Band-Maid - About Us | Great song to have Band-Maid back on the channel! {Reaction} 

This is part of what I call the "Smile" trilogy. The first song being Smile, the "B-side" to their song Bubble. The music was written by Kentaro Akutsu who wrote their breakout song "Thrill" but with lyrics by Miku. The second song is "About US" a love song to their fans during the lockdowns written by the Ladies themselves. When it was performed live for the first time during their on-line concert to replace their canceled Budokan concert, Saiki gave a brief speech before the song started, that had many of us getting attacked by dust. Then the song itself brought out the onion ninjas and made many us have allergy attacks as well. Then we have "Memorable". It was almost 3 years since the Ladies had last toured the US, and they were concerned they had lost their momentum. Even though being told they were selling out their shows, they didn't believe what they were being told, they thought their management was lying to them or playing a joke on them. They came over and performed at Aftershock, then they got on their tour bus, (A first for them, as they normally would either fly or rent a couple vans to tour in) and drove to their first show of their 2022 US Tour. Seattle. It was at Seattle, that the Ladies got confirmation of just how much their fans love them and how much we missed them. As they walked out on stage, according to several people who were at the show, they were shocked. And Saiki as she came out, was said to have looked like someone had hit her with a bat, her eyes were so wide. The crowd response, and the emotions coming off them fed the Ladies energy as the performed their show. And as they went to their next concert, the response there was the same. And the next show, with the fans sending gifts for MISA's birthday, having several hundred custom printed towels handed out to the audience celebrating MISA's birthday. All these things hit the Ladies in their hearts. And Kanami had an idea for a new song. This next part is hearsay so I have no way of confirming it, but the sounds at the beginning before the guitar part starts was the sound that Kanami heard while back stage at the Los Angeles show. Hearing music and the audience talking. Supposedly, she actually recorded it on her phone before their introduction music started playing. Again that is hearsay and I have no way to confirm it. But from the L.A. show Kanami started writing the vocal melody line. If you have a chance to watch the Behind the scenes documentary from their TGT Concert DVD-BD, Kanami discusses and sings the vocal melody. She later sang and played it to Saiki and Saiki told Kanami to finish the song, then Saiki and Miku wrote the lyrics together. The lyrics are about looking out into the audience while being up on stage, and seeing the smiles of their "Masters and Princesses" And how much that means to them, the Ladies of Band-Maid, and how much they love us as their fans, and how much they feel our love of them as performers. The Ladies finished the song after they returned home to Japan, and worked it up, and performed it live for the first time at their January 9th concert at the Tokyo Gardens Theater, which was later released as a DVD/BD with the BTS Documentary. But just a month after their concert at TGT, they were back in the US as the opening band for the "Last Rock Stars" a Japanese supergroup, for 3 shows. Two in New York and one in Los Angeles. While in Los Angeles, the outside desert portion of this video were recorded, just outside of Lancaster California, the performance portions were taken from the very first live performance at the TGT. So know you know the story behind the song. It is a love song from the Ladies of the band, to their fans, telling us how we lift them up, and how they love being able to perform for us. As I wrote at the very beginning, this is the 3 song of the trilogy, and all of them are about how much the Ladies love us their fans. And for that, we love them back. This file was originally written as an explanation of the song Memorable, but it works with About Us and Smile just as well.

Welcome back to the world of the Maid 🎉 Knowing why this song was written is crucial for listening. I’m sure others will share this story. Band Maid had been making huge gains in their career and had just secured their largest live concert at Budokan. A legendary venue and a milestone for the little band of Maids. But the lockdowns during the plandemic scuttled everything. Instead of feeling sorry for themselves and their loss? Band Maid wrote this song for their fans; those who were as disappointed as they were that the Budokan show, and live shows everywhere, were gone. It’s an encouraging love letter from Band Maid to their fans. “About Us” could be understood as many things, but it hits hardest when you think about the true meaning 💔

A BAND-MAID song especially written by them for their fans during the covid lockdown.

1:24:44 Saiki: We were supposed to meet you today. 1:24:54 Saiki: For the first time in a year, we thought we could meet you all, those of you who could come to see us, but we can’t meet you in the end. I’m sorry. 1:25:12 Saiki: Even though it’s not my fault. 1:25:17 Saiki: We have been having days of turmoil for about a year. In the beginning, we were very surprised because we hadn’t experienced it before, and we had no experience of not being able to meet others in person. 1:25:49 Saiki: We were sad, but we found we shouldn’t be sad in this situation. 1:26:04 Saiki: When I saw you masters and princesses on social media, you were more depressed than us, and we thought that’s terrible. 1:26:23 Saiki: We Band-Maid have been thinking about how to cheer up all of you in the last one year. 1:26:36 Saiki: We truly wanted to meet you at Nippon Budokan, but it’s impossible because of COVID, so let’s wait for the day when we can meet. 1:26:52 Saiki: And in the last one year… or in the COVID pandemic, we have become more eager to cheer you up, and we Band-Maid realized again it’s important to give our songs to you. 1:27:19 Saiki: That’s why we wrote this song for Budokan. 1:27:25 Saiki: We made the album also in the pandemic, so it might have a little similar feel, but this song is planned for Nippon Budokan, and we really want to give it to you masters and princesses now. 1:27:52 Saiki: Budokan is not our goal but just a stepping stone. We will perform at bigger venues, and we promise we will bring you there and give you even better songs, so let’s keep it up a little more. 1:28:15 Saiki: This is our present for you masters and princesses. 1:28:25 Saiki: Please listen to it.

Glad to see you guys again. So many Band Maid songs will "melt your face". "About Us" melts your heart.

There can hardly be a greater appreciation of a band for its fans and they left their hearts on stage with this song, with this performance. February 11, 2021 was supposed to be the probably biggest day for these ladies, as a concert was actually planned in the famous Budukan Arena, where this song was also supposed to celebrate its premiere. However, thanks to the pesky Coroni, everything turned out differently and instead they held this stream performance on that day. And boy, I guarantee I wasn't the only one who had a mid-severe breakdown at this moment of the broadcast. Before the song, Saiki gave a heart-wrenching speech that I didn't understand a single word of, but still knew exactly what it was about. And because these ladies are also little sadists and they wanted to make sure that not a single eye remained dry, they followed it up with Daydreaming. 🤭 _____________________ 「 _"Our rock never dies ever. Forever!"_ 」 - from *BAND-MAID* - 'Manners' 🎶🕊

People tend to overlook the fact that Miku has a 3+ octave range.

BAND-MAID's love letter to the Maidiacs. Covid managed to cancel their Budokan debut, so they wrote this.

No matter how many times I listen to this song, I am always brought to tears .... beautiful ♥

Brings a tear everytime, what a fcken band Po 👍🍻

The music scene in Japan is remarkable, isn't it? Just so many really good musicians, in really good bands, making really good music in almost any style or genre you can think of. We're happy to see you guys back with Band-Maid but really just catching the Great Wave is enough.

It’s been interesting to watch your appreciation for Japanese Rock grow since you started your channel. Brayden’s attitude, especially, has changed.

Yesterday it was Nemophila"s Life. Today its Band-Maid's About Us. Htting us with the feels!😂🫶

This may be their greatest song.

This song doesn't need a guitar solo, it would've ruined the complex emotions in this song. A ballad this held back, not as dramatic as typical ballads. Sustained drums, bass-guitar interplay, perfected by genuine, emotional vocals make it very special. IMO the best ballad (not power ballad) by the Maids.

Memorable .too

They can play any style.

Thanks from Japan 有難う💛。 Band-Maid fans have been claiming that this beautiful song is an amazing messages for Maidiacs who have supported B-M for a long time. That is true. However I believe this song is also addressing people who were not Maidiacs yet. As you can hear, Saiki is sinking "accept someone for who they are" at 03:07. When I went to see Band-Maid concert for the first time on Sep.7, 2022 and when "About Us" was played at the venue, it made me feel that I was accepted as a newbie fan.

Lovebites has way better Ballads.