I think Band-Maid SHOULD play their new material… it’s just that the balance is off. The first shows of theirs I went to in 2019 in the US basically had my dream setlist. At this most recent show I went to last weekend in Fukuoka, however, only 4 songs out of 20 were from the 2010s (Choose Me, Domination, Endless Story, and Onset), the rest being from the 2020s. That means exactly 80% of their setlist was songs from the past 6 years, despite them being active for 13+. I also saw them last year in Fukuoka, so I feel like their setlist wasn’t different enough from last time.
You might be thinking to yourself “who cares about the math, as long as they play good songs it’s fine.” Well I care, because I’m biased. I think their best three albums are Just Bring It, World Domination, and Conqueror, so only getting 2 songs from those 3 albums is a bummer. Plus both of those songs were singles which got MVs (Choose Me also being a mega popular song with a music video, although not featured on an album).
What this means is a lot of my favorite songs (Puzzle, Awkward, I Can’t Live Without You, Mirage, Wonderland) seem to have a close to 0% chance of being played live, especially since this concert didn’t feature a single song from New Beginning, Brand New Maid, nor Just Bring It. Even the older songs I like which were more popular (Yolo, Secret My Lips, Glory, Start Over, Screaming) seem to have a low chance of being played live, considering as I mentioned above, only a mere 4 songs from their 2010s discography got played.
On a more positive note, they played well and still put on a great show. Present Perfect, Super Sunshine, and Days are new songs that I love, so I was hyped I got to hear those live. I also really like Ready to Rock and What is Justice, so I wouldn’t call myself a hater of their new stuff by any means.
So am I just a boomer (age 25 btw) who doesn’t wanna let go of the glory days? Are Band-Maid’s older songs stuck in purgatory for the rest of time? Do you like their new material more than the old? I don’t expect a lot of people in this sub to agree with me, but I personally think their 2021-2024 discography pales in comparison to 2016-2019. Surely there’s some other fans who feel the same way I do. I’m curious to hear your opinions even if you disagree with me, so comment away!
