YOASOBI is the Japanese duo made up of Ayase and Ikura, and it is scheduled for Lollapalooza 2026.
The project began in 2019 through Monogatary.com, a Japanese creative-writing platform. Producer Ayase creates the music, while Ikura—also known as Lilas Ikuta—provides the vocals. Their central concept is “novel into music”: many songs adapt stories submitted to or associated with the platform.
YOASOBI broke through with “Yoru ni Kakeru,” based on Mayo Hoshino’s short story “Thanatos no Yūwaku.” The song became a major Japanese streaming hit during 2020. Later successes included “Gunjō,” “Kaibutsu,” and “Idol,” the opening theme for Oshi no Ko.
A common mix-up is treating YOASOBI as a conventional four- or five-member band. Ayase and Ikura are the duo’s two core members, although live performances use additional supporting musicians. Ayase also works independently as a producer, while Ikura releases music under her own name.