Vsinger Ridel. tells us about her music career and dreams of a major debut

Starting off with a new avatar in May 2024, she has achieved many things on top of her usual streaming, such as releasing two original songs and appearing live for the first time.

She says that she’ll be focusing on furthering her artistic activities in 2025.

In this interview, we’ll look back at all of the excitement of 2024, including her thoughts on creating original songs, events, and plans for the future.

Announcing a new avatar, changing her name, and appearing live… A look back at an exciting 2024

• I understand 2024 was a pivotal year for your career with announcing your new avatar and changing your name to “Ridel.” How does it feel looking back?

I’m a little frustrated because I felt I could have done more.

• I got the impression you were quite active last year…

Not nearly enough. (Laughs) After changing my name and announcing my new avatar, I actually wanted to do more YouTube shorts or stream more often.

But I had some trouble not related to my content such as three computers breaking in a row… Some things didn’t go as planned.

• That must have been tough. In October of the same year, it was announced that you’d be joining “RIONECTION”. Could you tell me what led you to join them?

I’d actually been curious about the “RIOT MUSIC” management agency that runs “RIONECTION” for a while.

I want to make sure my music comes first, and my dream is to debut on a major record label, so I’ve been wanting to network with a management agency that has extensive knowledge and connections in the music industry.

That’s when by chance, “RIONECTION” contacted me.

I’m the kind of person who really values communication with others and was hoping that they’d be the kind of people who shared my passion. They were really understanding of that. So I was like, let’s get this going! And I decided to join them.

• Has anything changed for you since joining?

Unless I collaborated with others at an event, I didn’t have many opportunities to connect with other Vsingers. But after joining “RIONECTION”, I’ve been able to talk to more of those people and make connections.

Also, because of the connections that RIONECTION has, I’ve been able to network and discuss my career with many industry professionals.

• What exactly do you mean by connections?

For example, when I want to do a cover song video, I often have a specific creator in mind I want to ask to produce it, but their schedules won’t line up with mine. When that happens, I can ask “RIONECTION,” and they’ll hook me up with another creator who works with my budget and the feel of the video or song.

Also, they have people who are experts on copyrights and other legal stuff, so when I’m curious, I can ask them and they’ll tell me “You should do things this way.”

• I see they’re supporting your activities in many ways. I understand that you’ll continue to operate as an “indie”, but are there any particular reasons you work as an independent creator?

I’d say it’s more that I just didn’t have any connections with corporations that have strong ties to music rather than a commitment to being independent.

I’ve been approached by corporations before, but their offers demanded I focus on “being a VTuber” instead of allowing me to focus on music so…

• I see you truly value being a Vsinger.

Yes. Right now, I want to focus on my goals as a musician, so I feel being a corpo Vtuber and mainly doing small talk and let’s plays just doesn’t line up with my direction.

• Speaking of music, you had your first live performance at an event (VCafe♪vol.65) in November 2024. How did it feel to perform in front of a crowd for the first time?

The environment at the venue was completely different from my home, so I really felt the gap. I had to perform sitting down at the event, but I really wasn’t used to it…

I’m not fully satisfied with my performance, so I really felt I had to learn how to perform my best no matter the environment.

• So you usually sing while standing during your streams?

I do, actually. I think of each of the singing portions of my streams as its own concert, so I want to make sure I can perform in my best condition. I’m standing the whole time even during six-hour streams. So I get drenched in sweat when I’m streaming. (Laughs)

But when I talked to other Vsingers that do two streams a day or perform daily, they all said they do their streams sitting down. I was surprised.

• I can tell that you really take this seriously. You appeared at many events after November, but are there any things you find particularly fun or challenging about performing live?

You can’t practice for in-person events once you get to the venue. At home, I can practice as much as I want before going live, but it’s the real thing right after rehearsals at a venue. That was a big difference for me.

If I feel “My voice doesn’t sound like usual, this is bad” during rehearsal, I have to focus on how I’m going to make up for it during the real thing, but it is nerve-wracking…

• I see that it comes with difficulties that aren’t present when recording at home. When you say your voice doesn’t sound like usual, is it because of different recording equipment?

Personal fit with the equipment does play a part. No matter how perfect my condition is, the venue's environment impacts things, so I have to adapt. It’s often hard to hear my own voice through the sound system so I find myself telling them “Turn it up a little!” (Laughs)

We check all of that during rehearsal, but when I’m singing, I guess it goes without saying, I don’t know what I sound like to the audience. The other performers brought their managers and they were giving them feedback, but I didn’t have anyone with me so I was worried if it would be okay.

• It sounds like you learned a lot from your first live performance.

I did. But, you can really hear the audience when you’re performing live and as things heat up, you get more excited. No matter how tense you were before, at the end of the day, you’re like “Enjoy the moment!”

Also, I got a little nervous talking to the other performers who I don’t usually get to meet in person.

• It sounds like 2024 was a really amazing year for you, but is there anything you keep in mind to maintain your motivation?

It’s definitely all of my fans. No matter what I do, there are always unforeseen issues there to throw things off. Maybe something doesn’t go the way I want and work and I just want to stay in bed. Things happen that make me want to stop a little, but I always want to continue forward because I know everybody is waiting for me.

Also, I tend not to hide things and like to let it all out during my streams. Rather than having to take time off because I’m holding it all in, I prefer to joke about it with everyone like, “oh my god, I have to tell you about what just happened.” And then everyone will be like, “It’s nothing to worry about.”

Having fans is definitely my biggest motivation, and thinking, “I’ve gotta stream for them” and “I’ve gotta go see them,” is what keeps me going.

From her new original song “Rabi Rabi! Lovin’ You Ridel. Gumi” to artists that influenced her

• Your second original song “Rabi Rabi! Lovin’ You Ridel. Gumi” (らびらび！らびにゅRidel.組) was released in November 2024, but how did this song come to be?

I had two live performances in November of last year, but they were one week apart. With one performance right after the other, I wanted a concert-oriented song that the audience could enjoy with me. So I asked, “Please make a character theme song that lets people know who ‘I’ am!”

Eugenics Scarlet Divinity, who wrote and composed the song, had appeared on my streams before, and I’d wanted to ask them to do a song for me. I asked them because I thought, “This person will definitely create a song perfect for me.”

• I was surprised because it was completely different from your first original song, “Shōjo Shūshū” (少女蒐集 / The Girl’s Collection).

I’d always wanted my own character theme song.

I was amazed when I first saw Houshou Marine from hololive’s music video. (“I’m Your Treasure Box ＊ Anata wa Marin Senchō o Takara Bako kara Mitsuketa." 『I’m Your Treasure Box ＊あなたは マリンせんちょうを たからばこからみつけた。』) I thought, “Wow, you can do things like this?” The animation in the music video is excellent and the song matches her, but also feels sophisticated and cool. I thought “I’m gonna make this kind of character song myself one day!”

So for my song, I said “This is the kind of person I am” and had them create the lyrics and music around that.

• Can you tell us what parts of the song you are especially particular about or are proud of?

Since it’s meant to be sung at a concert, I wanted it to have a sense of togetherness, so I had my listeners that wanted to join in singing the call-and-response section. I first revealed the song at one of my concerts and had them listen to me sing the call-and-response section before asking them to do it.

My favorite part of the song is everything… but I really committed to it being catchy and easy to understand.

Also, usually when I’m singing, I’m like, “Alright, time to sing!” But with this song, I can really get into it naturally and it feels more like I’m “Having a good time with everyone” instead of singing, so I feel like I was really blessed with a fantastic song.

• Your song reached Fifth Place in Japan on the “iTunes Store Metal Top Songs”, but can you tell us how you felt and how others around you reacted?

Everyone was happy for me. I was extremely surprised too and like “really?!”

With my first song, “Shōjo Shūshū,” many people found out about me because of the song. But “Rabi Rabi! Lovin’ You Ridel. Gumi” is a character theme song, so I don’t think it was an entry point for new fans. But I was really thankful because it showed me that a lot of people were excited for my new song and were cheering me on.

• I think a Vtuber getting into the charts in the metal genre is really impressive.

Eugenics Scarlet Divinity, who created the song for me, is a fan of metal and hardcore music. I was really happy because they included shouting portions and a really cool guitar solo in the song making it really suited for concerts.

• This song included, I get the impression that you really enjoy singing intense metal and rock songs. Are there any particular artists or songs that have influenced you?

LUNA SEA and L’Arc-en-Ciel are big influences for me. I prefer listening to LUNA SEA so I haven’t sung their songs during my streams, but I sing L’Arc-en-Ciel a lot.

I feel that lyrics written by men match my style better, and I find myself listening to songs written by men much more. Because of that, I struggle expanding my repertoire of songs during my streams though… (Laughs) I’m always listening to artists whose lyrics and melodies really strike a chord with me.

Recently, I’ve been listening to Mrs. GREEN APPLE, and it really resonates with me! I hope to become big enough to collaborate with them one day!

• Do you listen to Western music too?

In terms of Western music, I listen to a lot of Thirty Seconds to Mars, a band that includes vocals by the actor Jared Leto.

They’re a band that’s tried out many different genres such as alternative rock, EDM, and more pop-feeling tracks and I was really drawn in by the way Jared sings as if he’s releasing his soul and also their dramatic sound. I feel “Closer to the Edge” is a hot-blooded song perfect for concerts and it resonates with my soul each time I listen to it. It was so awesome that I listened to it constantly for a while!

• Sounds like you listen to all kinds of things. How did you come across Western music?

A long time ago, I subscribed to a cable music channel and went through a phase where I listened to only Western music.

Regarding Thirty Seconds to Mars, it’s a bit different because I got interested because of the actor, but I listened to the top charts a lot and became familiar with Western music.

• You sing a lot during your streams, but is there anything you’re doing to take care of your throat?

I’ve shared this on my streams, but I have four vocal cord nodules, so my throat is more easily strained than that of regular people…

• Four?! Is that okay…?

If they grow larger, I’ll have to have them removed, but I can still sing. If I sing properly and don't damage my throat, I seem to be able to continue without having them removed.

Along with keeping my room humid and taking medicine, I have a doctor check my vocal cords every month. So, as long as I take care of myself daily, I’ll be okay.

• I’m glad to hear that. Did you develop the nodules because of your streams?

Yes. I started my career without knowing how to use my voice and went through a period where I was doing 12-—or 24-hour streams. I was also using a conference room mic and couldn’t even hear my own speaking voice… I put my throat under a lot of stress and ended up with nodules.

I realized that my environment is really important, and now I’ve invested in it. I can actually hear myself while streaming. But I still get really tired out, so I take days to rest. The only way to rest your throat is to sleep, so I just sleep, sleep, and sleep some more to recover.

• Tough that sleeping is the only way to recover… Out of curiosity, do you go to karaoke to practice?

These days I practice at home. Before I got everything set up at home, I would go to karaoke boxes, but the environment is entirely different…

Unless I’m going to an event or live venue, I do everything at home, so I need to get used to my home setup. I sing a lot of rock, but you can’t just sing roughly. It won’t sound good unless you put a lot of care into it. Because of that, I listen to the feedback from my speakers and practice a lot at home.

Also, I’m just not a big fan of karaoke. (Laughs)

Focusing on being an artist in 2025?!

• You’re scheduled to appear live at “V³ vol.8” in February and “Chaostopia vol. 3” (Osaka). Can you tell us what you’re looking forward to?

February 23’s “V³” is a streaming-only online live event, but I’ve put my all into preparing for it so I hope you check it out! (This interview occurred before the event was held)

Regarding “Chaostopia”, it’ll be held on March 22, but March 26, four days later, is my second anniversary. I switched to my new name and avatar on May 11th, so I guess you could say May might be my anniversary as Ridel. though…

So, for that performance, I’m planning on switching it up and making a sort of celebration. Usually, I go for a more rock feel, but I’m thinking of doing a more character-focused style, so if you can, please check this one out, too!

• I’m excited for both, but these sound like they’ll be must-see events for your fans.

Definitely. A lot of my fans take the Shinkansen to come see me, and there are times when there aren’t many locals, but…

I know adjusting your schedule is hard, but I hope you come see me.

• Are there any events you’d like to be a part of or venues you’d like to perform at?

I’ve always been a fan of the live rock band sound and believe there’s something you can only feel at live performances, so I’d love to perform with a live band and sing for everybody at legendary venues like Zepp, Billboard, the Budokan, Yokohama Arena, Tokyo Dome!

I also want to continue growing so that I can perform at events featuring many amazing Vsingers and VTubers, such as "Vack-ON!!," "Sanrio Vfes," and "OVC," as well as events where VTubers and real-life artists can perform together, like "VIVAL," "Niconico Chokaigi," and "Anisama V-Kami" (and hopefully, next time, in the main program!).

I want to participate in events and perform live so that more people can get to know me and hear my songs. To make that happen, I’ve been thinking lately that I really need to create a 3D model.

• I understand most VTubers are Vsingers use 3D models during their concerts.

Yes, they do. I’m sure everyone would like to see me moving around in 3D and that would be much more fun for everyone, so I’d like to do that in the future.

• On that topic, your appearance in “Anisama V-Kami Zenyasai Live” felt like a big step forward.

I was really happy they asked me to appear! It aligned well with my career goals so when they contacted me, I was like “wow!” and was really excited. (Laughs)

• I’m really looking forward to your future success. Finally, can you share a message for your fans?

I refer to myself as an “Energy drink you watch-type VSinger”. My policy is that I aim to create content that can uplift people when they're feeling down—whether it's when they’re tired, frustrated, or just not in the best mood. I want my songs and words to inspire them to think, 'Alright, I’ll give it my best again tomorrow!

But last year, a lot happened to me personally. My computer broke, I had some trouble with my manager, my toilet at home flooded and I hurt my lower back…

• 2024 sounds like it was a rough year at the same time…

Yes. It was tough, but it’s during times like that where I was helped out by comments from my listeners on my streams and on X. When I injured myself, everyone was really worried about me.

So for this year, you could say it’s my duty as an “Energy drink you watch-type VSinger” to fulfill my mission.

I’d like to avoid worrying everyone this year. (Laughs)

• Will we see even more activity from you in 2025?

Yes. I’d like to get closer to my goal by making it a year where I focus on becoming an artist.

Whether it be original songs or a project where we all make a song together, it looks like it’s going to be a year where I’m blessed with a lot of musical activity, so I hope you’ll look forward to it!