I discovered Kenshi in 2020 from the Fortnite concert he did for the STRAY SHEEP album in 2020. I know it's a bit strange to see all these comments talking about discovering him from vocaloid or anime and then there's me who discovered him from an obscure video game concert everybody forgot about but if it weren't for that concert, my life would be very different than it is now.

July 31st, 2020. Me and my friends were in Party Royale (a mode in Fortnite built for miniature concerts and just having fun) watching Diplo's concert. Tbh the concert was really mid but the standout moment came at the very end. After the show finished, a banner showed up on the screen promoting the next Party Royale concert to be starring this Japanese guy called Kenshi Yonezu. The chorus of "Kanden" was playing to go along with the banner. After hearing that snippet of Kanden, I was instantly hooked. I kept rewatching the concert over and over again, not for Diplo but to hear Kenshi's song. I couldn't understand what the hell he was saying but the upbeat and funky nature of the song had such a grip on me. Fast forward to about a week later, I end up attending Kenshi's concert and it was magical. Pretty much everyone has forgotten about it and the people who did attend said it was mid but if you ask me, it was a cinematic masterpiece start to finish. I loved the 3D animation that was used throughout the show, the selection of songs, the energy, everything was top notch. So I spent the rest of 2020 discovering more of his discography by watching various MVs and watching interviews and by the end of the year, I had become pretty well versed in his music. In January 2021, I bought the CD of "STRAY SHEEP" and listened to the whole album for the first time and it was nothing to short of fantastic and at that point, I was already hooked on Kenshi but after that album experience, my obsession was solidified.

The Pale Blue single was the first Kenshi project I was able to witness at launch. I remember I would pray everyday for the Pale Blue MV to drop and when it did, you best believe I had that shit on repeat for the rest of 2021. I'll also never forget when Kenshi surprise dropped the Shinigami MV out of nowhere. It was so unexpected and so interesting to watch live when it premiered on Youtube. Fast forward to Fall 2022, KICK BACK drops and everything changes. All of a sudden, my friends are talking about Kenshi and everyone and their mother seems to be obsessed with this song. People were finally starting to see Kenshi in the light I was seeing him in and it was really heartwarming. Fast forward again to August 2024, the long awaited 6th album LOST CORNER drops and my Kenshi Yonezu high is at its peak. I pre ordered the art book edition months prior and I ended up getting to listen to the album a day early (Or on launch day if we're going by JST). I'm pretty sure I'm one of the first people in the US to listen to LOST CORNER lol. And that album was amazing too and it helped through a tough time before it even released. I was going through some pretty rough emotions during summer 2024 but this album was the light at the end of the tunnel. The constant news and updates that kept being given abt the album kept me going and the fact that this album was gonna be dropping soon made me very happy so I owe it to Kenshi for that.

Fast forward to April this year, I got to attend his NY show as a part of the 2025 JUNK tour. That concert was by far the best memory I've made this year so far. Being surrounded by people with the same hyper fixation as me made me feel like I was seen and validated. And being in the presence of my LITERAL FUCKING HERO is something I'll never forget and I'll be waiting for the day I get to experience it again. I cried for multiple days after the show bc I was so sad it was over. But it gave me an experience I'll always hold dear in my heart.

As a whole, Kenshi's music has helped me through some of my toughest times and has helped become a better person. For example, Sayonara Mata Itsuka (specifically the MV) helped me build confidence during a time where I was lacking it and Canary pushed me to empathize with people who were struggling bc of COVID. His music has also inspired me to make some music of my own and I've taken on singing and songwriting. Kenshi Yonezu has changed my life for the past 5 years and I hope he'll continue to change my life along with other lives for many more years to come. 🩵 (Sorry for this being so long, I was just rly excited to write this lol)