J-pop group Psychic Fever (full name: Psychic Fever from Exile Tribe) doesn’t look like your typical pop boy band. The members – Tsurugi, Ryoga, Ren, Jimmy, Kokoro, Ryushin, and Weesa – each have their own defined style and look that isn’t often seen in the J-pop industry, and that’s what makes them one of the most interesting groups to emerge from Japan.
Known for their dynamic performances and soulful vocals, as well as their rap, Psychic Fever has found success domestically since 2022. Their first EP, Psychic File I, debuted at #3 on the Oricon Weekly Chart and the Billboard Japan charts. Several of their songs went viral on social media, with their song “Just Like Dat (feat. JP THE WAVY)” having over 200 million views on TikTok. Their second EP, Psychic File II, landed #2 on the Oricon Weekly Chart. They began to focus on expanding their reach globally, relocating their base to Thailand, and performing across Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. The group then signed with Warner Music Group to pursue even more international partnerships, having completed their first U.S. tour earlier in the year and performed at SXSW 2025.
Since then, they’ve been working on new music, releasing their third EP, Psychic File III, in May. Their lead single, “Gelato,” became a popular summer hit, which differs from their hip-hop style, showcasing a softer and romantic side to the group. The music video to their second single, “Reflection,” was released today, featuring a smooth 2000s pop vibe.
When I first met Psychic Fever for lunch at The Butcher’s Daughter in West Hollywood, they were all dressed in black, with their logo blinged around their necks, and matching black leather jackets. The jackets, designed by a Japanese artist, had their images beautifully painted on the back. Together, they looked like the classic ‘90s – 2000s hip-hop and R&B crew, which was the look they were going for.
Their leader and eldest member, Tsurugi, stood out with his signature cowboy hat, giving the group a western feel to the mood.
“I love Texas,” says the 28-year-old Japanese rapper. “You can see, I love cowboy hats. Texas has a lot of style and culture. I love it.”
The group all stood up to greet me, with their manager and international A&R executive, Shimpei Okamoto, serving as their interpreter (alongside Jimmy, Weesa, and Kokoro, who also happen to speak Thai). The group exuded a cool and edgy vibe, especially in contrast to the rustic and bright setting of the restaurant. Yet, they were very soft-spoken and gracious with every question and comment I had.
“We were in LA for our fan meeting,” says Kokoro. “We are here today and tomorrow, but then we go home.”
The group had been travelling all around the U.S. and concluded their U.S. tour with a fan meeting in Los Angeles. They’ve been looking forward to seeing all of their fans – called ForEVER – in the U.S., and eating all the different types of food that Los Angeles has to offer. They all begin mentioning food places all at once – “In and Out,” “Shake Shack,” “Sweet Greens,” – and lots of Mexican food.
“So many good places,” says Ren.
The group shares with me their early beginnings, being announced as a group in 2020, but officially debuting in 2022 under LDH Records. Hiroyuki Igarashi, Chairman of LDH Japan, aimed to establish a global group and selected each member from their EXPG STUDIO Tokyo School. All of the members graduated from their school and were chosen for Psychic Fever.
Although Tsuguri is the oldest, he makes a point during the interview to emphasize that everyone in the group is equal to each other. There is no hierarchy, unlike that of different groups.
“It doesn’t matter ages or skills,” he explains. “Everybody is equal as we grow up together. That’s [been] the key [to our success].”
That mentality has stayed with them since their pre-debut, which kept them strong as a group as they had to perform and eventually move their base to Thailand for two years. They established a strong presence there, performing numerous concerts and festivals, and appearing on various variety shows. They all expressed their love for the food and the culture.
“We loved it there,” says Kokoro.
He proceeds to speak Thai, telling me he learned a lot, and begins to name items on the table. He tells us they’re set to return to Thailand at the end of August to perform at the Japanese festival, Nippon Haku Bangkok 2025. He says, “We are so excited.”
The group has been labeled as J-pop for their upbeat sounds and intricate choreography, but their music has evolved as they have grown as artists. Jimmy, who is of Japanese and Nigerian descent, says he grew up listening to R&B and pop since he was a child, “his parents’ generation” artists like Boyz II Men, TLC, Destiny’s Child, Usher, and the Backstreet Boys.
“We experienced ourselves in our way with R&B and hip hop,” Jimmy shares. “We are [getting older], so I would like to do more slow R&B as we get older, like Boyz II Men style.”
It’s why a lot of their songs from the latest EP are more slow-paced than what they’ve done before. They’re not planning on doing away with any of their fast hip-hop and soulful beats, but want to show more sides to them.
Weesa, who is of Moroccan and Zainichi Korean descent, grew up listening to Michael Jackson and rapper Mac Miller and served as an inspiration for him to become an artist. That’s the type of music he’d like to showcase for himself and the group.
“[Michael Jackson] is the reason why I started liking music,” says Weesa. “Mac Miller is the reason why I started making music. Mac Miller is my hero.”
Many of them expressed interest in collaborating with Western artists, as they have been performing more in the U.S. Kokoro says he’d love to work with Bruno Mars on a dance song, as the Grammy-award-winning artist has been collaborating with more Asian artists lately.
Jimmy says he’d love to work with more American producers on their music, especially Metro Boomin, who has collaborated with many artists, including Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, and others. He says, “In Japan, so many rappers and artists collaborate with U.S. producers, so I want to work with Metro Boomin.”
Ryushin would like to try more remix styles of songs by collaborating with DJs like David Guetta. He says, “I can compose the music with the DJ. I like his music style.”
Ryoga and Ren chose a softer and mellow collaboration, hoping to work with R&B artists like Ella Mai and KESHI, respectively.
“I want to do a duet with her,” says Ryoga.
For country-lovin’ Tsuruui, he wouldn’t mind doing some American country music like Riley Green, who hails from Alabama. He wants to visit Nashville, the home of country music. He says Psychic Fever’s music is different from that sound, but he’d like to incorporate it somehow in the future.
“Someday, I’ll bring a new style,” he laughs.
Psychic Fever has many plans for the future to meet more of their fans. Their ultimate goal is to embark on a World Tour and bridge the cultural gap between Japan and the rest of the world. Ryushin would love to travel to more places. He says, “I want to go to places we’ve never been to perform.”
Weesa feels the tides are changing when it comes to the Western world’s acceptance of Japanese artists. Japanese culture has undergone significant changes since then. He says, “People are accepting J-pop now. At the same time, we can deliver the Japanese culture as well through our performance.”
Jimmy would also like to pave the way to bring more diverse LDH artists to the global stage. Not only his fellow EXILE TRIBE, but also other Japanese artists who want to explore and thrive in America.
“Right now, we only have Psychic Fever doing a U.S. tour,” Jimmy explains. “We need to bring everyone here, and it’s going to cause a crazy chemical reaction. I’m ready for that.”
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurasirikul/2025/08/18/psychic-fever-reflects-on-their-beginnings-music-and-future-goals/