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Fujii Kaze will livestream the first of his back-to-back shows at Kanagawa’s Nissan Stadium set for Aug. 24 and 25, entitled Fujii Kaze Stadium Live “Feelin’ Good,” on his official YouTube channel. These stadium performances are expected to draw 140,000 fans over the two days. To commemorate the YouTube livestream, the “Kirari” star will also […]
&TEAM’s “Aoarashi” debuts atop the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Aug. 14, giving the nine-member boy band its first No. 1 on the tally.
The title track from the HYBE LABELS JAPAN group’s second single dropped Aug. 7 and sold 461,863 CDs during its first week, more than its first single, to hit No. 1 for sales. The track also comes in at No. 16 for downloads, No. 45 for video views, No. 71 for radio airplay, and No. 78 for streaming.
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Staying at No. 2 for the fourth straight week is Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac,” with downloads down slightly at 90% week-over-week, streaming at 99%, and video at 94%, while radio is up 198% and karaoke up 102%.
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Creepy Nuts’ “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” is back at No. 3, seeing increases in downloads, radio, and karaoke, while slowing down in streaming and video.
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Boku ga Mitakatta Aozora’s “Supea no nai koi” bows at No.4. The title track off the girl group’s third single launched with 68,355 copies after dropping Aug. 7, surpassing both its first and second singles and debuting at the highest position on the Japan Hot 100 for the group.
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Kocchinokento’s “Hai Yorokonde” continues to edge up the chart, this week moving 9-5 to break into the top 5. Debuting at No. 97 on the list released June 26, the viral hit has reached its current position after seven week on the tally. While views for the talked-about video is slowing down, downloads and streaming have increased 144% and 112%, respectively, from the previous week.
Perhaps due to the scorching summer heat in Japan, points for karaoke have increased across the board this week. The top 24 songs, including Vaundy’s long-running hit “Kaiju no Hanauta” at No. 1, held their respective positions while points increased for all.
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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 Aug. 5 to 11, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.
On April 27 and 28, Ado performed two shows at the National Stadium, entitled [Ado SPECIAL LIVE 2024 “Heart”].
She had just finished [Wish], her first world tour, which took her to Asia, Europe, and the U.S. She carried that momentum with her into the “Heart” shows. This was the first time a female solo artist had ever performed at the National Stadium, whose extensive renovation project ended in November 2019. Tickets for the two day event sold out immediately, and 140,000 people were there to see this historic moment. On the first day of the shows, Ado made a vow.
The show began with the sound of a guitar — the bridge part of the song “KokoroToIuNaNoFukakai.” The volume gradually rose, accompanied by the audience clapping in rhythm, creating a sense of unity. The sound of a heartbeat pulsed through the stadium, followed by a dynamic opening movie, raising expectations. And then Ado herself appeared on stage, above the band, in a box-shaped cage. Her intimidating voice boomed out “What is just? What is folly? I’ll show you.” The first song, unleashing a tidal wave of excitement, was her major label debut, “Usseewa.” The heavy, almost metal-sounding instrumentation and the powerful, shouted lyrics blended to produce a new song that went far beyond the original. It was the kind of sonic world that only Ado could create. A song needs to touch your heart. That’s far more important than how intelligible its lyrics are. This was brought home by the song “Tot Musica.” Ado’s awe-inspiring voice was an embodiment of the movement of the smoke shown on the enormous center screen. The impact of her voice commanded the stadium, like venom, a work of art in itself. Although her singing frequently dipped into growling vocals, it maintained an exquisite balance, never sounding coarse. Her aesthetic sensibilities never faltered.
In contrast to the energy of these two songs, she set a more mature mood with “Lucky Bruto,” which she sang laying on her back, one leg raised high, and “Domestic De Violence,” which she performed laying down, putting on a sensuous dance. In “Aishite Aishite Aishite,” her natural expressiveness shined to its fullest. As if possessed by the song’s protagonist, she held nothing back, expressing the true tragedy of the piece. Every time her vocals seamlessly shifted from a keen voice, sharp as a blade, to a beautiful singing voice, the audience broke out in goose bumps, breath bated. The song climaxed with her shouting out the lyrics “I am so happy! AAAAHHHH!” The crowd broke out in loud exclamations of admiration as her screams paired with the frenzied, flashing lights and the visuals, which faithfully reproduced the feel of the song’s music video. It was an unforgettable moment.
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Her cage rose into the air as she sang “Kagakushu,” followed by “Motherland,” which featured expert vocalization, supported by the crowd clapping to the rhythm. In “Gira Gira,” her rhythmic steps evoked the image of tap-dancing. The cage came down to its original position and a new arrangement of “Eien No Akuruhi” began. Ado’s voice was a genuine expression of a young girl’s mind, like a princess dancing with a prince at a ball. Then the audience looked up at the night sky as one in a moment of reflection on the memories of their youth. As the ballad drew to an end with a majestic outro that was far longer than anyone had been expecting, drones took to the open sky above the National Stadium, depicting a heart, the line of a heartbeat monitor, and then Ado’s symbol, a blue rose, accompanied by fireworks. The crowd broke out in cheers.
A euphoric Ado then performed “I’m invincible,” wearing a large, billowy dress. Her performance made it evident how deep her understanding of the song was, and showed the richness of her expressive abilities. She reproduced every ounce of feeling that went into the song, down to the finest details. In “Readymade” and “Kura Kura,” the crowd sang along. This was followed by the bittersweet “Chocolat Cadabra,” where a wild spirit and dynamism intertwined. On “Value” and “Hello Signals”, her voice was relaxed and smooth, heightening expectations of what was to come. There were many moments in the show in which one felt oneself drawn in by Ado’s humanity and rich expressiveness, demonstrated not only in her almost scream-like vocals, but also in each and every movement of her vivid dancing. Sometimes powerful, sometimes delicate, her steps were always elegant.
Once freed from her cage, she sang “Ibara,” followed by “Show” and “Odo,” the frenzied peak of the night. Stepping one level lower on the stage, she swaggered from one edge of the stage to the other. Flames shot into the air, the crowd clapping in rhythm along with Ado’s flexible voice. Ado’s vitality was truly moving.
Speaking to the audience, Ado reflected on [Wish], her first world tour, how she used that experience in her “Heart” performance, and how the tour made her come to love Japan even more.
“I came to really feel how important it was for the people of the world to learn about what a wonderful country Japan is, and to learn of our culture. I want to become an even bigger global presence, and I hope people can learn about what a great country this is through me.” “I swore to myself that if I could achieve this, I’d bring joy to the people of Japan, whether it be through music or something else.”
The title of these shows, “Heart,” represents all of the feelings people have: anger, pain, temptation, transience, sorrow, joy, reminiscence. At the same time, Ado explained, it represented the Vocaloid and utaite culture that led Ado to become a musician. “The next song is the final song. You’re ready for more? You haven’t had enough?? You want more???” With that, as silver confetti fluttered through the air, she sang “New Genesis.” The words to the song, “Let’s go to the New World,” “I’ll show you my dreams,” filled the stadium, inviting listeners to a wonderful future.
There were three special guests on the 27th. Opening DJ TeddyLoid, who worked on “Show” and “Odo,” played remixed versions of Ado songs. In the encore, “DIGNITY,” a giant blue balloon appeared on stage. Inside it were Ado and Tak Matsumoto of B’z, who helped write the song. In “missing,” Ado boarded a birdcage cart that took her around the arena, and then Ado, electrifying the audience with “Backlight” and “FREEDOM,” returned to the stage.
“Vocaloid and utaite are at the center of my heart. I hope these two wonderful cultures will grow around the world. If I can, I want to be a bridge between the two. And now is the moment when I do just that.”
Next to Ado, who had changed into elegant, flared pants, appeared the night’s final guest, Hatsune Miku. Dancing symmetrically, the two sang “Sakura Biyori to Time Machine,” a new song written by mafumafu debuting for the first time. Ado’s singing voice was tearful, like she remembering the past as she sang. It was a voice of genuine warmth.
Ado began to reflect on her own past. She used to hate herself, and couldn’t allow herself to rely on others. The only place for her in this world was social media. She wasn’t smart, she said, or skilled. She was gloomy. And yet, she had a desire for recognition and approval, stronger than anyone. She was saved from this tumult of emotion by music and singing, her great loves, so she chose to keep singing…
“Nobody knows that the future holds. That’s why I felt, so strongly, that maybe things would work out. My beloved Vocaloid and utaite cultures gave me faith in the future. Now, here I am, standing in that future I so longed for.” “I hope the song (“Sakura Biyori to Time Machine”) I sang with her (Miku), and this show this evening, can give back to the Vocaloid and utaite cultures, and help lead the way to the future. Please, don’t forget these cultures I love so much.”
The encore ended with a passionate performance of “KokoroToIuNaNoFukakai,” a song with a special significance for Ado. The lyrics “How can I decide my emotions?” had a rawness to them that made the audience’s hearts go out to her. Ado bowed deeply and left the stage and, as if in celebration of her birthday, the sky was lit ablaze with gorgeous fireworks. The magic lingered on, even after Ado’s departure.
This was a night that embodied Ado’s past, present, and future. The most captivating part was her sincere, humble personality. Her character may be why she keeps evolving while never forgetting where she came from, as her performance made so clear. On July 10, she released her second album, Zanmu, and from July 14th she launched her first nationwide arena tour, [Ado JAPAN TOUR 2024 “Mona Lisa’s Profile”]. The passion she exudes never wanes. Her desires have grown to a global scale, as she wants to share the wonders of Japan through the cultures of Vocaloid and utaite. With Ado, we are truly seeing the new genesis of a pop icon.
This article by Mio Komachi first appeared on Billboard Japan.
Full setlist:
1. Usseewa2. Tot Musica3. Lucky Bruto4. Domestic De Violence5. Aishite Aishite Aishite6. Kagakushu7. Motherland8. Gira Gira9. Eien No Akuruhi10. I’m invincible11. Readymade12. Kura Kura13. Chocolat Cadabra14. Value15. Hello Signals16. Ibara17. Show18. Odo19. New Genesis
Encore20. DIGNITY21. missing22. Backlight23. FREEDOM24. Sakura Biyori to Time Machine25. KokoroToIuNaNoFukakai
Snow Man’s “BREAKOUT” blasts in at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Aug. 7.
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The new single is being featured as the theme song for Honeko Akabane’s Bodyguards, a new movie starring Snow Man member Raul. The track launched with 1,088,373 CDs to rule sales and also hit No. 1 for radio. This is the nine-member boy band’s ninth single to top the Japan Hot 100 and the first since “Dangerholic” released last September.
Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac” continues to hold at No. 2. This track is still going strong after 17 weeks on the chart, with video views up 135% from the previous week and the consistently climbing karaoke metric up 10% this week. The popular three-man band has 14 songs charting this week including “Lilac.” In particular, “Blue Ambiance (feat. asmi),” released in July 2022, has returned to the top 100 for the first time in three weeks, powered by karaoke.
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At No. 3 is =LOVE’s “Zettai aidoru yamenaide” (meaning “don’t ever quit being an idol”). The single was fueled by physical sales alone; it sold 260,304 copies in its first week — a career-high for the ten-member girl group — to hit No. 2 for the metric, while not ranking in any of the others that count towards the chart’s measurement.
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LIL LEAGUE from EXILE TRIBE’s “Youth Spark” bows at No. 5, selling 62,680 copies to hit No. 3 for sales, while also coming in at No. 7 for radio.
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Notable chart moves outside the top 10 include YOASOBI’s “Butai ni tatte” (“standing on stage”), which jumps 43-16 on the Japan Hot 100 this week. After dropping July 26, streams for the track have increased by about 3 times and radio by about 2.5 times compared to the song’s debut week (though the track only had three days to count towards the chart week then).
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Meanwhile, J-pop summer favorites have returned to the chart this week. aiko’s “Hanabi” charted for the first time in 11 months since Sept. 6 of last year after streams went up 111% and karaoke 115% from the week before, and DAOKO x Kenshi Yonezu’s “Uchiage Hanabi” also charted for the first time in a year since Aug. 16, 2023.
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 July 29 to Aug. 4, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.
Two all-women rock bands hailing from different countries — Japan’s BAND-MAID and Mexico’s The Warning — got together to record a collaborative single called “SHOW THEM,” due Wednesday (Aug. 7). The members of the two groups hit it off after first meeting at a U.S. music festival where both bands performed in 2022.
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In this rare chat with all the members of both bands — five from BAND-MAID and the three sisters from The Warning — in attendance, the women who continue to blast out hard rock for fans around the world spoke about their respect for each other’s music and the process of recording their new single together.
Your bands first met when you performed at the Aftershock Festival in California in 2022, right?
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Miku Kobato (Guitar/Vocals): Yes. We performed on the same day, and the members of The Warning found us and said hi while we were doing an interview there. They said, “Let’s do something together” and we were like, “We’d love to!” We hit it off and had a great time.
Daniela Villarreal Vélez (Guitar/Vocals/Piano): I’d wanted to meet BAND-MAID all day that day.
Paulina Villarreal Vélez (Drums/Vocals/Piano): BAND-MAID are great musicians and I’ve loved them for a long time.
AKANE (Drums/Percussion): That makes me so happy!
Kobato: We also became really curious about The Warning after our bands joined the lineup at the Aftershock Festival, po. I thought it was so cool how three sisters are in a band together, po.
MISA (Bass/Vocals): There’s a groove that can only come from sisters, isn’t there?
KANAMI (Guitar/Vocals): They’re so synchronized, on the same wavelength. It’s something we can’t imitate.
Daniela: We’re very close and share a sisterly bond.
Paulina: We try to be aware of clearly separating our time as sisters from our time as band members, so I think there’s a good balance there. But we did just have a fight this morning. [Laughs]
Alejandra Villarreal Vélez (Bass/Vocals/Piano): We often clash when we’re composing. We each come up with a lot of different ideas, so sometimes we get into big arguments. [Laughs] But we fundamentally have a good relationship and make up quickly.
What do the members of The Warning find compelling about BAND-MAID?
Daniela: Japanese rock and the rock you hear in the U.S. and Mexico are the same genre but they sound completely different. That’s the main reason why I was drawn to BAND-MAID’s music. I also like the fact that they put a very high level of technique into their music.
Paulina: AKANE and I have totally different playing styles, so there were some phrases that were hard for me but I really enjoyed practicing them. BAND-MAID helped us grow and I appreciated that.
AKANE: Wow… I want to return those exact same words to you! [Laughs]
Alejandra: MISA also has a different style from mine, and I think her performance is awesome. I find it really amazing how she can combine parts where she plays with a pick and parts where she slaps in a song, and it’s so fascinating. Tell me how you can play like that. [Laughs]
Daniela: And of course, I think SAIKI and Kobato’s voices are really great, too. It must be the difference in language, but Japanese is unique in that the melody changes one letter at a time, and it’s really amazing how they can sing that so well. I got a lot of inspiration from the vocal side as well.
By the way, do you know why Kobato ends her sentences with “po”? [Translator’s note: Kobato has a signature way of speaking in Japanese, ending sentences with “po,” an onomatopoeia expressing the call of a pigeon. The kanji for Kobato is “little pigeon.”]
SAIKI (Lead vocals): Tell them why you say “po.” Tell them who you really are.
Kobato: I’m Kobato, meaning I have a little bit of pigeon in me, po. That’s why I end sentences with “po,” which is the sound a pigeon makes, po.
Daniela: So it’s pigeonese. [Everyone laughs] I caught that just now. “Narimashita, po.”
Kobato: [Laughs] It feels like we’ve become a little closer again, po.
Let’s talk about your collaborative single, “SHOW THEM.” How did the production process go?
Kobato: KANAMI first came up with the foundation of the song. We started off by having the members of The Warning listen to it.
KANAMI: We wanted to venture out and make a song that would bring out new aspects of each band for this single, and that’s how “SHOW THEM” came about. Everyone in The Warning made changes to the demo I made. Then we made new suggestions in response to that, and repeated the process over and over again until the song was finished.
Daniela: When we heard the demo that KANAMI made, we were very surprised because it was completely different from the direction of our usual music. But we soon began to enjoy figuring out how to mix our own colors into it.
The lyrics are credited to Miku Kobato and The Warning.
Kobato: Yes, po. Since this was a collaboration between two all-women bands, we first discussed making the song about rising to the top together by depicting a strong female figure who can fight in the world.
Paulina: While we started off by sharing that lyrical concept, there were times we interpreted things differently because of the cultural differences between our countries. But when we came to Japan and worked on the lyrics together, it felt like we were on the same page. The nuances that Kobato was looking for became clear.
Kobato: By talking face to face, we were able to understand each other down to the smallest details, po.
Did you record the music together in Japan?
KANAMI: Yes. But we didn’t have much time, so BAND-MAID recorded beforehand and The Warning recorded later. I basically directed the performances, and the three of them were really great. We were done in no time.
Paulina: We didn’t actually play until after we arrived in Japan, but did a lot of mental rehearsals on the plane.
Alejandra: Yeah. We listened to the song over and over.
AKANE: My passion towards performing has really intensified through our collaboration with The Warning. I feel so pumped now and don’t know how to handle it. [Laughs]
Paulina: It was a great experience for us, too, and gave us tremendous motivation.
How did the vocal recording go?
SAIKI: It was my first time recording with another person, so everything was inspiring. I also discovered a lot of things by singing while listening to someone pronounce English really well up close.
Daniela: The melody and prosody are different from our usual songs, so everything was a challenge. But it was really fun to try something new!
SAIKI: The key was really high, too. We both did well!
KANAMI: I really like vocals that make an effort in a higher key, so I might have given them both a hard time. [Laughs] But the result was really satisfying so I’m happy about that.
Your bands became closer through this collaboration, so it’d be great if you could do something together again.
Kobato: Since The Warning came to Japan this time, we’d love to go to Mexico and do a show together next time, po!
Alejandra: Maybe next time we can work together on a song that we wrote the base for.
Daniela: I’ll lower the key a little bit then. [Laughs]
—This interview by Hideyuki Mori first appeared on Billboard Japan
Indian bassist Mohini Dey, who just performed at Billboard Live Tokyo and Osaka, spoke with Billboard Japan for its Women in Music interview series featuring female players in the entertainment industry. The WIM initiative in Japan began in 2022 in the same spirit as Billboard’s Women in Music that launched in 2007, honoring artists, producers and executives who have made significant contributions to the music industry and empowered women through their work.
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Dey, known for her technical brilliance, has worked with veteran artists such as Quincy Jones, Steve Vai, Mike Stern and Simon Phillips, as well as toured with Willow and Japanese rock legends B’z. Described as the “Most Successful Musician Under 30” by Forbes India, the bass virtuoso shared (via an email interview) her experience working in the male-dominated industry in her home county and her hopes to bring positive change.
Growing up, who were some women you looked up to? Who were some of your female role models?
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My mother was my first role model as she is a singer and worked professionally in my early years. There are several women I looked up to such as Carole King, Carole Kaye, Joni Mitchell and Sheila E., as they all made a huge difference in the music industry.
My original dream was to become a fashion designer. It was actually my dad who forced me in a way to practice after he released that music was my true talent. Music has always been the only option in my family. What’s amazing about life is that now, I design most of my stage outfits and so I have been able to live my childhood dream as a fashion designer as well as my father’s dream for me as a professional bassist.
According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2024 by the World Economic Forum, India ranked 129th, Japan ranked 118th out of 146 countries. Since Indian culture is much more conservative than Western culture, were there any cultural differences regarding gender you were surprised by as you started to play outside of your home country?
Yes, playing outside of India exposed me to various cultural differences regarding gender. In many Western countries, I noticed a more progressive attitude towards women in music. There was a greater acceptance and support for female musicians, which was refreshing. However, this also highlighted the conservatism in Indian culture, where women are often expected to conform to traditional roles. It was surprising but also motivating to see the potential for change and how different cultures are tackling gender issues in music. That being said I always like to reinforce the truth that there was an army of progressive and forward-thinking men who have helped me achieve the heights that I am at today: most of them being Indian men. There are forward thinking people in every culture, it just is a challenge to find them. I am proud to say men like Ranjit Barot and my father, Sujay Dey, were more progressive in their thinking than the average person in my country
Through talking to female Japanese artists for this interview series, an issue that often arose was how they were hesitant to speak out on social issues including gender, because of backlash or this thinking that art and politics shouldn’t mingle. Is this the case in India too?
This is quite prevalent in India as well. Many artists, including women, are hesitant to speak out on social issues due to fear of backlash. There is a strong belief that art and politics should remain separate, which can stifle important conversations. However, I believe that art is a powerful medium for change, and we should use our platforms to address and challenge societal issues, including gender. My hope is to create and maintain respect with political leaders so that we can affect positive change in our cultures. We should aspire to bring back the best of other cultures into our home.
How has being a woman affected your career?
Being a woman in the music industry comes with its unique challenges and advantages. On one hand, I’ve faced skepticism and bias simply because of my gender. On the other hand, being a woman has also set me apart and brought a unique perspective to my music. It has made me more resilient and determined to break barriers. Ultimately, I believe my gender has enriched my journey, making me a stronger and more empathetic musician.
Have you personally encountered gender bias or sexism in your career? What are some of the biggest challenges Indian female artists or creatives face?
Indian female artists face numerous challenges, including societal expectations, lack of representation, and limited opportunities. There is a significant gender disparity in various genres, with women often being underrepresented in Indian classical, rock, and even mainstream music. Additionally, societal pressures to conform to traditional roles and the lack of support for women pursuing creative careers add to the difficulties. Breaking these barriers requires continuous effort, support from the community, and systemic changes in the industry.
I have largely broken out of that gender bias by making myself as different from everyone else in the Indian music industry as possible. No one else sounds like I do on the bass and that was a very intentional thing. I tell students when I do masterclasses that regardless of male or female, old or young, a person needs to make themselves undeniable. That is to say that someone has practiced their craft so much and accepted exactly who they are and what they are trying to do. Once your confidence and skill are at a high level, opportunities will create themselves.
I would also argue that India didn’t fully embrace me until I started achieving success outside of the country. Growing my audiences in the USA, Japan and Europe inevitably showed my Indian audience the caliber at which I am able to operate. Since then, I have been given far more opportunities in my home country with a much greater degree of respect.
The touring scene, in which you’ve spent quite a lot of time during your career, has been predominantly male dominated. Although there has been some progress, it can still be hard for women to get their voices heard. What still needs to be done to make it even more inclusive and diverse?
I think that it starts in the home. Families need to encourage their daughters to pursue music. This will increase the number of female music students of which a percentage will enter the music industry. This is a numbers problem as more boys in India study music than girls. I think we also need more prominent female musicians to encourage young students to be competitive with the boys and not fear being better than them. Some girls in school want the boys to like them and so they don’t want to show off or upstage the boys. This mentality needs to be eradicated completely. Girls are powerful and should be treated as such.
On the industry side, I have been seeing a lot of improvement regarding women having opportunities especially on stage. One massive area where I would like to see improvement is the presence of female producers, film composers and mix/master engineers. These fields are predominantly male occupied.
Another challenge women in music face is restarting their career after prolonged leave of absence, whether it’s maternity leave or for personal reasons. Are there any support systems or safeguards you wish were in place so that female artists can enjoy lengthy careers?
While I can’t personally speak to this point as I don’t have children, I understand why it is important. I first would reach out to women globally and implore them to become a leader of a band, write your own music, own your brand, or own your company. If you spend your time as a side musician only, eventually your gig will go away because your name isn’t on the bill. So there is an accountability aspect that while everyone should play gigs for other artists, every other waking moment should be spent making your profile as big as possible. When the moment comes to transition to a solo career, go all in.
Regarding maternity leave, yes, this is a tough situation. I think it probably needs to be a political decision and that subsidies would need to be provided for the government in a social program.
On Billboard Japan’s 2023 Hot 100 year-end charts, 64 songs were by men, 19 were by women, 16 were by mixed-gender duos or groups and one song was by an artist who hasn’t disclosed their gender. What are your thoughts on these results, and would you say the situation is similar in India?
I would say that the percentage is similar if not more male and less female in India. There are many female artists but most of those artists do not write their own music and most of the songwriters, composers, producers and arrangers are male.
In India, the music industry is dominated by Bollywood cinema. Most of the directors are male and as a result most of the directors have historically hired male music directors who hire male arrangers, engineers and on and on. The only one who is female is possibly the singer and maybe a fraction of the instrumentalists who may work on the project.
To change the industry, we need more female representation in the entire entertainment world from cinema, art, music, graphic design, animation and more.
In the last 20 years in Europe and the U.S., more opportunities have been given to women, LBGBTQ+ persons, as well as other races besides the majority race in film and music. This was because there was an audience that demanded something different, and the companies had to invest in products that would give the audience what they wanted.
If audiences in Japan and India speak up and say that they want more female representation in film and music, the companies will deliver. So, I see this happening at a grassroots, political level.
As a role model yourself, is there any advice you’d like to have given yourself at the start of your career?
If I could give advice to my younger self, it would be to trust your instincts and stay true to your passion. The journey won’t be easy, and there will be challenges, but perseverance and dedication will lead you to your goals. Surround yourself with supportive people who believe in you and your talent. Don’t be afraid to take risks and embrace your uniqueness. Your voice and your music matter, and they can inspire others.
Newspeak, a three-piece band made up of vocalist Rei, drummer Steven, and bassist Yohey, have released their third full album, Newspeak. Newspeak has been praised for its bold, borderless sound, influenced by UK and US rock. It’s drawing attention from all corners, having been selected as an opening act by artists such as The Fratellis and Mando Diao. Billboard Japan talked to the trio about what went into their new album.
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Since you named the new album Newspeak, I get the strong feeling that you see it as a crystallization of what you are as a band.
Rei: After we finished our last album, Turn, we decided to work with Warner Music Japan. We were thinking about what kind of album to make next, and our minds kept turning to why we started Newspeak in the first place and why we were making music. We kept thinking about how we started this band because we wanted to make this kind of music and to share this kind of message, so what else could we do besides making it a self-titled album?
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Starting with this album, I get a feeling of hopefulness and expectation for the future from you for the first time. The songs are powerful, positive, and energetic. It’s like they have the power to just blow away any uncertainty or worry. I think that you can especially feel that strength in what is, effectively, the album’s first song, “White Lies.”
Rei: We wrote “White Lies” after “Be Nothing,” and the director of the music video asked us to send pictures of times when we found ourselves at crossroads or critical moments in our lives, along with pictures of people who are important to us. Looking back on my own photo albums, I remembered how I felt back when I was 20 years old, in America, looking down at the scenery below me from the top of the Empire State Building. I think everyone feels that way, when you go up somewhere high: “I’m going to make it big!”
That hallmark of youth!
Rei: Yeah, exactly. Like, I had no particular foundation for that belief, just this vague desire to make my mark on the world. I was like, “I’m going to achieve something!” [Laughs] But even now, looking back on it, I feel like that’s the way it had to be. Now, I want to express that unfounded confidence.
The songs are so powerful, it’s like they could rekindle that motivation slumbering inside — tap that well of energy deep within.
Rei: That’s why the album starts with the question “What would you do if you weren’t afraid at all?” That concept is at the root of everything I do, and I feel like I’ve finally been able to express it really well.
Having a powerful will is important for anything you do.
Steven: I like powerful songs with that confidence of “I am the best!” “Nobody stop me!” with no deeper thought, but the songs that speak to me even more are the ones that demonstrate an understanding of the darker aspects of reality. In that sense, Newspeak’s songs, like “White Lies,” are well-balanced, showing that we see the negative parts of reality, too.
Most of Newspeak’s lyrics are in English, and your sound is heavily influenced by the UK and US rock scenes. There’s a strong sense of focus on the foreign music scene, but you’ve also established a unique position in the Japanese music scene. How much attention do you pay to trends or fashions?
Rei: Just trying to revive old music all the time would be fruitless. As a musician, I think it’s important to enjoy music, to convey a message, and to create a new sound, so I listen to new music, and when I hear new or interesting sounds, I try to incorporate them.
Yohey: I don’t just listen to rock. Lately, I’ve even been thinking about going to see Dua Lipa (Editor: She is scheduled to perform in Japan in November). Trying to incorporate every kind of different sound in our own style of music would be impossible, but there are some sounds where I think “this might be interesting to work into our music.”
Rei: We like sounds that are really striking. Not things we’ve heard before, but more sounds like “booooiiiing.” [Laughs]
Steven: Sometimes we use modern synth sounds, but sometimes we go the other way, using old-school drums or old bass sounds. It’s a mixture of classic and modern. I think there’s some originality in that approach.
“Alcatraz” is a danceable song with a catchy melody. The phrase “So many faces and faces to please” stands out.
Rei: No matter where you go, there are always faces to please, whether they’re other band-mates or even in situations like this interview. In “Alcatraz,” we’re singing about how you can’t let yourself always get caught up worrying about that. You have to make yourself happy, or what’s the point?
We’re in an era in which there are a lot of “faces to please” online.
Rei: That’s true, of course. But the message of this song is more about “let’s enjoy the music.” The main message is to have fun and set yourself free.
The song “Tokyo” has a line that stands out: “This city can hurt you or ignite you.” What’s your image of Tokyo?
Steven: It’s huge — I think it’s the world’s biggest city. It’s always busy, and so many people come to Tokyo from the countryside to make money. I think that’s why even for people who love Tokyo, there are times when it’s hard. The song “Tokyo” sends the message to those people that “We understand. We think the same way. I know it’s hard, but you’re not alone.”
Rei: There are a lot of songs about how hard it can be to live in Tokyo, but what I wanted to convey through this song is that no matter what city or community you’re part of, it’s the same. I mention it in the lyrics, too, but we’re using Tokyo as a symbol to represent being a member of a community, so instead of Tokyo it could just as well be London or New York or Kuala Lumpur. No matter where you go, there’s stress. How you respond to that is up to you. You may find your school or your company tedious, but then when you go outside, you realize that you were agonizing over something inconsequential. So what I wanted to say is that all you have to do is just go out. Why are you clinging on so tenaciously? Why do you look at the world like it’s your enemy? I think the same about myself. Just because I’m in Tokyo, or just because I’m in Japan, doesn’t mean I can’t go overseas.
The last song on the album, “Nokoribi,” closes with the line, “A wingless believer on the night before the revolution.” It feels like here you’re singing about Newspeak itself.
Yohey: The lyrics to this song are an answer to the question posed in the intro to “White Lies.” It’s the kind of song you’d expect from Newspeak, but surprisingly, we’d actually never written a song like this. We have a lot of songs that are like “just be yourself” or “don’t give up,” but we hadn’t written any songs that praised the beauty of striding forward. It’s a song with the power of self-affirmation, like saying “we shine because we act.”
Rei: It’s a song about how there’s a beautiful world out there, so why don’t you go set out into that world? You’ve got “Tokyo,” about being stuck within a community, unwilling to step out, and then that’s followed with this song, the final one on the album, about the moment when you finally take that step forward. We thought it would bring the album to a nice close. We actually wrote the song a long time ago, but it just happened to fit here really well, so we were like “Now’s the time to use it.”
In closing, what kind of future do you want to see for the band?
Yohey: I want to play at Coachella.
Rei: I used to perform as a musician in Liverpool, so I’d like to make a triumphant return by playing at the Glastonbury Festival.
Yohey & Steven: Yeah!
—This interview by Azusa Ogiwara first appeared on Billboard Japan
On June 29 and 30, Revo put on a series of concerts, “Revo’s Orchestra Concerts,” at Hitomi Memorial Hall, in Tokyo’s Showa Women’s University. Revo leads two groups of artists: Sound Horizon, which tells original stories through the use of musical suites and is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its debut this year, and Linked Horizon, which he created for collaborations and tie-ups with other works, such as the Attack on Titan anime. In this concert series, Revo performed pieces from both groups along with a full orchestra. There were four shows over a two day period—two during the day and two at night. In this article, we’ll be looking at the June 30 performances.
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The “Revo’s Orchestra Concert” series presented not only works by Sound Horizon, but also Linked Horizon’s “Guren no Yumiya” and “Akatsuki no Requiem,” from the TV anime Attack on Titan, “Onward Into the Light: An Overture,” used in Square Enix’s fantasy RPG BRAVELY DEFAULT, “MOON PRIDE,” a Momoiro Clover Z song for which Revo wrote the lyrics and wrote and arranged the music, and more. It was almost like a retrospective of the best pieces Revo had created over his long career. Conductor Hirofumi Kurita led the 70 members of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra in a powerful performance that conveyed Revo’s sweeping worldview.
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In the first part of the show, all the pieces were performed entirely by the orchestra, except when Revo took the stage to speak. Toward the middle was a discussion between Revo and a music critic. For the daytime performance, he spoke with Akihiro Tomita, and at night he spoke with Akimasa Munekata. In part 2, guest singers performed “Guren no Yumiya,” which Revo himself sang in 2013 on NHK’s 64th Kohaku Uta Gassen. The guest singer for the daytime show was SAK., while for the nighttime show it was voice actor Yui Ishikawa. The show came to a close with Revo inviting guest performers and guest speakers to join in a performance of “Sunawachi…Hikari wo mo Nigasanu Ankoku no Chou-juu-ryoku” and “Eikou no Idou Oukoku – The Glory Kingdom.”
Revo makes use of his classical music background in both his Sound Horizon and Linked Horizon pieces, but with this concert series performed entirely by an orchestra, these sensibilities have finally come into full bloom, elevating expectations for Revo’s future as a musician. The great cheers of “Bravo!” from the audience of fans were a testament to this.
—This article by Akimasa Munekata first appeared on Billboard Japan
On June 29 and 30, Revo put on a series of concerts, “Revo’s Orchestra Concerts,” at Hitomi Memorial Hall, in Tokyo’s Showa Women’s University.
These performances by Sound Horizon, the collective of artists led by sound creator Revo, were part of a series of events held to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Revo’s major label debut. One of Revo’s projects is Linked Horizon. He launched Link Horizon to carry out collaborations between Sound Horizon, which tells original stories through the use of musical suites, and other works such as the Attack on Titan anime. The concert consisted of orchestral performances of Revo’s works—not only those of Sound Horizon, but also pieces by Linked Horizon. The pieces were played live by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, led by conductor Hirofumi Kurita. Kurita and the Tokyo Philharmonic have enthralled countless audiences not only with their numerous classical music concerts, but also concerts in which they play orchestral arrangements of modern music, such as their Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba orchestral concerts, the FINAL FANTASY XIV ORCHESTRA CONCERT 2022 -Eorzean Symphony concert, Galaxy Express 999 cinema concerts, and more.
Sound Horizon is known for its distinctive musical style, but this two-day concert series showed Revo’s talent as a composer and his pride as an entertainer. First, let’s look back at the daytime and nighttime shows of June 29, the first day of these joyous opportunities to experience the superb music prepared by Revo.
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“Revo’s Orchestra Concerts” consisted of a total of four shows over a two day period—two during the day and two at night. The venue was Showa Women’s University’s Hitomi Memorial Hall, which has a reputation for excellent acoustics. Each show was divided into two parts. The first part was a pure orchestral concert, which began with “Onward Into the Light: An Overture” from BRAVELY DEFAULT, a classic RPG-like theme well-suited for orchestration. After this, the program was like a chronology of Revo’s works, with early pieces such as “Chronicle 2nd,” from Revo’s indie album era, followed by songs that marked his debut into the majors. These included performances of music that he created for Momoiro Clover Z and for the anime Attack on Titan.
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Speaking to the audience, Revo said “Even one-hit wonders have a history.” Compared to his early period, which was characterized by dreamy, mysterious short pieces, the latter pieces, closer to his more recent compositions, were longer and more classical. Their structures grew more diverse, with dynamic shifts within individual pieces. At the same time, they also became more melodic and had more of a pop feel. One of the charms of this instrumental music was how well one could feel Revo’s evolution as a composer and gain a true sense of his history.
The vocal portions of songs were replaced with various instruments, such as flutes, violins, and harps, bringing smiles to the faces of everyone familiar with the original versions. Some of the concert’s more famous pieces included “Akatsuki no Requiem,” which took the completely opposite approach, using majestic horns to perform the fevered soprano part while maintaining the original piece’s dignity. In addition to pieces which used the tried-and-true technique of performing vocal solos with instruments, there were also pieces like “MOON PRIDE,” with castanet triplets evocative of the floor tams of “Moonlight Densetsu.” The playful approach, brimming with love for the source material, provided a cornucopia of joy for listeners.
Another example of Revo’s playfulness was “Gyoukou no Uta.” In the original version, the song ends with the lines “Mutti. The light. It’s so warm,” and then the sound of a book being closed. In the concert, this sound was created by all the musicians on stage turning their sheet music over at once. This performance instruction was even written directly in the conductors’ and performers’ sheet music. This was evocative of the famous final page of the sheet music for Mauricio Kagel’s “Concert Piece for Timpani and Orchestra,” which directs the percussionist to plunge head-first through a drum. In “Shinwa -Μυθοs-,” the sound of a chirping bird was performed using a bird call, and in “schwarzweiß -Kiri no Mukou ni Tsunagaru Sekai-,” a wind machine replicated the sound of wind. Both of these instruments are used in classical concerts, but they also tickle the ears and open up the gates of classical music to a wider audience.
The first part of the concert ended with a discussion by Revo, which provided the conductor and orchestra with a break. Revo was able to engage closely with his “Laurants” (Sound Horizon fans), after which the second part of the concert began with a vocal piece featuring a guest vocalist well known to the audience and singing by Revo himself.
At the June 29th daytime concert, the guest vocalist was RIKKI. The original version of “Ishidatami no Akaki Shaytan” was sung by RIKKI and three other female vocalists, joined by one male vocalist. In the concert performance, RIKKI and Revo performed multiple people’s parts. Revo showed a deft ability to instantly switch between falsetto and his normal singing voice. Likewise, in the “eleven letter message” sung by RIKKI in the original song, backed by the tide of emotion provided by the orchestral backing, she now brought out a more motherly voice, having matured over the 17 years since the song was originally recorded.
At the nighttime concert, the guest vocalist was Fuki. Her performance featured numerous highlights, among them her performance of “Star Dust,” in which she directed the line “Tell me why?” at conductor Kurita. This was an ad-lib direction from Revo. Kurita responded in top form, “That’s what I want to know. Why?” It was a striking example of Revo’s dedication to entertainment, seeing live performances as carefree, liberating spaces. The show’s finale used a racing starter pistol to reproduce the sound of a gun, causing those in the audience who knew the original piece to break out in grins.
The encore began with Revo asking the audience, “Has anyone here sung with an orchestra before?” He sought to provide the entire audience with the opportunity to form a giant chorus. From start to end, beautiful music flowed through the hall, while various clever ideas, both within songs and within the show’s performance direction, broke the tension and opened the audience’s hearts. Kurita encouraged the audience to show their feelings without reservation, applauding until their hands turned red. It was evident that he, too, felt the enthusiasm of Revo, ardent explorer of the arts. Every moment of the two performances was a testament to Revo’s talent as a creator.
—This article by Koji Shimizu (Seven Days War) first appeared on Billboard Japan
Billboard JAPAN interviewed Official HIGE DANdism for the latest edition of its “MONTHLY FEATURE” series, highlighting today’s leading artists and works. The four-man band recently released Rejoice, its first album in almost three years.
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Starting with their breakout 2019 release “Pretender,” they have created countless hits, become a beloved band throughout the country. Their October 2022 release “Subtitle” was an especially big success, claiming the No. 1 spot on five of Billboard JAPAN‘s charts for the first half of 2023, such as the “JAPAN Hot 100” chart. Rejoice, their new album, contains a total of 14 songs, including “Subtitle” and “Mixed Nuts,” the opening theme of the SPYxFAMILY anime.
Billboard Japan spoke to all four members of the band about what led to the creation of this new album and the growing support they’re enjoying from overseas fans.
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When did you first start working on the overall image and concept of your new album?
Satoshi Fujihara: When we finished our last album, Editorial, we were talking about making our next album a more joyful one. The last album had shined a spotlight on deep-down feelings and melancholy about the future, we wanted to change the mood and go in a happier direction next.
How have the past three years, since your last album, been for you, as a band?
Fujihara: Our fan base has been growing since 2019. When we started out, I thought I might find that uncomfortable, but over the past three years, I’ve become comfortable with the fact that I live a kind of unusual life, in a good sense. A very blessed life. At the same time, it’s also felt like we’ve been able to expand our potential, always striving to create even better music, but not in a stoic way — instead, we’ve been able to do that while having fun. It’s been an extremely fruitful and pleasant three years.
Daisuke Ozasa: I think over these years we’ve become more confident in the music we like, our own individual character, and the kind of music that has shaped us through the years. I think that all comes out through the music on the album.
Masaki Matsuura: The discussions we had while creating the new album were relaxed and at ease. I think that was a sign of just how much we grew over those three years.
Makoto Narazaki: Of course, I want to get better, and I want to record good songs. But in the past, I felt like I had to hold myself up to a really high standard, while now I feel like I can just be myself. I think that the whole group’s atmosphere has changed in the same way. It feels more open, with more room to breathe. There’s this sense of “Why don’t we just try to have fun with everything we do?”
I’m sure you put a lot of care into the arrangements of the songs on the album, and how the songs develop, but you’re saying that one of your driving forces was a more simple sense of “It might be fun if we did this” or “It could be interesting if we did that”?
Fujihara: Exactly. Without that, it would just be a copy-and-paste job. I think that approach of arranging songs is a more natural style for us.
I think one of the things that makes Official HIGE DANdism’s music so appealing is that it goes in directions that the listener isn’t expecting. Your songs take on all kinds of musical challenges.
Narazaki: One of the biggest and most prominent examples of that is the structure of our songs, but we’re also taking on new challenges with our tone and in other areas which maybe listeners won’t notice. Songs are more fun if there’s some playfulness to them, and it’s great to listen to a completed song and be like, “that sounds really cool.” When you can do that, there’s the potential for doing it with different concepts, as well, which presents its own new challenges. I find that really satisfying.
Which are each of your favorite songs on the album?
Narazaki: For me, it’s probably “TATTOO.” We all got together in the studio, started up the DAW, and we were looking at the demo data on Satoshi’s computer, talking about how we wanted the song to sound. The demo had these vintage synth and keyboard sounds. It may just be me, but I find those kinds of sounds cheesy but at the same time kind of cool. Like, they put me at ease when I hear them, or they strike my fancy at the time. They’re timely, in an odd way. That’s why I like “TATTOO.” “Nichijo” and “Get Back To Jinsei” have a similar feel. If you think of each song as a stew, then it’s like they’re different stews but they have similar spices. They have that same sense of place in time, that same kind of nostalgic flavor. After working on them, when we worked on the other songs (on the album), I got that same sense of cool cheesiness and that same nostalgic feeling.
Fujihara: For me, it’s “Sharon.” In terms of musical theory, what we’re doing is a little fiddly, but the end result is incredibly natural. I’m very happy with how it came out. Now, we’re rehearsing it in preparation for live shows, and the power of the band really comes across. In a way, it’s a very dependable song — I can feel comfortable giving myself up to the music, which makes it one of my favorites.
Ozasa: I like “B-Side Blues.” It’s the first song that the whole band has recorded in a single take in about five years. The whole album isn’t exactly packed with notes, but this one has even fewer notes than most, so the feeling of each of our performances comes across very vividly. It’s also a beautiful song for bringing the album to a close. The word Rejoice has this image of profound, powerful joy. The album starts off with extremely energetic songs, like “Get Back To Jinsei.” But as the album progresses, the joy it expresses comes closer to home. Little by little, it becomes more personal, more about the things we value in our own lives. The album ends with “B-side Blues,” which truly expresses this personal joy.
Matsuura: Of all the songs on the album, the process of recording the drums took the longest for “Mixed Nuts,” so it left the strongest impression on me. It has a lot of jazz elements, and the tempo is fast, making it a hard song to play. I don’t have a jazz background, so I had someone who used to play jazz show me the ropes. There were a lot of cases like that, where I was studying new things, and when I’ve jammed with other musicians, sometimes they’ll ask how I played my part on “Mixed Nuts,” or they’ll say they think it’s a really interesting song. It’s the kind of song that spurs a lot of talk as a drummer, and was a ton of fun to play.
I expect you’ve been hearing from overseas audiences, too. Tell us about what their reaction has been like.
Fujihara: Yes, we’re getting a lot of messages on social media from overseas fans, in languages we can’t read, asking us to come to their countries and perform. It’s a strange feeling, but also a wonderful one. We did once play in Korea, a long time ago. There were only like three people in the audience. That makes all the feedback we’re getting from overseas audiences now feel that much stranger.
On Billboard JAPAN’s Global Charts, songs like “Pretender” are also very popular in Korea. They’re ranking highly in various countries throughout Asia.
Fujihara: Every time we hear a fan saying they’re waiting for us to play a show in their country, it makes us want to go there and perform even more. We haven’t done any overseas shows since that show in Korea, but lately we’ve been talking about how it would be nice to perform overseas sometime in the near future.
—This interview by Tomonori Shiba first appeared on Billboard Japan