FLOW

Japanese rock band FLOW started out as an X Japan cover band called WYBURN. ∙ In 2003, they broke through with their punk rock-style cover of “Okuru Kotoba,” originally a 1979 hit for the Japanese folk group Kaientai. ∙ From their 2003 full-length debut, Splash!!!, to 2010’s Microcosm, FLOW placed seven consecutive albums in the Japanese Top 10. ∙ Nearly two-dozen FLOW songs have been featured in Japanese anime and TV series, including 2004’s “GO!!!,” the theme for Naruto, a No. 6 hit in Japan. ∙ In 2007, FLOW teamed up with hip-hop trio Home Made Kazoku for the hit single “Night Parade.” ∙ The band’s 2011 cover of “1/3 No Jyunjyou Na Kanjou,” a 1997 smash for Japanese band Siam Shade, featured a guest appearance by Siam Shade guitarist Daita. ∙ FLOW has enjoyed two hit collaborations with Japanese rock band GRANRODEO—2014’s “7 - Seven” and 2018’s “Howling.”