Table of Contents
Rising artiste blends indie rock and global pop in raw new single
RISING Japanese singer-songwriter Rol3ert continues his ascent across Asia and globally with the release of his new single Boy, produced in collaboration with Australian producer Taka Perry.
Focusing on a different perspective, Boy blends the shadowy textures of indie rock with fluid, danceable global pop rhythms and results in a sound that feels immediate and instinctive, carrying both momentum and restraint in equal measure.
As its core, the new single explores what Rol3ert describes as “boyness”, where the unstable space between youth and adulthood begins to move faster than boys are ready for.
Now 20 years old, Rol3ert turns the experience into something raw and sharply melodic, sitting between wanting to hold onto youth and being pushed into something undefined.
The single reflects a generation navigating change in real time, and this balance between doubt and determination gives the song its resonance, particularly among younger listeners across Asia who connect with its articulation of restlessness, anxiety and disorientation of becoming.
“There have been so many phases in my life. Like when I first tried making music, when I started a band, when I entered middle school, then high school, and when I began taking music seriously.
Each phase brought different kinds of stimulation and different lessons,” says Rol3ert.
“I had fun. It felt like my world was expanding and I was becoming smarter. But in the end, that ‘smartness’ was just me realising all the things I did not have within me.”
The single’s music video visually extends this theme through silhouettes, backlighting and the soft tones of magic hour. With its muted dusk tones, the video delicately captures emotional instability and the feeling of being unfinished, creating a deeply atmospheric and impressionistic piece.
Festival spotlight and rapid rise across Asia
Following Boy’s release, Rol3ert is set to perform at Summer Sonic 2026 in Tokyo on the Spotify Stage, alongside a new wave of emerging artistes shaping the future of Japanese music.
Boy follows a string of milestones that have quickly positioned Rol3ert as one of the region’s most closely watched new artistes. His January single Saviour was selected for Spotify’s New Music Friday in 22 countries, was selected to be part of Spotify Japan’s Radar: Early Noise 2026 and sold out his headline show at Shibuya WWW X.
He was also recently named one of Japan’s 25 representatives in Rolling Stone’s Future of Music project. Across Southeast Asia, his breakout track (How Could I Be) Honest? gained strong traction, charting on viral charts in Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong, earning heavy rotation on Singapore’s 987FM and peaking at No.5 on Singapore’s Shazam charts.
With his first Singapore performance set for Mediacorp’s Cloud 9 Festival on May 9, his presence in the region continues to grow.
READ MORE:
Rio’s Copacabana beach hosts massive crowd for free Shakira concert
Rolling Stones hint at new music in cryptic post
Red Velvet Joy serenades Kuala Lumpur
