If singer-songwriter Vicke Blanka could travel back in time and give himself one piece of advice, he’d tell himself, “Cut down on the video games.”
“Five years ago, I was playing games about 50% of the time, creating music about 50% of the time,” he tells The Japan Times over a Zoom call. He’s sitting in a blue gaming chair and speaking into a mic-and-camera setup that is the standard for livestreaming platforms like Twitch, which he has used to broadcast himself playing Fortnite and other popular titles.
Once he gets into a game, though, it tends to commandeer his time.
“If I had adjusted to like, 30% playing games, maybe my position in the Japanese music industry could be greater,” he says with a laugh, before gushing about how he loves playing NBA 2K and Madden NFL with friends.
While turning the console off might have helped with productivity, Blanka, whose real name is Junya Yamaike, has still managed to churn out content. The 34-year-old creator made his major label debut with Avex Trax in 2017, his higher vocal range and intricate songwriter setting him apart from many of his labelmates. He has become an in-demand name in the world of J-pop, excelling in the industry’s preferred mark of success: commercial tie-ups. His work has soundtracked Spotify ads, NHK dramas and anime series — a pair of contributions to the series “Black Clover” in particular earned him praise from abroad.
Now with five years as a recording artist under his belt, Avex has released a compilation of Blanka’s greatest hits, “Supervillain,” which features a tracklist chosen by fans. Blanka is set to embark on a nationwide tour this fall and hints that he may head overseas later in the year. With all this going on, last month he also released “Changes,” a track informed by gospel harmonies, loss and a lot of introspection.
“My mother passed away three years ago,” the singer says. “That shocked me. I cried and cried and cried. I totally lost the motivation to create music.
“That sadness and emptiness comes to everybody, so I created this song. If someone dives into this kind of sadness, I hope my song can help them, since it is drawn from something so personal.”
“Changes” isn’t simply a cathartic release. It’s something of a personal mission statement for Blanka punctuated by declarations of “let me be a better person.” Early in our conversation, he mentions that he doesn’t spend much time reflecting on the past due to his busy schedule. Yet, as we speak, he starts to really open up.
“I was not a good person, seriously. I’ve offended so many people,” he says, believing he was too direct with his “real opinions” in the past. “Everybody calls me a villain or a devil. I’m not like a Captain America, I’m a Joker.”
Born in Aichi Prefecture to a family that also includes one younger sister, Yamaike began playing piano in elementary school. Eventually, he picked up guitar and over time started creating his own music. Fast forward to the 2010s, however, and memories of his early days as Vicke Blanka aren’t as rosy: “I was nothing. I was just living in my bed, eating ramen and curry. I didn’t make anything of value for society.”
He’s being too hard on himself, though. Even as an independent act, people began gravitating toward Blanka’s on-stage energy. This led to a gig in Seoul for the annual Mu:Con music industry event. With increased confidence, he changed his approach to songwriting. The result was “Tara,” a mid-tempo piano number released in 2015 in which he drew on personal experiences for the first time.
“I had my first heartbreak,” he says. “Usually (in a relationship) I can go forward, chin up, chin up. But that heartbreak was too tough for me. I was so into her.”
This new approach to writing came as Blanka signed to Avex Trax. His career as an artist began to take off, his interest in video games then just a potentially detrimental element in his trajectory. New tracks, albums and commercial gigs began to follow.
“Those kinds of opportunities are so very limited,” he says. “Sometimes, you’ll get three tie-ups at once on a short schedule. That is so tough.”
His ability to balance theatrical pop, lively rock melodies and emotional lyrics brought Blanka a devoted following and a considerable amount of buzz, stopping just shy of the kind of numbers required to break through to the charts. Still, he was able to carve out an impressive space for himself in the Japanese music landscape.
With his mother’s passing, however, Blanka hit a creative wall. It was around this time that he upped his presence on Twitch, distracting himself with gaming.
“I’m still not healed,” he says, adding that he often created music with the aim of making his mother proud. “To make her say, ‘This is great’ ... that was a huge motivation for me.”
The singer says he has a new goal.
“Now, I’m going to make my little sister proud.”
Blanka has changed his approach to songwriting once again with “Changes.” He says he used to be too much of a perfectionist, fretting over every little detail and rewriting his output constantly. Now, he approaches his work with an appreciation for simplicity.
“I found out in the past two years the most important thing is one word or one sentence,” he says. “For example, Stevie Wonder, ‘I Just Called to Say I Love You’ — that sentence is perfect! That’s the secret of writing lyrics, and now I’m focused on finding the best way of conveying my feelings to others.”
English is a large part of this equation. Blanka speaks entirely in English for our interview, and throughout his career he has dabbled in English-language songs. He hopes to continue reaching new listeners abroad but admits the “Supervillain” fan-vote format may not be the way to do it.
“I try to create worldwide music, but the fans in Japan ... they’re not so much into those songs,” he says, revealing that many of his English tracks missed the best-of cut. “That makes me a little bit disappointed, but the fact that everyone just voted for their favorite songs by me is enough.”
There’s a lot Blanka wants to do in the foreseeable future, but when asked about what his 10th anniversary may look like, he avoids any speculation.
“My brain is always speeding,” he says. “Once I think about my future, maybe I’ll come up with a perfect plan. But that’s kinda boring, you feel me? Just going through a plan. So, I try not to think about the future.”
Keep your eyes on the immediate future, be a good brother and keep the gaming to a minimum. It all sounds like good advice no matter the age you decide to follow it.
For more information on Vicke Blanka, visit vickeblanka.com.
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