Frozen Butterfly

"Frozen Butterfly" is a song by the Japanese boy group Wolf Howl Harmony. It was released digitally on February 12, 2024, and physically as the group's second single on February 14, 2024, through Rhythm Zone.^[1]

"Frozen Butterfly"
Single by Wolf Howl Harmony
from the album Wolf
Released	February 12, 2024 (digital) February 14, 2024 (physical)
Recorded	2023–2024
Genre	Dance pop
Length	3:03
Label	Rhythm Zone
Songwriters	Yves & Adams
Composers	T.Kura, Chaki Zulu, Jay’ed
Producers	T.Kura, Chaki Zulu, DJ Daruma
Wolf Howl Harmony singles chronology
"Sugar Honey" (2023) "Frozen Butterfly" (2024) "Pink Flash Lights" (2024)

The song was written by Yves & Adams and composed by T.Kura, Chaki Zulu, and Jay’ed. It was produced by the same team as their previous release, consisting of T.Kura, Chaki Zulu, and DJ Daruma. ^[2]The track was selected as the theme song for the TV Asahi Saturday late-night drama Rikon Shinai Otoko: Sare-otto to Aku-yome no Damashi-ai.^[3]

Background and release

As the group's second single, "Frozen Butterfly" was created by T.Kura, Chaki Zulu, and DJ Daruma, following their previous work on "Sweet Rain", to showcase a new side of Wolf Howl Harmony. ^[4]

The production team, T.Kura, Chaki Zulu, and DJ Daruma, again took charge of the song. During production, several demo tracks prepared by the producers were presented to the group, and members later shared that they were impressed by the beat of "Frozen Butterfly" from an early stage. They expressed joy that this beat was ultimately selected as the final version. ^[5] The single includes the coupling tracks “Sugar Honey,” which had been released earlier, and a newly recorded song, “You & I.” ^[6]

On January 18, 2024, it was reported that the song had been chosen as the theme song for the TV Asahi drama Rikon Shinai Otoko: Sare-otto to Aku-yome no Damashi-ai.^[7]

Composition, lyrics, and musical structure

The song is a medium-tempo dance track. It was created based on the concept of rearranging the early-2000s boy band sound of groups like *NSYNC and Justin Timberlake into a modern style suited to Wolf Howl Harmony. ^[8]

For the group, whose members had no prior dance experience, this marked their first full-scale dance performance.^[9]

The lyrics depict dreams and one’s true self—kept frozen within—taking flight after encountering love. Drawing on the members’ own experiences of overcoming challenges before their debut, the song conveys the message that “dreaming is a wonderful thing.” ^[2]

Lyricists Yves & Adams have supported the group since their debut, and member Ghee commented that they "wrote lyrics that captured our feelings in a real way."^[10]

Music video

The music video was released on February 12, 2024, the same day as the digital release.^[3] It was directed by Spikey John with a theme inspired by the song's worldview: "the explosion of long-suppressed emotions."^[2]

Choreography was handled by Kadokawa Dreams, a team from the professional dance league D.LEAGUE, who also appeared in the video as guest dancers. For the group—whose members had been non-dancers at the time of their audition—the video represents their first full-fledged dance performance. Member Ryoji stated, “I hope that the story of us going from having no dance experience to performing an entire song will give people courage.”^[8]

Promotion and performances

The song was first performed as a surprise during the LDH year-end event LDH LIVE–EXPO 2023 in December 2023.^[4]

In addition to its use as a drama theme, the track was later selected as the theme song for TV Asahi's rap battle program Freestyle Nippon Tōitsu, where it began airing in April 2024.^[11]

Chart performance

The song was selected for the official Spotify playlist “Tokyo Super Hits!” for three consecutive weeks.^[12]

The single "Frozen Butterfly", which features the track as its title song, debuted at No. 2 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart dated February 26, 2024. ^[13][14] It debuted at No. 3 on the Oricon Weekly Combined Singles Chart, which includes streaming and downloads.^[15]

On Billboard Japan, the song entered the Japan Hot 100 at No. 9 on the chart published February 21, 2024.^[16] On the Billboard Japan Top Singles Sales chart, it ranked No. 2 with an estimated 36,258 copies sold. ^[17]

Track listing

1. "Frozen Butterfly"
2. "Sugar Honey"
3. "You & I"