After five years in the industry — from her early days in ZIOLETTA to her solo J-rock era — YOOMEi is stepping into a bold new chapter. Blending retro City Pop with her love for idol culture, anime, and storytelling, she’s creating a vibrant universe all her own. I had the pleasure of interviewing YOOMEi recently, and she opened up about rebranding without erasing her past, the challenges and joys of her redebut, and why she believes it’s always better to try — even if you fail — than to live with regret.

Memory ver. (press photo 4)
YOOMEi – image courtesy of Youand Entertainment

Q: You’ve been in the industry for five years now — from your time in ZIOLETTA to going solo in J-rock. How have those different experiences helped you grow into the artist you are today?

YOOMEi: I’m very grateful for my different experiences in my life, even if people would call me a “flop” because of it. I think still being able to incorporate some elements of K-Pop and J-Pop into my City Pop rebrand is something unique and fun, rather than erasing my past.

Q: You’ve described your debut as a fresh start — what’s been the most exciting or surprising part of reintroducing yourself as YOOMEi? What was an unexpected challenge that surfaced as you’ve prepared to redebut?

YOOMEi: The most exciting part of reintroducing myself as “YOOMEi” has definitely been the change of genre and concept. With the City Pop x Idol concept, it opens the doors to many possibilities. From clothing to the sound — I’ve always loved the retro style. We have faced many unexpected challenges. But definitely managing my health has been one of the most difficult parts. I hope that we can all be a bit nicer to others, because everyone’s probably fighting an intense battle that they don’t share. I really do hope that I can continue to work with kind and supportive colleagues in the future!

Q: City pop is having a global moment right now, and you’re bringing your own flavor to the genre. What draws you to that sound, and how are you making it your own?

YOOMEi: I love the idea of escaping to another world through music. City Pop makes me feel like I’m time-traveling to another era. It’s almost like watching a movie. It takes you away from reality for a moment. We are adding our own little spin by making our music videos more like short movies, rather than a regular music video where I would’ve sang straight into the camera. Everything is very story-driven, and we will continue to expand on the complex universe of YOOMEi.

Melody ver. (press photo 5)
YOOMEi – image courtesy of Youand Entertainment

Q: If fans wanted to understand who you are through music, what three songs — yours or others’ — would you tell them to listen to?

YOOMEi: If I had to choose only three songs, I’d probably recommend one of my own first: “A Lost Melody” by YOOMEi, because it includes music motifs. And “Soul Lady” by YUKIKA, because I can also relate to the struggle of dreaming to debut in a foreign country. And finally, “Sweet Dream” from Alienstage, because some of the lyrics strangely resonate with me on a deeper level.

Q: What was your songwriting or recording process like for Echoes of Love? Did any track surprise you during its creation?

YOOMEi: I love escaping to fiction because it doesn’t hurt the way real life does, so I love to pull ideas from the stories I scribble in my notebooks. Every song actually surprised me because they were initially pulled from fiction, but I started slowly connecting with the lyrics after I had already written them. The entire story started to feel real to me. It’s like I had a magic pencil! I know that I can perform these songs with a lot of passion in the future.

Q: What made “Ever Begin” the right title track to introduce your city pop era to the world?

YOOMEi: I thought that “Ever Begin” had the perfect blend of City Pop and Synth Pop to subtly introduce any newcomers to the City Pop genre. My team said that “Ever Begin” reminded them of “Cupid” by the K-Pop group FIFTY FIFTY, so I thought that it would be a cute and sweet vibe to start my music career with!

Memory ver. (press photo 3)
YOOMEi – image courtesy of Youand Entertainment

Q: What do you hope new listeners take away from meeting you for the first time through this project?

YOOMEi: It hasn’t been easy to put myself out in the public again, but I really hope that my music journey can inspire other people to pursue their own dreams as well. I think it’s better to try and fail, than to not try at all. Living with regret is sometimes more painful than failure.

Q: How is Team YOOMei helping shape your vision as both an artist and storyteller?

YOOMEi: Actually, I consulted with other companies who wanted to change so much about me. But my current division, Team YOOMEi at Youand Entertainment, allows me to embrace myself and my silly interests — things I’ve been told to conceal and things I’ve been bullied for in school. They always encourage me to center my brand around my passions — anime, games, dramas, and K/J idol culture. I think that’s what makes our project unique in the west and why our creative direction is so precious to me, since other companies wouldn’t let me be myself.

YOOMEi’s City Pop era may be just beginning, but it’s clear she’s approaching it with heart, vision, and an unshakable sense of self. By embracing every chapter of her journey — the wins, the setbacks, and the passions that make her unique — she’s inviting listeners into a world where music feels like time travel and storytelling knows no limits. As she steps onto the next stage, YOOMEi reminds us that the most powerful thing an artist can be is unapologetically themselves.

Follow YOOMEi:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoomei.official
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yoomei
Stream Echoes of Love


Jeanne Sharp

Jeanne Sharp

Jeanne’s writing has appeared in Memoir Mixtapes, Unstamatic, Voidspace Zine, and Trash to Treasure Lit. When not writing, she can be found putting her research skills to good use on behalf of nonprofit organizations, camping along Arizona’s Mogollon Rim or the California coast in her teardrop camper, photographing forgotten places, listening to K-pop, or wrangling her three mouthy cats. Find her on Instagram, Threads, and TikTok at @that_jeanne.

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