Yoasobi’s track record of releasing hit after hit hasn’t shown any signs of stopping, and that certainly proved to be the case when they released “Idol”, the opening theme for Oshi no Ko. From the get-go, “Idol’s” sensuously aggressive mood coupled with Ikura’s adroit delivery proved to be a captivating combination. It’s easily my favorite opening theme from the anime released in 2023.
What helps is that the song itself is a perfect distillation of the Oshi no Ko’s idol character Ai. The Ai who is relentless in chasing after the celebrity life, doing whatever it takes to be loved by her fans. The lyrics in turn speak to this mindset grabbing the love and beauty that the idols carry at a surface level and shaking out the cynicism that lies underneath. It captures the empathetic acting and the masking they do so that they become the paragon of goodness and purity without letting their fans really know them at a deeper level, imperfections and all.