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The Secret Behind His Electrifying Live Shows
Born in 2005, now 19. From the U.S. and raised in Japan from the age of two, Rol3ert combines global-minded track-making, pop and J-POP-inspired melodies, and lyrics that speak to loneliness and life’s struggles, captivating listeners worldwide. He officially launched his career in January 2025 with “meaning” and dropped his latest single, “say my name,” on August 27. At just 19, he’s already turning heads as a bold new talent from Japan making waves on the global music scene.
At your first solo live in July and even at FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL ’25, the audience gasped when you said, “I’ve only been fully active for six months.” I cover a lot of artists born in the 2000s, and before the pandemic, it was generally believed that artists had to grind it out in live venues to become good at performing. But since the pandemic, some of these 2000s-born artists can step onto a stage with very little experience and immediately deliver amazing shows. I think those artists either spent their middle and high school years performing in front of people, whether at live venues or online, or they watched countless live videos and developed a strong imagination and creativity about what to take in and how to express it themselves. Sometimes it’s both. How about you?
Rol3ert: I watch a lot of live performances. I go to shows when I can, and I also watch my favorite artists’ concerts on YouTube. The one that left the biggest impression on me was The 1975 at Madison Square Garden. Ever since I was little, my dad exposed me to Michael Jackson, The Clash, Adam Lambert, and others, but especially Michael Jackson—I watched so many of his live videos. The energy was just insane, and I kept replaying them over and over. More recently, I like watching live videos taken by fans on their phones, like d4vd or keshi. I think the videos uploaded by fans actually have a certain raw, real quality to them.
Before you started performing as Rol3ert, how did you get involved with music? I heard you were in a band in high school, and it seems like that experience feeds into your live performances now.
Rol3ert: From first grade through around second or third year of middle school, I played the violin. That might have influenced parts of what I do now. Around my second year of middle school, I got really into ONE OK ROCK and revisited Michael Jackson. From there, I dove into major artists like Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift, as well as DJs like Avicii, Alan Walker, and Kygo. That’s when I started exploring Western music more deeply. Eventually, I thought, “I want to try writing my own songs,” and I formed a four-member band with some friends.
What made you want to start writing your own songs?
Rol3ert: You know that feeling when you’re listening to music and completely lost in it? That was really comforting for me. But it was someone else’s music. It wasn’t something I created myself. I wanted to make my own emotional journey, my own experiences. At first, I used the recording function on my electronic piano and GarageBand, the free music-making app by Apple, to create songs. In the band, I was the twin-vocalist and bass player. Right after that, I had to focus on exams, so I didn’t do much in middle school. But in high school, I really started putting myself into it. I wrote original songs, uploaded videos to social media, and even performed a handful of times, about five shows, at live venues.
Your first solo live was just you, playing piano and singing. What has the piano meant to you throughout your life?
Rol3ert：At home, we had my mom’s digital piano and a grand piano, so I grew up in an environment where piano sounds were always around. That probably had a big impact. My older brother isn’t a musician or anything, but he can naturally harmonize. My mom isn’t a professional either—she’s more of an amateur who does it freely—but the other day she said, “I work so I can play the piano” (laughs). As for me, I never really practiced properly. I would watch YouTube videos and just play the songs I wanted to play, then be done. Honestly, I just messed around.
Those who can spend time fully immersed in something without thinking of it as “practice” or “effort” are the strongest. Those are the people who go pro.
Rol3ert: That’s true. As long as you’re having fun, that’s what matters.
Why did the band end up breaking up?
Rol3ert: This is a tricky one because I don’t want to be disrespectful, but there’s a difference between the fun of just enjoying yourself and the fun of aiming high. Everyone said, “Let’s aim high,” but sometimes it was just words. I thought about it seriously and told everyone, “I’m quitting.” The band officially disbanded at the end of July last year, and since I was the one who said I’d quit, I felt I had to follow through. So I started posting videos on social media in August.
