Tokyo-based R&B artist VivaOla has released his new EP ‘TWOTONE’ via HIP LAND MUSIC/FRIENDSHIP., arriving with a video for the track ‘Justify’.
The five-song collection includes earlier singles ‘Who Cares’ and ‘Grown Too Old’, alongside the focus track ‘Lifeline’. Produced with Kota Matsukawa and 01sail of the creative collective w.a.u and engineered by Lucas Valentine, the record finds VivaOla pushing his sound into more layered territory, drawing on both his Japanese and international ties.
‘Justify’ is paired with a new video co-directed by Yutaka Akiyama and Richard. Built around a dreamlike narrative that moves between reality and imagination, it offers a visual counterpart to the EP’s recurring theme of duality.
VivaOla, who was born in Korea and raised in Tokyo, has been building recognition both in Japan and abroad. His collaborations with starRo, Crystal Kay, and Jimmy Brown, as well as appearances at SXSW, Music Matters, and The Great Escape, have steadily grown his reputation as part of a new wave of Japanese R&B.
Speaking about ‘TWOTONE’, VivaOla said:
“Chasing dreams often comes with moments when reality pulls you back. The more deeply we love, the more we can hurt each other—and no matter how hard we try, some memories refuse to fade. Between black and white lies a space of ambiguity and fluctuation, and I’ve woven those emotions into melody.”
VivaOla will perform tracks from TWOTONE at SHIBUYA SOUND RIVERSE on September 28th at Ebisu’s LIQUIDROOM, joining a lineup that includes SPARK!!SOUND!!SHOW!!, ODD Foot Works, Enfants, and more.
VivaOla
TWOTONE
Release Date: 24/09/2025
Label: HIP LAND MUSIC/FRIENDSHIP.
Stream: Links
