The members of Chilli Beans. spoke with Billboard Japan for the latest installment of its Women in Music interview series. The initiative launched in 2022 to celebrate artists, producers and executives who have made significant contributions to music and entertainment and inspired other women through their work, following the footsteps of Billboard’s annual Women in Music honors. This series featuring female players in the Japanese entertainment industry is one of the highlights of Japan’s WIM project.
Chilli Beans. is set to take the stage at Billboard Japan’s Women In Music vol. 3 music event at Billboard Live Yokohama in October. The three-woman band was formed in 2019 and successfully played at the Nippon Budokan in 2024. The three members — Moto, Maika, and Lily, who each had been active as singer-songwriters before coming together as a group — spoke to writer Rio Hirai about the chemistry born from their collaboration and gender discrepancies within Japan’s music industry.
Are there things about you that have changed since your debut in 2019, and things that have remained the same?
Maika: After releasing our fifth EP “the outside wind” in June, I noticed that the things I want to say and the stuff I sing about haven’t changed much since our debut. But while I haven’t changed, I think I’ve grown. It’s like my character has matured, but the core of what I think about and the fundamental parts haven’t changed.
Moto: I still tend to dwell on things get caught up in my own thoughts, but it’s more like a gradual progress toward greater freedom than a painful process.
Do you think it’s because you work as a trio that you’re able to progress towards greater freedom like you say?
Moto: Whenever we perform live, it really feels like we all have our ways of getting into the groove and feeling the vibe. When the three of us come together, even our darker sides become part of our music, and we can say to each other in everyday conversation, “It’s not a bad thing, it’s actually cool.” When that negativity is turned into music, it becomes something like our flavor. That’s when I feel like I’m being accepted.
So you share emotional ups and downs among the members.
Moto: Not in a conscious way, though. We probably just naturally say things like, “I’m feeling like this today.” There’s also that sense of just kind of knowing.
Maika: Maybe we pick up on each other’s moods, like, “She seems down today” or “Did something good happen today?” The two of them offer perspectives and insights that allow me to see my current feelings and situation from angles I couldn’t see on my own. So if I were alone, I might feel dejected about some mistake I made, but if the other two tell me, “That’s so human and cute,” then I can be like, “Oh, I never thought about it that way.” That only happens because there are three of us.
And the accumulation of that has led to growth?
Maika: I think so. The reason why we’ve been able to grow without changing fundamentally is because the way we interpret things has become much broader.
What’s the meaning behind the band name “Chilli Beans.”?
Lily: When the three of us first decided to form a band, we talked about wanting to be a band where everyone could take the spotlight. That’s how we came up with the name. We used to cover songs by Red Hot Chili Peppers, so “Chilli” comes from them, and we added “Beans” to mean “We’re still fledglings and have a lot of room to grow.”
Maika: Naming the band really made us feel like a team, you know?
Bands formed exclusively by women are often categorized as a “girl band” in Japan. What are your thoughts on that?
Maika: We generally state that we’re a “three-piece band” when introducing ourselves. But since we’re all women, we often get categorized as a “girl band,” which makes us think about it quite a bit.
Moto: Personally, I don’t mind either way. We’re just making music as human beings. We want people to take our melodies, the feelings of the moment, the vibes, and connect with them. That’s how we feel like we’re interacting with the people listening to us. So, how people see us is entirely up to them.
Do you ever come up against any gender discrepancies or rigid values when you’re working?
Maika: I think stereotypes and biases are inevitable. I’ve encountered situations where guys say things like, “I’m just not into girl bands,” and we don’t even get a chance to be heard. I love debating, so I’ll ask them, “What do you think about girl bands?” and they’ll have preconceptions like, “I don’t like that bubbly, girly vibe,” or “Their voices are too high-pitched.” I personally believe that it doesn’t matter whether you’re a woman or a man when it comes to music, so I really want people to get to know us.
What do the three of you value most when overcoming great difficulties?
Moto: What you need when you’re facing difficulties isn’t technique or musicality. It’s about getting your true feelings across and also wanting to understand how the other person really feels. When you talk to people face-to-face, you begin to see who they really are, and when honest people connect, you can overcome things together.
Lily: Even when you’re experiencing the same thing, people can feel completely different about it, so I’ve learned that it’s really important not to assume that others must be feeling a certain way. They might be suffering in ways you can’t even imagine, so it’s necessary to clearly communicate, “This is how I feel about it,” and then take time to listen to how the other two feel. I think that speaking based on assumptions is the scariest thing.
Do have any advice for women who’d like to start a band like Chilli Beans.?
Maika: I’d say, “Just try it once.” If I hadn’t auditioned for the opportunity that got me into music, I wouldn’t be doing Chilli Beans. now. Lately, I’ve been really feeling how all these small actions add up to where I am today. I think you’ll enjoy it if you start with your favorite songs. Just try anything first. That way, you’ll figure out whether it suits you or not, and whether you want to keep at it or not.
Moto: Well, I think it’s OK to try putting out what’s inside your head and be disliked for it. For example, if you’re suffering because you feel like you’re a nobody, it’s OK to just express how you feel. I didn’t have confidence at first either, but that’s just who I am, so what can you do? You’re free to express things, so if you have something you want people to hear and you try putting it out there, you might be surprised to find that there will be those who empathize and say, “That’s great!”
Lily: It might actually be pretty good to start telling people around you that you want to be in a band and not just keep it to yourself. I’ve found that when you tell people you trust or the people around you about the direction you want to go or how you feel about something, you can sort of manifest that future in a surprising way.
—This interview by Rio Hirai (SOW SWEET PUBLISHING) first appeared on Billboard Japan
