ChoQMay Releases their Second Album “ginghamcheck”

ChoQMay is an up-and-coming band that has been creating unique, genre-defying music.

They first gained attention on social media and have recently done theme songs for both anime and dramas. They’re definitely a band to keep your eyes on.

ChoQMay released their long-awaited second album, “ginghamcheck” (銀河ムチェック / A play on words with gingham check and the Japanese word Ginga, meaning galaxy), on June 26th, 2024. Contained is an amazing selection of tracks that give you a sense of their beliefs and challenges.

In this article, we’ll take a look at this new album and also the national tour that’ll go along with it! We’ll take a look at ChoQMay’s appeal from many angles and analyze their history and some of their best tracks!

Who is ChoQMay?

ChoQMay is a band formed in June 2020 by vocalist Urara.

The band’s name comes from the character “Chōkyūmei-no Chōsuke” from the famous Japanese rakugo story, “Jugemu”. The name implies a long and healthy life and the band used it with the hope that “the band would have a long-lasting career”. In September 2020, they hit the ground running by releasing their first single “Oshiete” (教えて / Tell me), and quickly began performing live.

Their current members are Urara (Vocals, guitar, violin), Renpi (Keyboard, piano), Osuzu(Bass), and Kōichiro Kuga (Drums).

It was their first album, “Surudoi Sasakure” (するどいささくれ / Sharp Splinter), that really put them on the map. After being released in June 2020, it was selected for promotion as part of Tower Records’ “Tower Recomenn” which aims to discover exciting new artists.

ChoQMay’s recognition shot through the roof after “Anata no Koibitio ni Naritai” (貴方の恋人になりたい / I Want to be Your Lover) exploded on social media. The song has over 1 billion views on TikTok with the official music video on YouTube receiving an amazing 36 million views.

Their momentum has only continued to build with them performing the ending theme “sister” for the drama “Business-kon -Suki ni Nattara Rikonshimasu-” and “snowspring”, also an ending theme, for the anime “A Sign of Affection”. ChoQMay has stormed its way right to the front and center of the music scene.

ChoQMay’s appeal - Genre-defying freedom

ChoQMay’s biggest appeal is, without doubt, their sense of “freedom”.

The band members work on their arrangements by holding jam sessions based on demo tracks that Urara creates. Each of the members brings their own uniqueness to the song-making process which makes ChoQMay’s songs truly diverse.

They’re never caught up in any singular genre, creating their own unique musical worlds that other bands cannot. The key changes throughout songs and a vast range of vocals are also unique aspects of ChoQMay that help to show many different emotions.

Their 2nd album, “ginghamcheck”, is full of all of those unique aspects. Not only does it include everything that has made ChoQMay great up until this point, but it also adds all kinds of additional aspects to create a rich and colorful selection of songs.

“ginghamcheck” - their second album

ChoQMay’s second album, “ginghamcheck”, was released on June 26th, 2024. While still keeping true to their creative freedom, it also shows them taking on new challenges to further expand their horizons.

“sister”, the first track on the album, is a groundbreaking piece of work that exemplifies those new challenges. Whispery vocals are mixed with a fantastical melody to give this story of what could be love or friendship between sisters a bit of a forbidden feel.

Listening to this track almost makes you feel like you’re falling into a dream.

“picnic”, on the other hand, is an upbeat pop-inspired melody that has a nostalgic feel. The phrase “ginghamcheck” appears in this song which makes it feel like the centerpiece of this album.

While the lyrics “I want you to love me more” and “I want to go see you more” might seem like they’re talking about love on the surface, you could interpret this as a message to the fans.

With a clap right before the chorus, this one will definitely provide a chance for fans to become a part of ChoQMay’s live performances.

Another must-listen to track is “promise you” which displays their unique and beautiful world of music. This elegant song gives off an almost divine aura. You can enjoy Urara’s amazing range with her voice going from delicate and refined to powerful and deep.

Fantastical concepts such as “miniature cosmos” and “a one-in-a-thousand night” appear throughout the lyrics. It provides a glimpse into the grand scale of the musical cosmos that exists within ChoQMay’s creativity.

While “promise you” creates a tale of epic scale, “snowspring” shows off a sweet, slice-of-life love story.

This one’s a pure love song with a kind and upbeat melody and genuine emotions represented by lyrics like “What am I going to do falling even more in love with you!” Without doubt, many people will find these emotional lyrics relatable.

As you can see, “ginghamcheck” has a wide range of appealing tracks. And of course, the tracks that we haven’t discussed here are also excellent. If you’re interested, we hope you check out this album and discover ChoQMay’s appeal.

Album Details

ChoQMay’s “ginghamcheck” tour

ChoQMay will be going on a tour to commemorate the release of their second album, “ginghamcheck”

Performances will be in Aichi, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Tokyo between June 29th and July 12th, 2024.

One of the highlights of ChoQMay’s performances is Urara’s beautiful violin performances which serve to further expand the band’s world of music. With their new songs from “ginghamcheck”, this live show is sure to be an emotionally moving one.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to experience ChoQMay! They are definitely bound for even more future success!

Tour details

Tour name: ChoQMay “ginghamcheck” Tour

Tickets available: https://lit.link/choqmaynoticket

Three of our recommended ChoQMay tracks

We’ll be taking a look at our recommended listening for ChoQMay songs not included in “ginghamcheck”. You’ll be sure to hear a lot of these memorable tracks at their concerts, so make sure you check them out before participating!

“Anata no Koibito ni Naritai” (貴方の恋人になりたい / I Want to be Your Lover)

“Anata no Koibito ni Naritai” is included in their first album “Surudoi Sasakure” released in June 2022.

This track is one of their most iconic ones and is what really put them in the spotlight when it gained huge success on social media. As the title implies, it’s a bittersweet love song, but its unique tone sets it apart from standard ballads.

While the melody itself is quite simple, it’s definitely addictive. The chorus which repeats “I’m falling in love” is sure to get stuck in your head. It’s a piece of work full of originality that deserves all of the attention it gained.

“Sangatsu no Hanayome” (3月の花嫁 / March Bride)

“Sangatsu no Hanayome” was released as a digital single in February 2022.

This song helped further ChoQMay’s popularity and was used as the opening theme to the drama “Sweat and Soap” which is based on a popular manga.

It’s a cute, but powerful love song that combines both an upbeat, but melancholy pop-inspired melody with lyrics such as “I want to love you no matter who you are”. While truly unique, it’s also easy to listen to, making it a great entry point to ChoQMay’s repertoire.

Yue no Love (故のLOVE / Therefore the Love)

“Yue no Love” is included in their 3rd EP, ”LOVE no Hōwa Suijōkiryō” (LOVEの飽和水蒸気量 / Saturated water vapor amount of LOVE), released in January 2023.

With the base of an Asian-inspired melody, a danceable beat is added on in the chorus, truly showing off ChoQMay’s creative liberty.

The band has said that arranging this track was particularly difficult. But this adversity helped bring out each of the band members’ unique qualities and came together to form an unparalleled musical universe.

This track is a great way of enjoying what makes ChoQMay’s so unique and might be a great track to start with.

ChoQMay streaming link: https://choqmay.lnk.to/streaming

In conclusion

ChoQMay has gained a lot of attention as an up-and-coming star in the music world. Their long-awaited second album, “ginghamcheck”, is full of their own limitless vision.

Their upcoming June tour will be sure to show off the appeal of their new songs 120%. If this article has piqued your interest, we hope you’ll check out their new album and also go see them live.

Update

ChoQMay has released a new single and will be starting a new tour! Details are below.

▫️Release Info

▫️Tour Info

Tour name: ChoQMay 2025 Tour “Gokō no Surikire” (五劫の擦り切れ)