I love the song "Concealer" that SUPER★DRAGON performed every day at this year's "EBiDAN THE LIVE 2026 15th Anniversary" way too much.
https://x.com/Supdra_staff/status/2088958956722954501
With its inorganic synth lead clinging to a moist piano melody over a downer track, paired with sexy, decadent vocals and heavy rap sections, this song is an industrial dance track overflowing with their unique personality—something no other EBiDAN group has.
It lacks the typical momentum, positivity, or euphoria of dance music; instead, it's purely ennui, covered in a heavy, clinging "humidity." Even the MV, with the members surrounding a round table in monochrome tones, feels heavy and perfectly expresses the humidity of "Concealer."
【MV】SUPER★DRAGON / Concealer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4stec1zNSc
If I were to compare it to other songs I like with a similar sense of humidity, Clean Bandit's "Rather Be" or Swedish House Mafia's "Don't You Worry Child" come to mind. Despite being sophisticated, they share that same atmosphere where a hint of sadness constantly drifts through the air.
Clean Bandit - Rather Be ft. Jess Glynne [Official Video]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-M1AtrxztU
Swedish House Mafia ft. John Martin - Don't You Worry Child (Official Video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y6smkh6c-0
To describe this humidity... yes, it's like the gloomy, cloudy skies of the UK. The same sense of "confinement" that birthed UK techno and garage masterpieces oozes from "Concealer." I think this is a wonderful piece of music that only they can express among the many Japanese boy groups.
Most people reading this probably already know, but SUPER★DRAGON (hereafter Supdra) is a 9-member dance and vocal group born from Stardust Promotion's young actor collective "EBiDAN," the same group that produced Bullet Train (Chotokyu) and M!LK.
SUPER★DRAGON Official site
SUPER★DRAGON
At the time of their debut, the youngest member was in elementary school (!), and the group's concept focused on a mixture of rock and EDM, with youth and energy at the forefront. However, since all members turned 20, their musical color has deepened into a more industrial and heavy club sound.
Member Jean Kaito not only produces music for the group but also creates more core tracks under his solo project name "jjean." Unusually for a Japanese male idol (*), he also distributes his music on SoundCloud (Note). Personally, I think this shows that the SDR management respects Jean's value as a musician and track maker, allowing him to work freely.
(* Described as "male idol" for convenience. In K-POP, members of BTS, NCT, etc., have individual SoundCloud accounts to distribute their self-composed songs.)
(Note) What is SoundCloud?
A music platform where you can share songs you've created. Since anyone—professional or amateur—can participate, you can find "rare musical gems" like remixes and original compositions not found on general music distribution services.
https://x.com/barks_news/status/1804439184398323736
Additionally, rapper Tomoya Matsumura and vocalist Hyoma Ikeda each have solo projects, expanding their activities beyond the group's framework.
https://x.com/barks_news/status/1798293686549434781
https://x.com/HyomaIkedastaff/status/2084270943673975155
Like Bullet Train, Supdra is a group with specialized positions for dance, vocals, and rap, where each member's role is fixed. However, a key feature is that all members are deeply involved in music production, not just performing.
I felt this when I saw an interview article for the release of their 5th album, "mirror."
https://x.com/Billboard_JAPAN/status/1631595565447274496
In addition to track maker Jean Kaito, vocalist Tsuyoshi Furukawa participated in songwriting, and vocalist Hyoma Ikeda was reportedly in charge of vocal arrangements. For rap lyrics, Tomoya Matsumura and Koki Tanaka are mainly involved, fully expressing the group's worldview.
Furthermore, regarding choreography, the dancer team led by Reo Shimura, along with Hayate Iijima, Sougo Ito, and Raku Shibazaki, works with choreographers to maximize the song's appeal. I believe Supdra's greatest charm is how all members work in "collaboration" to create a work and perform on a stage with a fully realized worldview.
While other groups often give back to their main group through individual activities, the way Supdra members work together on a single piece of work feels closer to the atmosphere of a "band" than a dance-vocal group. I think this is their weapon that sets them apart.
In other countries, Japanese male idols and dance-vocal groups are categorized as "Boy Band," but Supdra's band-like collaborative activities make them truly worthy of the name "Boy Band," don't you think?
Personally, I think Supdra's field might suit techno/rave festivals like "WIRE" or "Time Warp" better than Japanese festivals dominated by rock and pop.
Also, I haven't delved deep into their individual personalities, but I laughed so hard I spat out my barley tea when I saw a post saying "All Supdra members are 'Kasuso brothers,'" so I'll check out "Supdra Quest" soon.
Finally, I'll leave a playlist I made before writing this article.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6nvwTe9Bm8VZdwZuZxhwR1?si=c703e2c131a3400d
Supdra & UK EDM-Spotify-
