I think returner's comment brought up some very interesting points and it's great to read from someone who disagrees with most of us. I agree that perhaps we are jumping to conclusions without knowing the whole story. Maybe this as not entirely Yoshiki's idea and maybe part of it is out of his control, even if I have a hard time imagining that scenario.
Still, there's some stuff I can't explain. Why is he silent about this? Why make such a fuss about this announcement and then drop the mic? Like y_tho pointed out on Discord, he probably knows
something is not right. Was he fooled into agreeing with this marketing strategy by his moronic staff? Was there a fallout between the bandmembers during the creative process? Did he at some point think it was a good idea but then realised (too late) that he was wrong? In any case, his silence speaks volumes.
Any exposure is good exposure...
This is what I disagree the most with. X Japan is not supposed to be a reckless race for exposure or recognition. Bands are about making music, not selling cars. I think their recent obsession with exposure and converting newcomers is exactly what's wrong with post-reunion X. Do the ends really justify the means? Even if this song was fantastic, amazing enough to elevate X to Elvis' level in the West, would it still have been worth it? IMHO, no ends can justify replacing your vocalist and band co-founder of over 30 years with a dude from another band, leaving out an extremely talented guitarist and bassist and still calling this an 'X Japan' thing. And let's not forget about the part where they market this as a great new thing
because Toshi isn't there. What do I know, though? Maybe Toshi is totally alright with this. Maybe he hated the song so much he insisted they find another bloke to sing it. But as a long-time fan, I can't help but feel a sort of second-hand humiliation. They're literally saying 3 out of 5 people in that band are unimportant enough to be replaced or left out. Which goes hand in hand with the treatment the actual (living) guitarists have received since 2008.
I wonder what would happen if Pata teamed up with Heath and Miyavi, made a song and then called it X Japan...