AiNA THE END, the singular voice at the forefront of Japan’s avant-garde pop scene, has just released her highly anticipated new single, “On The Way 革命道中” — the official opening theme for Season 2 of the hit anime “Dandadan ダンダダン”.
Written specifically for the series by AiNA herself, with additional composition and arrangement by acclaimed producer Shin Sakiura, the song captures Dandadan’s chaotic blend of supernatural thrills and youthful emotion. Powered by high-octane beats and mysterious melodic interplay, “On The Way 革命道中” fuses dark pop dynamism with sentimentality, anchored by AiNA THE END’s raw, unmistakable vocals and genre-defying lyrical style.
The track brims with hooks and contrasts: playful yet profound, eerie yet catchy. Phrases like “sentimental love” glimmer through heavy verses, while unexpected call-and-response moments bring a sense of levity. It’s a sonic journey that reflects the duality of the anime’s “occult × adolescence” theme — strange, intense, and at times heartbreakingly sincere.
The music video, released alongside the single, expands on these themes through a visually arresting narrative. It juxtaposes two versions of AiNA THE END — one human and one yokai (spirit) — whose worlds collide in a surreal, shadow-drenched setting. From frantic cuts to striking contrasts of light and dark, the video builds toward a haunting final scene where human AiNA THE END tears off her yokai horns in the pouring rain, leaving viewers stunned and stirred.
The single arrives in the midst of a prolific year for AiNA THE END, following critically acclaimed tracks like “Peerless Flowers”, “It’s Gonna Be Alright 大丈夫”, and “Aria”. In June, she also made her literary debut with the memoir “達者じゃなくても”, adding author to her list of creative titles.
To coincide with the new single, AiNA THE END will also embark on a 9-city headline tour across Japan titled “On The Way 革命道中”, kicking off on 1 October at Zepp Nagoya.
About AiNA THE END
AiNA THE END launched her career in 2015 as a member of BiSH, the unconventional punk band that performed without instruments. Following their major debut the following year, she later released her first solo album “THE END” in 2021, featuring tracks she personally wrote and composed, marking her serious transition to solo work. In June 2023, BiSH disbanded to the heartbreak of fans, and she has since been active as a solo artist.
In January 2024, she wrote the theme song “Takaramono” for the TBS Sunday drama “Sayonara Maestro: Chichi to Watashi no Appassionato”, followed by a stream of new releases including “Frail,” the theme song for the film “Henna Ie”, and “Love Sick,” the theme for the theatrical film “Mononoke The Movie: The Phantom in the Rain.”
Her music has consistently been selected for commercial use, including “Heart ni Heart” (Glico Pocky), “Kaze to Kuchizuke to” (NIVEA), “Poppin’ Run” (Volkswagen T-Cross), and “Christmas Card” (Tokyo Christmas Market 2024).
Beyond music, she played the lead role of Janis Joplin in the Japanese premiere of the Broadway musical “Janis” in 2022. In October 2023, she starred in her first film, “Kyrie’s Song”, directed by Shunji Iwai, earning multiple prestigious awards for her performance.
Her solo tour “Grow The Sunset” and her first headlining concert at the iconic Nippon Budokan, “ENDROLL”, both held in March 2024, sold out completely.
On November 27, 2024, she will release “RUBY POP”, her third solo album and her first in three years. In December, she will hold her first solo concert overseas, followed by the completion of her national “Harinezumi Smile” tour across eight cities in January 2025. Starting in October, she is set to embark on another nationwide tour titled “Kakumei Dōchū”, covering nine cities across Japan.
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