Debuting in the 1990s as the lead vocalist in the J-rock band L’Arc-en-Ciel, HYDE has been in the industry for over three decades now. Taking a brief intermission from releasing a full album for the past five years, he is back now with his latest album, HYDE [INSIDE], and a tour to take his new music on the road. Ahead of the final U.S. stop of his [HYDE INSIDE] 2024 Tour in Los Angeles on November 30, the rockstar sat down for a conversation with Asia Blooming about his career, his newest album, and his tour.
Diving into his recent album, HYDE started by addressing his five-year break. “My last album came out in 2019, and right after that, COVID hit. So, even if I was creating music, I wouldn’t have been able to perform it anywhere, and that kind of killed my motivation. That’s why I decided to release the new album now,” he said. Although he hadn’t released an album in that time period, that didn’t mean he wasn’t working on music, dropping singles here and there, and working on his craft. HYDE shared, “I’ve released a lot of different things in between albums, but with HYDE [INSIDE], I wanted to focus more on harder songs. I did release ballad songs during that period as well, but I’m waiting to compile them into my next album which will focus on slower songs.” On his future plans, he shared that the next album will showcase another side of him: “This current release is called HYDE, and that next ballad album will be called JEKYLL.”
Of the songs on HYDE [INSIDE], five are brand new tracks, while the other seven are singles that have been released over the past several years. One particularly special track is “LAST SONG,” which now serves as the final song on HYDE’s tour. With his music being known for its storytelling qualities, the setlist for his shows is also curated with purpose. “When putting together the way that the concert will go, it has to have rises and falls. There needs to be songs that pump up the crowd, and others that fans can sit back and listen to more. With this particular tour, the most important piece is where I place ‘LAST SONG.’ If the fans aren’t able to go crazy and hype themselves up before that, I wouldn’t be able to put all of my emotions into that song. So, it’s become a real key point during these concerts.”
Additionally, “LAST SONG” carries a sentimental value to HYDE due to his experience filming the music video: “I’m a tourism ambassador of Austria, and so I filmed the music video for this song there. Because I am an ambassador, I was able to go to locations that normally wouldn’t be accessible to the public, and during certain scenes, things like rain falling at the perfect moment for the perfect shot somehow happened. It became a really memorable track for me thanks to those moments.”
When it comes time to work on his music, HYDE likes to make time on free days to ensure all his focus is on his music. “I prefer to do it on a day when I have nothing else to do, like no emails to respond to or anything. Once all my work is done, I’m able to just sit down, have my cup of coffee, take out my guitar, put my phone down to record, and I’ll start working on something.” HYDE continued to note something unique about his personal songwriting process. “I have a lot of patterns when it comes to making music, but the one thing I never actually do is write lyrics first,” the rockstar began. “For example, if I have an image of the song I’m supposed to be making for a certain anime in my head, I’ll watch it and let it bring out ideas within me. Then, I’ll write either the melody first, or just work on my guitar first. It really depends on the track, but never lyrics first.”
Despite being on the music scene for over 30 years, HYDE cited that working with younger artists is what keeps him going. “With how long I’ve been working in this field, I’ve met many musicians that tell me they grew up listening to my music or say they’re my fans. I’ve been able to work with a lot of those artists, and they’ve even created music for me,” he said. “I used to think that I had to create all my own music, but now I’ve come to the point where I believe working with artists like that actually inspires me, helps me stay fresh and young at heart, and makes me feel like I’m always still a new musician.”
Wrapping up the conversation with a song recommendation from his decades-long discography, the rockstar named “6or9” as one that encapsulates who he is as an artist and musician. “This is a track that no one else would be able to create. My creative process isn’t really that professional, and it’s kind of strange and weird, but this specific song really carries my personality through.”
Asia Blooming Giveaway: Win a polariod signed by HYDE
To celebrate the completion of HYDE’s U.S. tour, Asia Blooming is hosting a giveaway on Twitter and Instagram for one lucky winner to receive a signed polaroid from HYDE! Entrants can enter the giveaway on either Twitter of Instagram. Enter on both Twitter and Instagram to increase your chances of winning!
To enter the Twitter giveaway:
- Follow Asia Blooming on Twitter: @AsiaBlooming
- Retweet the pinned post
- Bonus entry: Tag a friend in a comment for additional entries. Each comment with a tagged friend is one extra entry.
To enter the Instagram giveaway:
- Follow Asia Blooming on Instagram: @AsiaBlooming
- Like the pinned post
- Bonus entry: Tag a friend in a comment for additional entries. Each comment with a tagged friend is one extra entry.
Only U.S. participants are eligible for this giveaway. Also, giveaway-only accounts are not eligible. The giveaway closes at 5:00pm PT on December 25, 2024, and the winner will be contacted shortly after. Good luck!
