VIVAOLA
I get to define my happiness
Photo: VivaOla.
VivaOla is a Tokyo based artist working across pop and R&B, building a sound shaped by both personal experience and the environment around him. His music moves between first person storytelling and wider, more observational perspectives, often reflecting the pace, atmosphere, and complexity of life in Tokyo.
AUSTIN | Interview by Dylan Gutierrez and Pablo Herrera
Raised between Japanese and Korean cultural influences, he grew up listening to 2000s R&B before shifting toward more introspective artists who approached storytelling in a more direct and personal way. That shift continues to inform his work today, as he focuses on creating music that feels both individual and connected to a broader cultural context.
During SXSW 2025 in Austin, we sat down with VivaOla after his performance at the Tokyo Calling Showcase at Mohawk. The conversation moves through his influences, his experience performing outside Japan, and the decisions that shaped his path as an artist.
“I always try to think of a movie film… everything combined within the music.”
VivaOla describes his approach as something that goes beyond traditional R&B narratives. While he draws from first person storytelling, he also works with different points of view, building songs that feel more like scenes than statements.
“I grew up listening to 2000 R&B… but things changed when I found Bryson Tiller.”
His early influences include artists like Chris Brown and Babyface, but he points to a shift toward more introspective work as a defining moment. That transition helped him move toward a more personal and reflective style.
“I’m just trying to do the same thing, but in Tokyo context.”
Referencing both American and Korean R&B, he explains how his goal is not to replicate those sounds, but to translate them into his own environment. Tokyo becomes a central element in how his music is shaped and understood.
“People here are more freely expressing themselves.”
VivaOla & Jimmy Brown. “RIGHT/WRONG,” a collaboration moving between English, Japanese, and Korean.
In 2024, he released an album titled APORIE VIVANT, a project that reflects his evolving approach to R&B and storytelling. Around the same time, he continued expanding his cross cultural collaborations, including the track “RIGHT/WRONG” with Korea based artist Jimmy Brown, moving between English, Japanese, and Korean.
Reflecting on his experiences performing in the United States, he highlights the differences in audience interaction and cultural norms. These contrasts have influenced how he approaches live performance and connection with listeners.
“I’ve been working on new stuff… trying to capture that live energy.”
Following the release of his album Halfway Vivo, VivaOla is focused on new material that brings the energy of live performance into recorded music, aiming to blur the line between both experiences.
“I get to define my happiness”
VivaOla. Photo: Yutaka Akiyama.
Speaking about his early struggles, he reflects on the expectations placed on him and the decision to pursue music despite uncertainty. That moment of clarity became central to his development as an artist.
He also shares how his relationship with his family evolved over time, especially as he began to face the realities of living independently and building a career in music.
“At some point, I started to understand what my parents were saying.”
Watch the full interview with VivaOla below.
