KAF 4th solo live concert “KAIKA”

Pioneering virtual singer KAF explored her musical history, challenged her own reality-blurring identity and offered looks towards her future during her historic first arena show — becoming the first virtual singer to pull off such an event — held at Tokyo’s Yoyogi National Gymnasium on January 14th. It was a celebration of her art over the last five years — and a declaration of challenging greater goals moving forward, including the introduction of a new project called KAIKA.

In front of a sold-out crowd waving pink-hued pen lights, KAF took the stage joined by a band of seasoned players to bring her rock-grounded creations to life. She sang and danced alongside dizzying visuals nodding to her digital origins. Despite her status as a virtual artist, KAF provided physicality to her performance, assisted by fans bouncing, clapping and shouting along to her hooks. She reflected her eclectic approach to style by highlighting songs dabbling in different genres, from straight-ahead rockers to rap-influenced cuts to electro-pop numbers.

Throughout the night, guests joined KAF, further underlining the wide range of sounds found in her music. Voice actor and singer Ayane Sakura joined her on stage for the slow-burning drama of Sunrise, while Virtual YouTuber Mori Calliope brought hip-hop energy to the swift handicraft-high. She linked up with electronic creators Hakushi Hasegawa and MONDO GROSSO for a section both nervy and moody, while also offering a particularly surreal segment by linking up with KAFU, an avatar representing a digital singing voice built from KAF’s own voice.


The night featured works from across KAF’s career — alongside wardrobe changes reflecting different periods — but it also featured a smattering of new songs, pointing to her future. She announced that she’s currently working on her fourth album, Fable, for release sometime this year, alongside a remix collection for last year’s Crazy For You titled Crazy For You Gamma coming on March 27th. KAF also announced the second installment of her "Suite Series", where she collaborates with artists from across the musical spectrum. She offered a preview of what was to come via new song Gimi Gimi Flight featuring Gen-Z rap dynamo #KT-Chan, performed with particular swagger at Yoyogi National Gymnasium.

KAF offered several other announcements about the year ahead of her, including a virtual stage play set for July, but the biggest news came in the show’s final stretch. The familiar site of KAF’s digital avatar vanished, and on top of the stage appeared the silhouette of a person. They introduced themselves as KAIKA, a new artistic project. Whereas KAF works alongside songwriters, KAIKA said this new persona would only share music she herself wrote. She existed somewhere between real and digital — static ripples cutting through her image on the video board — but the emotion she shared was undeniably raw and human.

KAIKA shared several new songs at that moment, signaling the start of a new creative period. Yet it wasn’t the end of KAF either, but rather another side of the artist behind this blooming creative world. It was a fitting gesture to end a show devoted to her sonic curiosity and constant drive to challenge herself.

The archive of KAF 4th solo live concert “KAIKA” will be available for streaming until February 18th. Tickets to watch the archive can be purchased here.

A digest trailer for KAF's third one-man live and the music video for her September 2023 collaboration with MONDO GROSSO, My Voice, can be viewed below.