Following their summer festival run, which saw the true-crime-themed duo appear at Wacken Open Air and M'era Luna, SKYND have announced the next installment of Chapter VIII in "Johnny Kitagawa." The new track is set to drop tomorrow, Friday, September 4th, and a teaser has been posted to the band's socials, as you can see and hear below:
Much like the previous subject Jimmy Savile, Kitagawa was a monster hiding in plain sight. For over forty years, he was a force in the record industry of Japan, having been responsible for the recruitment and management of several successful boy bands under his Johnny & Associates talent agency. Four years after his death in 2019, a documentary by the BBC prompted a probe into Kitagawa's life and dealings, leading to no less than 150 confirmed employees who suffered sexual abuse and exploitation at Kitagawa's hands. The total number of victims is said to be nearly 500, with over 300 of them seeking compensation for their suffering.
Even worse, much like the aforementioned Savile, there were allegations against Kitagawa while he was still alive, but given his influence and wealth, these charges were largely swept under the rug. He even sued the Shukan Bunshun for running a story reporting allegations of sexual abuse of his young charges, and the courts awarded Kitagawa 8.8 million yen (roughly $73,000 USD in 2001 money) in damages. The fine would later be reduced to 1.2 million yen (roughly $10,000 USD) on the grounds of the sexual harassment claims not being defamatory, but the allegations of forced smoking and drinking were.
The song is set to drop at midnight on September 4th, with a presumed third installment to Chapter VIII on the horizon. The band's last EP Chapter VII: Red Winter is available now on major DSPs, and you can read our review here.
