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Australian rock icons Silverchair are set to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their seminal debut album, Frogstomp, with a special event in Sydney next week. However, frontman Daniel Johns will not be taking part.
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The event is scheduled for March 26 at the Metro Social in Sydney, a venue that holds significance for Silverchair, as it hosted some of the band’s early performances before their rapid rise to fame.
The night will feature drummer Ben Gillies, former Silverchair manager John Watson, and label executive John O’Donnell, all sharing insights into the band’s meteoric success. Additionally, celebrated music photographer Tony Mott will be in attendance, and Sydney-based indie rockers The Buoys are set to perform tracks from Frogstomp in tribute.
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Released in March 1995, Frogstomp catapulted Silverchair to international stardom. The album debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart and made history by reaching the top 10 of the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 9 and marking the first time an Australian band had done so since INXS.
The record, which features hits like “Tomorrow” and “Pure Massacre,” earned five ARIA Awards and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.
The upcoming anniversary celebration follows the release of Love & Pain, a memoir co-authored by Gillies and bassist Chris Joannou in 2023. The book offers an in-depth look at the band’s origins in Newcastle and their rise to becoming one of Australia’s most successful rock acts. However, the absence of Johns from the event is consistent with his continued reluctance to revisit Silverchair’s past.
Johns has been vocal about distancing himself from his former band. He previously opposed the airing of a two-part Australian Story documentary on ABC iView, which coincided with the release of Love & Pain, citing unauthorized use of Silverchair’s music. In an Instagram post, Johns addressed his stance:
“I was and remain incredibly supportive of them telling their story,” he wrote. “I was asked at the end of filming to be interviewed about their contribution to the band and although I wished them all the best, I respectfully declined for one reason. I haven’t been involved in the book nor am I aware of the contents. I’ve asked on many occasions to read the book but haven’t been sent a copy, consequently, I was uncomfortable being interviewed to help promote it.”
Despite Johns’ absence, the Frogstomp anniversary event is expected to be a significant occasion for longtime Silverchair fans, offering a retrospective look at one of the most defining records in Australian rock history.
Tencent Music Entertainment surpassed revenue of $1 billion in the fourth quarter, representing an 8.2% increase from the prior-year period, while net profit climbed 47.3% to $284 million.
The Chinese music streaming company operates three music streaming services — Kugou Music, QQ Music and Kuwo Music — as well as WeSing, a karaoke app. In recent years, Tencent Music’s business has become increasingly dominated by its music services as its social entertainment business continues to lose business.
Online music revenue grew 16.1% to $799 million due to music subscription gains and growth in advertising revenue, while music subscription revenue jumped 18% to $552 million in the quarter as the number of subscribers increased 13.4% to 121 million. Additionally, gross margin jumped to 43.6% in the fourth quarter from 38.3% in the prior-year period. The company attributed the improvement to strong growth in music subscriptions and advertising revenue and increased usage of owned content, as well as its adoption of the Super VIP program, a subscription tier that costs five times the normal rate. Monthly average revenue per user (ARPU) grew to 11.1 RMB ($1.52) from 10.7 RMB ($1.47) due in part to the expansion of the Super VIP membership program.
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The social entertainment business has suffered a sharp decline since the Chinese government began cracking down on the use of live-streaming apps to enable gambling in 2021. In the fourth quarter, social entertainment revenue fell 13% to $223 million and mobile monthly active users declined 21.2% to 82 million (the number stood at 223 million at the end of 2020). Monthly ARPU fell 9.7% to 70.4 RMB ($9.64), down from 172.1 RMB ($26.38) at the end of 2020, and paying users slipped 3.8% to 7.7 million.
For the full year, revenue increased 2.3% to $3.89 billion while net profit climbed 36.2% to $974 million, and gross margin improved to 42.3% from 35.3%. Online music revenue grew 25.5% to $2.98 billion while social entertainment revenue fell 36.1% to $912 million. Full-year gross margin improved to 42.3% from 35.3% in 2023.
Tencent Music Entertainment’s music platforms have evolved into one-stop shops that also include audiobooks, merchandise, downloads and live-streaming. In 2024, the company produced physical albums for Xiao Zhan and Lay Zhang and boosted album sales for Esther Yu by providing options to purchase merchandise along with her digital albums. It also partnered with the band Mayday for an online New Year’s Eve concert.
The company also announced a $273 million dividend and a share repurchase program of up to $1 billion over a two-year period that will commence this month. A $500 million share repurchase program announced in March 2023 will conclude this month.
Tencent Music Entertainment’s shares, which trade on both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, had risen 15.8% to $15.12 on the NYSE at the close of trading on Tuesday.
For over a year, the K-pop industry has been embroiled in a heated debate over the girl group NewJeans. In fact, even the name “NewJeans” has become a point of contention following the group’s announcement in February that they would be rebranded as NJZ. However, their management company, ADOR, has disputed the legitimacy of this name change. While the group has requested to be referred to as NJZ, no legal ruling has been made on the matter, leaving the existing contract intact. As a result, from a legal standpoint, NewJeans remains the more accurate designation for the time being.
Amid ongoing legal uncertainties, NewJeans is moving ahead independently. This March, the group is scheduled to perform at ComplexCon Hong Kong, where they are reportedly debuting a new song. This move appears to be an attempt to further establish their rebranded identity as NJZ. After all, performing NewJeans’ hit songs while adopting a new name could be seen as contradictory.
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Music organizations and associations in Korea are closely monitoring the NewJeans situation. In February, five major organizations — the Korea Management Federation, Korea Entertainment Producers’ Association, Record Label Industry of Korea, Recording Industry Association of Korea and the Korea Music Content Association — issued a statement expressing concerns over NewJeans and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin’s independent activities. Their primary issue is “tampering,” with suspicions that Min has been attempting to remove NewJeans from ADOR.
The statement from the five organizations reads, “For the past 10 months, we have observed a growing trend, in which certain parties attempt to resolve private disputes through media campaigns and unilateral public statements instead of proper negotiations or legal procedures, including former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin’s press conferences, NewJeans member Hanni’s appearance at a National Assembly audit, and the group’s independent activities.”
NewJeans fans argue that these five organizations are merely echoing ADOR/HYBE’s stance. However, the key issue at hand is their emphasis on the importance of “adhering to legal processes.”
At a press conference on Nov. 28, 2024, NewJeans members announced that “their contract with ADOR would officially end at midnight on November 29th.” They stated, “We have had enough conversations and sent certification of content, but there were no responses during that time. As ADOR and HYBE have breached the contract, we are terminating it.”
Since then, NewJeans has continued its individual actions and reiterated its stance in interviews with foreign media. In a CNN interview last month, the group emphasized, “We have completely lost trust in ADOR. We believe we will win this battle against HYBE and ADOR.” Through Japan’s TV Asahi, a subsidiary of Asahi Shimbun, they stated, “Right now, there are very few media outlets in Korea that carry our voices. Instead of letting that discourage us, we will enjoy our activities.”
International fans who have closely followed NewJeans’ statements may be more inclined to side with the group. However, with both the lawsuit verifying the validity of their claims and the injunction application still ongoing, their assertions remain one-sided. In this context, foreign media that present NewJeans’ perspective without providing balanced coverage of the ongoing legal dispute risk spreading misinformation.
NewJeans and ADOR remain deeply divided, locked in a tense standoff. On March 7, the Seoul Central District Court held the first hearing on ADOR’s provisional injunction request to “maintain the status of agency and prohibit the signing of advertising contracts.” Both parties presented conflicting arguments and failed to reach a resolution.
As a result, it is challenging to take a definitive stance between ADOR or NewJeans. The most prudent thing to do right now is to wait and see how the court reaches its decision, based on the various claims and substantial evidence presented by both parties.
This is precisely the position shared by the five music industry organizations in Korea. On Feb. 27, they held a press conference titled, “Let’s Keep a Promise: Without Record Producers, There is No K-pop!,” where they declared:
“No one can confirm the cancellation of a contract before the court’s judgment, and we must all accept the legal outcome, whatever it may be. This is the only way to protect our industry amid conflict and dispute.”
For now, the K-pop community watches and waits for the court’s decision — a ruling that could have lasting implications for NewJeans, ADOR and the entire industry.
This article was written by Austin Jin and originally appeared on Billboard Korea.
Kazuma Kawamura, a member of the 16-piece Japanese dance and vocal group THE RAMPAGE, has now made his solo debut as L.E.I. with the double A-side single “Delete/Enter.”
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While he’s done some rapping on THE RAMPAGE songs and in live shows, with L.E.I., rap is at the very heart of his art. In an interview with Billboard JAPAN, he discussed the background behind this solo debut. “From the very start, when THE RAMPAGE was formed, our concept always included elements of hip-hop. We’d just assembled as a group, and everyone had different musical tastes, so we made hip-hop one of the cores of the group. That got me interested in hip-hop, and our leader, LIKIYA, knew a lot about U.S. hip-hop and R&B, so I learned a lot from him. Yamasho (Shogo Yamamoto) had been talking about the movie 8 Mile, so I watched it, and it also had a huge impact on me. So I discovered the world of hip-hop a bit at a time, and the more I explored it, the more I got hooked.”
“But it’s not like I’m super-knowledgeable about hip-hop music or artists. I’m still learning. I’ve been really influenced by the culture and philosophy of hip-hop, but not the so-called rapper lifestyle. Drink, drugs, women, partying, violence—those aren’t appealing to me. I’m not interested in bragging about how bad I am or boasting about violence. Instead, I’m interested in the philosophy of hip-hop that’s focused on changing the world. Making it better.”
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“Of course, there have been a lot of rappers who’ve influenced me. Busta Rhymes influenced me with his fast rapping style, while A$AP Rocky has just been an overall huge presence for me. And my long-time favorite, who I still find amazing, is Kendrick Lamar. Needless to say, of the four elements of hip-hop, dance has also had a big impact on me. For example, the krumping of Tommy the Clown and Tight Eyez, who was influenced by Tommy, just reached out and grabbed a hold of my heart. It was like it was saying, ‘Don’t just stand there, get moving!’”
On “Delete,” one of the songs on the single, L.E.I. expresses his frustration and anger with society and the state of things through serious, fiery rap verses, set to a dark trap beat. It has a distinctive structure, challenging the listener about their own beliefs and pushing them to tackle these problems together. “It’s my first song as L.E.I., so I didn’t want to make any compromises. Putting rap front and center, I knew I needed to make something that caused a stir. ‘Delete’ is a powerful representation of that idea. There’s a lot I want to communicate, but the first was a feeling of release from what’s got you trapped, which is why I wrote this song.”
“It’s easy to just shout ‘No!’ But if you want to convince listeners, if you want to convey an effective message, I think you need to raise issues. To get people who listen to the song to think and be more aware, you need to ask questions. I don’t just want to stroke my own ego by spouting things off. And I think the society we live in is one that stops thinking. That’s dangerous. But I didn’t just want to say ‘No!’ or ‘Think!’ Instead, I wanted to reach out to the listener, saying ‘I think this situation is messed up, what about you?’”
The rapping in “Enter,” the theme song of the anime I Left My A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths!, has a lot of variety in its flow. “I tried to change up the flow. I think people will have more opportunities to hear this song, such as through the anime, so I wanted to surprise people, like ‘All these different rap parts are being done by one guy?!’ By changing my approach in each part of the song, I was able to achieve a wider range of artistic expression. It’s like the entire repertoire of my flow as a rapper, all in one song. I did it simply because it’s fun to have a song made up of all these different kinds of rap.”
It’s an anime-themed song, but L.E.I. put his true thoughts into the lyrics. “Sure, there are dark aspects of me, like in ‘Delete,’ but the anime theme brought out the sunnier parts of my personality. I think ‘Enter’ represents my bright side, and the lyrics are all heart-felt. I have a lot of respect for the anime, and I linked keywords that inspired me with my own feelings to create the lyrics. In that sense, as well, I also want to write positive songs that fill you with optimism.”
On inspirations behind his work, he notes, “I’m not the best speaker, but I read a lot of books and manga, more than the average person, and also read a lot through games and anime. So there’s a lot of input, both in the sense of vocabulary and of the beauty of language, and I bring those out in the lyrics. The foundation of the song consists of my own feelings, and then I sift through my vocabulary to come up with ways to express those feelings through rap. When I do that, I think really deeply about what the lyrics will sound like when I rap them. I might write a line a certain way because in that part I’m more focused on conveying my message directly than in the sounds of the words, while in another part I might focus more on the vibe of the sounds.”
Kawamura’s vision is to continue as both a member of THE RAMPAGE and as a solo artist. “Right now, Kazuma Kawamura, member of THE RAMPAGE, is linked to L.E.I., but they may move away from each other over time. I’m also curious and excited to see what form this will eventually take. But as Kazuma Kawamura or as L.E.I., one thing that won’t change is that I’ll always be 100% direct with the people hearing my lyrics. If there’s anyone out there for which L.E.I.’s approach resonates—anyone who I can help through my music—then I want to share my music with them, first. Reaching a wider audience can come later. I want to be an artist that is, first and foremost, a person capable of expressing his own values. I feel like if I can truly accomplish that, then I’ll be unparalleled. I’m striving to be a true rapper with a true message.”
—This interview by TAKAGI “JET” Shinichiro first appeared on Billboard Japan
Tokyo-born singer-songwriter TOMOO — pronounced “tow-mow-oh” — has been playing the piano since she was a child and began working on music in earnest in middle school when she began writing original songs. Her voice has been praised by top Japanese artists and her first full-length album, TWO MOON, reached No. 15 on Billboard Japan’s Hot Albums chart after dropping in Sept. 2023. She was featured in many music programs the following year, and in her MONTHLY FEATURE interview with Billboard Japan, she looked back and shared, “Rather than there being a milestone somewhere like a major change or turning point, 2024 felt like a year when a lot of my activities advanced another step or another level as an extension of the year before, whether it’s about live shows or TV appearances.”
When asked how she would introduce “what kind of artist TOMOO is,” the 29-year-old musician replied, “Yin and yang, old and new. Sometimes people who listen to my music say I seem to have a lot of life experience, but other times they say I still have a boyishness or girlishness about me. That’s an attribute I want to keep. Even when it’s bright, a shadow comes along with it, and even in shadow, a hint of light can be seen in the distance. Having both light and shadow is also my individuality.”
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“Rather than always having something I want to express, I want to be able to give form to the things that come into my mind at any given time,” says the “Grapefruit Moon” artist, explaining that she tries to be like a transparent vessel instead of dyeing herself a particular color. “When I was a teenager, I wanted something that would make it easy to visualize my individuality, but recently I’ve started to think that maybe that’s not necessary. I have the 12 years I’ve been doing this. At the time, I didn’t have a past to look back on and my way of thinking was still very superficial. So I used to think that if I worked hard at something or suffered more, I’d be able to figure out who I am. But it didn’t work that way. I guess that’s why I thought, ‘Then maybe that’s just the way it is.’”
Her latest single, “Contrast,” is currently being featured as the ending theme for the anime series Blue Box Season 2. The show is based on a manga series currently being serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump, and tells the coming-of-age love story of high school students devoted to their club activities. ”I started reading the original manga after being tapped to write the song. I wasn’t sure if I could relate to the transparency and freshness of the story, and to the feelings of the characters who are about 10 years younger than me,” TOMOO admits. “But I really did write songs like that when I was a teenager, and wanted to sing the theme song for a work like that, so I was happy when they asked me to do it.”
“Some people said that the character of the song seemed simpler than usual, and that makes sense in a way,” she explains. “It’s the simplicity of high school students concentrating on the moment in front of them within the limited ‘box’ of their time, season and environment, and it’s also the simplicity of feeling both happy and sad with your whole body when you haven’t yet developed emotional immunity. I thought about the lyrics while reading the original manga, trying to evoke the feelings I had when I was around 15 years old.”
For TOMOO, creating “Contrast” was an experience that took her back to her youth. “I wrote the chorus and the music pretty much at the same time, but wrote the first verse (A-melody) from scratch at the piano,” she shares about the writing process. “It was just like how I used to write music when I was a teenager. It turned out a lot more somber than I’d expected, but I figured that was fine because it was the result of the memories of my five senses having seeped out and not something I’d come up with in my brain. It was like I was facing the piano with nothing in mind, and my senses and the honest spirit of the song took the lead. It’s been a while since I’ve written music like that.”
The singer-songwriter worked with Ryo Eguchi, a music producer and arranger who has worked on numerous Japanese pop, idol and anime songs, for the first time on the song’s arrangement. “I’d been aware of Mr. Eguchi since I was around 20 years old. When I was in elementary and junior high school, I liked a lot of anime music that he’d arranged, so I’ve always wanted to ask him to arrange something for me if I ever had the chance to be involved in anime,” TOMOO recalls, going on to say that “Contrast” started out with a solid band-based sound but turned out to be a dramatic piano ballad with deep, resonant synth and cello tones. “Because it was quite heartfelt when I was composing it, I wanted to add elements that would evoke a sense of environmental coolness, like the wind, the sky, and the shadows of buildings. I asked him to add in some programmed rhythms and electric guitar strumming that sounds like strings in the distance, to give it a slightly structured, cool feel, to balance out the sense of temperature.”
The “Super Ball” singer is set to headline a solo concert in May at the historic Nippon Budokan for the first time in her career. She expresses enthusiasm for the upcoming show, saying, “I want to make this concert even more meticulous than my previous ones. I’ve always done my best within the schedule laid out for each show, but this time we’ve talked it over and set aside as much time as possible to prepare.”
“I always thought that the Budokan would be a kind of culmination, a milestone, a goal of that sort,” the singer-songwriter adds. “But I’ve started to feel that it’s not like that, now that I’m actually going on that stage. I realized it’d be better to leave it up to the feelings and mindset of each person who comes to see me. So I’m going back to my roots. Psychological closeness and sounds. When I first started out, I did a show on the floor. With the audience all around me, it was a bit scary before the show started, but I was really focused during the performance and there was tension in every moment. I want to recall that feeling of being nervous and excited at the same time when I perform at the Budokan.”
—This interview by Takuto Ueda first appeared on Billboard Japan
Based in Los Angeles since 2016, her0ism has carved out a career in the forefront of the global music industry. The Japanese producer and songwriter has produced numerous hit songs on an international scale, and his recent works include tracks for XG and BLACKPINK’s LISA’s “Dream” from her album Alter Ego, which topped Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart and debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. One of the producers on ever.y, his creative team, achieved a major milestone this year when Doechii’s Alligator Bites Never Heal, which the producer contributed to, won the Grammy for best rap album.
her0ism sat down with Billboard Japan and shared his thoughts on the influence of J-pop on Western pop music and elaborated on his recent efforts to establish a new category in the Grammys called the Asian music performance award.
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How was the recent Grammy Awards ceremony?
Doechii’s album Alligator Bites Never Heal won best rap album this year, and Peyote Beats, a producer on our creative team ever.y, had worked on it. I’d been invited to the ceremony every year but this was the first time I was involved in such a close capacity. The award for best rap album was announced at the start of the evening’s proceedings. It was the first time Peyote had attended the event and to be honest, he wasn’t quite mentally prepared. So when the presenter said “Doechii!” he burst into tears. We got up and hugged each other in joy. My goal has been to win a Grammy and I’d worked towards it for a long time, but until that moment, it still felt distant, like something happening on TV.
Peyote Beats is an Armenian-American from Los Angeles. It’s interesting that a producer with such a background is interested in J-pop.
He comes from an immigrant family and I think they went through some hard times. So, yes, it is interesting that someone with that background is interested in J-pop. I’ve also wondered about that, and think he’s drawn to J-pop’s melodies.
Could you elaborate on that?
Hip-hop basically places emphasis on the track, but the songs he writes have counter melodies, with guitars and other instruments singing, and I think that’s largely influenced by the melodic elements of J-pop. I played Fujii Kaze’s music in the studio and he’s been into that recently. And it’s not just him, I’m sensing that J-pop is gradually spreading in the U.S., and that this year will be the starting line for the genre overseas.
Working in the States, I really feel the popularity of XG. They’re promoting a hybrid genre they call “X-POP” and it skillfully combines the melodic aspects of J-pop with the foundation that K-pop has built up Stateside. Their song “IN THE RAIN” that I helped produce is R&B, but the melody is emphasized and it’s recognizable as having Japanese influences. I think that kind of thing is starting to be accepted. I made this song with my partner Shintaro Yasuda, and he also makes hip-hop with a great sense of melody.
Tell us about your current efforts involving the Grammys. I hear there are some new developments.
I’m a Recording Academy voting member, and I’m also in charge of the screening process for the different genres. Recently, I was approached by the Recording Academy about the possibility of creating a new Asian category at the Grammys. When I spoke at a panel discussion at SXSW, I met a guy named Ralph from the Recording Academy at a party and he said to me, “If you’re making so many songs (for Asian acts), why don’t you create an Asian category?” and I was like, “You can make categories?” Ralph asked me to apply for it, and I had to become a voting member to apply. So last year, I applied for it with Mr. Kato from Project Asteri, but we were rejected. And I was like, “Why are we being rejected when we were asked to apply?” But apparently, Ralph needed to let people within the Recording Academy know that this kind of action was being initiated. Once a category is created, judges would be needed, but currently only about 4% of the voting members are Asian. There’s a huge lack of professionals who can make these decisions, so we need to increase the number of Japanese voting members and also need to do some promotional activities to achieve this.
If an award for Asian music performance can be established, it would bring about a huge change. In the same way that music from Central and South America is categorized under “Latin,” the music scene across Asia would become categorized under “Asian.”
Right. Coincidentally, I feel like I’ve finally moved on to the first page of my own career, having worked on a song for LISA and watching XG’s reach spread globally. My music publishing contract has also changed. I’ve signed a worldwide contract with Sony Music Publishing L.A., the American branch of Sony Music Publishing. Apparently, no Japanese person has done this before. Until now, even though we’d received offers, there were differences in the publishing rules between Japan and elsewhere, so it was difficult to make progress. But we’ve finally been able to sign a contract that forms the basis for competing on a global scale, so that also feels like the first page of a new chapter. There’s talk of J-pop spreading globally, and there’s also talk of the potential new Grammy category, so I feel like this year is truly the starting line. A new awards called Music Awards Japan will also take place in Kyoto in May to promote Japanese music globally. The timing is excellent.
What are your hopes and visions for the future?
Personally, I’m still in the middle of my challenge, and just reached the starting line. I want to produce American artists and Asian artists without any distinction. I can share things that other (Japanese) producers don’t have because I’m based in the U.S. I think there’s a kind of J-pop that can only be done because I’m not in Japan, and that there will be more things expected of me because I’m Japanese in the U.S. I want to keep moving forward and build on that over the next ten years. I also think it’s necessary to create an environment where my juniors can follow in my footsteps. I want to continue fulfilling my dreams in the future so I can show that making music is a dream-inspiring profession.
This interview by Tomonori Shiba first appeared on Billboard Japan.
Singer-songwriter YU-KA traveled to Sweden to work with local creators and co-write the songs on her newly released five-song EP, Wild Nights. With songs like “Feel Like This,” the ending theme to part 1 of the Netflix series Beastars‘ final season, the EP has a mellow electronic sound evocative of northern Europe, and YU-KA’s delicate singing voice and expressiveness are in full bloom. She talked with Billboard Japan at length about how her time in Sweden stimulated and inspired her, and how she put those feelings into her music.
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Your new EP, Wild Nights, came out six months after your previous EP, Sunshade. Were the songs on the albums written around the same time?
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I didn’t write the lyrics or put the finishing touches on the songs until after Sunshade‘s release, but I made the actual demos for all of the songs in Sweden last summer. I was there for a little under a week, and while there I wrote a lot of different songs with different writers. The songs on Wild Nights come from the songs I wrote there. The speed with which the Swedish writers worked, and their way of thinking, was a little different than Japanese artists. Even the way they chose sounds was totally different, so it was an extremely stimulating experience.
Actually having gone to Sweden, did you find that it had a unique atmosphere of its own?
In Japan, everything gets lumped together as “Western music,” but the music in Sweden has a different feel than American or British music. Also, even though Sweden and Japan are very far away geographically, the character of the Swedish people is a good fit in many ways for that of the Japanese people. I felt a strange link between the countries. The artists I co-wrote with have also written songs for other Japanese artists, so they had connections with J-pop. I felt an unexpected affinity throughout the songwriting process.
What is the concept behind Wild Nights?
When writing the lyrics afterward, I wanted to make the theme for the EP “night.” Ever since my debut, I’ve been writing and releasing music, so I decided to stop for a second and think about my own artistry and my own strengths. I realized that, in the duality of light and dark, I tended toward the dark side. Other musicians and my vocal coaches often describe my voice as having a “shadowy” feel. Also, a lot of the songs I wrote a long time ago, on my own, were dark songs. So that’s why I decided to make the theme of the EP “night.” The title Wild Nights comes from a poem by Emily Dickinson. I found out about her in university, where I was majoring in English literature. When I was struggling with the decision of whether or not to become a singer, I was inspired by her poetry, and I decided to give music my all. “Wild nights” refers to stormy nights, and I thought that fit perfectly with the EP’s image, so I chose it as the title.
The image of your previous EP, Sunshade, was that of being out in the sun, so the new EP’s title stands in contrast.
The theme of Sunshade was “J-pop.” The songs I wrote in Sweden had a sound that was more like Western music, so before releasing them, I wanted to make an album that embodied my J-pop side. That was Sunshade. That’s also why the lyrics are relatively straightforward, while the lyrics on Wild Nights are a bit more aggressive and wild. In that sense, too, I think the two EPs present a contrast.
“Feel Like This” is the ending theme of part 1 of the Netflix series Beastars final season. Since it’s a tie-up, you’d expect it to go in a J-pop direction, but instead you took a bold approach, going with all-English lyrics.
The anime’s production team asked me to use English lyrics, and I thought it was a good idea. It’s evidence of the fact that anime is watched around the world. I was really happy that they picked me to write the ending theme. When I wrote the song, in Sweden, my vision was to pair it with English lyrics, so I think it was easier to write the lyrics in English than if I’d tried to write them in Japanese. I like lyrics that tie into the work the song is being used for, so I had fun writing them.
Beastars is set in a school, and it’s a love story, but it’s also enjoyable because of its takes on social issues like discrimination and its exploration of identity. What did you focus on when you wrote the lyrics?
The main character, a wolf, is in love with a rabbit, who’s a herbivore. In the natural world, their relationship would be predator and prey, but there’s a romance element, which is one of the key features of the anime. I think that contrast between reason and instinct is really important. The whole anime is a metaphorical depiction of problems in human society, and I think there are themes that apply to everyone. For example, think of what you want to do as being “instinct” and what you have to do as being “reason.” There are a lot of people who sacrifice what they want to do for what they have to do. It’s important not to let your instinct run rampant, but if you go overboard in ignoring your own desires, you’ll eventually come apart at the seams. I’ve felt that in my own life, so I based the lyrics on that idea. The lyrics use the contrast between certain expressions in English, and there’s a sense of playfulness that runs throughout.
I wrote the song “1-2-3” [also on the album] with David (Fremberg), who also worked on “Feel Like This.” Originally, we were just working on “Feel Like This,” but then we realized that if we kept focusing on this one song alone, we wouldn’t be able to come up with anything good. Instead, we figured we should play around with something else for a while and then come back to “Feel Like This.” And that’s how “1-2-3” came to be. We wrote “Feel Like This” and “1-2-3” in a single day.
The new EP has a good balance of English and Japanese lyrics. The last song, “Silent Parade,” is in Japanese, so the message and intent come through really strong.
There’s been a lot going on in the world recently, and perhaps because of that, the sight of people taking a position and asserting themselves has stuck with me. Asserting yourself is an impressive feat, you know. But if you think about it, being a singer-songwriter is similar, in a way. Singer-songwriters start out on their own, but they’re able to keep on making music thanks to the relationships they develop with all kinds of other people, like listeners or staff members. As they go on, that line of people becomes even longer. The question is whether, when you start out as in this silent parade, all by yourself, you can imagine all the people that will one day join in. Whether you can trust that to happen. That’s why it’s “Silent” and not “Alone.” I wanted to encourage people who step forward. They may feel like they’re alone, but when people have their sights set on the future and they keep pushing forward, they’re walking at the front of a long line of the people who will one day join them. When I started out, I thought I was all on my own, but now, as YU-KA, I’m surrounded by staff members and people who support me. Writing the song, I was struck once again by just how precious their presence is, and it made me want to make the YU-KA parade an even bigger one.
This interview by Hiroko Goto first appeared on Billboard Japan.
The details and entries for all 62 categories in the inaugural Music Awards Japan, set for May 21 and 22 in Kyoto, have been announced. Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) has been named the Symbol of Music Awards Japan 2025, the act that personifies the spirit of this year’s MAJ.
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About 3,000 entries were announced, with 256 songs up for Song of the Year, 167 artists in Artist of the Year, 171 albums in Album of the Year, 61 artists in New Artist of the Year, 100 songs in Top Global Hit from Japan and 24 songs in Best Song Asia.
Voting is currently underway among artists and creatives nominated for an award, plus media-related and other music industry professionals from Japan and overseas. The nominees will be announced on Thursday, April 17, and the award winners will be revealed at the ceremony set for May 21 and 22. All of the entries can be viewed on the official MAJ website, and Spotify is currently celebrating the entries with its “museum” playlist. Fans can check out playlists for each category on various streaming platforms including d Hits, Amazon Music Unlimited and Apple Music.
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Atarashii Gakko! took to the stage at the event in Tokyo announcing this year’s entries. The four-member group is slated to perform at the music event called matsuri ’25: Japanese Music Experience Los Angeles on Mar. 16 with Ado and YOASOBI, an event by the Culture and Entertainment Industry Promotion Association (CEIPA) that organizes MAJ.
In addition to the main categories mentioned above, MAJ has a total of 62 categories including: International Special Awards — awarded to songs that have won an award for Best Song or an equivalent prize in music awards in six countries — linked to award events in South Korea, China, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam; the award for Largest Live Audience honoring Japanese artists who attracted the largest crowds in shows; and the Honorary Award in Music Technology, which celebrates Japanese music-tech professionals who have contributed to the music industry on a global scale.
Fans can participate in the selection process for the following five categories: through Spotify’s voting function for the Best of Listeners’ Choice awards for Domestic Song and lnternational Song powered by the streaming platform; the Special Award: Karaoke for J-pop and Enka / Kayōkyoku powered by DAM & JOYSOUND honoring songs sung the most at karaoke; and for the Special Award: USEN Request Oshi-Katsu Request Artist of the Year powered by USEN honoring the song requested the most on the USEN Oshi-Katsu Request Ranking.
Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) has been named the Symbol of Music Awards Japan 2025, the act symbolizing the guiding principle that MAJ aims to achieve. The trio consisting of Haruomi Hosono and the late musicians Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yukihiro Takahashi formed in 1978, sparking a techno-pop craze in Japan and successfully touring internationally. The group was chosen as this year’s Symbol for the way they transcend borders and eras, showing a future that the MAJ strives to aim for. A YMO tribute concert will take place at the Kyoto International Conference Center on May 20, with performing artists and other details announced later.
International Special Awards: This category was established by CEIPA, the organizer of MAJ, in collaboration with music awards and their organizers in six countries: South Korea, China, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. It recognizes songs that have won the award for Best Song or an equivalent prize at music awards in the six countries. The top executives of the music awards in each country, or those nominated by the top executives, will participate in MAJ as overseas voting members. The category aims to connect the countries of the Pacific Rim through music, such as by realizing collaborations between artists from various countries through the collaborations between music awards.
Largest Live Audience: This award honors the artist who attracted the largest number of people to their shows. Based on the research data of the Live Entertainment Research Committee — a group of organizations and companies that surveys the size of the domestic live entertainment market, instances of overseas expansion, etc., and compiles an annual report — the artist who attracted the largest number of people to their live performances in Japan in 2024 will be awarded. This award celebrates the activities of artists who have energized the live music scene that has been on the road to recovery since the end of the pandemic.
Best Radio-Break Song: Radio DJs/personalities, directors and producers from 99 radio stations across Japan, who are at the forefront of the music scene and in direct contact with listeners, will vote as special radio voting members. This category will select songs with innovative appeal that update the music scene through a professional perspective, based on the music airplay data compiled by radiko.
Overseas Voting Members (partial list):Lucian Grainge (Chairman and CEO, Universal Music Group)Rob Stringer (Chairman, Sony Music Group)Robert Kyncl (CEO, Warner Music Group)Lyor Cohen (YouTube & Google Global Head of Music)Annette Barrett (President, IMPF)Hannah Karp (Editorial Director, Billboard)Ellen Lu (Vice President of Regional Festivals at Goldenvoice)Alex Norström (Co-President and Chief Business Officer at Spotify)
Lady Gaga’s Mayhem has debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, marking her fifth chart-topping album in Australia.
The highly anticipated release stormed to the top spot, reinforcing the singer’s enduring popularity Down Under.
Gaga’s latest album joins an impressive list of past No. 1s on the ARIA chart, including The Fame Monster, which spent three weeks at No. 1 back in 2010, Born This Way (2011), A Star Is Born soundtrack (2019-20), and Chromatica (2021). Mayhem also leads the ARIA Vinyl Albums Chart this week, underscoring strong demand from collectors and fans alike.
It comes after Gaga hinted at impending Australian tour dates, which would mark her first in the country since 2014.
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She appeared on Australian radio network The Fox’s Fifi, Fev & Nick program on March 6 to discuss the release of her nascent Mayhem record, while also providing a hint as to whether she might be announcing her first Australian tour dates in over a decade.
“I can’t formally announce anything, but I can tell you that I’m going to be announcing… some things,” she responded with a laugh, before reflecting on her time in the country. “I miss my fans there so much, I really do. I have such fond memories of being in Australia, it’s a beautiful place and I really do want to come back soon.”
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The Mayhem era has already proven to be a commercial success, with the album’s lead single, “Die With A Smile”—a collaboration with Bruno Mars—soaring to No. 2 on the ARIA Singles Chart this week after rebounding from No. 7. The track’s resurgence follows the album’s release, driving renewed interest in Gaga’s discography.
Elsewhere on the charts, BLACKPINK’s Jennie makes a strong debut at No. 2 with her first solo album Ruby, marking the second consecutive week that a BLACKPINK member has landed in the Top 5. Meanwhile, Rosé’s APT., a collaboration with Bruno Mars, holds the No. 1 spot on the ARIA Singles Chart for its 14th non-consecutive week, tying with ABBA’s 1976 hit Fernando as the fourth-longest-running No. 1 in ARIA history.
Other notable debuts include American singer-songwriter Daniel Seavey, who enters the chart at No. 7 with his first full-length album, Second Wind.
Additionally, Australian rock legends The Cruel Sea return with Straight Into The Sun, which lands at No. 18 and marks their first studio album in over two decades.
Billboard Japan’s Women in Music initiative launched in 2022 to celebrate artists, producers and executives who have made significant contributions to music and inspired other women through their work, in the same spirit as Billboard’s annual Women in Music honors since 2007. This interview series featuring female players in the Japanese entertainment industry is one of the highlights of Japan’s WIM project.
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The latest installment of the series features Aimi Kobayashi. The 29-year-old classical pianist first performed with an orchestra when she was seven and made her international debut when she was nine. In 2021, she came in fourth place in the International Chopin Piano Competition, attracting attention from around the world. In November 2024, she released her first new album in three years after taking maternity and childcare leave. On behalf of Billboard Japan, the writer Rio Hirai spoke with Kobayashi, who shared her current mindset as she continues to advance her career while enjoying the major changes in her life.
You’ve built a career as a pianist, garnering international attention from a young age. Has your approach to music changed since you got married and became a mother in 2023?
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Aimi Kobayashi: My approach to music hasn’t really changed. Of course, the way I use my time has changed dramatically since becoming a mom. I have an adorable little monster at home, so it’s tough to find time to practice for concerts. But when I see how cute my child is, that alone makes me feel like working hard again.
So even after the stage in your life has changed, you continue to be committed to music. Still, there must be difficulties in continuing your career while parenting.
There are many other difficult things in life besides childbirth. So you just have to adapt to the situation you find yourself in and get on with it. You get used to the situation and it becomes the norm, so you don’t have to think too much about it and just do what’s in front of you, thinking “I have to get it done somehow!” I do my best with housework and parenting, but I don’t expect to be perfect at everything. I’m pretty casual about everything except my job. I think the secret to continuing your career is to get help from the people around you like your parents and set up a support system.
Were you good at relying on other people before you became a mom?
No, I was the type who couldn’t rely on others. But after having a baby, I found myself thinking more often that you can’t live on your own, so I started relying on people around me without hesitation. I’m a mom, but don’t think I have to raise my child on my own. Of course I feel that I have to protect my child, but both the mother and father should equally fulfill their parental roles. You share the housework and childcare with your partner, and if that’s still too much, you can ask for help from other people and raise your child together.
That’s true. When you were in your teens or early twenties, did you ever feel anxious about balancing work with marriage and parenting?
No! I didn’t intend to give up either. I think it’s possible to balance both depending on who you marry. I wanted to be a pianist even after I got married and became a mom. That’s why I wanted to marry someone who would understand and support my career.
When you were 17, you took a break from playing in concerts and went to study at The Curtis Institute of Music in the U.S. Did you feel differently then, compared to during your recent maternity and parental leave?
During my time abroad, I only took a break from doing concerts and continued to practice improving my skill, so it felt completely different. As for maternity and parental leave, it was the first time in my musical career that I took a real break. It’s not often that you get a break that everyone around you congratulates you on. I really enjoyed raising our child and doing the housework while waiting for my partner to come home. But as it continued, I really started to feel the desire to go back to work. My partner continued to perform at concerts, so there were times when I felt anxious and wondered, “When will I be able to get back to work?”
I see. How did you overcome that anxiety?
I decided to push my comeback back two months, and that was a big relief. I had concert plans and other things lined up, and had initially decided to return to work as soon as possible because I didn’t want to cancel or postpone. I’d never experienced any major illnesses and was in good health, so I thought I’d be able to manage it if I just worked hard, but giving birth was harder than I’d expected. Even so, I still thought I had to return as soon as possible and ended up getting sick and feeling mentally overwhelmed. Then, the people at my agency and my manager told me, “Your mind and body will be back to normal with time, so take it easy and rest.” Their kind words lifted the weight off my shoulders and eased my postpartum anxiety, and I was able to return to work.
I’m really glad there are people around you who understand. What do you think is necessary for women to continue making music in this industry for a long time after marrying or becoming a mom?
It’s good to have a place to return to after taking maternity leave. Children are a gift, and there will be times you have to cancel shows. I was grateful there were so many people who understood this and waited for me to come back. This isn’t just limited to the music industry, but if there’s an environment that supports women taking maternity leave, then it will make it more enjoyable for them to look after their kids. And although it may be slow, I think that society is changing. Rather than focusing on the things that mothers and women can’t do, I want to believe that the world is becoming a better place and live my life as I wish.
Many women have careers in classical music, but for example, more men have been awarded at the International Chopin Piano Competition, and the ratio of male and female musicians also differs depending on the instrument. What are your thoughts on the gender imbalance in this industry?
I do sense some remnants of history, like the fact that Western orchestras used to be comprised of only male musicians in the past. A friend of mine, a female musician in an orchestra once told me that it’s hard for women to actively participate in orchestras. I do think that it takes intense conviction. The same is true for office workers. Some might imagine that a woman has to work as hard as a man to advance her career in an administrative position. I think I can make the most of my strength as a woman without compromising my identity.
Have you personally been affected by gender inequality?
I do feel it since I became a mother. Being pregnant was a wonderful experience. Only women can experience nurturing a life inside themselves and giving birth. But I also envy men who can pursue their careers without taking time off when they become fathers.
In addition to motherhood, changes in the stages in women’s lives can sometimes be an obstacle to career advancement.
Women do go through various changes in their lives, like having to raise kids or care for their parents someday. When changes like these happen in the home, more women tend to sacrifice their careers, and it feels like this is linked to gender imbalance in society. Also, women often suffer from physical problems due to hormonal imbalance caused by age. Women have to overcome many obstacles to advance their careers.
Do you have any role models, someone who makes you think, “I want to live my life like this person”?
There aren’t too many (female) classical musicians who continue to be active after having children. So I admire women in any field who flourish in the work they want to do after having kids. But this is my opinion as a married woman who has a child. Whether or not you get married is up to you, and being a mom isn’t everything. I think it’s fine as long as you’re happy.
I think you’re a role model for many people. Do you have any messages for women who might be worried about being able to advance their careers even as changes happen in their lives?
When you can’t find the answer to something even after thinking hard about it, it’s important to summon up your courage and take a step forward. You might gain new perspective, and even if you don’t find it right away, you might be able to arrive at your own answer by taking one step at a time. When I was a teenager, I used to think I had an infinite amount of time, but after becoming a mom, time passes like the wind. So I think it’s better to try the things you want to do now without holding back, and to live your life without regrets.
—This interview by Rio Hirai (SOW SWEET PUBLISHING) first appeared on Billboard Japan