BAND-MAID took to social media, announcing on their Twitter and Facebook pages that from 1 April, “BAND-MAID has been renamed BAND-MAIKO” (maiko being an apprentice geiko, a young woman training in the arts of geiko and geisha). The news also came with the release of a music video for a reworked version of the track secret My lips, titled secret MAIKO lips.

The video opens with Miku (guitar and vocals) writing “World Domination.” We also see that she and fellow band members Saiki (vocals), Misa (bassist), Kanami (guitar) and Akane (drums) have done away with the maid costumes and are seen performing in kimono (hikizuri). The reworked version of the track also has Kanami playing the koto and Misa playing the shamisen.

This is clearly an April Fools joke, which the group revealed hours later and actually apologised for on Facebook. Miku posted on Instagram saying that she will return to being a maid and apologised for the surprise April Fools prank. Misa also took to Twitter to confirm that the “YOOOOOO” in the track is performed by her.

The original track secret My lips can be found on BAND-MAID’s album Just Bring It. But if you like the sound of the secret MAIKO lips version, it is available to purchase on iTunes.

Originally published on MyM Buzz on 1 April 2018.