Earlier this year we already highlighted Z CLEAR’s single “広島” (Hiroshima), a live- and digital only single that was released in late December of 2024. But if you thought that the members just kicked back and enjoyed a long vacation, that’s where you’re wrong. In April of this year they already released the next song “ぶちROCK” (Buchi ROCK), but they quickly followed up with their next single: “サイン” (Sain).
“サイン” (Sain) was released as a digital single on July 1st of this year, and contains … only the title song. So by now you can tell this is going to be a rather short introduction this time, I’m sure. The lineup of the group also hasn’t changed, which is another positive for AKIRA, みやこ (Miyako), トミー (Tommy) and こちゃん (Ko-chan)!
In this review we’ll be taking an in depth look at the song, and of course the accompanying music video as well. And if I can betray something already… AKIRA has given us some amazing lyrics this time. Because if you thought “広島” (Hiroshima) had a lot of emotion in it, Z CLEAR has something new for you…
Rather than being chased, I prefer to chase
As stated, the single only consists of the title song, “サイン” (Sain) – or ‘sign’ in English.
And while only being 3 minutes and 51 seconds long, AKIRA has packed this song to the brim with lyrics. Throughout the entire song there are maybe 20 seconds where he’s not singing, but his melodic vocals make sure that he’s not a disturbing factor despite being such a dominant presence. The instrumentals maintain an upbeat rhythm from start to finish, giving the vocals the center stage without disappearing into the background themselves. Each instrument gets their own (albeit brief) ‘power moment’ before a short melodic piano section.
Lyrically AKIRA has given us more lyrics than what we usually see – which we already saw with “広島” (Hiroshima) as well. And just like the previously mentioned song, he has packed “サイン” (Sain) with emotion from start to finish.
“It’s not strong, it’s just a cover-up. I can’t live well. Today, alone, only regrets pile up. A sign of slight pain.” Already gives us a sign of what kind of emotion I have hinted at multiple times. Because as you probably expected, it’s not an overwhelmingly positive song, nor an anthem-style like the previous single was.
As much as I want to tell you ‘the music video tells us a wonderful story about something or other’, most of the time I can’t. And this time it’s no different. While visually appealing with different colors and a background with many small things to look at, there is nothing to grasp on to for a visual translation of the lyrics. So this time too, if you like watching the members do their thing this MV is a great addition to the song, but definitely not a requirement to ‘see more’.
Starting with some quick shots of the members playing their instruments (or dancing, in AKIRA’s case) the video shows us the two main decors it was filmed at. One being a set of vertical lights with red wire connecting in a circle around the members, and the other being a lot of iron pipes like you’d see in a scaffold (you know, those iron constructions with wide planks for the construction workers to walk on, around buildings for renovations and construction?).
Throughout the video we see a lot of playing with different colors while the members play their instruments and vocalist AKIRA really focuses on the camera. As already stated, not the storybook music video style, but definitely interesting enough to draw you in and see the band rather than just hearing their music.
Conclusion
“サイン” (Sain) might be a one-song-only digital single, but it definitely makes up for that with the combination of its lyrics and composition. When I first heard their song “広島” (Hiroshima) I was already surprised by the amount of emotion those lyrics had. (As you’ve probably guessed by now, that emotion was the main reason for me to feature that single in the first place.) To see a similar level of emotion return in “サイン” (Sain), even without showing us a ‘story’ we can follow, made me smile. Because while Z CLEAR has a sound that is a bit ‘tame’ for me personally, I keep coming back to their music. Especially when they release something new.
Their work is very consistent without becoming stale – they always manage to add something to draw your attention. Sometimes it’s the lyrics, sometimes it’s a more rock-sound like we saw in their song “JUNKIE” or even their newest song “DINER”. (If you’re a little familiar with the ヴィジュアル系 (Visual Kei) scene as a whole, I’m sure you can both see and hear which artist more than likely influenced that song, right? But that’s for another review!)
Since “サイン” (Sain) is a digital only single there is no purchase link included in this article, but of course we will provide you with a Spotify link as usual though!
More about Z CLEAR
        |   |  (Miyako) |  (Tommy Souma) |  (Ko-chan) |
雪 (Yuki) is the owner and driving force behind Arlequin.
She originally started the project in 2009 as a photographer under the name of Arlequin Photography, but developed an interest in journalism and translation ever since. Because of these interests interviews and reviews were added to the project, until it eventually hit the limits as a "photographer" in 2021, and Arlequin Magazine was added to the mix.
雪 (Yuki) is a native Dutch speaker with a graphic design degree, which means she is also the main person behind Arlequin Creations.
After all these years, she's still the one responsible for the interviews and most of the live photography you see here at Arlequin, but the majority of reviews and behind-the-scenes work is also done by her.
The reviews she writes are from the viewing point of an overseas fan, and thus written in English before being translated to Dutch, Spanish and Japanese. In the English versions she also tries to explain the meaning behind certain kanji or song titles to the readers, but what you don't see here is that these explanations are omitted in the Japanese versions in order to appeal to these readers more.
She speaks Dutch and English on a native level, but also understands Japanese and German.