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Billboard Japan

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tuki.’s “Bansanka” rises 4-1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Jan. 24, giving the rising singer-songwriter her first No. 1 on the Japan song chart.
“Bansanka” debuted on the Japan Hot 100 at No. 14 on Oct. 11 and stayed in the top 20 for 16 consecutive weeks. The poignant ballad with a title that means “Supper Song” finally reached the top spot this week after streaming climbed 3-1 with 9,760,960 weekly streams (up 9.7%) and downloads 8-5 with 6,629 units (up 41.8%). Total streams in Japan for this track have passed the 100 million mark. This song was popular online since before the actual recording was digitally released, through covers and other secondary uses that continue to be uploaded in droves. This explains the increase in video views (moving 5-4 with 1,980,614 views, up 19%), and karaoke (7-4).

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Creepy Nuts jump 27-5 with “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born,” the opener for the anime series MASHLE Season 2, after debuting on the chart last week. The rapper/DJ duo’s latest hit broke into the top 10 in three metrics of the chart’s methodology: downloads (11-3 with 6,976 units), streaming (30-4 with 8,944,345 streams), and radio airplay (37-10). This song has been spreading on TikTok mainly in the U.S. and debuted at No. 8 on the Global Japan Songs Excl. Japan chart released Jan. 18. It’s gaining fans internationally, charting in the top 10 in four countries: U.S., France, U.K., and South Africa.

Mrs. GREEN APPLE charts two songs in the top 10 this week, with “Que Sera Sera” rising 5-4 after streaming increased slightly from the week before. The other track is “Nachtmusik,” which debuts at No. 7 after its digital release Jan. 17. The theme song for the film Silent Love rules downloads with 10,872 units, which is about 28% more than the first-week figures for “Que Sera Sera,” the trio’s previous single. “Nachtmusik” comes in at No. 11 for streaming with 5,480,372 streams, No. 6 for video and No. 14 for radio. 

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The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.

See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Jan. 15 to 21, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.

On Dec. 8, 2023, Billboard JAPAN announced its NICONICO VOCALOID SONGS TOP20 year-end results for 2023. This chart, which tracks the popularity of VOCALOID songs on Niconico, was launched on Dec. 7, 2022, so this is the first time that an annual ranking has been released for the chart. Taking the top position for the year is Yukopi’s “Kyoufuu All Back.”
The chart ranks the top 20 Vocaloid songs on Niconico using data such as the total number of plays of original and derivative videos, the total number of videos, the number of comments, the number of likes, and other figures, multiplying them by coefficients developed by Billboard JAPAN. Looking at the top 20 songs, it becomes apparent that songs on the chart come from a wide span of time — everything from Kairiki Bear’s “Venom,” released in 2018, to Sasuke Haraguchi’s “HITO Mania,” released in August 2023. wowaka’s “Unknown Mother Goose” (2017) and “Rollin’ Girl” (2010) also appeared in the chart. The ranking’s lineup represents a broad slice of Vocaloid culture, not just the latest trends. Another interesting point to note is that the ranking spans various generations of Vocaloid producers. There’s Kanaria, a young Vocaloid producer who debuted in 2020 and who took the throne as a top producer with their second song, “KING,” an instant smash hit. At the same time, there’s also the hit-maker PinocchioP, who has maintained a solid presence in the Vocaloid scene since his debut in 2009 and who has three songs in the chart (one of which is a joint production with another Vocaloid artist).

What can the chart results can tell us about the unique evolution of Vocaloid culture and key points to note about hit Vocaloid songs?

It would be no exaggeration to say that growth of Vocaloid culture has come hand-in-hand with secondary works posted on Niconico. User-generated content (UGC) like dance and vocal covers is becoming popular worldwide, and its impact is being felt on all kinds of platforms, like YouTube and TikTok. Looking at the chart, it’s clear that there’s been a lot of growth in original songs and also in secondary works, from “Goodbye Declaration,” which led the finger dance craze on TikTok, to “Phony,” “Yoidoreshirazu,” and “Marshall Maximizer,” which were featured in many dance covers. Nine of the 20 songs on the chart also took places on the annual 2023 “Top User Generated Songs” chart, which ranks UGC posted to YouTube.

The top-placing song, Yukopi’s “Kyoufuu All Back,” was part of this trend, coming in second for original songs and first for derivative works. “Kyoufuu All Back” was released on March 15, and in less than two weeks it had racked up over one million views on YouTube, becoming a mega-hit in the blink of an eye. The song has captured the hearts of all kinds of listeners, not just Vocaloid fans, due to its lyrics, which take a comedic look at an everyday situation, its catchy melodic structure, which is instantly unforgettable, and its laid-back, cute anime music video. After landing on the weekly chart in the number two position on April 5, it then climbed to first place in the following week, where it remained for eight weeks. This tremendous hit led to a rise in major collaborative Vocaloid songs, discussed on the following page.

It’s been 16 years since the release of Hatsune Miku. At some point during the intervening time, Vocaloid songs went from being a minor subgenre to a major musical genre. This is due not only to Vocaloid becoming well-established and accepted, but also to the rise of the internet and social media changing people’s lifestyles by making it easier for younger listeners to access music across genre lines.

The impact of Vocaloid is no longer confined to net culture and subcultures. It is now even affecting products and titles that are part of our everyday lives. Yukopi’s “Kyoufuu All Back,”  was adapted in July with new lyrics for Nissin Foods “Eat Seafood in Summer” Cup Noodle commercial. The speed with which the new song went to being used in a tie-up was startling, as was the fact that a Vocaloid song hit it so big. Fans were overjoyed to see Kaai Yuki, a somewhat niche Vocaloid character, appear not only in the original song’s music video but also in Nisshin’s commercial.

September saw the announcement of Pokémon feat. Hatsune Miku Project VOLTAGE 18 Types/Songs, a collaborative project between Pokémon and Crypton Future Media. There are 18 types of Pokémon, so the ongoing project, which has already begun, will be releasing songs and music videos from 18 Vocaloid producers in total. On December 1, all of the previously released songs were submitted to Niconico, so in the December 6 weekly chart that immediately followed, Project VOLTAGE-related songs took the 7th place and the 2nd to 5th place positions.

At the same time, events on Niconico itself, such as The VOCALOID Collection (often simply called “VocaColle”) and Mushoku Tomeisai, are broadening the listener base. VocaColle, launched in December 2020, is the world’s largest user submission-focused Vocaloid event. Organized by Dwango, it is held twice a year on Niconico. VocaColle 2023 Spring was held in March 2023, followed by VocaColle 2023 Summer in August. Highlights included the TOP100 Ranking and the Rookie Ranking, a gateway to success for young Vocaloid artists. VocaColle Summer also debuted a new event feature, the Neta Kyoku Tokosai (“Joke Song Festival”), and several of the songs from this festival also captured places on the NICONICO VOCALOID SONGS TOP20 Chart.

The Mushoku Tomeisai, on the other hand, is an anonymous submission event thought up by users as the antithesis of the VocaColle, which tends to emphasize rankings and numbers. It was held for the second time in November 2023, and the weekly chart that immediately followed consisted almost entirely of Mushoku Tomeisai entries.

Because of events like these, there are now specific days when Vocaloid songs especially stand out. They create buzz on social media, lowering the barrier to listening to Vocaloid songs or watching Vocaloid music videos. Hiiragi Magnetite, the Vocaloid producer behind “Marshall Maximizer,” which took 9th place in the annual chart, first captured the limelight when he came in 1st place in the first-ever VocaColle Rookie Ranking. “Kyu-kurarin” took 3rd place in the annual chart thanks to its 1st place position in the VocaColle 2022 Fall TOP100 Ranking, the ardent wish of its creator, Iyowa. In the VocaColle 2023 Spring TOP100 Ranking, leading Vocaloid producers Marasy, Jin, and Shota Horie (kemu) collaborated on the song “Shinjinrui,” which was ranked in 7th place on the annual chart.

No discussion of notable recent events in Vocaloid culture would be complete without mentioning the Project SEKAI Colorful Stage! feat. Hatsune Miku smartphone game (often called simply “Proseka”). The Sensor Tower APAC Awards recognize exceptional mobile apps and games from the APAC region, and in the Sensor Tower APAC Awards 2022, Proseka, a music game based on Vocaloid songs, was selected as the winner of the Most Popular Mobile Game in Japan Award. The game’s players are mostly men and women in their teens or twenties, and the game has played a major role in extending the reach of Vocaloid songs to young people.

Whenever a previously released song is announced as appearing on Proseka, social media begins buzzing, and it’s not unusual for the song’s name to become a trending topic on X (formerly Twitter). 13 of the 20 songs on the NICONICO VOCALOID SONGS TOP20 annual chart have appeared in Proseka, and nulut’s “Flower – Lower one’s eyes” was written specifically for the game. Proseka includes existing songs and songs written by Vocaloid producers for use in the game, but it also discovers new creators through Proseka NEXT, a contest that seeks out new songs to feature.

One of the most notable features of Vocaloid songs is that they don’t immediately fall out of favor. Hit derivative works and song connections shine new light on nostalgic favorites, drawing new attention to them and keeping them fresh and vibrant. The Niconico platform actively supports the creation of new songs while at the same time promoting the rediscovery of older songs through events like the Kizon Gakkyoku Fukkatsusai (“Existing Song Rejuvenation Festival”) event, held in November.

Veteran Vocaloid producers from the early days of the scene remain important figures, and new songs might find themselves facing off with popular old songs as rivals. Billboard Japan extends its heartfelt congratulations to the producers whose works claimed positions in this annual chart in the midst of this chaotic competitive landscape.

—This article by Yuka Higaki first appeared on Billboard Japan

Billboard Japan spoke with Japanese alternative rock band hitsujibungaku for its Women in Music interview series featuring female players in the Japanese entertainment industry. The WIM initiative in Japan began last year to celebrate artists, producers and executives who have made significant contributions to music and inspired other women through their work. The first 30 interviews in this series were published in Japan as a “Billboard Japan Presents” collection by writer Rio Hirai, who continues to speak with women to highlight their stories.

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hitsujibungaku consists of two female members Moeka Shiotsuka (vocals & guitar) and Yurika Kasai (bass), and one male member, Hiroa Fukuda (drums). The trio’s recent achievements include its hit song “more than words” being featured as the ending theme for the popular anime series Jujutsu Kaisen’s Shibuya Incident story arc and recording an exceptional turnout at this year’s FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL ’23 for a daytime performance on the Green Stage.

The band released its third studio album from a major label called 12 hugs (like butterflies) on Dec. 6. The members chatted about this latest release and shared their thoughts on some of the gender imbalances in the Japanese music industry from their perspective as a mixed-gender group.

Congratulations on the release of your new album 12 hugs (like butterflies). It has a jacket that leaves a lingering impression featuring Ms. Moeka Shiotsuka in a pose known as a butterfly hug. The album itself starts off with an acoustic number that gives off a personal vibe. Could you share a bit about why the album’s lineup turned out this way?

Moeka Shiotsuka: We were thinking of ending the album with an acoustic-type song at first. That’s how the song “Hug.m4a” came about, but when we put it at the end, it gave a really dainty impression and we were like, “This isn’t it.” So we decided to end the album on a strong note with the song “FOOL.” And when we placed “Hug.m4a” as the first track, the lyrics seemed to symbolize the whole album and felt like a great intro to it. That’s why we decided to go with that structure.

Hiroa Fukuda: When Shiotsuka shared the idea of the titles and structure with me, I thought her word choices were excellent. I learned the term “butterfly hug” for the first time with this album, and thought it was perfect because I’d sensed that kind of “giving yourself a hug” vibe in each of the 12 songs on the set. There are many songs that I personally like, and it feels like this album is an updated version of our early stuff.

Yurika Kasai: “Butterfly hug” is a nice sentiment isn’t it? I have a lot of problems, but I’ve come to accept that I am who I am, even including the part about having problems. I now think about how to go on living based on that. I also like how it focuses on the number 12 because each of the 12 songs are different in color.

This album is your first full-length album in a year and a half. It feels like hitsujibungaku expanded its reach dramatically during that period of time.

Shiotsuka: I’m glad we have more opportunities, like performances on TV and in music festivals, to reach people who haven’t been exposed to the kind of music we do. For example, at festivals where multiple artists perform, if I see someone in the audience who looks like they’re not into our show, I feel like, “I really want to make that person smile.” I don’t mean I want everyone to like every one of our songs, just that it’d make me happy if even a small number of people think, “Maybe I like this one,” and the number of people like that increases.

Fukuda: Having popular appeal has been our goal since we started the band. Balancing mainstream and underground. Our music is influenced by various genres like alternative rock, shoegazer, and post rock, and we want people who aren’t familiar with these genres to find out about them. The Jujutsu Kaisen ending theme, “more than words,” is included on our new album, and we’re glad that the people who discovered us through this song will listen to our other stuff as well.

Kasai: Since we’ve had more opportunities to appear in the media, we’ve been able to meet artists of various genres. There’s a lot we can take in from the outside world, and we’re now more aware of reaching “outward.” This is reflected in our stage performances, I think.

Shiotsuka: We deliberately aimed to do pop for our previous album, but this time we tried to do whatever we wanted. I didn’t want to yield anything until I reached a quality that I thought was good.

Fukuda: I also felt like I was going back to my roots. Like, be cynical, don’t play my instrument in a habitual way, and freely do edgy stuff.

Sounds like you’re in a healthy place where you’re able to make an album with that mentality during a period when your reach is growing. Incidentally, this interview series began in part because of the gender imbalance we noticed on the Billboard Japan charts. Ms. Shiotsuka and Ms. Kasai, do you think being a woman has had any impact on your daily lives and musical activities?

Shiotsuka: While this doesn’t pertain to any of our recent shows, I think there’s a tendency where it’s pretty obvious that projects featuring female bands or artists are supported mostly by male fans, especially in small-capacity “live houses” (nightclubs). Of course there shouldn’t be any limitations based on gender in liking a certain band’s music, but I do find myself questioning the guys’ intent, like, “Do they really appreciate the music?”

Kasai: I really get what Moeka is saying. We want people to genuinely enjoy our music, but start wondering what fans of the opposite sex are looking for and become more concerned than necessary about how we look in their eyes.

Shiotsuka: Also, this isn’t really about music, but I feel that the world is inundated with images of women being consumed in a sexual way. Even posters warning people to be careful of traffic accidents depict characters in police uniforms with their breasts emphasized and it makes me wonder why.

Being a woman in a band, I don’t like having the concept of “female modesty” imposed on me from the outside. I used to wear dresses onstage before, but this year I decided to go with pants and it feels like a good fit with what I want to express in this band. It sits right with me.

Kasai:  Also, the staff at concerts and other events are mostly male. It may be unavoidable in part because there’s a lot of heavy lifting involved, but there are very few women when we go around the country on tour.

Shiotsuka: That’s so true. And the boxed lunches (for catering) tend to be calorie bombs. [Laughs] When we have to eat fried food for days on end, we’re like, “God I want to eat vegetables.” 

Other people in this interview series have also mentioned that point about how women are in the minority on the staff side of the (Japanese) music industry. One problem is that there are so few women in the upper ranks of organizations and that influences the entire industry.

On a different note, Mr. Shiotsuka, I read something you said in a past interview about the things you “thought about to keep doing music for a long time.” At that time, you mostly spoke about songwriting and wanting to “make music that you can keep on loving.” I’d like to ask you if there’s anything you wish were different so that female artists can keep doing music for a long time.

Shiotsuka: If a woman wants to continue doing music, it’s hard to avoid the impact of major changes in her life, for example if she chooses to become a mom. I’m 27 years old now and such choices are starting to feel real for me. Like if I were considering having kids, but have a full schedule laid out for next year, I’d definitely think about how my pregnancy could cancel the tour. But I know other female musicians who bring their kids to work and also that everyone will support me, so maybe it’s not really something to be so concerned about.

Kasai: Fukuda would probably take care of our kids if we asked him to keep an eye on them while we record.

Fukuda: [Laughs]

Shiotsuka: He probably would! [Laughs] Regardless of gender, I want to value being a human being before being a musician. It’s fine when work and life are in alignment, but I often put my personal life on the back burner when the balance goes off. I want to remember to prioritize my life.

–This interview by Rio Hirai first appeared on Billboard Japan

YOASOBI’s “Idol” returns to No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Jan. 17, extending its all-time record for weeks atop this chart to 22.
The Oshi no Ko opener is back at No. 1 after 19 weeks — the last time the long-running hit took the top spot was on the chart dated Sept. 6 — and while overall points for the track are down by 13% from the week before, it comes in at No. 1 for streaming, No. 2 for karaoke, No. 4 for downloads and video views, and No. 33 for radio airplay.

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Ado’s “Show,” the song tied for second-most weeks at No. 1 (13 weeks) with Official HIGE DANdism’s “Subtitle,” holds at No. 2 this week. Points for “Show” are down by 18%, but the USJ event theme continues to perform well, hitting No. 2 for streaming and video, No. 3 for downloads, and No. 5 for karaoke.

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Last week’s No. 1 song, Number_i’s “GOAT,” continues to rule downloads and video, coming in at No. 3 on the Japan Hot 100 this week.

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tuki.’s “Bansanka” rises 6-4, breaking the 15-year-old singer-songwriter’s personal record for highest position on the Japan Hot 100. Spotify Japan included the rising artist on its RADAR: Early Noise 2024 list (released Jan. 11), featuring J-artists expected to make great strides this year. This could be one of the reasons why “Bansanka” soared to No. 3 for streaming with 8,893,914 weekly streams, up by about 22%, and No. 8 for downloads with 4,674 units, up 7.7%. The track is also up by about 13% for video (No. 5, 1,655,118 views), and moves 11-7 for karaoke, also the highest position so far for the young artist.

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Yorushika’s “Sunny” (Japanese title: “Haru”) jumps 31-8 this week to break into the top 10. The track is being featured as the opener for the anime series Frieren Season 2 and dropped on the day of the season premiere Jan. 5. The track hits No. 2 for downloads with 9,164 units, No. 25 for streaming with 3,660,640 streams, and No. 3 for radio.

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The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.

See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Jan. 8 to 14, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.

The concept of “narrative” in the English language is becoming adapted as a commonly used word in Japan. Unlike the similarly loaned “story” that refers to the content or outline of a tale, the narrator is central to a narrative. Just as in our own lives, there is no fixed plot and nobody knows how it will unfold. In the world of popular music, narratives organically connected to a person’s background or situation are often used as a connection between artist and listener. Artists talk candidly about their own lives and form a kind of community with listeners who accept those narratives,

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Wez Atlas is an artist with an extremely rich narrative. His lyrics are candid and personal, written as if they’ve been taken straight out of his diary or journal. Thoughts and landscapes expressed in the first person, rather than an objective third-person perspective, are undoubtedly part of his own narrative. Listening to the quiet flow of his verses filled with intense emotion set to restrained tracks makes us feel like we’re playing a first-person, open-world video game.

Born in 1998 in Oita, Japan, Wez Atlas is a Tokyo-based hip-hop artist with roots in Japan and the U.S. He moved to Colorado as a child and attended public school there, and eventually got into hip-hop music and rapping through artists such as Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and his biggest influence, J. Cole. He began writing his own lyrics after returning to Japan in high school, and his career as an artist can be traced back to those days he spent jotting down typically adolescent struggles and worries on paper.

With roots in Japan and the U.S. and having internalized those different cultures, Wez’s verses aren’t just superficially bilingual in English and Japanese but are based on a rich musical foundation. Shortly after the release of his first EP, “Saturday,” keen hip-hop listeners began noticing his music.

In 2020, Spotify JAPAN featured a song co-written by Wez and michel ko called “Time” on its official playlist. In June 2021, the young rapper followed up with a collaboration with Grammy-nominated producer starRo called “Zuum!” and graced the cover of the streaming giant’s Next Up playlist.

Wez Atlas then released his first mini-album, Chicken Soup For One in July that year. The artist had just entered his twenties when working on this album, and his lyrics, written during a period when he had no clear vision for the future, genuinely reflect the worries and anxieties he felt at the time. Among the tracks is “T.I.M.M.,” a song that seems to reveal his pain, but other tracks articulate his attempt to turn negativity into positivity. In “Fun + Games,” he expresses the importance of solidarity with the friends who support him, and in “Overthink,” the Japanese lyrics “Maybe I don’t have to read the room” voice his determination to follow his intuition. His flows aren’t intense, but they’re filled with grim determination.

And in March last year, he released his second mini-album, This Too Shall Pass. As the title suggests, this project following his deeply personal debut set is a work that expresses a more detached state of mind. The first track, “Life’s A Game,” is like a shrug of the shoulders, song of positivity stemming from resignation that reflects what Wez was honestly feeling at the time. The song “It Is What It Is” expresses his will to “never stop looking for the light despite adversity.” The TikTok lyric/performance video of this number articulating his positive vision for the future went viral with over 12.4 million views.

His collaborations with VivaOla, Kota Matsukawa, starRo, nonomi, uin, and other producers who support his creativity have also gained further depth. The production is extremely listener-friendly, focusing on Wez’s own comfort and chemistry without fixating on trends — not that they’re being ignored by any means. Wez’s music has widespread appeal because it fits a broad range of situations, from bedroom to driving. The magnetism of his music has been proven by the enthusiastic reactions to his performances at SXSW 2023 in the U.S. and at Kobe Mellow Cruise 2023, one of the largest hip-hop culture festivals in Japan’s Kansai region.

Wez dropped a new song called “RUN” on Dec. 22, an upbeat number that can be considered a new experiment for the rapper. The track starts with a sharply distorted guitar riff, followed by the verse, “Hajimaru aratana Race (A new race begins)/Vamos! Andale! Onore no sadame (my destiny),” then drum’n’bass-like rhythms and hard rock-inspired bass kick in. The music produced by nonomi and Kota Matsukawa might be described as neo-mixture or an evolution of grunge rock. Either way, there’s no doubt the style is unlike anything we’ve heard from Wez before.

His vocal style in this song also feels new, speaking frankly to listeners as if to inspire them. While he gained popularity through the restrained flow of his earlier releases, Wez diverts from his conventional style in “RUN” and swings toward a more direct expression. The fact that he leans towards mostly Japanese in this number means it has potential to reach domestic listeners who normally prefer rock and J-pop. Another notable aspect of his releases is that he doesn’t stay in one genre or style and continues to casually expand the boundaries of his musicality.

“RUN” brilliantly shatters Wez Atlas’ previous soundscapes and messages, hailing his breakthrough into a new phase of his career. This song will surely add further depth to his narrative, and the words he weaves together will spread far and wide, overlapping with the lives of each listener. There’s no doubt Wez will be one to watch in 2024.

—This article by Tomoyuki Mori first appeared on Billboard Japan

Conductor Yukari Saito spoke with Billboard Japan for its Women in Music interview series celebrating female players in the country’s entertainment industry. The WIM initiative in Japan began in 2022 to honor artists, producers and executives who have made significant contributions to music and inspired other women through their work. The first 30 interviews in this series were published in Japan last year as a “Billboard Japan Presents” collection by writer Rio Hirai, who continues to speak with women to highlight their stories.

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Saito moved to Dresden in 2013 and gained experience in Europe conducting the Lille National Orchestra and the Vienna Tonkunstler Orchestra. She returned to Japan in 2021 and this year, is set to conduct the Tokyo Philharmonic Billboard Classics Orchestra at Billboard Japan’s Women In Music Vol. 2 concert on Feb. 8 featuring singer-songwriters Reo Ieiri and Miliyah Kato. The 40-year-old maestro looked back on her career dedicated to the world of classical music and shared some experiences that changed in her life after spending time in Dresden.

First, could you share your thoughts on the upcoming WIM concert in February?

I’m interested in various genres of music, so I’m really looking forward to performing with two different types of musicians like Ms. Reo Ieiri and Ms. Miliyah Kato.

You usually work in the world of classical music. What opportunities do you see in the collaboration between pop and orchestral music?

First, I feel grateful to be tapped to participate in this precious opportunity. We’re still in the process of working out the details, but I have a feeling I’ll be able to find a new style within myself that’s different from my usual work. The way I feel about this concert is the same as how I usually feel about creating classical music together with everyone, but depending on the rhythm and mood of the piece, there will be changes in my conducting style and the sound expressed by the orchestra, so I’m excited about that. I look forward to seeing what positive effects the synergy produces.

This concert is part of Billboard Japan’s Women in Music project. What do you think about this kind of event focusing on women’s empowerment?

It’s something that’s been relatively uncommon (in Japan), isn’t it? Some people might come because the project interests them, so it makes me glad to think we’ll be able to bring our music to a wider and more varied audience.

I understand you originally wanted to be a pianist. How did you come to be a conductor?

At some point while studying at music school to become a pianist, I began to feel that it might be hard for me to become a professional. I became interested in conducting around then and met various teachers who told me, “You might be suited for it.” I then met Mr. Seiji Ozawa, who nominated me as a conducting trainee. That’s how I got started.

Why do you think you were suited for the job?

Maybe I always had a good sense of rhythm. I conducted in a choral competition when I was in junior high school. At the time, I only did it because I didn’t want to sing, [laughs] but the teachers praised me and told me I did a great job.

Does being a woman have any influence on doing your job?

I haven’t experienced too many moments where I thought, “This happened because I’m a woman.” When I wanted to become a pianist growing up, I’m sure there were times I thought, “I wish I could be like that” when seeing female concert pianists wearing beautiful dresses. I also remember thinking how awesome the pianist Martha Argerich was.

As a conductor, I believe I’m capable of flexible expression with meticulous attention to detail, even if I can’t compete with men in terms of physical size and strength. So I’d say I’m aware of the differences but don’t let it bother me. There are plenty of female players in classical music and it’s a merit-based industry, so I don’t think women are rejected as a member just because of their gender.

Because the world of classical music values tradition, I’d imagined there might still be some elements of sexism left. It’s nice to know it’s merit-based. So you’ve never encountered any gender imbalances?

Well, I’ve had experiences where I went to greet an elderly male concertmaster and he seemed surprised that I was going to conduct, but at the time I thought maybe it was because I was acting intimidated and not because I was a young woman. I think I might have accepted such moments as a net positive because the gap between that first encounter and my actual high level performance on stage would result in a good impression.

You know what though, this isn’t about sexism, but unfortunately some racism might still be around. There are no Asians at all in some orchestras, or if there are, only Japanese are included for some reason.

I see. So you didn’t encounter sexism but you did witness some leftover Western-centric values. Outside of the classical music world, do you see any differences in values between Germany and Japan?

In Germany, I often encountered protests. The sight of LGBTQ people asserting their rights, for example, is striking in its earnestness. I didn’t come across such scenes in Japan very often before I left for Germany, which made me think that such problems were hidden. Things seem to have changed now, though. Also, a lot of women (in Germany) clearly express their opinions. In Japan, many people are somewhat modest or reserved, but the culture in Germany doesn’t consider that to be a good thing.

Did you change after spending time in such an environment?

I think I did. The first thing that took me by surprise when I went to Germany was when I was told during a lesson, “Don’t you have your own will?” When we were asked, “What do you think?” the people around me would express their opinions, but I was at a loss at first.

How did you manage to change from not being used to expressing your opinion?

By being honest with myself, I guess. If I think too much about what will happen if I say something, I won’t be able to say anything, so I try not to think about it too much. What’s also important, along with naturally expressing what I feel, is delving deep within myself to figure out why I feel that way. I think this makes my words more convincing.

Is being convincing a necessary skill for your work as a conductor of orchestras?

I think so. In my case, I taught myself how to think in order to overcome that initial setback of not knowing what my own will was. I’m glad I’ve gained experience by repeatedly making such gaffes.

When do you find your work as a conductor most rewarding?

It is rewarding, but I work pretty hard to get there.

What’s the hardest part of your job?

It goes without saying that I have to use my brain and convince everyone in the orchestra. It’s a lot of work, but there comes a moment when things just click. The players and I make eye contact and we’re like, “This is the sound, right?” and the sound comes out exactly as we intended. It’s hard to put into words, but I guess it’s like having a dialogue with sound. When that happens, I’m like, “Yes! We did it!” and pump my fist in my mind.

—This interview by Rio Hirai first appeared on Billboard Japan

On Jan. 13 and 14, 2024, , the creative label that is pioneering Internet culture, will be holding Kamitsubaki Yoyogi Wars 2024. This event, the label’s biggest ever, will be held in Tokyo’s Japan National Stadium, Yoyogi 1st Gymnasium, which has a capacity of roughly 12,000. V.W.P, the virtual artist group made up of KAF, RIM, Harusaruhi, Isekaijoucho and KOKO, will be playing on the first day. On the second day, virtual singer KAF, just 20 years old, will be putting on a solo show titled Kaika.

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The event will be a special feature in the ongoing SINKA LIVE series of live shows put on by virtual artists on the Kamitsubaki label. With the first day of the event approaching, Billboard Japan talked to the performers about their ambitions for the show.

KAF, how have you been preparing for the event? 

KAF: I can’t go into a lot of detail yet, but I can present myself in different ways in my performances, so I’ve been talking a lot to my team about what approach to take to make the show the most fun for the audience. I’m also practicing singing a lot!

KOKO, what are you looking forward to the most about playing at the Yoyogi 1st Gymnasium?

KOKO: Needless to say, I’m excited about playing in a venue as big as the Yoyogi 1st Gymnasium, and I’m looking forward to seeing what it looks like from the stage. In the virtual world, I have a lot of opportunities to connect to fans through the screen and the net. This time, though, people will be taking time out of their schedules to come to see V.W.P in person, gathering together in one place, so I’m looking forward to seeing everyone face-to-face at the venue.

Could you talk a little about the “Versus” artist collaboration stage performance?

KOKO: My opponent in the “Versus” stage will be CIEL. Normally, we stream together in the Kamitsubaki Diplomacy Division. So usually, she feels like a colleague, not an opponent. We’re both former brass band members, and when it comes to music, we both have our own strong preferences and musical expertise. I’ve got no idea what kind of positive chemistry it’s going to produce when we perform together. Maybe it’ll turn into a tense musical battle? I guess people will just have to come and see.

RIM, how are you feeling as the show approaches? 

RIM: For now, what I need to do is to get Haru (Harusaruhi) to unwind. Recently, I’ve been practicing the choreography for “Resonance” so I won’t make any mistakes (laughs). Everybody’s all hyped for the event, and we’re already giving it our all, starting with the rehearsals!! I’m also looking forward to my part as a guest performer.

Isekaijoucho, what do you think about the SINKA LIVE show series?

Isekaijoucho: Everything about SINKA LIVE is innovative. It’s a whole new type of live show. Everything, from the virtual space to the connected stories, is majestic and beautiful, but at the heart of all of it is our own music. To share our songs, we need to have a place to serves as our starting point, along with a certain spirit. SINKA LIVE shows allow us to dive deep inside ourselves. We’re setting out to discover our true selves, which are the same in both the virtual and real worlds. What will we find through this exploration? How deep will we go? I think each of us has found our own answers to these questions. At V.W.P 2nd ONE-MAN LIVE “Phenomena II – Witch Expansion”, we’re going to be giving it our all, singing true-to-life songs with all our heart, as only the five of us can.

Harusaruhi, could you share a little about the unique qualities of the members that make up V.W.P?

Harusaruhi: KAF’s voice is wonderful, clearly delivering her message straight to listeners. It stands out for its almost spoken feel, a really natural mode of expression. RIM has a stylish, relaxed, soft singing voice. I find it really catchy, and it makes mid-tempo songs truly shine. Isekaijoucho isn’t just a singer, but also a creator, and I find her originality to be enthralling. I also love her unique voice. KOKO has a wide singing range. She can sing songs from any genre. She also puts on wonderful live shows, making a lasting impression on anyone who watches her perform.

How has V.W.P evolved since it was initially formed?

RIM: All of us members have grown even closer, and the way we combine our voices has evolved!!!  At some point we lost our initial awkwardness. We still have our five distinctive voices, but now they mesh smoothly in our songs. Each of us brings our own unique strengths and we combine them into a unified whole. The process was so steady I didn’t even notice it at the time, but looking back, we’ve evolved a lot.

KAF, your previous main composer, Iori Kanzaki, was part of your process of deepening your sound. When he parted ways with the label, you also ended your Fukakai series of live shows, which you began in 2019. Your solo show, Kaika, on the second day of Kamitsubaki Yoyogi Wars 2024, could almost be seen as chapter two of Fukakai. What do you think the highlights will be?

KAF: In this new show series, I’m of course preparing performances that will go above and beyond what everyone is imagining. I think I’ll be able to put on a show that highlights both the changes I’ve made and the parts I’m keeping the same. At last year’s Nippon Budokan performance, I called on various guests to sing together with me on stage. This time, as well, there will be an exclusive, one-time collaboration that people will only be able to see at Kamitsubaki Yoyogi Wars 2024. I hope a lot of people come to see it.

Is there anything you try to do when collaborating with guest performers?

KAF: When I sing a song by an artist I like, the first thing that comes to mind is their singing style. When I think about how I want to sing the song, I find myself setting the original artist’s own style as the standard. But it’s important that I sing in my own way. The question is how best to combine the two. I’m really looking forward to trying out different approaches in the show.

KAMITSUBAKI STUDIO has changed immensely while constantly progressing. It now has quite a few creators.

KAF: When I first started my creative work, I didn’t know much about the virtual world. However, over time, I’ve gone beyond just songs. Now, there are a lot of different elements that make up the artist known as KAF. A lot of people’s efforts combine to make me what I am, but I’m the one who speaks. Since realizing that, I’ve started to think deeply about just what I am.

I feel like that question ties into the title Fukakai, which is Japanese for “inexplicable.”

KAF: The title Fukakai also contains a sense of “unknown.” There are a lot of times in my artistic activities where I find myself confronting the unknown. For example, with the upcoming show at Yoyogi 1st Gymnasium, just how big will it be? How many people will come? I know the numbers, but they don’t really give me a visceral sense of what it will actually be like. Sometimes, on stage, I don’t know exactly how the performance is going. But the fact that I don’t know means that I simply have to have faith. I can move forward, trusting my own predictions and hopes. I think this is something I’ve discovered through this series of shows. It’s really strengthened my belief in myself.

Streaming tickets can be purchased here.

—This interview by Mio Komachi first appeared on Billboard Japan

Number_i’s “GOAT” blasts in at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Jan. 10.
Number_i is the new group formed by members Sho Hirano, Yuta Jinguji, and Yuta Kishi, three former members of King & Prince. The trio’s first digital single dropped on New Year’s Day and launched at No. 1 for downloads, radio airplay, and video views, while coming in at No. 15 for streaming with 4,801,615 weekly streams. First-week figures for the track placed it far ahead of the song at No. 2 on the Japan Hot 100 — Ado’s “Show” — with downloads hitting 64,321 units (3.8 times the number for “Show”) and 7,243,154 video views (2.3 times).

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Songs that enjoyed exposure on year-end music programs continue to rise on the charts this week, with two iconic live shows — the 65th Japan Record Awards and the 74th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen — greatly influencing the action.

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Ado’s “Show” slips to No. 2 after extending its record to 13 weeks at No. 1 last week. The long-running hit comes in at No. 2 for downloads and streaming, with the former racking up 16,740 units (up 14%) and the latter 10,318,975 streams (up 0.6%). Radio jumped 24-11, indicating that the track is also being played on platforms other than ground-based TV broadcasts.

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YOASOBI’s “Idol” comes in at No. 3, also boosted by a jaw-dropping staging of this monster hit track on NHK’s year-end live music extravaganza, with more than a dozen A-list J-pop and K-pop idol groups, dance teams and individuals gracing the stage to assist the superstar duo’s first-ever live performance of their global hit on TV. The record-holder for most weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 is on the rise again, with downloads up 67% to 16,740 units (No. 3), streaming up 13% to 10,571,870 streams (No. 1) and video up 11% to 2,341,628 views (No. 3). Like Ado’s “Show,” the Oshi no Ko opener has gained new fans through its year-end exposure. 

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Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Que Sera Sera,” winner of the 2023 Grand Prix at the 65th Japan Record Awards, rises to No. 4 after jumping 17-7 last week. Points for streaming increased significantly, up 23% with 7,759,163 views, indicating that the song is reaching a new generations of fans. “Dance Hall,” which the three-man band performed on Kohaku, rose 18-12 this week, and like Vaundy’s “Kaiju no Hanauta” — a karaoke favorite that continued to chart in the upper tiers of the Japan Hot 100 throughout last year after the 23-year-old performed it on Kohaku in 2022 — Mrs. GREEN APPLE could have another hit song in the making this year.

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Other notable chart-movers powered by year-end TV performances include 10-FEET’s “Dai Zero Kan” (21-13), ATARASHII GAKKO!’s “OTONABLUE” (32-20), NewJeans’ “Ditto” (46-22) and Aimyon’s “Ai no Hana” (79-27), all enjoying surges in metrics including downloads, streaming, radio, video, and karaoke.

The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.

See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Jan. 1 to 7, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.

SPY x FAMILY CODE: White, an animated film featuring the beloved characters of the popular manga and anime series, has quickly become a box office smash in Japan after hitting theaters Dec. 22. Japanese hitmaker Gen Hoshino wrote the ending theme for this movie, as he did for the TV series, and this new song “Why” is the title track of his latest single.

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The 42-year-old artist’s new project also features “Life” — the theme song for this year’s World Athletics Championships and the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China — as the other title track, and includes “Odd Couple” a song written for the popular Japanese comedy duo Audrey for their event at Tokyo Dome, and the instrumental track “Beyond the Sequence” featured in a TV commercial that he appears in. The J-pop superstar sat down with Billboard Japan and looked back on his headspace in 2023 while breaking down the production process of the tracks on this new single.

“Why” is the ending theme song for SPY x FAMILY CODE: White. How did you feel when you were tapped to write this song?

Gen Hoshino: First, I thought it was interesting that the ending theme would be revealed on the day of the movie’s release. I wrote “Comedy” (the ending theme for SPY x FAMILY Season 1) with the sound of 2000s hip-hop in mind, so when I was asked to do the theme for the movie, I wanted to make sure that the feel of the music was connected at the base. For “Why,” I went further back and combined the R&B/hip-hop beats of the early ’90s with the R&B medium ballads of the late ’80s as the track’s soundscape.

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R&B and hip-hop from the late ’80s to early ’90s comprise your musical roots, don’t they?

They’re the music of my youth, to be exact. Oh, but I guess the late ’80s could be considered part of my roots. A lot of the songs featured as anime themes that I listened to growing up were heavily influenced by Western music, and I wanted to do something like that now. Take “Romantic Ageruyo” from Dragon Ball as an example. The opener is energetic and easy for kids to understand, but out of nowhere the ending theme is a grownup love song that suddenly throws you off. But that wistfulness stays with you and when you grow up, you get what the lyrics are saying. That sort of thing.

I grew up on jazz and R&B music of the same era because my parents liked to listen to them, so they’re stuck in my mind as the same kind of music. A lot of hip-hop tracks from the ‘90s sample R&B from the ’80s, and I wanted to make a song with that kind of connection in mind. That was how “Why” first came about.

The lyrics to “Why” lay out the premise that “people eventually disappear,” and ask the question of “why we still try to create more memories.” Could you elaborate on this theme?

The soundscape is a throwback to the ‘80s and ‘90s, and in the lyrics I decided to depict what happens after “Comedy” which was sonically inspired by the 2000s. Since the movie is about a trip, I actually went on a trip myself. I went to Kanazawa alone, and felt like I gained many things from the time I spent at the D.T. Suzuki Museum, and the time I spent walking around the city.

I was feeling pretty depressed this year. I didn’t feel any hope or have positive feelings at all. When I think about it, I think it might have been kind of a backlash, a reaction to the three years of the pandemic and how I’d worked so hard during that time.

Restrictions stemming from the pandemic have been lifted this year, so maybe the mental fatigue of the past three years set in.

I was in a state of “nothingness,” and no matter what I wrote, it didn’t feel right. After my trip to Kanazawa, I decided to write a song without thinking about the tie-in, and the first thing that came to me was the A-melo (first verse) of “Why.” That really felt right, and from that point on, my current situation — my own troubles and trials, the things I wanted to overcome — linked to the movie. People die eventually, and if you think about it on the level of thousands or tens of thousands of years, human society will surely collapse. When you consider it that way, it doesn’t matter what anyone leaves behind or what they do, it’s all meaningless. But why was I so moved by the sunset I saw in Kanazawa? Why did I find the ripples of water at the D.T. Suzuki Museum interesting? Why do people take pictures to preserve their memories when they travel? These thoughts led to the characters of SPY x FAMILY, three people and a dog, who each have their own traumas, being together as a family.

“Life” feels like it has the power to uplift the listener’s mind and body, and I also felt a connection with “Why.”

I didn’t intend to connect them at all, actually. [Laughs] I thought the lyrics to “Why” would be more light-hearted, but a lot of thoughts went in as I was writing it. I wasn’t originally planning to release these two songs as a single, so they just happened to connect when I completed them.

Music-wise, I heard you had gospel in mind. The song contains the fundamental power of human performance and singing, like the raw sounds of the drums and saxophone.

Sounds with physicality come across in a direct way. That, and I also really like music programming and editing. Up until my early thirties, I was more interested in physicality and used to think that it’s better to have people (performing the music), even with mistakes and errors. I started being drawn to programming and synthesizers later on. There’s definitely an energy that comes out of programmed music. For the drums, Shun Ishiwaka played what I’d programmed. There’s something moving about a human performance that tries to imitate and outdo machines. It’s a mixture of human and machine-like qualities.

The footage from your “so sad so happy” Curated by Gen Hoshino at SUMMER SONIC BEACH STAGE from this year’s SUMMER SONIC music festival will be streamed on the Amazon Music Japan channel on Twitch. Jacob Collier, Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest), Camilo and UMI performed at the event. Looking back now, what are you thought on this project?

The first half of this year, I spent all of my days at home doing stuff like write songs, then suddenly I was outside and it was crazy hot. [Laughs] I managed to get through it, and it’s a great memory of this summer. I couldn’t be more grateful to be able to do whatever I wanted on one of the stages at SUMMER SONIC. I’d met everyone before except for Camilo. I invited my friends, so the day’s performances were linked in that sense, and it must have looked different from a typical festival. And they all gave great performances, so that was really moving.

–This interview by Tomoyuki Mori first appeared on Billboard Japan

Ado’s “Show” holds at No. 1 after returning to the top spot last week to log its 12th leader on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.
On the chart dated Dec. 27 tallying the week ending on Christmas Eve, “Show” passed the 11-week record held by Gen Hoshino’s “Koi” and is now eyeing the 13-week record held by Official HIGE DANdism’s “Subtitle” for most week at No. 1. (The all-time record for most weeks at No. 1 is 21 weeks, held by YOASOBI’s “Idol.”)

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Streaming for “Show” decreased by approximately 6% from last week to 9,707,241 streams, but continues to rule the metric for the 14th consecutive week. The track also holds at No. 1 for video views (12th straight week), rises 3-2 for downloads with 10,210 units, and moves 7-9 for karaoke.

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“Anti Confiture” by ≠ME (Not Equal Me) debuts at No. 4 on the Japan Hot 100. The eighth single by the girl group launched with 216,440 CDs to hit No. 1 for physical sales. Following at No. 2 for sales is HKT48’s “Bucket wo Kabure!” with 183,540 first-week copies. The girl group’s 17th single bows at No. 5 on the Japan Hot 100.

As mentioned earlier, this chart week ended on Christmas Eve and as always during the holiday season, Christmas- and winter-themed songs surged on the Japan Hot 100 powered mainly by radio airplay. 13 songs charted this year, surpassing 2022’s record of 11 songs. Here’s a list of this year’s winter-themed entries:

No. 2 “Kissin’ Christmas (Christmas dakara janai) 2023” Keisuke Kuwata & Yumi Matsutoya No. 6 “Christmas Song” back numberNo.10 “All I Want for Christmas Is You” Mariah CareyNo. 21 “Christmas Eve” Tatsuro Yamashita No. 24 “Santa Tell Me” Ariana GrandeNo. 25 “Shiroi Koibitotachi” Keisuke KuwataNo. 41 “Merikuri” BoA No. 42 “Heroine” back numberNo. 44 “Last Christmas” Wham!No. 57 “silent” SEKAI NO OWARI No. 69 “WINTER WITHOUT YOU” XGNo. 90 “Itsuka no Merry Christmas” B’z No. 99 “Koibito ga Santa Claus” Yumi Matsutoya

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“Kissin’ Christmas (Christmas dakara janai) 2023” by Keisuke Kuwata & Yumi Matsutoya shoots to No. 2 after the CD dropped Dec. 20. This song was originally written for the Merry Christmas Show, a now-legendary music program Kuwata spearheaded in 1986. It was remade for this release and the Southern All Stars frontman and “Koibito ga Santa Claus” singer-songwriter newly recorded their duet. The song ruled radio, sold 25,639 copies in its first week to hit No. 4 for sales, and came in at No. 7 for downloads with 5,131 units, giving the two iconic hitmakers their highest-ranking song so far on the Japan Hot 100.

back number’s “Christmas Song” from 2015 rises 11-6 this week to break into the top 10 again for the third consecutive year during the same season. This year, the track entered the top 20 on the chart released Dec. 6 and gradually climbed the ranks. This week the evergreen pop-rock love song reaches No. 5 for streaming with 6,976,101 streams, which is an increase of about 3% from last year’s peak (6,715,894 streams). The track comes in at No. 32 for downloads with 1,789 units, No. 7 for radio, No. 8 for video, and tops karaoke for the first time this year.

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Meanwhile, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” also rises 35-10. The Queen of Christmas’s modern standard comes in at No. 3 for radio, behind Tatsuro Yamashita’s iconic seasonal favorite, “Christmas Eve.” Carey’s Yuletide hit comes in at No. 11 for streaming with 5,089,233 streams, No. 28 for downloads with 1,857 units, and No. 29 for video. 

The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.

See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Dec. 18 to 24, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.