One Love One Heart’s second album releases tomorrow and I’m very excited. Their first was my favorite J-pop album of 2023, establishing a clear style for this ambitious mixed-gender group. Though the ultra-catchy Fireworks leapfrogged into my top ten singles list, I like One Love One Heart’s music best when it blends their voices to create a theatrical, choir-like sound. Since the release of the first album, it feels like the girls and boys have almost been given separate songs, which is fine but kind of squanders their biggest asset.

Lead single Aise, Shigoku Sanzan na Bokura no Hi wo (愛せ、至極散々な僕らの日を) follows suit, largely sung by the girls with power vocals Miu and I-CHI taking center stage. Even so, the rousing chorus takes advantage of the fullness of their sound, bursting forth with an emotional heft that’s impossible to resist. The track is very in line with J-pop idol tropes — an ornate, overwhelming sound that only Japan seems interested in pursuing. It’s a fantastic flex of the genre, delivering shout-from-the-rafters melodies and a snowballing instrumental that only seems to grow more grandiose as the song advances. I especially love the cool bass (and later, brass!) flourishes that precede each chorus.

When it comes down to it, I’m very unlikely to dislike a One Love One Heart song. I wish the producers had lowered the key just a bit, as it’s clearly challenging the members and I’d rather hear their voices more comfortably. But by the time the final chorus announces itself in stunning fashion, those quibbles are a distant memory. They are a group I’m rooting quite hard for, and the music continues to back that up.

Grade: B+