Japanese superstars MAN WITH A MISSION have released the video for their new single ‘Firestarter’ alongside the announcement of their eighth studio album The Circus which will be released on December 23rd 2026 via Sony Music/Century Media.
The highly anticipated new album features an array of songs which the band have teased over the past year, including ‘Kizuna no Kiseki’, their collaboration with Japanese alt-pop star milet that generated widespread attention as the opening theme for the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Swordsmith Village Arc anime), one of a number of high-profile tie-ins which have been selected from The Circus.
The Circus also features previous singles including ‘The Animals’, the theme song for the film Wara nimo Sugaru Kemono tachi (English: BEASTS CLUTCHING AT STRAWS), while ‘ONE’ was created as the anthem for Japanese football team Cerezo Osaka. In addition their latest single ‘Firestarter’ is an explosive rock song which also forms the theme song for the new anime series of The Vermillion Mask.
The ‘Firestarter’ video out today takes a humorous and playful approach, using spice as a metaphor for exciting, stimulating music. It follows a day in the life of a man after he takes this “spice” into his body. The members of MAN WITH A MISSION themselves become the spice, entering his body and causing all kinds of chaos from within. It’s a fun and slightly surreal concept which captures the explosive energy of the song.
The release of The Circus marks MAN WITH A MISSION’s first original full-length album in approximately four and a half years, following Break and Cross the Walls II, released in May 2022 as the second instalment of their first-ever two-part album project.
Mixing engineer Chris Lord-Alge, renowned for his work with the likes of Green Day, Madonna, and My Chemical Romance, has worked on several new tracks on The Circus to elevate MAN WITH A MISSION’s latest rock anthems into an even more powerful and dynamic sonic experience.
Much like the album’s performative namesake, where a succession of different acts unfolds before the audience, the album The Circus takes listeners through ever-changing sonic landscapes, capturing the unpredictable appeal of never knowing what will come next. It is a powerful showcase of the broad musical range that MAN WITH A MISSION have cultivated throughout their career.
Alongside the album announcement, the band have also revealed details of their highly anticipated domestic tour. Spanning live houses and concert halls, the large-scale tour will visit all 47 prefectures of Japan, with guest bands joining the lineup at each show. Carrying The Circus to audiences, MAN WITH A MISSION are set to bring their latest music to fans across Japan, with international tour dates to follow soon.
Photo credit – press photo