Countdown to SixTONES STreaming: Day 1 Imitation Rain

Following the recent announcement made by SixTONES during their celebration of their 10th naming anniversary, we will be posting a 10-day countdown to introduce some of the songs that will be available for streaming on 17th May 2025!

For the first song, we chose their debut song “Imitation Rain.” This song is a ballad song that was a collaborative work with YOSHIKI – a member of the visual kei rock band X Japan. For long fans of SixTONES, a ballad was an unexpected debut song for a group that started when they starred in the youth drama Shiritsu Bakaleya Koukou in 2012, as the drama characters they portrayed were delinquent boys. SixTONES as a group also mostly covered songs of their senpai group KAT-TUN, most especially the ones in the pop-rock genre.

SixTONES had performed the songs in all their concerts so far. YOSHIKI even had a surprise guest appearance at one of their first-ever Tokyo Dome concert tours. SixTONES has also performed Imitation Rain on MTV’s THE FIRST TAKE.

A series of colorful diamond icons in various shades, arranged in a horizontal line.

We asked fans of SixTONES about how they felt when they first listened to “Imitation Rain” and their initial thoughts about it:

“The moment it was announced that their debut single is composed by Yoshiki, I was really expecting something more of in a rock style. Reading that it will be a ballad was unexpected. However, when the first notes of the song played I was immediately awestruck. The song clearly showcased SixTONES’ musicality without compromising their unique SixTONES style. It was unconventional compared to the other groups in their company who mostly have upbeat debut songs but that fact made it more memorable and special. It immediately became an ear-worm for me.” 💎 Ryoko

“The first time I heard “Imitation Rain,” I was shocked because who had a ballad for their debut? But the song was so good and their harmonies were beautiful. It showcased their maturity as a group, how they grew up together and performed in unity. It’s so amazing that they always perform it beautifully!” 💎 @hokuccha