Billboard Japan

Japan-based boy band ONE N’ ONLY — consisting of members EIKU, TETTA, REI, HAYATO, KENSHIN, and NAOYA — recently digitally dropped its bouncy new single “Good Day.” The six-member dance and vocal unit has been steadily expanding its global fanbase, particularly in Asian and South American countries, through their unique style of music they’ve coined “JK-pop” that blends the best qualities from both genres.

Billboard Japan caught up with the members for the first time since they performed in front of their fans in Brazil at the end of July. The members chat about “Good Day” and share their thoughts on the danceable tune, plus give away some behind-the-scenes details about its recording and choreography in this latest interview.

You recently released your new song “Good Day.” Could you tell us a bit about this cheerful, uplifting number?

NAOYA: It’s like we’ve added another track to our repertoire of cheerful numbers such as “Video Chat,” “LUCKY” and “HOLIDAY.” “Good Day” is a song that really looks great performed live and can be presented in a different way from the other songs I just mentioned. It’s just a lot of fun to dance to. It brings out the members’ genuine expressions. It’s also unusual in that it starts and ends with the A melody (first verse). I’m pretty sure it’ll becomeone of our signature songs in the future. 

It’s very addictive.

REI: Yes, it is. I think it’s a song that really goes straight into people’s hearts. I want it to be the kind of tune where people think, “Yes!” when they hear the intro at a concert.

EIKU: I really like the choreography of the chorus. The part where the members dance facing each other just makes me smile, and I tried to make the song feel fresh and spontaneous in my own way when we recorded it. 

You make eye contact one-on-one?

KENSHIN:  We do, a lot!

NAOYA: I’m on the outermost end of the formation, so I get to make eye contact with KENSHIN, then look other way and make eye contact with SWAG [the group’s fans]. It’s one of the fun parts of the song, so I’m looking forward to performing it live as much as we can.

How do you feel when you face each other individually like that?

KENSHIN: It cheers me up! I love seeing the other members faces close up like that. But when I make eye contact with EIKU, I always crack up.

EIKU: He twitches his eyebrows. He tries to make me laugh.

KENSHIN: I also make eye contact with NAOYA, and he looks at me like, “How’s this?” [Laughs] We goof off like that, so fans are encouraged to look out for those moments.

REI: HAYATO is over there looking like he has nothing to do with this conversation, but he’s the one who makes the weirdest expressions.

HAYATO: I don’t deny it. [Laughs]

TETTA, anything you want to add about the track?

TETTA:  I really like the A melody(first verse) too. Actually, I heard that our choreographer came up with the dance for this part by imagining me dancing to it. The soft spot I have for this part has grown even more after hearing that. Besides, the choreographer praises me every time I dance to it.

KENSHIN: We all tend to thrive on praise.

TETTA: Yeah! Praise us! 

Do you all often praise each other? 

REI: We often praise TETTA after he finishes singing. Also, HAYATO’s rapping is really awesome. I was surprised at how much he evolved during the fall tour. But in Sapporo, he called SWAG “twag.” [Laughs]

HAYATO: I did my best to pretend it didn’t happen. [Laughs] That was my first time performing a solo on stage, and since it was my own idea, I was still sort of pondering what to do. That was part of the reason why I got nervous onstage and blurted out “twag.” It was pretty vexing so I was super careful during the rest of the performance. [Laughs]

KENSHIN: No, you really did better with each performance. The final was even more amazing with the added emotion.

REI: You’re always quick to praise, KENSHIN.

TETTA: The momentwe finished “STARLIGHT~Mirai no Tobira~,” you came over to tell me it was great and it made me so happy.

KENSHIN: I can’t hide my feelings. I want to communicate my thoughts every time.

Getting back to the subject, HAYATO, tell us your favorite part of this song.

HAYATO: I like the part where REI sings, “Life goes on, risou o koete (beyond ideals).” His voice matches and it feels so good. It really does go “beyond the ideal.” I’d like everyone to listen carefully to that part along with the lyrics.

REI: Sweet. You pointed out what I was aiming for! Actually, that part is deliberate and I’m singing at full volume while staying relaxed.

HAYATO: So that’s why it feels “beyond the ideal”! After that, you tighten it up with “ready.”

REI: Thanks for saying all that. [Laughs]

HAYATO: The cadenced way you handle the ending of each line is really cool, too.

REI: I learned that from TETTA.

Did you decide who sings which parts by yourselves?

TETTA: The writer of the song had all the parts laid out at first, but we discussed things among ourselves and changed it while were recording it.

REI: My part we spoke about just now used to be EIKU’s at first, right?

EIKU: Yeah. But REI’s voice fits better, and since I’m in charge of the beginning of the chorus, it’s better to have someone else do it. REI’s voice adds a really nice touch to the song.

KENSHIN: It turned out really well. It’s really great because EIKU’s chorus brims with encouragement and respect for those who live and work hard every day, and it can be interpreted as us saying, “Let’s keep on growing together from now on.” It’s heartening and uplifting so I recommend listening to it in the morning.

NAOYA: First thing in the morning is good.

KENSHIN: Recently I’ve been challenging myself to play this song the moment I wake up and get ready to leave the house during the three minutes it takes to finish. Everyone should give it a try!

NAOYA: That sounds pretty thrilling. [Laughs]

—This interview by Kana Yoshida first appeared on Billboard Japan.

Official HIGE DANdism‘s latest single “Subtitle,” released Oct. 12, has become a record-breaking hit in Japan.
On the Billboard Japan Hot 100 songs chart dated Nov. 9, 2022, “Subtitle” took the No. 1 position for a third consecutive week. In its streaming metrics, which serve as signposts of major hits, it came in at No. 2 on the chart dated Oct. 19 (with 9,905,294 streams), No. 1 on Oct. 26 (18,116,526 streams), No. 1 on Nov. 2 (20,781,069 streams), No. 1 on Nov. 9 (21,044,966 streams), and No. 1 on Nov. 16 (21,377,507 streams).

The number of streams just keeps going up and up and up. For the week tracking Nov. 7 to 13, the song had 29,935,364 streams — the second-highest number of streams for any song on the chart ever, surpassed only by BTS‘ “Butter,” which was released on June 2, 2021. It’s also the first time in Japan Hot 100 history that a song has had over 20 million plays for three weeks in a row. There’s no question that “Subtitle” is one of the leading hit songs of the Japanese music scene in the latter half of 2022.

“Subtitle” is a winter ballad written as the theme song to the dramatic TV series silent. The members of the band read the script treatment and actual script for the show, which are completely original. The story and the show’s message resonated with the band, which is why they decided to write the show’s theme song. silent is a love story focused on protagonist Tsumugi Aoba (played by Haruna Kawaguchi) and her former boyfriend, So Sakura (played by Snow Man’s Ren Meguro). The bittersweet and endearing tale of Sakura, who begins to gradually lose his hearing at the age of 18, Aoba, who works to accept the changes he is undergoing and rebuild her relationship with him, and Nana Momono (played by Kaho), who was born deaf, has attracted a diverse audience. The show itself has become one of 2022’s outstanding programs, with playback numbers that sweep away previous record-holders on TVer, the television broadcast service for over-the-air broadcasters. The synergy between the show and its opening theme is boosting the hit’s trajectory. It’s an ideal tie-up.

The choice of the name “Subtitle” for the theme song of this drama about meeting again in a soundless world shows the respect they have for the series.

“Subtitle” begins with the line “‘Pouring the sun into your frozen heart’ and ‘That’s what I’ll be for you,’” sung by Satoshi Fujihara (vocals and piano). The way the song launches straight into the vocals without an intro shows a modern sensibility, but the structure of the song itself is pure J-pop: verse, bridge, chorus, soft chorus, middle eight. HIGE DAN’s strengths, like chord progressions which make effective use of modulation and dramatic melody lines, are taken to a new height, producing a song that is pleasant yet never goes stale. Care was also taken with the arrangement, and the colorful guitar phrases and rhythm line, with its deep bass tone, make quite the impression. Another of the appeals of this song is the musical skill shown by Daisuke Ozasa (guitars and chorus), Makoto Narazaki (bass and saxophone), and Masaki Matsuura (drums and chorus).

Coming in at over five minutes, the song is unusually long for a modern song, but thanks to the quality of the melody and the intricacy of the song’s design, it never overstays its welcome. The reason the number of plays keeps rising is that the song has so much depth — every time you listen to it, you discover something new.

What enthralls listeners the most about “Subtitle,” though, are its lyrics. The core of the strong is the powerful love the singer feels toward “you,” and the frustration they feel about not being able to convey that love. The lyrics artfully express how words spoken to convey one’s feelings vanish the moment they are uttered, as epitomized in the phrase “words are like snowflakes.”

This emotion peaks in the line “Even more than saying I love you, I want to say wait, just a moment more, until you feel my love.” The struggles faced by the singer end, unresolved. They do not take any concrete action. But the love the singer feels for “you” is true and without question, and the singer wants to share their feelings, moving “your” heart. Listening to the song, you feel these emotions ring pure and clear.

Immediately after the song’s release, people started posting their interpretations of the lyrics on social media and in YouTube comments. “I love the lyrics. I’d rather feel the kind of love where two people support each other than love that’s a one-way street. If I have to experience the lowest of the lows in life, that’s the kind of life I’d rather lead.” “I feel like the lyrics to ‘Subtitle’ really affect the way I see love…but shift them a little, at the same time.” “No matter how you try to express yourself, if your emotions aren’t of the same intensity, your ability to communicate your feelings will suffer. But you can’t give up on sharing what you feel in your heart.” Comments like these are testament to how the words to “Subtitle” resonate with the experiences and memories of listeners, and how they feel like the song is their own song.

Official HIGE DANdism has produced countless hits, including “115man Kilo no Film,” “Pretender” and “I LOVE…” “Subtitle” will surely become one of their new standards, thanks to the quality of its music and the profundity of its lyrics. It will become a leading J-pop winter ballad of the 2020s, continuing to enthrall listeners for years to come.

—This article by Tomoyuki Mori first appeared on Billboard Japan.

Kenshi Yonezu‘s recently released new song, “KICK BACK,” was created as the opening theme of the TV anime series Chainsaw Man. Yonezu wrote the music and lyrics himself, and Daiki Tsuneta (King Gnu, millennium parade) joined him to work on its arrangement.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“KICK BACK” has taken the charts by storm. The song debuted at No. 1 on the Oct. 19-dated Billboard Japan Hot 100, and is creating waves around the world, having become the first song by a Japanese artist to make it into Spotify’s Top 50 Global daily song ranking.

Chainsaw Man, based on a comic by Tatsuki Fujimoto, is the story of Denji, a Devil Hunter, who enters a contract with a Chainsaw Devil that enables him to turn into “Chainsaw Man” to fight devils and Fiends. Part 1, the “Public Safety Arc,” was published in Weekly Shonen Jump starting in 2019, and Shonen Jump+ began publishing Part 2, the “School Arc,” in July 2022. The anime adaptation has drawn a great deal of interest because it was produced by MAPPA, which is also responsible for Jujutsu Kaisen, Yuri!!! on Ice, and Attack on Titan, and because the ending themes of each of its 12 episodes were written by different artists, such as Vaundy, Zutomayo, and Aimer.

In the interview below with Billboard Japan, Kenshi Yonezu discusses the creative process behind “KICK BACK.”

What was your initial response when they asked you to write the opening theme to Chainsaw Man?

Yonezu: I’d always wanted to write it. When I read the comic, I’d often think about what kind of theme I’d write for it if they made an anime adaptation. When it was actually decided that I’d be the one creating the theme for the show, I was overjoyed. I’d been thinking about what kind of song I’d write before anyone had even brought up the possibility of my actually writing it.

What do you like about Chainsaw Man?

Yonezu: In the comic, demons are constantly hurting people in grotesque ways. The world it depicts is a very serious one, but the central character, Denji, is, how should I say this…just an idiot. Denji’s presence turns this negative environment and serious story into a comedy. That makes it really fun. It’s about a guy with no education working really diligently and seriously and just making a total mess of things. I’d never seen anything like that before, and it’s just delightful.

You said that even before you were approached, you’d been thinking about what kind of music you’d create. What were your first ideas?

Yonezu: First, I wanted to go with drum and bass. There’s still a bit of that in “KICK BACK,” but during the demo stage it was crazy drums with long synth phrases, true drum and bass style.

How did you start actually going about writing the song?

Yonezu: I started by meeting the director and the people on the anime production end. I remember the director asking that I “make the song like a roller coaster.” Lots of transitions, with dramatic changes between parts, so it felt like different songs. A song with big differences between the highs and lows. He wanted a song that would fling you around, and before you knew it the song would have ended. At first, it felt like he was talking about something really difficult, but when I thought about it more, I realized that the word he used, tencho, could be used to refer to both a change of key and also to a change in the tone of the music. I didn’t know which one he was asking for, so I decided to do both.

Chainsaw Man can be looked at from all kinds of different directions. Which aspects of it did you try to express through music?

Yonezu: The thing that jumps out at you first about Chainsaw Man is its grotesqueness. Denji rips apart all kinds of things and kills devils in gory ways, and those blood-spattered depictions stand out. Since I was writing the opening theme, I thought it would be good to make a song that unfolds Chainsaw Man and provides an overview of the story.

Also, Chainsaw Man‘s story is one of betrayal after betrayal, and at the heart of this story you have this complete idiot, Denji. It constantly skates the line, teetering on the edge of completely breaking down with this really pop sensibility. It’s a really thrilling comic, so I thought it might be great to express that feel in the music. 

Kenshi Yonezu

Courtesy Photo

“KICK BACK” has a line, “Doryoku, Mirai, A Beautiful Star” (“Hard Work, Future, A Beautiful Star”) that’s from the Morning Musume. Song, “So Da! We’re ALIVE.” What gave you that idea?

Yonezu: Pure intuition. I don’t know why, but I just wanted to do it. I had my heart set on using that line no matter what.

The song came out in the year 2000. Did you listen to it back when it was new?

Yonezu: Yes. It was the music of my generation, so I listened to it a lot when I was in elementary school. During the chorus of “So Da! We’re ALIVE,” they sing “Shiawase ni naritai” (“I want to be happy”). The way they sing it is like “Shi—yawase.” That really jumped out at me when I was a kid. Instead of pronouncing it “shiawase,” they pronounced it “shiyawase.” Sometimes when my friends and I were playing, we’d just sing that part at each other, and it really made a strong impression. When I started working on the opening theme to Chainsaw Man, I remembered that. Once those two things connected, the rest flowed faster. I listened to the Morning Musume. song again and I was like “It’s gotta be this.” If I was going to write the opening theme for Chainsaw Man, I had to sample this, there were no two ways about it.

The chorus has lyrics like “fill it up with happiness” and “fill it up with luck.” Would you say that “happiness” is a key word?

Yonezu: Denji was born in just dire circumstances, and I think when people are confronted with that kind of misfortune, they stop thinking about specifics. It’s more like “I just want to be happy.” They don’t think as far as “Well then, what should I do to become happy?”  That’s why I felt I needed to go with simple words like “happiness” and “luck.”

You and Daiki Tsuneta worked together on the arrangement of the song. You two have long been close friends, but what led you to working on this song together?

Yonezu: Once, when Daiki and I were drinking together, we got to talking about Chainsaw Man, and we were like “It’s awesome! What a great comic!” One day, after they approached me to write the opening theme, I went drinking with Daiki again, and I said, “Hey, come to think of it, I’m doing the music for Chainsaw Man. Do you want to do it together?” It was a really casual process that lead to the collaboration.

What essence did Tsuneta add to the song?

Yonezu: I was really impressed with him yet again. My demo took a stoic drum and bass approach, but he gave it an extra boost by adding a rough, hoodlum-like feel.

Kenshi Yonezu

Courtesy Photo

KICK BACK is already creating quite a stir in Japan and overseas. What are your feelings on reactions to it, including its activity in the charts?

Yonezu: I’m happy to see it. Above all else, I think Chainsaw Man is wonderful. The opening animation, especially — I’d say it’s the best of any anime I’ve ever seen.

I’m sure that there are people overseas who’ve learned the name “Kenshi Yonezu” thanks to this. You, as an artist, have been highly influenced by young adult comic and animation culture. I think one of the notable features about modern Japanese pop culture is having musicians like you writing the theme songs for anime. What do you think you’ve taken from young adult comic and animation culture? What aspects of that culture do you carry on in yourself and your work?

Yonezu: I’d originally wanted to be a comic creator. It’s not so much a case of comics influencing a musician as someone who wanted to be a comic artist but ended up being a musician instead. So, inside me, I still have that child, that pre-teen, that wanted to be a comic creator. I drew comics since I was little, but then I switched to music, so I’ve never really experienced failure in my comic aspirations. If I’d really tried to become a comic creator, I’d have had all kinds of different experiences. Maybe I’d have brought my creations in to an editor, who would point out problems and issues, and I’d think, “I guess I just don’t have any talent when it comes to comics.” But I’ve never experienced that, so there’s still a part of me that thinks that maybe I am a comic creator — that maybe I’d be better at comics than at music. I don’t feel like a musician that was influenced by comics, but more like someone who has kept writing music as if he were writing comics. So the two are tied up really tightly together.

You drew the Chainsaw Man illustration on the artwork of the single. What meaning or ideas went into it?

Yonezu: The first version had three figures on it — Denji, Aki Hayakawa, and Power. But when I looked at the finished version, I thought, “No, that’s not right.” So then I decided to go with a movie poster-like visual, which is what led to the final jacket illustration. The composition, with the arm, was influenced by the poster for Parasite. On the Parasite poster, there are these legs jutting into the poster from the side. I like the disturbing feel that creates. When I applied that sense of disquiet, that cool tone, and that feeling of miserableness to Chainsaw Man, the jacket illustration is what came out.

What are your feelings on the style Tatsuki Fujimoto uses in Chainsaw Man?

Yonezu: There are elements of the story that really evoke sympathy. Partly because we’re around the same age, I feel like we’ve seen similar things in our lives. He has an amazing imagination, and the artistic ability to bring it all to life. He creates things that only he could. I think he’s a rare genius.

–This interview Tomonori Shiba first appeared on Billboard Japan.

In January, HIP LAND MUSIC launched FRIENDSHIP. DAO, an artist-driven Web3 community project that is a pioneering initiative for the Japanese music industry. The profit structure of the music industry is changing, and FRIENDSHIP. DAO aims to bring together all those who support artists and music, creating a community that can lead to multiple collaborations through ongoing musical activities. We talked with Yuto Uchino from The fin., who is active not only in Japan but overseas as well, and Shacho from SOIL & “PIMP” SESSIONS, about FRIENDSHIP. DAO’s potential and ideals.

Jay Kogami: What led you to create FRIENDSHIP. DAO?

Yuto Uchino: I’ve been part of the digital distributor FRIENDSHIP., serving as a curator, since it was first launched. When I was working with my team to develop a broad range of ideas for a DAO, I realized that the FRIENDSHIP.’s activity philosophy had a lot in common with DAOs. FRIENDSHIP. DAO began when our team decided to use a DAO to address problems which couldn’t be solved with Web2.0, and to solve as yet unresolved problems faced by the music market, which has developed along the lines of music streaming. This all happened at the same time that overseas independent artists were starting to generate buzz by releasing their music using NFTs. A growing number of people around me were investing in cryptocurrency, so I was kept constantly abreast of information about Web3. However, even then, I realized that there wasn’t much affinity between NFTs and music.

Kogami: What do you mean?

Yuto Uchino: Most of what people were talking about in relation to NFTs were high value transactions. However, when music was released using NFTs, you didn’t hear about whether it actually reached people; whether they shared it; whether they heard it. These kinds of questions went unanswered.

Conceptually, a DAO is created and operated as a new organization. Unlike existing structures, in which everything is focused on platforms operated by large companies, like streaming services and YouTube, in the DAO, we created a new organization focused on the music itself, connecting different people and pointing to a new future for the music industry. In particular, with FRIENDSHIP.DAO we want to use Web3 technologies to visualize and restructure the human networks that are so hard to see in the industry.

Kogami: What specific music-related problems do you think Web2.0 has been unable to address?

Yuto Uchino: For a lot of indie artists, streaming on streaming services does not translate into actual sales. CDs also sell less, and it’s making it harder to raise money for activities. In the music streaming business, the flow of money has become concentrated and centralized, making it harder for indie artists and DIY artists to raise funds. This centralized distribution of money has weakened the underground and indie scene, and there are fears that the whole framework of new music creation may break down.

Kogami: Shacho, what do you think?

Shacho: We’re targeting both fans in Japan and overseas, and the way people access music overseas is totally different from Japan. Overseas, artists are constantly announcing fresh new songs on Bandcamp, and this has become an established approach. Artists around the world on the frontlines of the jazz scene are releasing new works and achieving strong sales and physical distribution, simultaneously, across national borders. The distribution system is very different in Japan. Looking from the outside at the speed with which things move overseas, it’s very frustrating not to be able to take part in it.

Kogami: Bandcamp’s service was created based on the music framework that was in place before the rise of streaming, so it’s interesting to see that it still draws so many artists and fans.

Shacho: Bandcamp has social media functions, too, so you can see songs that were purchased by famous DJs or by other people whose musical tastes are similar to your own. It fuses the best parts of Web2.0 and traditional media.

Kogami: One of the things you’re trying to do with FRIENDSHIP.DAO is to create sustainable revenue streams for all kinds of artists. What kind of approaches do you think you can use to achieve that?

Yuto Uchino: When talking about generating revenue and compensation, one major problem is that, under Japanese law, you cannot use cryptocurrency for transactions. If this issue was addressed, it would make it easier for Japanese artists popular with overseas audiences and active in overseas music scenes to connect with people outside Japan.

To enable artists to make money on FRIENDSHIP.DAO, we’re envisioning introducing a point system. We’re thinking about setting things up so that when work or collaborations are performed, points are assigned based on people’s actions. We’d like to use cryptocurrency for payments in the future.

Kogami: Who can take part in the DAO?

Yuto Uchino: In its first stage, it’ll be artists that are releasing music through FRIENDSHIP. In the future, we also plan to open this up to foreign artists. Then we’ll expand the scope to all kinds of people working in the music industry. The way we see the DAO as being used is for contributing to communication between people working in the industry, stimulating business. Ultimately, we’d like to make it possible for listeners to participate as well, directly connecting the people who listen to music with the artists that create it.

Kogami: What, specifically, is your first goal? 

Yuto Uchino: We’re not looking at trying to achieve profitability in the DAO’s first stage. Instead, we want to reinforce the elements that serve as communication tools, helping participants broaden their networks. Our goal is to connect talented people, skilled engineers, and people with specialized knowledge, who are buried in the industry’s current structure, by relaying job offers and giving them the right to take part in projects. The decentralized organizational structure of a DAO will change the methods by which people take part in musical activities and projects, and will change how they contribute at a personal level. I think this organizational structure is a great fit for the music market.

Kogami: If you were able to find promoters outside Japan, you’d want to collaborate on projects with them, right?

Yuto Uchino: FRIENDSHIP.DAO would create synergy by visualizing networks of people overseas who can support Japanese artists. We also plan to make it possible to credit them in artists’ works. With FRIENDSHIP.DAO, we’re employing a mechanism to visualize credits by recording them in a blockchain.

Kogami: What hopes do you have for the Web3-native artists and creators that we’re likely to see in the future?

Shacho: As a creator, I want to see them create music with even better sound quality. However, in the music streaming era, the mainstream approach is now to create music with low audio fidelity, optimized for the speakers of mobile devices. I’m very curious to see if Web3 creative activities restore the value placed on audio quality. I’m also interested in how musical experiences and entertainment will be created for the metaverse. Of course, real-life, live music will live on. We can’t allow it to disappear. I’m just worried that, as musical experiences become more divided, such as through VR performances in the metaverse, audio quality might degrade even further.

Yuto Uchino: Future generations of artists won’t just be able to access music around the world, it’ll also become commonplace for them to collaborate with artists throughout the globe. Creators will connect with each other regardless of their countries and where they’re active, so we’ll see new, unprecedented music being made. I’m looking forward to hearing the music created through these collaborations. I also want to get started on these kinds of creative activities myself.

Shacho: I think that Web3 will be a great fit for Japanese artists and bands with a strong overseas focus. Translation technology has also evolved quite a bit, so the language barrier is shrinking. Using DAOs and NFTs and communicating in English from the very start will, I think, turn into a way to connect with the world at large.

–This article by Jay Kogami first appeared on Billboard Japan.