I Don’t Like Mondays. Talks BLACK TORCH ED ‘Groooovy,’ Album FRIDAY, and 2026 Tour

I Don’t Like Mondays. have returned to anime theme songs with “Groooovy,” the ending theme for the currently airing TV anime BLACK TORCH. Released on July 3 (Friday), it is the band’s first anime theme in roughly four and a half years, following “PAINT,” the 24th opening theme for the 2022 anime ONE PIECE. That song also helped expand the group’s activities overseas.

Where “PAINT” was a high-energy opening, “Groooovy” is a city pop number with a bittersweet but comfortable feel. In an interview, the members explained how they translated the characters’ everyday lives into music, and also discussed their new album FRIDAY, released on September 25 with 18 tracks, overseas live experiences, and their upcoming Japan tour.

[Photography by Fujita Ayumi]

BLACK TORCH ED “Groooovy”: A Song That Leaves a Lingering Feeling

On the difference between writing an opening and an ending: YU said that for ONE PIECE, the band wanted a song that pulled listeners into the world with excitement. For BLACK TORCH, because it is an ending, they decided before starting to aim for a track that lets the audience sit with the afterglow once the episode is over.

KENJI praised the anime’s artwork as especially strong, while YU described it as beautiful and easy to watch, with a story packed with motifs boys tend to love. YU also mentioned feeling a personal connection because he has a cat.

According to SHUKI, the production side requested an ending song, suggested that an intro might work well, and shared the general direction for the visuals: not the battle of the main story, but a more everyday slice. YU added that they were also asked to keep the I Don’t Like Mondays. feel. SHUKI said the team even suggested which kind of atmosphere among the band’s songs would fit, which made the process easier.

With the motif grounded in the characters’ daily lives, YU focused on words that evoke the feelings and scenery of ordinary life, hoping the lyrics would call their everyday existence to mind.

For the sound, CHOJI wanted to capture the slightly sad feeling found in Showa-era anime endings. The city pop base already carries the atmosphere of that era, he noted, but the band also made sure not to lean too far in that direction and to bring in a new feel.

The members agreed that “Groooovy” is completely different from “PAINT.” YU explained that “PAINT” came through a competition rather than a direct offer, so the band wrote toward ONE PIECE. For BLACK TORCH, they received an offer to create the ending and were able to make it freely.

When writing lyrics, YU read the original manga and put his own feelings into words. For “Groooovy,” he thought about the “everyday” that remains after reading the original—not simply projecting the anime’s world into lyrics, but considering the daily lives of viewers in the real world and writing from the perspective of one viewer.

Asked about the ending video, CHOJI admitted his first thought was, “It doesn’t move?” (laughs). SHUKI felt it matched the image, with the song hitting at the intended moments within that everyday atmosphere. YU noted that what is depicted is everyone’s daily life. KENJI added that fans likely want to see a side different from the main story, and the everyday feeling—separate from fighting—ultimately linked well with the song.

Overseas Shows: “We Can Move Forward with What We Want to Do”

After “PAINT” for ONE PIECE, I Don’t Like Mondays. broadened their overseas activities. YU said the reactions around the world gave the band more confidence. While working mainly in Japan, they sometimes wondered whether what they were doing was right or whether things should stay as they were. Seeing audiences in different countries enjoy their music beyond language barriers and cultural differences gave them strength. It led them to believe they should confidently pursue what they want to do.

Asked about the popularity of city pop in Southeast Asia in recent years, YU said he feels it. In the past, he felt their music was sometimes grouped as “THE Japanese music,” but now he senses that people come to their shows simply enjoying it as the band’s music, without attaching a special label.

The members also recalled memorable overseas live incidents. KENJI described a show in Beijing where trouble caused the guitar sound to disappear or become extremely loud, and loud exchanges among staff backstage came through the in-ear monitors while they performed. YU remembered a Thailand concert where the encore calls after the show were so loud they hurt his ears. SHUKI said the band was invited to a festival in Brazil through the ONE PIECE connection, something he never imagined doing for work. The roughly 30-hour flight was part of what made it a valuable experience. CHOJI recalled a Spain show where voltage differences broke their equipment, and because they had dry batteries, they performed using only about two effectors.

New Album FRIDAY: A Full Renewal After 10 Years

On September 25, I Don’t Like Mondays. released their new album FRIDAY, containing 18 songs. After reaching their 10th anniversary, YU said the previous album FOCUS was where they poured out everything they had done over 10 years and everything they could do at that time. After spending 2025 as a year made possible by that decade, they thought about what to do in 2026 and wanted to show a full renewal. The title FRIDAY is an important word for the band: their fan club is called “FRIDAY LOVERs,” and the atmosphere of FRIDAY NIGHT has been part of I Don’t Like Mondays. from the core. By putting that most central and easy-to-understand mood forward as one axis, they thought not only the band but also listeners could join in more easily, making it a challenging album from the start.

Asked what kind of I Don’t Like Mondays. lives in FRIDAY, YU described it as a crystallization of the band’s blood, sweat, and tears. The songs could not have been made 10 years ago—or even five years ago—and the album was born from everything they have done, their connections, and repeated trial and error.

KENJI said the urban-night feeling of the word “FRIDAY” has been with the band since their debut and has appeared in individual songs, but they had never built an album around a solid concept. This time, the image fans have of the band and the image the members have held came together in a concept. As a result, he feels they have finally released the album they should.

SHUKI noted that it was their first time using Friday, which connects to I Don’t Like Mondays., in a title. They even considered using the band name itself as the album title, starting from the idea of making a record that symbolizes the band. Their early album TOKYO attempted to express the many cultures that exist in Tokyo; now, they were able to accomplish in a similar form what they could not fully do back then. He added that the band’s identity lies in having many different types of songs rather than a single style.

CHOJI pointed out that their debut mini-album was called PLAY. He sees the new album as an experiential record that brings together the playful spirit and club-like atmosphere they set out with at debut, along with the creative collaborators involved. He believes it is a strong work for I Don’t Like Mondays.

Collaborations That Shaped FRIDAY

With 18 tracks including collaborations, recent tie-in songs, and new recordings, FRIDAY has a best-album-like volume. KENJI said the collaboration that gave him the biggest sense of improvement from the early stages to the finished version was “GENIUS,” produced by NAOTO of ORANGE RANGE and featuring ZEN-LA-ROCK. Since NAOTO was involved, they wanted to add an ORANGE RANGE flavor while still making it cool as an I Don’t Like Mondays. song. They talked extensively with NAOTO and felt a strong chemical reaction. KENJI also valued the gimmicks in the track and found NAOTO’s songwriting interesting, especially his skill at creating hooks.

SHUKI called “1989,” featuring GAN (Iwata Takanori) and produced by GeG, the most challenging and time-consuming production. The band made two songs, GeG made one, and they first had to decide which to complete. Even after that, YU spoke extensively with GAN while shaping the song. Because GeG is also active as an artist in Hentai Shinshi Club, many ideas emerged. They tried each idea, never fully knowing how it would end. YU noted that things changed even during recording, and SHUKI said there were many experiences unlike their usual recording sessions, which made it fun.

CHOJI said “ODORE,” produced by ☆Taku Takahashi of m-flo and featuring SHO-SENSEI!!, was also quite difficult. SHO-SENSEI!!’s participation was confirmed at a very late stage, but his efforts helped the rap part in the second verse’s A and B melodies reach a quality the band had not imagined. The difficulty made the fun of collaborating feel even stronger. CHOJI had thought ☆Taku existed in a different place from their music, but when he watched early m-flo live footage, everyone was head-banging and moshing. He felt “ODORE” might actually share that atmosphere, and perhaps it could transform in live performance.

YU felt that ☆Taku approached the project not just as a song but with I Don’t Like Mondays. in mind, considering the band’s history and where they might want to go. He communicated with everyone the most and joined as an overall producer rather than simply an artist. “ODORE” is a type of song the band has not had before, but it fits the title FRIDAY. It became a stoic dance number proposed by someone who has led the club scene. YU also found it interesting that the pairing of I Don’t Like Mondays. and ☆Taku Takahashi led to a direction fans might not imagine (laughs).

On “Bubble Gum,” which features claquepot—described in the interview as Da-iCE’s Kudo’s twin older brother (?)—SHUKI said they have performed together and listen to similar music, with close sensibilities and similar things they want to express as artists. Making music together from scratch felt like having a fifth member, and it was very easy. YU said it simply felt like making a song together and was fun. SHUKI added that claquepot says things the members would say, which made it comfortable. Personally, he felt there was a wide gap between the initial idea and the finished form.

Tour: “Throw Away Your Shame and Dance”

With FRIDAY, the band is preparing the FRIDAY MOOD JAPAN TOUR 2026. YU said he simply wants to make noise. CHOJI wants to bring out the club atmosphere they have put forward, carrying over the good flow of previous tours while showing a new live experience with the new songs. SHUKI said the club concept should make the tour welcoming to a wide range of people, and they want to create a place where first-timers can enjoy themselves. KENJI wants everyone to dance. “ODORE” includes the line “Throw away your shame and dance,” and because they want to express a club, they want a show where people can dance without worrying about those around them. YU added that they aim to make a live that can be enjoyed overseas as it is and make many people happy, and invited fans to come.

FRIDAY Product Details and Track List

6th full album FRIDAY — September 25, 2026 (Friday) release

FRIDAY deluxe edition jacket photo.

Disc 2 (distribution limited)

Blu-ray Disc 2

Someday
Shadow
Lonely Dancers
TONIGHT
Umbrella
Sunset Girl
Summer Ghost
Beautiful Chaos
Flower in the rain
LOVE YOURSELF (Acoustic)
Mmm… (Acoustic)
New York, New York
Just Like That feat. Kitayama Hiromitsu
Freaky boy
WOLF VIBES
PAINT
Change
MR.CLEVER
LEMONADE
WE ARE YOUNG

Blu-ray Disc 3

jealous
FIRE
Shadow
WOLF VIBES
MR.CLEVER
Sin City
カ ミ ナ リ
Summer Ghost
With you
Freaky boy
LEMONADE
kiriがないですわ
TONIGHT
空の青さにみせられて
Beautiful Chaos
LOVE TRIGGER
PAINT
WE ARE YOUNG

Editions

FRIDAY MOOD JAPAN TOUR 2026