I guess I'll report some minor QUEEN BEE (女王蜂) news! The 15th anniversary of the band's major label debut is approaching, with their first Sony album 孔雀 (Kujyaku / Peacock) having been released back on 07/09/2011. As such, there are a few special events to commemorate the occasion.
Prize draws will be held at the Shinjuku branch of Tower Records
There will be a special lottery for customers who spend ¥2,000 (pre-tax) or more on QUEEN BEE music and/or video products during their visit. Lottery tickets can be earned from 07/09/2026 to 21/09/2026, with the winners being announced on 25/09/2026.
The prize will be a 'historical jacket collection' t-shirt showing 28 of QUEEN BEE's Sony album/single covers from the past 15 years, up to and including 星 (STAR). Every ¥2,000 spent counts for one entry in the lottery and there will be 30 prizes available, all in Large (L) size only.
The same store will also be displaying oversized replicas of the historical album/single artwork during the celebratory period, and customers who can win one of the display panels once the exhibition is over! They will be ex-display condition and it's not possible for winners to choose which panel they receive. One entry into the draw is granted per purchase of a QUEEN BEE music/video product during the campaign period. Customers who make a qualifying purchase will also be eligible for a QUEEN BEE logo stamp, which can be applied to a stamp sheet provided by Tower Records or to anything the visitor brings with them.
Along with the album artwork, the store will be displaying a replica of the celebratory cake from the 超メモリアル (Super Memorial) jacket and a 'countdown poster' commemorating the past 15 years.
Lastly, there will be a 'notebook of support' installed in the store until 21/09/2026 where fans can add their own messages for the band. The book will be presented to the members of QUEEN BEE once the campaign is over.
The full details are available on the band's official news page.
More celebrations during QUEEN BEE's 2026 national tour 星 (STAR)
With the band playing five national tour dates in Japan between 11/10/2026 and 30/10/2026, the anniversary will also be commemorated at the venues. Although it will take place after the Tower Records Shinjuku lottery described above, the exact same 'historical jacket collection' t-shirt will be offered as a prize again during the tour. The method of entering the lottery will be similar - spending multiples of ¥2,000 on music and video goods at the tour venues (details still to be announced) - and there will be 25 prizes available per show. Once again, only Large (L) sized t-shirts will be available.
The full details are available in this news post.
The single 星 (STAR) peaks at 33rd on Oricon's ranking
I am a little disappointed that STAR has not performed better but the single charted for two weeks and only reached the 33rd position in Oricon's weekly sales ranking. It's a melancholic song so perhaps it was never destined for chart success but I find it beautiful every time it wraps up an episode of Tenmaku No Jaadugar (and unlike HALF, which is a brilliant song with an average ending credit sequence, the accompanying animation is a really good fit for STAR). I would have thought that the coupling track being new might have driven interest too. Perhaps people are hungry for another upbeat single after PERSONAL?
qb RADIO returns with episode 16
The irregularly-broadcast 'qb RADIO' podcast returned with episode 16 on 05/08/2026 after a two-year break to celebrate the release of 星 (STAR). Avu-chan, Yashi-chan and Hibari-kun all appeared on the show together to chat about recent events. The band members were in good spirits during the discussion, which was recorded shortly before they headed to London/Paris to perform overseas.
During the show they took the opportunity to reflect on their hard work since the previous episode of the radio show and their memories of performing in Paris for the first time ten years ago, which was their first ever trip overseas. During rehearsals, the lighting technician had suddenly vanished to have lunch without telling anyone and everyone had been rattled by their sudden absence. While everyone understood the importance of mealtimes, Yashi-chan wished that they'd told the band what was going on. Avu-chan playfully pronounced 'Pardon?' in French as they all shared memories of those times.
The band noted that they wouldn't have so much time to go sightseeing in Europe as they were on a tighter schedule this time, and they were especially concerned about the heatwave and (apparently famous) lack of air conditioning in London and France. Avu-chan announced that they had resolved to defy the hot weather while Hibari-kun had high hopes for a handheld fan he'd bought. I hope that those tactics worked out for them; it really was unbearably warm at times and being on stage must be even tougher than being in the audience. Towards the end, Avu-chan also spoke about the struggles they've had over the years and growing as a human being; despite the gruelling workloads and emotional burdens it's very clear that the band members care for one another deeply and share a good bond.
qb RADIO is available on YouTube and on Podcast services such as Spotify.
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