Hip Hop/Rap
Gorillaz to Olivia Dean - PSYCHIC FEVER tell Contact Music the British stars they’re desperate to collaborate with
The Japanese boy band have just dropped their latest album DIFFERENT.
PSYCHIC FEVER from EXILE TRIBE are pushing J‑pop into new territory by fully embracing who they are. The seven‑member collective - Kokoro, Weesa, Tsurugi, Ryoga, Ren, Jimmy and Ryushin - bring different backgrounds, styles and personalities to the table, but share one mission: take their music further than ever before.
The group have just dropped their second full‑length album, DIFFERENT, produced in part by Grammy‑nominated hitmaker Rykeyz, following their 2022 debut P.C.F. Across ten tracks that pull from Y2K R'n'B, UK garage, Afrobeats and trap, they show how their contrasting strengths fuse into something bigger - marking the start of their most personal era yet.
Back in London for a short run of promo, PSYCHIC FEVER are promising fans a special moment, including an album listening party on August 2. The visit follows their successful First Europe Fanmeet Tour in 2025.
In this exclusive interview, the group reflect on their new chapter and share what they’re aiming for next.
Contact Music: Welcome back to the UK! How does it feel to be here again? Are you excited for the activities ahead?
Kokoro: We’re really happy to be here!
Jimmy: We haven’t been here in a while; I’m so excited to see our fans! I think there are lots of people from different places coming to see us, and I’m really happy about it. We’ve also prepared a listening party and I’m so excited for this too.
Contact Music: Your song Just Like Dat is a big hit on TikTok. How do you think social media has impacted the way you connect with fans and promote your music?
Weesa: Everybody is using social media now, so it makes it easier to get to know us. We want to spread our music all around the world and keep creating content. We’ve just released our new album and we hope people like it.
Contact Music: Congratulations on the new album. This release is deeply personal. Could you tell us a bit more about the process of making it?
Jimmy: It took around two years to make this album. Weesa and I worked as songwriters for the first time for PSYCHIC FEVER with this release. The recording process took a long time as we recorded each song at least three times, so we’re very satisfied with the result because we put a lot of effort into each song. I hope people like all of them.
Contact Music: Which track do you feel best represents this new era of the group?
WEESA: I'd say I Got Ways. We tried a new genre, R&B, and there's more of a mature vibe to it - a more adult vibe. You can maybe feel that through the music video too, with our costumes and how we're acting more mature. We also danced in the rain.
Contact Music: Which artist would you most like to collaborate with in the future?
Jimmy: I’m going to talk about artists from the UK. I’m a really big fan of Jorja Smith, so I would really like to collaborate with her.
WEESA: I’m a really big fan of rock music, so I’d choose Gorillaz. I love their new album.
Tsurugi: I want to collaborate with Ed Sheeran. He's a singer-songwriter, and we do hip-hop, so I think the chemistry could be good.
Ryushin: I want to collaborate with FLO, we listen to their songs all the time.
Ryoga: I’d say PinkPantheress. I went to her concert in Japan with Ren. We really enjoyed it. I hope we can work together one day.
Ren: For me, it’s Olivia Dean. I like her music and have been listening to her songs recently.
Stream DIFFERENT on all major platforms here.
