Billboard Japan
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Billboard‘s International Power Players list recognizes the leaders that are driving the success of the music business in countries outside the United States. Avex’s CEO, Katsumi Kuroiwa, was chosen from the music industry leaders of the world for inclusion in the list for the second consecutive year. Billboard Japan interviewed Kuroiwa upon his selection for the list and talked with him about the response to ONE OR EIGHT and the issues Avex faces when creating global hits.
You were selected for inclusion in the Billboard International Power Players in recognition of AEGX’s success in bringing artists like Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift to perform in Japan. It seems like this collaboration with AEG has truly gained steam in the post-pandemic era.
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Katsumi Kuroiwa: In February, Taylor Swift played four days of shows in Tokyo Dome. There was huge demand for tickets, both from Japanese and overseas fans. There was particularly high demand from overseas fans, primarily in China and Southeast Asia, so I think the shows also had a major economic impact.
The newspapers were talking about it, too.
Kuroiwa: Taylor Swift’s only stops in Asia were Tokyo and Singapore, so the shows really drew a lot of attention. We need to make sure that when major artists like that come to Asia on tour, they never skip Japan, no matter what. For artists, performing in Japan is somewhat of a status marker, so we communicated closely with AEG members to provide a high level of hospitality.
In last year’s interview (https://www.billboard-japan.com/special/detail/411), you said “we can shift from these being isolated successes to a tide that creates a new market.” Just recently, boy band ONE OR EIGHT made their debut and took the top spot on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart dated August 28. How do you see the response to the band?
Kuroiwa: Last May, we strategically invested in S10 Entertainment, a U.S.-based management company, through Avex USA, and we reinforced our overseas expansion efforts. As part of that, ONE OR EIGHT has also been coordinating closely with Avex USA. Their debut song, “Don’t Tell Nobody,” was produced by David Stewart and OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, and the band is being managed by an international team with members from the U.S., Japan, and Korea.
Creating a global hit song is extremely difficult, but we’re not one of the big three record companies, so without going after foreign revenue, I don’t think we could survive.
Do you think anime tie-ups are essential to producing global hits?
Kuroiwa: I want a hit anime tie-up so badly I can taste it (laughs). I’ve been really impressed with Creepy Nuts and YOASOBI. Of course, simply releasing a tie-up isn’t all there is to it. It’s also important that the tie-up matches the artist’s vibe. The scale of exports from the anime industry is totally different from the music industry, so I think anime plays an important role in expanding the global reach of Japanese music.
In September 2023, we launched the Global Japan Songs Excl. Japan chart, which ranks Japanese music that’s become a hit overseas. I feel like Japan’s music industry has kicked it into higher gear. Physical media sales still account for a lot in Japan. Do you think there’s any potential for physical media sales in the global market?
Kuroiwa: I think it depends on the country and the artist. I recently went to Korea, for the first time in a while. They’ve seen a lot of growth in CD sales over the past few years, but not because people have gone back to listening to music on CD. Instead, CDs are seen as merchandise, and there has been some discussion about whether or not those sales should be reflected in music rankings. I was surprised to hear that one artist recently sold their CD with an artist-branded CD player. I heard that it sold extremely well, and 30 or 40 percent of the people who went to shops to buy it were Japanese. But the values people have, and the way they listen to music, varies by country, so it would be hard to successfully apply that same approach in the U.S., for example.
What potential do you see for Japanese artists?
Kuroiwa: Looking at the Billboard JAPAN charts, I see a lot of different things going on. There are times when an artist will take a top position in the first week after their debut but then fall immediately out of the rankings, but on the other hand you have artists like Mrs. GREEN APPLE that stay on the charts week after week. For Avex, Da-iCE has been releasing steady hits recently.
Going forward, we’ll be putting even more energy into our overseas efforts, but we need to keep creating hits inside Japan, too. I think the biggest pitfall to avoid now is immediately setting out to take on the overseas market as soon as an artist has had a little success in Japan. The approach used in creating a hit in Japan is totally different than that used to create a hit in the U.S., and (the industry) needs to change the way they think about that.
Japanese anime and games have achieved some degree of market share worldwide, but for music, there’s still a long way to go. What challenges do you think the Japanese music industry still faces?
Kuroiwa: Compared to games and anime, Japan’s music industry has only recently really tried to take on the global market. Japan’s video game consoles saw the world as their market from the very start, and the Anime Expo has been going on for over 30 years now. These industries have been engaging with the world and establishing their own cultures.
If I could digress for a moment, we operate Anime Times, an unlimited anime streaming channel, together with companies like Kodansha, Shueisha, and Shogakukan. In expanding it overseas, the biggest challenges we’ve faced have been subtitling and casting voice actors. There have been discussions about the potential for AI to help resolve these problems. If viewers could watch anime in their local languages, but with the voices of the original voice actors, that could further boost exports. So I think the anime industry still has a lot of potential for future overseas growth.
When it comes to music, though, I feel like the number of artists who create music with overseas audiences in mind is still incredibly small. The industry is based around production in Japan—achieve success in Japan and then set your sights on the international market, that sort of thing. I think that’s what’s keeping Japanese music from spreading organically worldwide.
The way you make music differs completely based on what markets the artists and staff are looking to. Over the past few years, a lot of artists have been trying to tackle overseas markets, and those efforts have created a foundation of taking on these challenges. We’re also seeing a gradual increase in the number of successes. As more and more artists achieve overseas success, they’ll form a critical mass that will play an important part in the content industry.
In Korea, this was achieved through the public and private sectors working together. I want us to look to their example as we strive to take on overseas markets ourselves.
Avex has continued to grow by actively partnering with foreign companies like AEG or S10 Entertainment. Are there any philosophies you share with your employees regarding the future growth of your business?
Kuroiwa: Yes, “always generate buzz” and “keep taking on new challenges.” I believe that if our employees do the kinds of things that make friends and family members say “Your company is amazing,” this will, ultimately, contribute to improved business performance. Another is our tag line, “Really! Mad+Pure.” People aren’t receptive to “mad” alone, and “pure” alone doesn’t generate buzz, but I think our company has a good balance of both.
We’re a newcomer to the Japanese recording industry, founded in 1988. We found openings during the height of the CD sales boom, working passionately to do things that nobody else was doing. I tell our employees that it’s vital that we never lose that mentality of looking for new openings and taking on new challenges.
—This interview by Seiji Isozaki and Naoko Takashima first appeared on Billboard Japan
Hoshimachi Suisei surprised passersby in Shibuya, Tokyo on Monday (Sept. 30) by appearing unannounced at Udagawa Crank Street in Center Gai for a compact set promoting her upcoming new single. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news With over 2.4 million subscribers on her channel, Hoshimachi Suisei is […]
Hey! Say! JUMP‘s “UMP” shoots to No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Oct. 2, selling 221,762 CDs in its first week.
The lyrics for the eight-member group’s 34th single was written by sumika’s Kenta Kataoka. The track was powered by physical sales (No. 1) and radio airplay (No. 6) and hits No. 1, becoming the group’s 31st chart-topper. The last time Hey! Say! JUMP ruled the Japan Hot 100 was in May 2022, with its single “a r e a.”
Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac” holds at No. 2. About six months have passed since the Oblivion Battery opener was released, and while the track is slowing down in most metrics of the chart’s methodology, radio is up by about 1.4 times this week, rising from outside the top 100 to No. 68. The former No. 1 hit continues to dominate streaming (15 consecutive weeks) and video views (three consecutive weeks). The three-man pop band also has another song in the top 10 this week, with “Dance Hall” jumping 20-9.
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back number’s “to new lovers” also holds at No. 3 this week. The final episode of the drama series the song serves as the theme — Umi no Hajimari — aired during the chart week and streaming increased slightly, while other metrics decreased slightly. The former No. 1 song has been charting for eleven weeks and has spent four straight weeks in the top 10.
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Kocchinokento’s “Hai Yorokonde” rises 7-4. Most likely due to the music producer’s appearance on CDTV Live! Live! on Sept. 23, downloads are up 112%, streaming up 101%, and radio up 154% from the week before. The viral hit has remained in the top 10 for 11 straight weeks, coming in at No. 3 for downloads, No. 8 for streaming, No. 3 for videos, and No. 19 for karaoke this week. The track also made headlines recently when the accompanying music video reached 100 million views on Monday (Sept. 30). The singer-songwriter is set to make his second appearance on CDTV Live! Live! on the show airing Oct. 7.
Creepy Nuts’ “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” rises a notch to No. 5. Radio for the MASHLE Season 2 opener is up 128% and the former No. 1 mega-hit has now been in the top 10 for 37 consecutive weeks.
Kenshi Yonezu’s “Sayonara, Mata Itsuka!” is back in the top 10, after the full version of the animated opening sequence of the highly acclaimed biographical legal drama series it serves as the theme dropped ahead of the final episode last week. All metrics increased from the week before: downloads is at 142%, streaming 105%, radio 480%, video 162%, and karaoke 106% week-over-week.
The second installment of “NOW PLAYING JAPAN,” a conference and networking event held by Billboard Japan and Luminate on domestic and international music consumption trends and marketing, was held at Billboard Live Tokyo on Sept. 18.
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At this event, representatives from Billboard JAPAN and Luminate gave presentations on the latest music consumption trends in Japan and abroad. In addition, Tatsuya Hori of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry appeared as a guest speaker. Using the recently released “Report on the Music Industry’s Business Model for a New Era” as a basis, Hori explained the current status and challenges for Japanese artists to expand overseas. The following is a report on the event.
Presentation 1: Scott Ryan (Luminate)
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Scott Ryan, Executive Vice President of Luminate, took the stage first to introduce the latest trends in music streaming: In the first half of 2024, global on-demand audio streaming increased 15.1% compared to the previous year, which is equivalent to approximately 300 billion new streams. Among countries in the APAC + ANZ, Japan has displayed a steady increase of more than 10% in streaming, while several countries in Southeast Asia have shown growth of 20-30%. He also touched on listening trends that vary by country, including preferred genres (in Japan, “jazz,” “rock,” and “soundtrack” are over indexing compared to other Asian countries), the #1 source of music discovery (streaming in Indonesia, SNS in the Philippines, and TV in Japan), and differences in engagement with “foreign content” (95% in the Philippines, 74% in Singapore, and 57% in Japan). He also explained a snapshot of Japanese Gen Z music listeners: 44% of Gen Z listeners encounter music via streaming, are 1.4 times more likely to listen to music shared by friends on SNS than Japanese music listeners as a whole, and 27% less likely to listen to music from overseas.
Ryan concluded his presentation by giving three key points: “Streaming numbers are increasing globally, but the way people enjoy new content differs from country to country, so it is necessary to devise marketing plans and approaches accordingly”; “The way people encounter new music differs by region and generation, so for effective targeting, it is important to have smart information”; and “Streaming is still on the rise, and there are opportunities for growth on a global scale across regions.”
Presentation 2: Helena Kosinski (Luminate)
Helena Kosinski, Luminate’s Global Vice President, presented the challenges and new solutions for the industry in assigning key music data identifiers and metadata, including ISNI, ISRC and ISWC, with examples from Japan. While the assignment of music data identifiers is becoming more widespread in the industry, the importance of ISNI is not yet fully understood. In addition, there are cases where incorrect information is linked due to duplication of artist names and song titles, and where multiple identifiers are registered for the same song. Furthermore, songs having identifiers that are unknown to the rights holders is also an issue. As a result, there are many recordings that are not linked to the correct rights holders (lyricists, composers, etc.), and royalties are not being accurately distributed. In fact, it appears that 16.25% (approximately $120 million) of the royalties that were due to be paid by the MLC in 2022 have still not been distributed as of 2024.
As a solution to these issues, Luminate acquired Quansic, a service that collects multiple identifiers and consolidates them in one place, in February 2024 to improve the quality of metadata. Kosinski spoke about the importance and benefits of having correct metadata, with an explanation of this service. For labels, the benefits of having ISNI are “increased visibility and clarity of content on DSPs,” “increased promotional opportunities such as additions to official playlists (as songs with more complete metadata are preferred),” and “getting paid quickly and correctly”. In a test case conducted by Luminate, the number of streams also increased by 6-18%.
Benefits for DSPs through Quansic included improved search accuracy on the platform, support for artist names in other languages, and the ability to distinguish duplicate artists by adding more than twice as many new identifiers. For music publishers, the benefits include securing royalties from all the songs and recordings they manage, automatic recognition of new releases in their catalogs, and better predictability of future revenues. A test case for a publisher showed a 3-18% increase in streaming numbers. Kosinski concluded by giving “metadata is hard” and “fix the problem before you lose royalties” as key points, and urged a free evaluation with Luminate.
Presentation 3: Tatsuya Hori (METI)
Tatsuya Hori, Consulting Fellow at the Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI), Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), gave a presentation on “The Potential of the Japanese Music Market” based on the “Report on the Music Industry’s Business Model for a New Era”, which was released in July 2024 and attracted wide attention both within and outside the industry. The “content industry,” which includes music, is growing remarkably on a global scale. In Japan, overseas sales are comparable in scale to exports from the steel and semiconductor industries, and the high economic ripple effect has led to the recognition that this industry could become a key industry in Japan and drive economic growth. Based on this premise and the data used in the report, he indicated that the characteristics of the Japanese music industry are the “diversity and accumulation of music”.
He also noted that, since streaming has become the center of the global music industry, overseas expansion and digitalization are two sides of the same coin, and that it is essential for the music business to respond quickly to the digitalization of the industry. He also stressed the importance of creating an environment that facilitates the activities of creators who are engaged in production and distribution on their own.
Presentation 4: Seiji Isozaki (Billboard Japan)
Seiji Isozaki of Billboard Japan, gave a presentation on current trends in the world of Japanese music based on the Global chart data for the first half of 2024. In particular, he pointed out that compared to the first half of 2023, the share of Japanese music is increasing in the U.S. and South Korea, and that the share of new releases at the top of the charts is rising in line with the attention paid to anime and game releases. He explained the importance of understanding the market structure of each country and the importance of “increasing resolution” in order to create hits in Asia & globally.
In the U.S. and South Korea, “Artists who increased the number of streams per day and increased their market share” and “Artists who increased the number of streams per day and increased their market share in the corresponding countries” were respectively presented in comparison to the previous year. Names such as Azumi Takahashi, known for her singing in the “Persona” game series, PSYCHIC FEVER from EXILE TRIBE, and eill were mentioned.
Text: Haruki Saito, Maiko Murata
Fifty-eight artists and 29 DJs took the stage at a special outdoor venue in Odaiba, Tokyo, over the weekend (Sept. 21 & 22) for the hip-hop festival THE HOPE. Day 2 headliner Awich performed a blistering nine-track set, including her latest single “Are you serious?” being featured as the theme song for the Netflix series […]
Hinatazaka46’s “Zettaiteki Dairokkan” blast in at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Sept. 25.
The J-pop girl group’s 12th single sold 546,483 copies in its first week to rule sales, while coming in at No. 16 for downloads, No. 98 for radio airplay, and No. 82 for video views to take the top spot on the Japan Hot 100 by a narrow margin. The single is Hinatazaka46’s seventh No. 1 hit and the first since “Bokunanka,” which topped the tally in June, 2022.
Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac” rises a notch to No. 2 this week. Streams for the former No. 1 hit are up 104% from the week before, while downloads are up 124%, video up 108%, and karaoke up 110%. The track has been cruising along at No. 1 for streaming for 14 consecutive weeks, and also tops video for the fourth. Total streams for the track is currently at 249,797,859, and is expected to sail past the 250 million mark next week.
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The three-man pop band released the film Mrs. GREEN APPLE // The White Lounge in CINEMA in theaters on Sept. 13, which may be why the group’s catalog has climbed the chart this week. 15 songs are charting on the Japan Hot 100, with 13 including “Que Sera Sera,” “Ao to Natsu,” and “Dance Hall” increasing in points from the previous week.
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Last week’s No. 1 song, back number’s “to new lovers,” drops to No. 3 this week. While points for sales are down following the CD release week, streams have shown only a slight decrease (97%), and karaoke is on the rise (117%).
Three songs including this week’s chart-topper debuted in the top 10 this week. Pandadragon’s major label debut single “Night Before A Dance” bows at No. 5 and FRUITS ZIPPER’s “NEW KAWAII” at No. 10.
Outside the top 10, Kenshi Yonezu’s “Sayonara, Mata Itsuka!” jumps four rungs this week, probably because the highly acclaimed historical legal drama it serves as the theme — Tora ni Tsubasa — is ending this week and a special program focusing on the series and the hitmaker’s songwriting (Tora ni Tsubasa x Kenshi Yonezu Special) recently aired. Downloads for the former No. 2 hit nearly doubled (1.9 times) compared to the week before.
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 Sept. 16 to 22, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English X account.
HARU NEMURI will launch the U.S. leg of her Flee from the Sanctuary Tour on Saturday, Sept. 28. Her U.S. tour will kick off from Seattle, following into San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Brooklyn, and finishing at Reggies in Chicago on Oct. 15. Tickets are now on sale for all shows here. “When I felt […]
back number’s “to new lovers” returns to No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Sept. 18, scoring its second week atop the tally.
The theme song of the drama series Umi no Hajimari (“beginning of the sea”) was released digitally on July 15 and hit No. 1 on the chart dated July 24 after topping downloads (24,432 units) and radio airplay and coming in at No. 4 for streaming (7,532,578 weekly streams). The veteran three-man band’s latest hit gradually slipped 5-7-8-9-14-16 on the list, then returned to the top ten last week at No. 7. The CD single dropped Sept. 11 and powered the track back to the top spot with 25,170 copies sold in its first week. Other metrics for the poignant ballad have gone up as well, with streams at 102%, radio at 489%, video views at 154%, and karaoke at 112% week-over-week.
WEST.’s “Maaikka!” debuts at No. 2. The 23rd single by the seven-member boy band that celebrated its tenth anniversary on Apr. 23rd topped sales with 246,731 copies sold. The track also ranked No. 36 for radio and No. 73 for video.
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Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac” slips to No. 3 after scoring its second week at No. 1 last week. While it drops a few rungs on the tally, overall points for the track have increased, with downloads at 102%, radio at 193%, and video at 101% compared to the week before.
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Bowing at No. 4 is OCHA NORMA’s “Chihayaburu.” The Hello! Project girl group’s fourth single sold 108,690 copies to hit No. 4 for sales, while coming in at No. 19 for downloads and No. 100 for radio.
HKT48’s 18th single “Boku wa yatto kimi wo shinpai dekiru” (“I can finally worry about you”) launches at No. 5, selling 152,017 copies to hit No. 2 for sales, but didn’t enter the top 100 in any of the other metrics of the chart’s methodology.
Elsewhere on the chart, Southern All Stars’ “Jeanne d’Arc ni yoroshiku” debuts at No. 11. The theme song for TBS Sports 2024 topped downloads and radio this week.
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 Sept. 9 to 15, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English X account.
Billboard Japan’s Women in Music initiative began in 2022 to celebrate artists, producers and executives who have made significant contributions to music and inspired other women through their work. The WIM interview series has highlighted female players in the Japanese entertainment industry, with the first 30 conversations released in book form as a Billboard Japan Presents collection by writer Rio Hirai.
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As the project strives to shed light on the status quo of the Japanese entertainment industry and to explore ways the working environment can be improved for women and everyone involved, it welcomes views from people of diverse backgrounds. For the latest installment, Hirai interviewed Kiyoshi Matsuo, an award-winning music producer who began his career as a music writer from his university days and switched to producing in the late 1990s.
A prominent figure in the industry as one of the driving forces behind the R&B and soul music movements in J-pop, Matsuo has contributed to numerous hits including those by MISIA, Hikaru Utada, SPEED, and more. Also known for his opinions on politics and other topics often avoided by the majority in the business, the outspoken music producer and writer shared his views on some of the issues he sees in the Japanese entertainment industry while opening up about the journey of how he formed his current stance on the topics he feels strongly about.
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You speak out on various social issues inside and outside the entertainment industry while working as a music producer. When did you first become aware of such issues?
Until the late 1990s, I used to work mainly as a writer and journalist introducing Western music to Japan. I’d spend a third of the year in the U.S. and U.K. doing interviews and then bring the material I collected back to Japan to write articles. I used to incorporate almost all of what I covered in my writing, but it was hard to find media that would carry articles with political and social content.
When I was doing those interviews, the most exciting discussions I had with artists were about politics and social topics. For example, even when I made the appointment to talk about a new album, if the U.S. presidential election was coming up, the topic of conversation would be all about the election. The music I was fascinated with — R&B and soul — is the music of African Americans. For them, the matter of who would become the leader of the country was very important, and they probably always felt the connection between politics and society and their own lives.
Not being able to write about what those artists felt was important back in my own country was frustrating, but I gradually became busy with my career as a producer and stepped back from doing interviews. Ever since then until now, I’ve felt at various times that something was wrong with society, and now that I’m at this age, it’s like I finally feel it’s about time I said something about it.
You hail from the southern island of Kyushu, which is one of the regions in Japan that’s said to have a wide gender imbalance. Why did you become interested in gender gap issues even though you were born and raised as a privileged, healthy male in such an environment?
Vessels like the family you were born in or the company you work for aren’t the only things that nurture a person’s spirituality. Regardless of the environment you were raised in, I’m sure you encounter many people who bring you awareness even after you reach adulthood.
In my case, I got into soul music through jazz, which my father liked, and then encountered hip-hop, considered to be the newest music at the time, and became interested in African-American music in general. Eventually it became my job, and as I engaged in dialogue with people from various walks of life, I began to learn and think about the history and thoughts in people’s backgrounds. I’m a Japanese man living in Japan, married with children, and sometimes people say I’m living the life, but through music, I’ve always tried to imagine the views of the oppressed and those being controlled.
I see, so your perspective on society changed through music.
In my case, yes. But Japan today might not be too different from those days when I couldn’t write about artists’ political views as a journalist. Writer and philosophy scholar Ataru Sasaki tweeted on X the other day about how “after repeated calls to ‘not bring politics into music,’ we’ve brought the worst kind of politics into music.” Instances where Japanese acts come under fire for creating music videos using historical figures that instigated invasions and massacres are precisely the result of having eliminated social perspectives from music. I’m an optimist at heart, but I think the notion to “not bring politics into music” is probably connected to the country’s loss of international competitiveness.
From the late 1990s you shifted your focus to producing music, and it feels like the artists you helped launch their careers — SPEED, MISIA, Hikaru Utada, etc. — sang about themselves as self-reliant individuals, which was a clear departure from the trend of the “idol” singers that had been the mainstream up to that point.
Songs by idol singers at the time were mass products aimed to become mega-hits, so they reflected the largest common denominator of the public’s preference. So it could be said that those songs were heavily tinged with the thinking around gender roles in Japan at the time.
On the other hand, if the female R&B singers I helped as part of the team had one thing in common, you could say they all seemed to be walking on their own two feet. R&B itself is of course a genre that’s been around for a long time, and in the late 1990s when it was first gaining momentum in Japan, the top 10 songs on the U.S. pop charts were almost entirely dominated by R&B. Japanese artists were also looking up Janet Jackson, Lauryn Hill, and TLC in their heyday. And those new J-pop artists weren’t being made to sing songs that other people wrote, and that probably led to that sense of being self-reliant.
I wonder if one of the reasons why the gender imbalance in the Japanese entertainment industry continues to exist is that the public doesn’t seem to be very interested in mature female artists, meaning it’s a matter of capacity and literacy on the side of consumers.
People who grow up watching Japanese idol singers in their adolescent years, being taught that “this is how girls are supposed to be,” most likely aren’t going to start listening to mature female artists after they outgrow those idols. I feel that nowadays, people prefer songs that are easy to understand rather than those with a mature perspective. I like lyrics written by Rokusuke Ei (“Ue wo muite aruko,” aka “Sukiyaki” etc.) and Michio Yamagami (“Tsubasa wo kudasai” etc.), and they often depict profound emotions that make you feel like you’re watching a movie in a three-minute song. Sometimes I want to try that kind of approach, but don’t get the kind of reaction I’m hoping for when I do, perhaps because people aren’t looking for perspectives with depth and delicates gradation in new songs.
There’s also the long-standing reality of management positions in the Japanese music and entertainment industry being dominated by men. What do you think is necessary for women to thrive in the business?
I think it’d be better to institutionalize a system to guarantee a certain percentage of women, like the French Parité Law (that mandates the equal inclusion of men and women on lists of candidates). When I was interviewing artists in the U.S. in the ‘80s and ‘90s, I sometimes heard from African Americans in their 30s and 40s that they were the first among their relatives to be admitted to college through affirmative action, even though they came from families that had been forced into slave labor long ago. They told me passionately that their mission was to write songs about what they’d seen as someone living in such an era. Affirmative action means taking positive steps to eliminate discrimination, and in Japan where the gender gap index is so low, I think that’s necessary.
Yes. Like the way music opened your eyes to the distortions of society, it can be a very effective approach in changing people’s minds. That’s why the structure of the industry that produces it must change.
During the pandemic, we often heard the phrase “fuyou fukyuu” (unnecessary and non-urgent). It’s true that music and entertainment can be considered unnecessary and non-urgent. But if politics and economics are the major arteries, music gives flexibility to people, like capillaries. A society that lacks flexibility and openness is cramped and suffocating, don’t you think?
—This interview by Rio Hirai (SOW SWEET PUBLISHING) first appeared on Billboard Japan
On Billboard JAPAN’s “Niconico VOCALOID SONGS” 2024 mid-year ranking, announced on June 7, Yoshida Yasei’s “Override” took the top spot. This chart tracks the popularity of Vocaloid songs on Niconico, ranking the top 20 based on data such as the total number of plays, the total number of videos, the number of comments, the number of likes, and other figures, multiplied by coefficients developed by Billboard JAPAN. Chart results have been published on a weekly basis since December 7, 2022.
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Sasuke Haraguchi’s “HITO Mania” took the No. 1 spot on the “Niconico VOCALOID SONGS TOP20” for the first time on September 20, 2023, keeping its position for 18 consecutive weeks, a new record for the chart. This had a huge impact on the Vocaloid scene. However, on the January 24, 2024 chart, “HITO Mania” was dethroned by Yoshida Yasei’s “Override,” failing to reach the 19 week mark. What’s important to note is that while jon-YAKITORY’s “Konton Boogie,” Sasuke Haraguchi’s “Medicine,” and nbaji’s “Sukina Souzai Happyou Dragon” then took the number one positions, “Override” made a comeback, claiming the number one position once more. This is a testament to the song’s tremendous momentum. It combines a catchy, distinctively Vocaloid, unforgettable melody with lyrics that can be taken as lampooning society itself, taking the position that there’s no way to know what lies beneath the things people say. The music video, featuring Kasane Teto, makes quite the impression, packed with net memes. The popularity of “Override” also got a boost from derivative works.
◎Yoshida Yasei’s “Override”
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Not only have there been changes in the sound of Vocaloid songs, but also in the voice synthesis software used to make them. For example, KAFU, which was released as CeVIO AI voice synthesis software in July 2021, was based on the voice of KAMITSUBAKI STUDIO’s virtual singer KAF, and its use became a major trend starting in 2021. The Niconico VOCALOID SONGS chart has included Tsumiki’s “Phony” (2021), Hiiragi Magnetite’s “Marshall Maximizer” (2021), and Iyowa’s “Kyu-kurarin” (2021), all of which feature KAFU. In addition to Yamaha’s VOCALOID, there is now a growing range of voice synthesis software, including VOICEROID, CeVIO AI, and Synthesizer V. This wide selection has led to more diverse music.
The mid-year chart for 2024 has been taken by storm by songs featuring Kasane Teto in particular. There’s Yoshida Yasei’s “Override” (No. 1), Sasuke Haraguchi’s “HITO Mania” (No. 2), Sasuke Haraguchi’s “Medicine” (No. 3), 32ki’s “Mesmerizer” (No. 6), nbaji’s “Sukina Souzai Happyou Dragon” (No. 7)… The chart is top-heavy with songs that use Kasane Teto. A major reason for this boom is the commercial release of Synthesizer V AI Kasane Teto on April 27, 2023. This voice synthesizer, which can produce more human, realistic vocals, began as an April Fool’s hoax: in March 2008, users on the 2channel message board announced the creation of new Vocaloid software named “Kasane Teto.” Coincidentally, the free UTAU voice synthesis software had been released in March of the same year. With UTAU, it was possible to use the voice of Mayo Oyamano, who provided the fake vocals for the prank, as a voicebank. With this, Kasane Teto was launched as an “official” voice synthesizer. As if to celebrate the 15th anniversary of this serendipitous beginning, the chart for the first half of 2024 is packed with Kasane Teto songs, whether made using the Synthesizer V version or the UTAU version.
Listening again to the songs in the chart, a few other interesting commonalities spring up. The first that stands out is the way that net memes and common phrases are sprinkled throughout. For example, these include “Override,” whose video appears to be a homage to Surii’s “Telecaster B-Boy,” “HITO Mania,” which takes a poke at modern society using familiar, cut-and-pasted expressions, and “Konton Boogie,” which includes the nostalgic 2000’s meme “What is that? Does it taste good?” From the early days of the Vocaloid scene until around 2015, lyrics were often direct, telling a story, as can be heard in ryo’s “Melt” or Scop’s “Irony.” However, in recent years, Vocaloid songs have had a growing tendency to use metaphors, symbolism, and difficult lyrics. We live in an age in which the things that people say are often taken in isolation, divorced from their context, shared and spread, and interpreted in unintended ways. Perhaps this is what is behind the new trend of Vocaloid lyrics becoming strings of abstract expressions. In the comments, people provide various interpretations, attempting to unravel the messages lurking within these abstractions. The massive hit “HITO Mania” typifies this, with deep lyrics that can be seen as skewering society, carried by a clipped audio backing. Its lyrics bear wide room for interpretation.
◎Sasuke Haraguchi’s “HITO Mania”
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The Vocaloid scene, which sprang from Niconico, is very welcoming to all kinds of derivative works, such as dance and vocal covers. “Sukina Souzai Happyou Dragon” took the No. 4 spot in the Neta Kyoku Tokosai (“Joke Song Festival”) category in VocaColle 2023 Summer. Parody comics and art by artists like the manga creator Sakamegane caused it to trend on X (Twitter), and its popularity exploded. User-generated content now holds the key to becoming a hit, and in some cases creators themselves actively encourage the creation of derivative works. For example, in the comments of his video “Override,” Yoshida Yasei provided tips for creating derivative works. nbaji wrote in the description box of his own videos that derivative works and parody songs were welcome. Moves such as these have accelerated the sharing of the songs. The killer tunes of the Vocaloid scene aren’t just the product of high musical quality, but involve various interwoven factors, including derivative works.
The chart for the first half of 2024 features many unique songs with the unique passion and individuality so typical of Niconico. It will be one to remember and it’ll be interesting to see what kinds of new killer tunes will one day dethrone them.
—This article by Mio Komachi was planned for publication in June 2024, but Niconico service was suspended due to a cyberattack, and is instead being published in September 2024