Rising 20-year-old Japanese singer-songwriter Rol3ert releases his highly anticipated sixth digital single, “frozen,” written as the official theme for the new campaign from apparel brand GLOBAL WORK. As his first commissioned commercial song, the release marks a key milestone in his fast-growing career.
The single is now available worldwide on all major streaming platforms, with the music video premiering on 21 November at 10:00 p.m. JST on YouTube. Rol3ert will also host a special Instagram Live at 9:30 p.m. JST ahead of the premiere.
2025 has been a defining year for Rol3ert. Since debuting with “meaning” in January, he has sold out his first solo acoustic show at Daikanyama SPACE ODD, performed at FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL and SWEET LOVE SHOWER, and won Best Breakthrough Artist at the Tokyo Alter Music Award 2025.
His new single “frozen” captures winter not only as a season, but as a memory, a wound, and a quiet prayer. It opens with Rol3ert’s unmistakable low, grainy tone — a near-whisper that feels like someone speaking through cold night air — before expanding into distorted guitars and dry drums that eventually break into a soaring, emotional chorus. The closing line, “but i hope you’re doing fine,” lands like a message never sent.
Produced largely by Rol3ert himself and mixed/mastered by Hinata Kashiwai (Bigfish Sounds), known for work with NOT WONK, the HIATUS, and SHISHAMO, the track carries an intimate, analog warmth that reinforces his growing identity as a songwriter of emotional clarity and cinematic depth.
Beyond Japan, Rol3ert is seeing regional momentum from listeners across Southeast Asia. His recent covers of Regina Song (903K views) and Bernadya (837K views) — released around their TIMM performances — both climbed close to one million views, generating lively engagement from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Singapore. The comments reflect a wave of new SEA listeners discovering him organically.
As Southeast Asia continues to embrace Japanese artists and emotionally driven pop, “frozen” positions Rol3ert as one of the emerging voices connecting deeply with youth across the region.
The music video presents Rol3ert in stark monochrome — a visual metaphor for a young artist caught between innocence and maturity. It also features his first-ever full-band performance scene, hinting at the sonic direction of his next era. Anticipation has been building since his surprise live session in August, which drew international attention after he performed unreleased arrangements live.
Rol3ert returns to the stage on February 27, 2026, with his first full-band headline show “katachi” at Shibuya WWW X. Tickets are now on sale.
