Next-Gen TikTok Pop Icon Sasane Talks Creative Roots & Playful Spirit: Billboard Japan Monthly Feature Interview

Billboard Japan chatted with Sasane for its monthly series “MONTHLY FEATURE” spotlights artists and works currently making an impact on the scene.

The rising 18-year-old artist has been turning heads lately with her debut single, “mosi mosi?” Since March 2025, Sasane has been posting acoustic guitar cover videos on TikTok, drawing major attention at home and abroad with her distinctive visual sensibility and character.

“mosi mosi?” — memorable for its opening line, “Hello, hello, can you hear me?” and its addictive hook, “ Denpa, denpa no kai-denpa ” — is her first original song, released in April.

It’s become a full-blown viral hit, racking up over 3 billion plays on TikTok and topping Billboard Japan’s JAPAN Heatseekers Songs chart (released June 10).

She wasted no time following up with her second single in July called “otukare,” which is already generating major buzz on social media.

From childhood dance training to design studies in high school, she’s absorbed a wide range of cultural influences.

We asked the budding pop icon how all of that creativity came together into music.

You’ve explored a wide range of creative pursuits like dancing and modeling.

I started dancing when I was six, because of my mom.

It was hip-hop, and I loved it.

That’s what made me want to show something from within, to express myself.

What part of dancing did you enjoy? I enjoyed expressing sound through my body and moving however I felt.

I kept at it seriously until about my first year of junior high, and even performed at small local recitals.

Getting a reaction from people made me happy.