Arlequin is a Tokyo-based rock band inspired by metalcore, punk-pop, and the Nagoya kei subgenre of Japan's visual kei movement. The group formed in 2013 and released its self-titled debut single, "Arlequin," that same year. "Arlequin" was a critical and commercial success, peaking at Number 7 on the Oricon Singles Chart and swelling the band's audience at a rapid rate. Within a year of the band's launch, Arlequin sold out a performance at Shibuya Public Hall, becoming the first band to pack the 2,000-seat venue in such a short period of time. The full-length debut album Near Equal was released in 2014, supported by radio singles like "Eclipse" and "Stella." 2016's Utopia yielded even more hits, providing Arlequin with enough singles to release a best-of record, Kachikan no Chigai wa Yuiitsu no Sukuidatta, in 2017. The four bandmates — vocalist Aki, bassist Shohei, drummer Tamon, and guitarists Kuruto and Nao — continued touring Japan and recording new music, releasing the albums Bless in 2018, The Laughing Man in 2020, and Monster in 2022. Tamon was jettisoned from the lineup in early 2023, but the band's momentum continued nonetheless with the album δυσ-τόπος ~Dystopia~, which debuted at Number 71 on Japan's Top 100 Albums chart. They released the album, imagine, on March 25, 2026.
