First Love is Never Returned celebrates its major-label debut with W.O.R.K.S., a 12-track album blending diverse genres and five members’ songwriting.
In Japan, people can hire a service to resign from their jobs on their behalf, avoiding difficult conversations with their employers. Japanese five-piece band First Love is Never Returned turned this unusual service into a song. Titled “退職代行 (Taisyoku Daikou),” the track leads their debut full-length album, W.O.R.K.S.
The band recently released the 12-track album, which features six new songs. All five members continue to work regular jobs while pursuing their musical careers. The album marks their first release distributed nationwide through physical CD stores, making it their first official major-label debut. This milestone comes years after the band established its own label with avex, when they maintained that they had not made a major debut.
The title W.O.R.K.S. also reflects the band’s creative identity. Each letter represents several ideas, including work, weekends and weekdays; office, ordinary, only and open; real, rock, rhythm and blues; keep, kicks, key and kindness; and story, songs, soul and sound.
Five Songwriters, Five Distinct Perspectives
Vocalist Kazuki Ishida wrote the lead single, “Taisyoku Daikou,” which explores the strange reality of paying someone to handle a resignation. The song captures the tension between employees and their bosses through its shifting vocal arrangements. It changes character between the first and second choruses, while funk-driven production gradually builds in intensity. The arrangement mirrors the anxiety of confronting workplace problems.
Director Honoka Saito helmed the accompanying music video. The short film features comedy duo Tosa Brothers, Lucifer Yoshioka and YouTuber Tamura Kae, bringing the song’s premise to life through a scripted story.
Furthermore, the album gives every band member a songwriting credit as a lead composer. Ishida wrote most of the tracks, while Keita Kotakemori, Arata Yamamoto, Mizuki Tsunemoto and Yuji Sato each contributed one song. Their individual compositions give the record a wider range of influences and perspectives.
The album explores several musical styles. TPTTC, which the band has performed live since 2019, marks their first entirely English-language song. It blends 2000s pop-punk with contemporary American pop and boy-band-inspired vocal harmonies.
Yamamoto’s Atrium draws inspiration from Michael Jackson, pairing a loop-driven arrangement with a mid-tempo groove. Meanwhile, Kotakemori’s “期末評価会議 (Kimatsu Hyouka Kaigi)”revisits the workplace frustrations explored in Taisyoku Daikou. The track offers a heavier, band-driven sound that the group describes as its most intense recorded live number.
In addition, Tsunemoto makes his songwriting debut with Twilight, which incorporates influences from 1980s American pop. Sato contributes “ミッドナイトブルー (Midnight Blue),” a track shaped by fusion and album-oriented rock (AOR). Together, these songs showcase the distinct musical interests each member brings to the band.
New Album, Live Performances and a Nationwide Tour
The CD and Blu-ray edition of W.O.R.K.S. offers fans an extensive look at the band’s history and performances. It includes their first headline concert at Shibuya Club Quattro in its entirety. The sold-out show also served as the venue where the band first announced the album.
The release also features a documentary about the group’s roots in Sapporo and interviews with all five members. Altogether, the Blu-ray contains nearly three hours of additional material.
To support the album, First Love is Never Returned will embark on the #FLiNR ONE-MAN TOUR 26-27 ‘W.O.R.K.S.’. The six-show tour will visit five cities from November 2026 through January 2027.
The tour marks the band’s first headline performances in Nagoya and Fukuoka. It will also bring them to larger venues in Tokyo and Osaka, with scheduled shows at Zepp Shinjuku and BIGCAT, respectively. The group will open and close the tour in its hometown of Sapporo, beginning at VyPass., a familiar local venue, before concluding at Penny Lane 24.
After years of resisting the idea of a major debut, First Love is Never Returned has reached a new milestone with W.O.R.K.S. The album reflects the band’s shared experiences, individual songwriting and commitment to balancing everyday responsibilities with their musical ambitions. Rather than abandon their original approach, the five members have built their next chapter around the work, stories and sounds that define them.
Stream W.O.R.K.S. now and discover the sounds, stories, and musical influences behind First Love is Never Returned’s latest release!
Press Release
