KENSHI YONEZU made history with the first and only Japanese-language song to be platinum-certified by the RIAA in the United States. “KICK BACK,” the opening theme song to the first season of Chainsaw Man, reached platinum status today (September 17, 2025).
In addition to this, “KICK BACK” also became the first-ever J-Pop artist to break the Top 50 on Spotify’s Global chart, as well as the first Japanese J-Pop artist to even appear on the chart.
Of the certification, KENSHI YONEZU says:
“I am thrilled to hear that ‘KICK BACK’ has been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. This song was written as the opening theme for the 2022 TV anime series Chainsaw Man. Daiki Tsuneta (King Gnu/MILLENNIUM PARADE) co-arranged the song with me, and I just remember it as a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I’m sure we must have had our share of troubles and had to work things out by trial and error, but there’s a tendency to forget how hard things were once the difficulties have passed. When I look back on the production of the song, I realize how carefree I was and how much fun I was having , and I have nothing but fond memories of this time. The music video was directed by Yoshiyuki Okuyama. It’s hard to describe, but it’s an amazing music video unlike anything anyone’s ever seen. The video shoot was pretty tough. So I guess I do remember this particular experience as incredibly difficult, but it still brings back great memories, a wonderful chapter in my life. The video’s fantastic, and I couldn’t be more pleased with how it turned out.
Earlier this year, when I was out on my world tour, the crowds went wild whenever ‘KICK BACK’ started playing. That was the moment when it struck me once again, just how popular Chainsaw Man is internationally, as well as the sheer magnitude of the power—or energy, if you will—that ‘KICK BACK’ holds. Additionally, Frost Children worked on the remix of ‘KICK BACK’ to coincide with this year’s release of CHAINSAW MAN – THE MOVIE: REZE ARC. Frost Children, musicians who have been some of my personal favorites for a while now, agreed to do the remix. When I first heard their remix, I was blown away by the incredible range they displayed, and it sounded phenomenal right from the very first note—it really made me want to yell ‘Yes!’ I still vividly remember that feeling, that moment when I first heard it. It was my first-ever remix experience, and I discovered just how much fun it can be. Thank you very much. I hope you’ll enjoy the song as well as its remix. So that’s it from me, Kenshi Yonezu.”
Source: Press Release
