Despite my more vocal tendencies toward other STARTO ENTERTAINMENT groups, I have a deep soft spot for WEST. due to my long history as their fan. To make a long story short, I was introduced to WEST. around the time of their Lucky7 album release in 2015 and fell quickly and hard for them. I watched all of their available concert DVDs, their TV show appearances that I could find, and engaged in any content I could get my hands on. I loved their specific brand of humor and their dynamics as a group. I couldn’t get enough of them.
My diehard love for them would quickly be usurped by another group only months later, but this didn’t make me any less interested in WEST.. In the short time they held the spot as my favorite group, they managed to carve out a spot in my heart that couldn’t be taken over. WEST. were there to stay, and I more than welcomed that.
Which is particularly why their tenth anniversary tour, AWARD, meant so much when it was announced. Not only did the boys hit a particular milestone in their careers, but it meant being able to take a look back at all of the wonderful songs they had sung throughout their careers. It also meant looking at their growth throughout the years and how their sound has matured since the very start. A tenth anniversary is a celebration for all, whether you have been supporting them since their Junior days or even if you haven’t heard of them at all.
Coming from my own perspective, I went into the concert not knowing or recognizing a lot of the songs on the setlist being shared on social media. This most definitely is not a negative towards WEST. at all! I have not been the best in the last year or so about keeping up with their music and relistening to songs, but, despite my lack of knowledge, I went into the show expecting to still have a ton of fun.
AWARD truly felt like an amalgamation of everything that I love about WEST.. There was the wild and chaotically funny energy that I have come to expect from their earlier tours, but there was also the restraint and musicality that I’ve noticed emerging from their later tours. But, more than anything, it also saw the return of their skits that I loved so much from their past tours.
WEST. aren’t afraid to make ridiculous jokes and make a fool of themselves, and, for that reason, it’s so easy to fall in love with them. Whether it was Junta Nakama’s “straight man” comedy at his group’s ridiculous attitudes, Ryusei Fujii and Tomohiro Kamiyama skating around on their Heelys or Daiki Shigeoka and Takahiro Hamada making each other do silly impressions of household furniture, there wasn’t a single moment where I wasn’t laughing my head off at their skit. WEST.’s ability to throw caution to the wind and focus on making not only the audience but their group laugh is something so incredibly heartwarming. It’s very easy to tell during these moments that the bonds they’ve formed over the years are strong, and they are a group that completely gets along with each other.
This comedy is even carried into their songs, Shirankedo (しらんけど) being one of the absolute standout moments. Performed during their band corner, this version of the song was a lot more upbeat and featured the members rapping the verses instead of singing them. The funniest moment being Junta needing to switch quickly from playing the sax to singing his lyrics during the second chorus. Every time the camera panned to him, I was in stitches from laughing so hard.
The nostalgia of AWARD was what truly hit me in the gut. Just from getting to hear Zundoko Paradise (ズンドコパラダイス), Konamon (粉もん), Jinsei wa Subarashii (人生は素晴らしい), and Jipangu Ookini Daisakusen (ジパングおおきに大作戦), I was already in a proverbial paradise. Those were songs that I dreamed about hearing live in person, but I had known deep down that as the years passed there was less and less of a chance of WEST. choosing to perform them. I was forever grateful to get to hear all of them live. But there were two other songs that I was beyond excited to hear.
The first was Toxic Love. Although I’m not sure if this is my favorite WEST. song or not, it is most definitely within my top five. I always envied the absolute vocal mastery of Akito Kiriyama in this song, in particular during the bridge as the rest of the group move into the final chorus. The way that Akito hits those notes is a testament of his vocal talent, and, even so many years after recording the original, he can still sing those high notes with ease. It felt like a blessing to be able to hear him sing it live.
Oddly enough, the song that hit me the hardest was We are WEST!!!!!!! Originated on their 2018 album, WESTV!, this particular song features a small call and response between WEST. and their fans as they shout out each group member’s name before the boys begin singing. If you look at the lyrics of the original version, We are WEST!!!!!!! is quite a cheerful and happy song that speaks about going for your dreams no matter how life knocks you back. It doesn’t evoke the kind of emotional reaction I had when I heard it
But, to me, it knocked me back to the WESTV! tour in 2019, standing in Yokohama Arena and watching WEST. for the first time and singing that song. I couldn’t help but think of my history supporting them, and I was overcome with tears. Even thinking about We are WEST!!!!!!! now, it stands as a testament of how we, as fans, stand by our idols’ sides for so long. There are songs and performances that we hold so near and dear to our hearts that remind us of why we are fans. Being able to relive those memories at a tenth anniversary concert is a truly beautiful thing to behold.
AWARD was also more than a look back into WEST.’s past but also a look into their current music as well. The titular track from their tenth anniversary album, also titled AWARD, was a stunning performance to watch that had WEST. running to every corner of the arena to get closer and closer to their fans. REWARD as well as FICTION stood out for the stunning dance performances that WEST. gave. Closing out the encore portion of their show, WEST. performed one of their newest songs, Heart (ハート), to great applause. But Shouko (証拠) will always remain a top contender for the absolute best that these boys can do musically. It’s the kind of song that evokes the perfect emotional response from everyone in attendance.
Because, truly, a WEST. concert gives you the best of all worlds when it comes to the definition of the word “idol.” There are absolute top vocals from the group, especially from Akito and Hamada, with dance performances that make you unable to look away from them giving it their all. Not only are they able to make hilarious jokes, Kotaki Nozamu had a great joke about sports before Shirankedo had the group and audience laughing at him, but the energy everyone exudes is pure happiness and good vibes. No matter the style of idol you prefer, there is a part of WEST. that any idol fan can love.
Of course, there are songs that I wish were included in this tour’s setlist. I wish we had gotten more singles and more nostalgia from their earlier years instead of a lot of those nostalgic moments being poured into a medley. At the root of it all, that is my one singular complaint about AWARD. Perhaps they’re saving these songs for the dome portion of their tour?
But even without those songs I was craving, this tenth anniversary tour still ticked every single box of things that I wanted from WEST.. For that, I am forever grateful they built an arena tour that showed off each stage of their history as a group. From the return of their skits to Shigeoka being the lovable menace that he is to Junta on stage to every perfectly hit note, AWARD was a return “home” that I hadn’t realized I needed.
In the simplest words, AWARD was perfection. It was the kind of concert that re-inspired my pride of being able to call myself a WEST. fan. There is a reason why these boys have been loved and adored for ten years, and they laid out every single reason why at their concert. I can’t wait to see what they’ll do for their dome tour as well as what they accomplish in their careers.
Check out more WEST. here!
Official YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WEareWEST7/videos
STARTO ENTERTAINMENT Official Page: starto.jp/west
Official X Account: twitter.com/WEareWEST7
Official TikTok: tiktok.com/@wearewest7
Official Label Site: elov-label.jp
And don’t forget to check out the KAMIGATA BOYZ single, Musekinin Eejanaika LOVE on Spotify!
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