Ado SPECIAL LIVE “Shinzou” in Cinema offered U.S. audiences a chance to experience the acclaimed 2024 “Shinzou” concert, remastered with improved visuals and audio. Screenings took place on May 28 and 31, allowing fans to witness the spectacle on the big screen.
The original “Shinzou” concert, held April 27-28, 2024, at Japan National Stadium, was a monumental event, drawing 140,000 fans over two days. This historic performance established Ado as the first solo female artist to ever grace the stadium’s stage.
The concert’s impressive 26-song setlist featured several notable moments, though the cinematic version only shows five songs. Highlights included Ado’s first on-stage duet with Hatsune Miku, performing “Sakura Biyori and Time Machine (with Hatsune Miku)”; the highly anticipated “DIGNITY” featuring guest guitarist Tak Matsumoto of B’z; and “Show,” a collaboration with Universal Studios Japan previously performed at NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen in 2023.
For those unfamiliar, Ado is a 22-year-old who evolved beyond being solely a utaite (an artist who covers released songs), achieving widespread recognition with her 2020 major label debut, “Usseewa.” Released just before her 18th birthday, the song quickly became a social phenomenon.
Experiencing such a massive live concert in a movie theater was a unique sensation — both amazing and surreal. It couldn’t replicate the energy of being among over 100,000 fans cheering for Ado in person.
When watching, I always found Ado’s vocals unreal, as there was no auto-tune or post-production magic. Throughout the 140 minutes in the cinema, she belted out one high-energy song after another, showcasing her range and power without somehow destroying her voice in the process. It’s an impressive tour de force, even if some of the songs don’t personally resonate with you.
While the music is, of course, the main selling point, the logistics of Ado performing onstage are more than a little interesting. She is, famously, a person who keeps her true identity tightly under wraps. Rather than typical spotlights, we get the opposite for Ado: the entire stage is backlit with massive digital screens. In addition, she spends over half the concert in a cage, which cuts down even more on the ambient light.
This turns Ado into a pitch-black silhouette from the audience’s (and the camera’s) point of view. The contrast is so amazing that you can tell when Ado goes through costume changes. It works out surprisingly well, as in the rare cases when she leaves her backlit stage (such as riding on a mobile birdcage through the audience), she becomes invisible in the dark stadium.
However, what truly resonated and moved me deeply was Ado’s heartfelt speech about her aspirations, her passion for singing and her personal journey.
Even though you can no longer watch it in cinemas, you can buy “Shinzou” (Blu-Ray/CD/DVD) on her official website called “Ado Official Music Shop” to support her! And the excitement doesn’t stop there; Ado is gearing up for her second world tour, “Hibana,” bringing her captivating performances to the U.S.
For those in Washington, Ado is coming to Tacoma for the “Hibana” tour on July 10. To those who are Ado fans or have recently become new to her, I extremely recommend buying tickets to watch her performance!
