new and exciting talent has entered the scene: Roka. Born in 1997 in Kanagawa Prefecture, Roka is a self-produced artist who writes, composes, and arranges her own music. While this might suggest a seasoned singer-songwriter, she also possesses the captivating charm of a pop star. So, who exactly is she? Intrigued by this, we sat down for an interview and uncovered a fascinating and unconventional journey. Despite having only two tracks released so far—“CUTENESS” and “Samenumama.”—it’s clear that Roka is a rising talent of the new generation. In this exclusive interview, we explore the background that shaped her and the unique path that led to the creation of Roka.
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A Teenage Obsession with One Direction: Using the Same Styling Products
I have a lot of questions today, but first, can you tell me what kind of music you’ve been passionate about?
Roka:When I was young, I remember my dad loved listening to Utada Hikaru, and her music really stuck with me. Later, in elementary school, I started listening to K-pop, influenced by my mom. At the time, TVXQ and BIGBANG were popular, and I remember watching live videos on my iPod’s small screen. That said, I didn’t come from a musical family. I also took piano lessons in elementary school, but I stopped after the teacher I had became too strict [laughs].
So when did you start choosing music to listen to on your own?
Roka:When I was in middle school, I became really into One Direction. From there, I started listening to Western pop, like Justin Bieber, P!nk, and Bruno Mars.

What drew you to One Direction?
Roka: I was attracted to the pop nature and catchy melodies of their songs, but it wasn’t just that. I think I was also drawn to their looks, hairstyles, and the charm they had outside of their music. At the time, I was really into hairstyling and would spend around 30 minutes every morning styling my hair. I even researched and ordered the products they used and tried them out myself [laughs]. I also watched their documentary footage.
It’s impressive that you went so far as to research and order their styling products!
Roka:I was really passionate about it. Also, One Direction was formed through an audition program, and I loved watching shows like that. That admiration led me to start attending a dance and vocal school.
-I see.
Roka:In high school, I quit basketball, which I had been doing, and joined the light music club. Then, I applied for an audition for a training program run by a major agency, and I got in, so I started taking lessons. It was around that time that I began seriously thinking, “I want to make a living with singing.”
You were enrolled in a dance and vocal training program!
Roka:Yes, that’s right. In the light music club, I did One Direction covers and sang the vocals, and I took lessons in the training program. I would go to Tokyo once a week to learn singing and take comprehensive lessons in dance and acting once a month. Later, I had the opportunity to join a larger agency’s program, but it was mostly focused on dance. I took dance lessons about four times a week.

Based on what you’ve shared so far, it sounds like you were on track to form a dance and vocal group and debut [laughs].
Roka:Right? [laughs] While I was going through those days, my dance and vocal school teacher often had us dance to old-school hip-hop. That sparked my interest, and I found myself drawn less to dance and more to music from before I was born. Around the same time, after graduating from high school, I started attending a music vocational school, and that’s where I began to discover older music. This is when my perspective on music started to change a bit. But the real shift came after I dropped out of vocational school and discovered the blues. I was amazed to learn that in a single song, you could have a solo instrument, and I could feel a charm that was clearly different from the pop music I knew.