Interview with Aile The Shota

Aile The Shota is an up-and-coming singer-songwriter signed to rapper SKY-HI's management company/label BMSG. He first came to public attention as a contestant on "THE FIRST", the BMSG audition show that spawned the boy group BE:FIRST and also led to the discovery of several other talents who joined BMSG as artists and trainees.

Since his solo debut with the single AURORA TOKIO in January 2022, Aile The Shota has been making a name for himself as a unique artist who is able to freely combine genres such as R&B, hip-hop and classic J-pop with his soft singing voice to create a distinct signature sound. He has also helped to pen songs for other artists, including SKY-HI himself, and collaborated with a wide variety of other musicians from different genres and scenes.

This July, Aile The Shota released No Frontier, the opening theme song for the anime series "AI no Idenshi", which exposed his music to more fans outside of Japan. The track will be featured on his fourth EP, Epilogue, which is scheduled to hit stores and streaming platforms on December 6th. Recently, JaME had the opportunity to ask him some questions about his music, his collaborations with artists such as Kalassy Nikoff (rapper AK-69), writing music for anime, and more.

For any readers who may not be familiar with your work, how would you describe the music you make?

Aile The Shota: My music style is ‘Aile The Shota,’ not fitting into a specific genre. It could bring back memories yet it has a feeling of freshness, and I think it has a good mixture of R&B and hip-hop, creating sophisticated pop made in Japan. Once you listen to it, I hope listeners understand what I mean by ‘ATS’-pop.

What inspired you to become a musician? Was there a particular artist or moment that made realize you wanted to express yourself this way?

Aile The Shota: When I was much younger, watching music programs on TV, I somehow started to think that I would become a singer just like those artists. Watching dance and vocal groups, especially, made me feel more passionate about my dream. I was getting applause from my family, confirming how much I love singing, and by the time I grew up, living with music had become my only career dream.


What was it like working on the opening theme for “AI no Idenshi”? Did you approach creating No Frontier any differently from your usual work because it was an anime theme?

Aile The Shota: The songs prior to No Frontier were more about my straightforward feelings and expressions put into the lyrics. For No Frontier, the messages are from Aile The Shota and the world view of "AI no Idenshi". So, I paid attention to the lyrics and making them sound natural in both worlds, and creating a character in the song was different from previous productions.

You were featured on Kia Vella’s song Mermaid -Remix- recently. How did that collaboration come about, and what was it like working together again after “THE FIRST”*?

Aile The Shota: "THE FIRST" became a definite turning point in my life. Creating a song with Kia Vella, whom I met through "THE FIRST", was precious, as ‘making music with friends’ has always been my mindset. So, it was an inevitable and familiar action to me. Collaborating with Kia Vella and Js Morgan also gave us some hints about our future.

(*Kia Vella is the current stage name of Shunsuke Orito, a contestant from "THE FIRST" who made it to the training camp portion of the audition.)


Another surprising collaboration was the remix of Kalassy Nikoff’s Overnight you featured on last year. How did that come about, and what was the experience of acting in that music video like?

Aile The Shota: It was a sudden offer and hard to believe at first. Having Japanese hip-hop as one of my musical routes, collaborating with someone like AK, an iconic figure, was beyond amazing. I feel grateful to have delivered my musical essence to his listeners and fans. Challenging acting in the music video also motivated me for future potential work.


What was it like performing at BMSG FES for the second time this year? Do any specific moments from the event stick out in your memory when you look back on it?

Aile The Shota: If I were to pick one memorable scene, it would be the performance of Pandora. Having a mindset of capturing the whole audience and being impressive on stage, I think I was able to fulfill my mission. I believe I was able to present my interpretation of who Aile The Shota is, its specificity, and the meaning of my existence at BMSG. I am confident that I was able to present what I mean by ‘J-POPSTAR’ (J-POPSTAR is the title of one of the songs featured on Epilogue, and Aile The Shota performed the song for the first time at BMSG FES'23).


Do you have any interest in performing overseas? If so, assuming you could play a show in any city in the world, where would you want to go and why?

Aile The Shota: I am interested in performing in the US. I am curious about how people over there would react to my music and see me not only as Aile The Shota, a musician, but also Aile The Shota's music as entertainment.

What is the significance of the title of your upcoming EP Epilogue? Is there a concept or theme to the release?

Aile The Shota: So, the EP Epilogue means that the prologue of Aile The Shota has now come to an end. The phase of self-introduction is over, and these four songs in this EP will become my new business card, so to speak. From the self-expression to the next phase, I asked myself what I should deliver to people now. This EP has opened the door for me to the next stage, where I can be even more free with my music.

JaME would like to thank Aile The Shota, BMSG and CANGLO Pte Ltd for making this interview possible.

You can also read more about Aile The Shota's appearance at BMSG FES'23 in our live report covering the international online broadcast of the event, which is available here.

The music video for the title track from Epilogue can be viewed below.