joe curlee

THE FIRST TAKE is a Japanese music performance series owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The YouTube channel features artists from across the industry performing in a minimalist white studio with only one rule: you only get one shot.

The project was planned and directed by Keisuke Shimizu, an Art Director at the global advertising agency TBWA\HAKUHODO, and its success has expanded into an audition program called THE FIRST TAKE STAGE and a music news site called THE FIRST TIMES.

On New Year’s Day, the series featured ファントムシータ (Phantom Siita), an idol group produced by the legendary Ado. Known for their "retro-horror" aesthetic, the group delivered an incredible performance as part of THE FIRST TAKE series.

In this video, Phantom Siita performs a medley of four songs:

• Fleeting Lullaby
• Readymade
• Just Wanna ×××× With You
• Otomodachi

I've been listening to this group since they started in 2024. While I've always been impressed by their performances, seeing their raw performance in this format blew me away.

• music
• japan
• japanese music