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Sabrina Carpenter’s “Taste” (Island Records) refuses to let go of its grip on the U.K. Official Singles Chart, securing a ninth consecutive week at No. 1.
The unstoppable track remains the most-streamed song in the U.K. for the week, racking up over 5.2 million streams and cements its place as the longest-running No. 1 single of 2024, marking yet another milestone for Carpenter.
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The popstar’s impressive achievements with “Taste” follow a remarkable streak in 2024. Earlier this year, she became the first artist in 71 years to spend 20 weeks at No. 1 on the U.K. Official Singles Chart within a single year. This record includes her chart-toppers “Espresso” (seven weeks at No. 1) and “Please Please Please” (five weeks at No. 1). The last time an artist accomplished such a feat was Frankie Laine in 1953.
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But the competition for the top spot is heating up. Gigi Perez’s viral indie release “Sailor Song” climbed to No. 2, putting pressure on “Taste”, while Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars landed at No. 3 with “Die With A Smile” (Interscope).
Meanwhile, ROSÉ of BLACKPINK made U.K. chart history this week. Her track “APT.” (Black Label and Atlantic) featuring Bruno Mars debuts at No. 4, making her the first female solo K-pop artist to land in the Top 10 of the U.K. Official Singles Chart. This marks ROSÉ’s first solo Top 40 hit, as she previously peaked at No. 43 with her 2021 single “On The Ground” (YG Entertainment and Interscope). Two of her BLACKPINK bandmates, JISOO and JENNIE, have also had solo success, with “FLOWER” (BLISSOO) and “Mantra” (Odd Atelier and Columbia Records) respectively reaching the Top 40.
Elsewhere on the chart, the resurgence of One Direction continues following the passing of Liam Payne.
Two of the band’s fan-favorite tracks have re-entered the Top 10: “Night Changes” (Syco Music and Columbia Records) hits a new peak at No. 6, surpassing its original 2013 peak of No. 7, while “Story Of My Life” returns to No. 9. “What Makes You Beautiful” also sees renewed interest, climbing back to No. 23.
Additionally, three of Payne’s solo releases have re-entered the wider chart, including “Strip That Down” (Capitol) with Quavo at No. 41, “For You” (Universal Studios and Republic Records) with Rita Ora at No. 43, and his final solo release “Teardrops” (Capitol Records) making its chart debut at No. 85.
Adding to the movement on the charts, Addison Rae’s “Diet Pepsi” (Columbia) rises two spots to No. 12, Billie Eilish’s “WILDFLOWER” (Interscope) blooms at a new peak of No. 17, and Gracie Abrams secures her second Top 20 entry with “That’s So True” (Interscope) landing at No. 19.
Further down, Teddy Swims climbs 10 spots with “Bad Dreams” (Warner) at No. 25, while Morgan Wallen secures his third Top 40 hit in the U.K. with “Love Somebody” (Mercury Records/Republic Records) reaching No. 40.
As “Taste” holds on for another week, fans are eager to see whether Sabrina Carpenter can extend her streak into the double digits – or will a new challenger finally emerge?
On Oct. 4, the digital maxi-single VORTEX was released. This single, which contains three songs, features vocalist Setsuko of Kuhaku Gokko.
The songs “VORTEX” and “karma” are the opening and ending themes of the TV anime series Mechanical Arms. In the show, protagonist Hikaru Amatsuga meets Alma, a mechanical life-form shaped like an arm, and becomes embroiled in a series of incidents. Billboard Japan spoke with Setsuko, Okamoto (the original planner and director of Mechanical Arms), and Hiroyuki Sawano (the songs’ composer, arranger, and producer) about their impressions of “VORTEX” and “karma” and the creation of these songs.
Setsuko and Hiroyuki, what are your impressions of each other’s music? What kinds of things did you think about during your musical collaboration?
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Setsuko (Kuhaku Gokko): When it comes to Hiroyuki, I’ve listened to his work as SawanoHiroyuki[nZk] more than his soundtrack work. [nZk]’s songs have the same musical foundation, but the impression they make changes a lot depending on the vocalist. I feel like that’s because when he writes the music, he makes space for the vocals. So then the question becomes, what should I do in that space set aside for me? To be honest, I wasn’t feeling very confident when he first reached out to me.
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Hiroyuki Sawano: My impression of Kuhaku Gokko, which Setsuko’s a member of, is that their sound has an edge to it. “VORTEX,” (the anime’s opening theme song) in particular, has a rock-like rhythm, so I was looking forward to see how Setsuko would express herself. I’m more interested in how vocalists’ voices will sound within my songs than in the sound of the vocalists’ voices themselves. In that sense, I was dealing with the unknown, but that’s part of what makes it interesting.
Okamoto, you’re the original planner and director of Mechanical Arms. What were your expectations for the collaboration between Setsuko and Hiroyuki?
Okamoto: I was hoping that with the opening theme, they’d make something that depicted the work at the surface level, and with the ending theme, they’d delve deeper inside it. I’ve listened to Hiroyuki’s music before, in my everyday life, but I’m embarrassed to admit that I didn’t know much about Setsuko’s Kuhaku Gokko project. But precisely because of that, I was really looking forward to hearing what kind of world the two would create when they combined their musical sensibilities. Both the opening and the ending themes far surpassed my expectations. I feel like they’ve expressed things that we weren’t even able to express in the anime’s art and scenarios.
Hiroyuki, you said that there were rock elements to “VORTEX,” the opening theme. To me, it feels more like dance music. It feels to me like you tried to give it a straightforward feel.
Sawano: It has a dance music-like groove, as you said, and I also tried to mix in some rock and electro elements. Depending on how you look at it, this anime has parts that can be seen as comical, but I feel like the real highlights are the stylish battle scenes. I wanted to express that coolness in the sound of the song.
Setsuko: My first impression when I heard the demo was also that it was simple and cool. That came as a big surprise. What I mean by that is that my own impression of Mechanical Arms was that it’s a very comical anime. Of course, the battle scenes are really stylish, but the everyday scenes have a comedic pace to them, and there’s a certain cuteness to the shapes of the mechanical elements and way people move. So my overall impression was pretty much the same as Hiroyuki’s. I didn’t expect the music to be so solid, so I was like, “What kind of vocals should I be adding to this?”
The instrumentals in “VORTEX” are straightforward and a little inorganic, but your vocals, Setsuko, passionately wind through the song. I think the elements are incredibly well-balanced.
Sawano: I wanted the vocals to have a bit of heat to them, a bit of energy. But it’s not like I was initially trying to go for a gap between the heat of the vocals and the coolness of the music. That was just the result of leaving the singing up to Setsuko. She’s the one responsible for creating that balance.
Setsuko: At first, I used a cold tone in everything leading up to the chorus, and then ratcheted it up when I hit the chorus. But then Tsubasa Harihara, another member of Kuhaku Gokko who’s an ardent fan of Hiroyuki, said “Even if you go with a cold approach, give it the feel of wearing an oversized hoodie, with the hood pulled low so you can’t see your face, walking quickly with your eyes downturned.” That got me thinking that the song would work better if I approached it with more of a hip-hop mindset, which is why I ended up singing it with a rap battle feel.
Okamoto, what did you think upon hearing the completed “VORTEX?”
Okamoto: Like everyone says, it’s a simple and stylish song, but that also made it hard to put pictures to. As Hiroyuki mentioned, this song focuses on the cool aspects of Mechanical Arms, as epitomized by its battle scenes, so when I worked on the video, I also approached it with a rap battle feel. But Mechanical Arms also has comical elements, so I wanted to be a bit playful, too. I tried putting in some comical scenes in the opening video, and they ended up also going really well with the song. The song is simple, but I could also feel a lot of depth to it.
What about the ending theme, “karma?”
Sawano: I handle the incidental music in Mechanical Arms, too, so to tie in the incidental music with the theme song, I wanted to synchronize the main theme of the show with either the opening or ending themes. Ultimately, I decided to use the main theme melody in the ending theme, “karma.” As far as the lyrics, the opening’s mainly in English, but I wanted the ending to be in Japanese. SennaRin wrote the lyrics for “karma,” and I’ve long found her Japanese lyrics to have a unique and interesting aesthetic. She’s pretty close in age to Setsuko, too, and I thought it would be best to have someone of similar age sing it.
Setsuko: Partly because “karma” is a ballad, I was able to sing in the way I usually sing, and going into pre-production, I found it easy to put emotion into my singing. I didn’t struggle as much as I did with “VORTEX.” I was also able to sing the way I wanted when we did the main recording.
Okamoto: I found “karma” to be hard to create animation for, in its own way. I wasn’t in charge of the ending video. Other staff was responsible for that, but I have a vivid memory of the staff thinking about the meaning of the lyrics, getting totally stuck, and saying “I just can’t do it.” I told them “Don’t think so hard about it. On the surface, it’s a simple song, so why not focus on the simple parts?” I remember the whole thing really threw them for a loop.
Okamoto, as the original planner and director of Mechanical Arms, how did you interpret the lyrics to “VORTEX” and “karma”?
Okamoto: I thought trying to analyze them too deeply would be a bad choice, so I try not to think about them too hard (laughs). That said, it’s hard not to think about them. For example, both in terms of its sound and its lyrics, “VORTEX” gets the listener amped up, and then suddenly leaves you feeling empty. Hikaru, the main character in Mechanical Arms, has a lot of internal struggles, and is kind of a negatively-minded character. Alma, on the other hand, is extremely bubbly, and she supports Hikaru, but it sometimes seems there’s just nothing really to him. I think the song expresses these characters really well. It’s very impressive. With “karma,” once you start thinking about the lyrics you could just go on forever, so I’d rather leave their interpretation up to the viewers. I don’t really like when creators push their interpretations, so I chose not to think about it too much myself.
Setsuko: “VORTEX” and “karma” are opposites, but there’s a very strong feeling of connection between them. I think that connection reflects the connection between the characters of Hikaru and Alma. As Okamoto said just now, Hikaru and Alma complement each other, and it feels like “VORTEX” and “karma” do, too, while at the same time mirroring the story of Mechanical Arms.
Okamoto: The two songs convey the essence of Mechanical Arms really clearly. Like, if someone were to ask me “What kind of anime is Mechanical Arms?” I could just tell them “listen to the opening and ending themes and you’ll understand.” The simple-but-complicated, or the complicated-but-simple nature of the songs, in particular. I put a lot of thought into the creation of Mechanical Arms, but I tried to keep the ultimate finished product simple. To me, it feels like Setsuko and Hiroyuki have expressed that same thing directly, through their music.
—This interview by Hikaru Sudo first appeared on Billboard Japan
YOASOBI celebrated its fifth anniversary on Oct. 1. The J-pop duo, consisting of composer Ayase and singer ikura, launched its career in 2019 as a group that turns creative writing into music. The “Idol” hitmakers have since released numerous hit songs and gained popularity that transcends generations and borders, expanding their reach worldwide as one of the biggest breakout J-pop acts in recent years. How did YOASOBI cement its current position as a musical sensation like no other? Let’s take a look back at their journey.
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YOASOBI originally formed for a project by the online creative writing site “monogatary.com,” run by Sony Music. The pair’s debut single, “Yoru ni Kakeru” (“Into the Night”) is based on an original short story by Mayo Hoshino entitled “Thanatos no yuuwaku” (“Seduction of Thanatos”) that won the grand prize in the Monocon 2019 competition hosted by the site. At the time, Ayase was a songwriter who released music online as a “vocaloid producer” (vocalo-p), and ikura was a solo singer-songwriter releasing music under the name Lilas Ikuta. The two artists got together for the YOASOBI project and released the music video accompanying their debut track on YouTube in November 2019.
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As the above introduction suggests, the members of YOASOBI initially had no idea they would become as successful as they are now, since the unit formed as part of the online website’s project. At first, they didn’t even know whether they would continue to work as a duo in the long term. But the appeal of their music spread naturally and the music video for “Yoru ni Kakeru” sailed past a million views in just a month after it was released. This is an exceptional number for a new, unknown act.
The YOASOBI phenomenon kicked into full swing the following year. The reaction that had spread rapidly online was also picked up by television and other media from around April, and the buzz expanded into the mainstream. “Yoru ni Kakeru” made it into the top 10 of the all-genre Billboard Japan Hot 100 song chart for the first time on the list released Apr. 29, 2020. It continued to stay in the upper ranks throughout the year and also took the top spot on the year-end Japan Hot 100. The breakout duo also performed for the first time on NHK’s Kohaku Uta Gassen, the prestigious annual New Year’s Eve live music extravaganza.
One of the reasons why the duo’s music gained popularity so quickly was probably the atmosphere of the times. Many people were spending time at home due to the pandemic and the number of those enjoying online entertainment increased. The distinctive animated music videos were also a factor. But it goes without saying that the biggest factor in their success was the power of the music itself. In 2020, YOASOBI released five songs in quick succession, including “Tabun” and “Gunjo.” The songs varied in taste, but Ayase’s signature, catchy melodies and ikura’s vivid vocal expression were demonstrated in each, and the group established its unmistakable pop style.
YOASOBI’s breakout success continued. In 2021, they moved beyond the buzz around a single release and focused on showcasing their appeal as artists. The group worked on high-profile tie-ins including including the dark, electro-pop number “Monster,” featured as the opening theme of the anime series BEASTARS Season 2, and released a number of singles that expanded their musical range. In July that year, they dropped the English version of “Yoru ni Kakeru” called “Into The Night,” which fans noticed had lyrics that sounded like Japanese in places.
YOASOBI’s live performance debut was also a major turning point for the duo whose activities initially took place mainly online. In February 2021, the pair held their first live show — entitled KEEP OUT THEATER — at a building under construction in Shinjuku, Tokyo (the current Tokyu Kabukicho Tower), filmed without an audience and livestreamed for viewers at home. Their headlining solo concert at the historic Nippon Budokan in Tokyo in December that year, called NICE TO MEET YOU, became the duo’s first show in front of a live audience.
The hitmakers further expanded their activities in real-world settings the following year. In August 2022, they took the stage as headliners at their first summer music festival, ROCK IN JAPAN. In December, they performed for the first time outside of Japan at 88rising’s Head In The Clouds festivals held in Indonesia and the Philippines. That same year, they collaborated with four Naoki Prize-winning authors for a project called Hajimete no (“…for the first time”), and their song “The Blessing,” released in October, was featured as the opener for Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Season 1 and became a huge hit.
In 2023, YOASOBI scored its biggest hit to date with “Idol,” featured as the opener for the anime Oshi no Ko. Released in April, this single quickly became a sensation immediately after its release. It held the No. 1 spot on the Japan Hot 100 for a whopping 22 weeks, with 21 of those weeks in succession from the chart dated April 19 to September 6, 2023. This is an all-time record for any act in the history of Billboard Japan’s song chart, and naturally the track also topped the year-end list for 2023. The song’s popularity spread to countries around the world, and it reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Global Excl. U.S. chart dated June 10, becoming the first Japanese-language song to top this list.
The duo followed up that hit with another, releasing “The Brave,” the opener for the TV anime series Frieren, in September that year, and the momentum of YOASOBI’s rise to superstardom reached its peak when the group’s debut track “Yoru ni Kakeru” became the first Japanese song to collect a billion streams (it later reached 1.1 billion on May 29, 2024).
The pair also grew remarkably as artists through their powerful performances on stage. In May 2023, they hit the road for their first headlining domestic arena tour, and in August, they performed for fans in the U.S. for the first time at Head In The Clouds Los Angeles. From December 2023 to January 2024, the group toured other Asian countries. The enthusiastic reaction from the crowds in each city must have given the two artists a great deal of confidence.
This year, YOASOBI continues to take on new challenges. In April, they took the stage at Coachella, and also held their first headlining show in the U.S. In August. They also performed at Lollapalooza, steadily expanding their reach in North America. YOASOBI’s first headlining dome concerts in Tokyo and Osaka are planned for October and November, and another run through Asia is set for December to February next year. Music-wise, they released a new song called “UNDEAD” in July. Featured as the theme for the anime Monogatari Series: Off & Monster Season, the latest track’s musical style is even more aggressive and chaotic than before, showcasing a new musical direction for the pair.
YOASOBI’s five-year journey has been unprecedented, and their success has ushered in a new era in J-pop culture. The hitmakers have adhered to the initial concept of turning creative writing into music, meaning all of their songs, including ones written as tie-ins, continue to be based on original narratives. Each song has its own story, organically linking with other works including anime and films, and can be enjoyed in many ways from different angles. This is one of the true joys of YOASOBI’s music, and the breakout duo will surely show fans new horizons in the future.
—This article by Tomonori Shiba first appeared on Billboard Japan
Following the tragic passing of Liam Payne, One Direction’s music has experienced a major resurgence on the U.K. Official Charts.
Payne died on Oct. 16 at age 31 after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is survived by his 7-year-old son, Bear, whom he shares with ex-partner Cheryl Cole.
In the days since his death, countless friends, fans and family members have posted messages of grief, including all four of the musician’s former bandmates: Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik.
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Fans paying tribute to the late star have since helped propel the group’s catalogue back into the U.K. Official Charts, with several of their albums and singles now seeing a major uplift in the wake of the tragedy.
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According to the latest Official Albums Chart Update, Take Me Home (2012) is currently positioned at No. 12 and is eyeing a potential Top 10 return by the end of the week. The album, which initially peaked at No. 1 in the U.K., features hits like “Live While We’re Young,” “Little Things,” and “Kiss You.”
Midnight Memories (2013) is also making a resurgence across the pond, sitting at No. 14 midweek, while Made in the A.M. (2015) and FOUR (2014) are tracking at No. 15 and No. 20, respectively. Meanwhile, their debut album Up All Night (2011), which originally peaked at No. 2, has re-entered the chart at No. 33.
In addition to the albums, several One Direction singles are also gaining traction. “Night Changes” (2014) has re-entered the charts at No. 13, with “Story of My Life” (2013) at No. 21. Their debut hit “What Makes You Beautiful” (2011) is set to return at No. 48.
Payne’s solo work has also seen a resurgence. His 2019 album LP1 has re-entered the charts at No. 49, and singles like “Teardrops,” “For You” (with Rita Ora), and “Strip That Down” (featuring Quavo) are all experiencing renewed interest.
Several of One Direction’s singles have also seen renewed interest. Their 2014 hit, “Night Changes,”as re-entered the charts at No. 13, while “Story of My Life” (2013) is currently positioned at No. 21. Meanwhile, their debut single “What Makes You Beautiful” (2011) is set to re-enter the chart at No. 48.
Payne’s solo material has also experienced a resurgence. His 2019 debut album LP1 has re-entered the charts at No. 49, with singles like “Teardrops,” “For You” (with Rita Ora), and “Strip That Down” (featuring Quavo) also climbing.
For the full midweek update, visit the Official Charts Company.
Creepy Nuts’ “Otonoke” hits No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, climbing 4-1 on the chart dated Oct. 23.
The opener for the anime series Dandadan dropped digitally on Oct. 4 and debuted at No. 32 on the chart dated Oct. 9. After shooting to No. 4 last week, the track becomes the hip-hop duo’s second No. 1 hit in its third week on the tally.
The accompanying music video for the track boosted its position on the chart. The distinctive visuals, which sees R-Shitei and DJ Matsunaga of Creepy Nuts appearing in countless numbers, made a splash after being released Oct. 18 and hit No. 2 for video views. Streaming for the track also increased by 109% compared to the week before.
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“Otonoke” also topped Billboard Japan’s Global Japan Songs Excl. Japan chart dated Oct. 17. The track is currently the song from Japan being listened to the most in Singapore, France, the U.K., South Africa, the U.S. and Brazil, and is quickly becoming Creepy Nuts’ next hit both domestically and globally, following the long-running mega-hit “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born.”
Snow Man’s “One” follows at No. 2. Featured as the ending theme song for the anime Blue Lock VS. U-20 JAPAN, the track was pre-released from the boy band’s fourth album RAYS, set to drop Oct. 30. The song rules downloads and hits No. 5 for video this week.
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Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac” holds at No. 3. The former No. 1 hit is now in its 28th week on the Japan Hot 100 with only slight decreases in all the metrics of the chart’s methodology.
“Hatsukoi Cinderella” by ≒JOY (Nearly Equal Joy) debuts at No. 4. Produced by AKB48 alum Rino Sashihara, ≒JOY is a group formed in collaboration with Yoyogi Animation Academy. The six-member girl group’s second single sold 130,708 copies to rule physical sales this week.
MISAMO’s “NEW LOOK” jumps 21-8 to break into the top 10. MISAMO consists of TWICE’s MINA, SANA and MOMO, and the track is off the group’s upcoming mini album HAUTE COUTURE slated for release Nov. 6. Streaming for the Namie Amuro cover increased by 170% compared to the previous week, and radio increased by 325%.
AKASAKI’s “Bunny Girl” also rises 14-10, giving the 18-year-old singer-songwriter his first top 10 hit. “Bunny Girl” dropped Oct. 2 after a portion of the song went viral on TikTok. The track has steadily climbed up the Japan Hot 100 from No. 40 to No. 14 to No. 10.
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 Oct. 14 to 20, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English X account.
Massive Attack, Tyler, the Creator, Charli XCX, Natanael Cano, Nathy Peluso, Parcels, Gesaffelstein, Fka Twigs, TOMORROW X TOGETHER and Meme del Real (Café Tacvba’s keyboard player) are set to headline the 2025 edition of the Axe Ceremonia festival, which will take place April 5-6 at Parque Bicentenario in Mexico City, Mexico.
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The Marías, Hanumankind, A.G. Cook, NSQK, The Dare, Simpson Ahuevo and Brutalism 300 are other acts announced as part of the lineup for this festival, which has established itself as a cultural celebration featuring the best and most representative bands and soloists of the local and international scene.
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Tickets will be available on Ticketmaster in a presale for CITIBANAMEX cardholders Wednesday (Oct. 23), with the general sale beginning a day later, announced promoter Eco Live, which produces the event in collaboration with the Mexican promoter Ocesa.
The Axe Ceremonia, which will be celebrating its 12th edition, has become an interesting option within the circuit of major music festivals in Mexico, providing a space for diverse voices and multi-generational sounds, offering the freshest from the global scene on its lineup.
In the words of its promoters: “AXE Ceremonia is a platform that drives creative communities, cutting-edge talent and social activists so that their projects and ideas can reach a broader audience.”
Past editions have included global music stars such as Björk, Rosalía, Kendrick Lamar, LCD Soundsystem, Travis Scott, James Blake, Wu-Tang Clan, A$AP Rocky, Aphex Twin, Snoop Dogg, Animal Collective, Underworld, Nicolas Jaar and Fuerza Regida.
Achille Lauro has had many different lives: that of a “street boy” in the Roman crew Quarto Blocco, then as protagonist of the Sanremo Festival and Eurovision Song Contest, a performer in sold-out arenas, entrepreneur and now a judge on The X Factor Italy. He is a person with solid, sincere and passionate convictions, who put their idea of an artist at the center of attention, capable of overlooking everything but never their own abilities and determination. Meeting Achille Lauro for this interview on a nice afternoon in Milan — after the release of his latest single “Amore Disperato,” with the delicate sound of a piano lesson in the background — was just the confirmation of all this.
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As an artist, but not only, you reinvented yourself several times. You are like a cat: you have nine lives.
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I hope, so I still have some to spend! For me, life is always full of opportunities for change. I don’t think I’m the only one. There are people who live just like this, changing their skin and their lives, chasing an idea, aiming for an increasingly distant goal. My curse, but also my blessing, is all of this. I often feel so projected toward the future that I can’t live well in the present. However, this is also my strength: being beyond the contemporary. The worst thing they wrote about me was that I always tried to amaze people, but instead I just tried to surpass myself, often ending up in territories I didn’t know. I don’t want my job to turn into an assembly line.
After all, you are artistically omnivorous and have nothing to defend other than your talent.
I like “omnivorous,” but I believe that talent is ultimately not enough. Dedication toward what you love and extreme commitment count. In the end, all this leads to great results, as well as always seeking innovation. It’s true, I’ve never been afraid of losing anything. Each of my albums is always different from the previous one, because I am looking for a new universe to immerse myself in. I think it was harder initially for a listener to understand my direction. But I’m not reassuring, I don’t want to bring you into a comfort zone by always doing the same thing.
You’ve been on the scene for 10 years, and in this decade, everything has happened musically in Italy: a real generational revolution in the charts, but also the renewal of Sanremo – and you have been the protagonist of the festival several times.
They have been 10 intense years because there has been a great evolution of our music scene, especially thanks to younger artists. Many of them have understood that the more unique and particular they make themselves, the more they strike the chords of the public’s feelings. I’m not even completely convinced that Auto-Tune was the stylistic hallmark of this era. Already in the ’70s funk bands used the Vocoder, then there were Daft Punk in the ’90s…. When I started, it was the era of street rap, in which you had to say certain things and maybe you were ashamed to show your feelings, your weaknesses. Today, however, there is room for emotions, which is very important for me. However, there has been a great evolution in the trap and urban scene. We went from a very dark production to something lighter. Above all, those kids who come from the suburbs didn’t ape the Americans but chose their own narrative path, going much higher in quality. They tell of miserable realities that are in contrast with the luxury that glitters 15 minutes away from them. Milan is the place par excellence to describe this discrepancy. For them, as for me, music is a path to redemption and redemption. Then it’s nice that pop is no longer considered synonymous with poor music, and this allows many young artists to try their hand at this genre without fear.
Achille Lauro
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What do you think about the fact that electronic dance music is connecting more and more with pop? It is a process that began many years ago but continues at a mainstream level in Italy, too.
True. I would like to open the top 50 and hear globally competitive productions and also an acceleration toward the contamination between dance and what really characterizes one’s culture, one’s country. Look at what is happening in Spain with Rosalía or C. Tangana, who take their tradition and mix it with something new.
What are you finding as a judge of The X Factor?
I’m trying to find something strong in identity in my team. My final three choices are slightly unconventional talents. I’m delighted to be able to try to do something different for the program. In the end, in Italy, only The X Factor and Sanremo are left to give great motivation to kids, to new talents…. Only in these contexts does something different and important really happen.
And you know a lot about Sanremo.
Let’s say that I was part of a change for the better. The festival was more permeable to the innovations seen in our music scene. It approached very distant worlds that never paid attention to before. Standing on stage with 10 million people watching you is an opportunity that I have always taken advantage of, even when I made mistakes.
Now, after four times at the festival, would you like to do Sanremo more as a guest or as a competitor?
If I have the right song I would go as a contestant. I love what I do and I want to take it to the top, but not in a grimly economic sense. I’ve always found my way, now I’m also an entrepreneur, I’ve opened a real estate company, so I’m not thinking about Sanremo for an economic question. But I’m ambitious: Sanremo is like the Champions League for a footballer. If you go there, you do it not only to participate but to win.
In your movie Ragazzi Madre: L’Iliade there is a passage where you reveal your great love for ballads, and the new single “Amore Disperato” is an intimate song, with acoustic sounds and a melancholic flavor.
I love ballads because they allow me to talk about my personal stories, to tell my experience, without inventing details to embellish them or make them more authentic. It’s all in that song. I want to maintain a certain simplicity, which for me goes hand in hand with authenticity. “Amore Disperato” is about a true story, so it was very easy for me to make it.
You recently went to the United States and talked about a future collaboration with Arturo Fratini, aka Lester Nowhere. We know he worked with Kanye West after giving him a CD with his phone number.
We did some things together during my work trip to Los Angeles, which was a very interesting and profitable period for me. Lester Nowhere is a very interesting artist and another demonstration that between obsession and attraction something incredible can happen. As in his case: meeting and then working with a great artist like Kanye West.
Achille Lauro
Marcello Junior Dino/Billboard Italy
There’s no stopping Kylie Minogue, with her latest album, Tension II (via BMG), on track to become her landmark 10th U.K. No. 1 album on the Offical Albums Chart, according to their latest midweek blast.
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After just 48 hours of sales, the album has moved over 28,800 chart units, placing it far ahead of its nearest competitor by more than 2:1. If she secures the top spot, this will mark yet another major milestone for the Australian pop star, whose previous album, Tension (also via BMG), also topped the U.K Chart in 2023.
It comes after the singing legend announced the North American leg of her tour in support of the new album, which is slated to kick off on March 29 with a gig at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto and take the “Lights Camera Action” singer to Montreal, Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, Atlanta, Orlando, Miami, Austin, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver and Denver before winding down with a May 2 show at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
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The midweek blast also sees British singer-songwriter Rag’n’Bone Man’s soulful third album What Do You Believe In? (Columbia) aiming for a No. 2 debut, which would follow on from the success of Human and Life By Misadventure (Columbia).
Another exciting new entry comes from Australian dance group Confidence Man, whose third record 3AM (LA LA LA) (via HAOS/Polydor Records/I OH YOU Records) is eyeing a Top 5 debut. The band’s infectious sound is already a festival favorite, and their climb to No. 4 on the midweek charts suggests they could make their Official Albums Chart debut in a major way.
National Album Day has sparked a resurgence for some of Britain’s biggest musical legends. Oasis’s 1994 classic Definitely Maybe (via Creation Records) is making a triumphant return, set to break back into the Top 10. Suede’s Dog Man Star (Nude Records), The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night (Parlophone), and Take That’s Everything Changes (RCA) are all experiencing a midweek surge in the wake of the celebration.
In a nostalgic twist, Bronski Beat’s groundbreaking album The Age of Consent (via London Records) could return to the Top 10 for the first time in nearly 40 years, following its 40th anniversary reissue. Originally peaking at No. 4 in 1984, this synth-pop classic is making waves once again.
Finally, Gracie Abrams’ The Secret of Us (via Interscope) has soared back into the Top 10 after the release of its deluxe edition, climbing an impressive 26 spots to land at No. 10 in the midweek update.
One Direction fans are also making their voices heard in the charts as they continue to mourn the passing of Liam Payne. All five of the band’s studio albums are set to re-enter the Top 40, a poignant tribute to their lasting impact on pop music.
Listen to Kylie Minogue’s Tension II below.
In one of their first performances nearly two decades ago, a modest gig along the banks of the Nile in Egypt, Cairokee played to a silent crowd – no applause, no cheers. Reflecting on this moment in a recent interview, Cairokee’s lead singer Amir Eid shared this story to illustrate the mindset that has defined the band from the start. The band didn’t interpret the audience’s silence as failure; instead, they heard the hum of something new. Rather than retreat, they pushed forward, knowing deep within that they were planting the first seeds of a new musical landscape. What began that night wasn’t just a performance. It was a turning point for Arabic indie bands, signaling the potential to rise from the underground and become charting artists with a sound that would echo far beyond the river’s shores.
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Fast forward to today. These echoes eventually reached Europe and North America, where Cairokee embarked on various successful tours. The first one, in 2019, was followed by 2022’s tour which saw them perform in cities like New York, Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco. More recently, they completed a multi-city tour across Europe, the U.S. and Canada, which wrapped up on Sept. 30, further solidifying their global presence. Meanwhile in August 2024, at the Alamain Festival on Egypt’s North Coast, they sold out a show of upwards of 27,000 fans, suggesting their echoes have become something of a roar, reverberating globally.
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Founded in 2003, and led by singer-songwriter and guitarist Amir Eid, the Egyptian rock-pop band has maintained its original band members with Tamer Hashem on drums, Sherif Hawary on lead guitar, Adam El Alfy on bass and Sherif Mostafa on keys. While their early music carried political undertones, it was in 2011, during Egypt’s revolution, that Cairokee’s breakthrough single, “Sout El Horeya” (The Voice of Freedom), turned them into a voice of a generation, where the song became an anthem for Egypt’s youth and later found resonance with youth culture around the Arab region.
Cairokee’s Momentous Discography
In the time since, Cairokee has released six additional studio albums, each evolving musically: Wana Maa Nafsy Aaed (When I Sit Alone, 2012), Nas W Nas (Some People, and Others, 2015), El Sekka Shemal (Wrong Way Blues, 2014), Noaata Beida (A Drop of White, 2017), The Ugly Ducklings (2019) and Roma (2022), along with two compilations of their biggest hits. While every album carries with it Cairokee’s sonic fingerprint — largely driven by lead singer Amir’s Eid’s distinctive vocal quality — over time they broadened their sound to include a mix of rock, pop, elements of hip-hop and traditional Arabic sonic textures, showcasing their versatility.
In many ways, Cairokee have often been like a mirror to the times in which they exist, reflecting the sentiment of not only Egypt’s youth, but millennials and Gen Z across the Arab world. They weren’t the only band to launch at the time, alongside them we saw the rise of Massar Egbari, Jadal, Adonis, to name a few, but Cairokee have managed to achieve a level of pop and mainstream success with several songs finding a home on Billboard Arabia’s charts.
In early albums like Matloob Zaeem (A Leader is Wanted), we hear the political undertones they were first known for, particularly in songs like the title track, or “Ethbat Makanak” (Hold Your Position) and “Ehna El Shaab” (We Are the People). Musically, this album was driven by Amir and Hawary’s swirling soft rock guitar licks and riffs and sardonic political commentary. We find this sound continuing through to their follow-up album, Wana Maa Nafsy Aaed (When I Sit Alone), which sonically oscillates between heavily reverb guitar driven tracks like “Kol Youm Momken Yekoon Bedaya” to songs teetering on pop anthems like “Mestany.”
Their 2014 album, El Sekka Shemal, marked a turning point for Cairokee, presenting a more refined sound, while introducing an eclectic blend of musical references. El Sekka Shemal presented a fuller sound, both with atmosphere production and a deeper integration of Arabic textures, including the rababa and percussions, as heard in songs like “El Khat Dah Khatty.” This album sees Cairokee pushing the boundaries of genre while expanding their collaborations, as heard in “Agmal Ma Andy” featuring Souad Massi, and later the genre-bending “Ghareeb Fi Belad Gareeba” (Stranger in a Strange Land) with shaabi music icon Abdel Baset Hammouda.
In Nas W Nas, Amir Eid’s vocals come into focus, with different production elements supporting a more polished studio sound. The gentle guitar lines and keys in tracks like “Walla Ma Aayez (All I Really Want),” along with subtle Arabic textures – such as oud lines and percussions in “Geina El Dounia Fe Laffa” – create a fuller sonic backdrop. However, it’s in “Kol Haga Betaady” (This Too Shall Pass) that Eid’s pop sensibility shines, featuring Shahira Kamal. Their memorable duet presents an earworm exchange with memorable lines like “Everyone is scared of tomorrow/Tomorrow comes and they are still scared/Tomorrow isn’t a day/It’s an idea.” Amir Eid again manages to hold a mirror to the times, in 2015 reflecting the era’s political uncertainty.
Eid’s introspective lyricism drives Noaata Beida (A Drop of White, 2017), as seen in the title track featuring Abdelrahman Roshdy, which reflects a dualistic struggle playing out between the two vocal lines. Politically weary themes resurface in “Kont Faker” (I Thought) and “Hodna.” Musically, we see Cairokee embracing more eclecticism, offering diverse tracks like the rhythmic “Layla” and anthemic “Dinosaur” while nudging more into a pop sound.
This dynamism culminates in The Ugly Ducklings (2019), where a multiplicity of genres is presented, expanding Cairokee’s audience base by offering them each something. The album spans alt-rock tracks like “Benkhaf” (We Get Scared) to hits like “Ya Abyad Ya Eswed” (Either Black or White), which draws from popular Egyptian genres like shaabi and mahraganat. This cross-genre approach continues and peaks in Roma (2022). However, we see another turning point for Cairokee in the high production value, and synthpop influences as heard in the hit song “Samurai” to the beat driven “Basrah We Atooh” (Lost in My Headt), both of which continue to chart Billboard Arabia’s Hot 100. Meanwhile, seven songs from Roma continue holding ground on various Billboard Arabia lists, cementing Cairokee’s place as a pioneering force offering an alternative to the traditional pop landscape.
The Voice of Cairokee, Amir Eid
Amir Eid’s voice has a deep rasp in it, the kind of guttural texture that makes it feel like it has traveled from a far-off time to deliver a very important message. It’s not a prophetic voice, but rather one that transmits the timbre of falling in love in one song, and in another, cutting socio-political commentary. His vocal quality and lyricism have been central to Cairokee’s identity, and through his words, Eid expresses the frustrations, hope, and loneliness of a generation navigating everything from political uncertainty to personal challenges. His side passion projects, including the soundtrack for the hit series Rivo, andmhis EP Roxi (2024), have further showcased his artistic evolution.
Envisioned by Eid, Roxi’s elaborate and cinematic video rollout was presented in three chapters, where we see the artist blending his penchant for visual storytelling, distribution and a body of hit songs. Roxi takes on a different sonic aesthetic than Cairokee’s big band, rock and pop sound, where we see Amir’s songs like “Hagat Gowaya” (Things Inside Me) take on a darker, synthpop sound than what we heard on Roma’s “Samurai.” Lyrically, Amir combines his penchant for storytelling in this three-chapter cinematic story of falling in love, with lyrics bordering on existential explorations deep within himself. Shortly after the EP’s release, songs like “Esmek Eh” (What’s Your Name?), “Hagat Gowaya” and “Nasy Kol Haga” (I’ve Forgotten Everything) landed on Billboard Arabia’s Arabic Indie chart and remained in the No. 26, 36, and 44 positions, respectively. Meanwhile, Eid currently holds the No. 56 position on Billboard Arabia’s Top 100 Artists chart at the time of publishing this article.
From Cairo to North America, Cairokee’s Live Shows
It is only possible to tell the story of Cairokee and Amir Eid by also discussing the resonance of their live shows. After concluding their third multi-city North America tour, Cairokee has found an audience both at home and abroad. In August 2024, Cairokee sold out their show in Jeddah, and the very next day at the Al Alamein Festival on Egypt’s North Coast, Cairokee saw over 25,000 attendees, according to the artist’s team. Upon returning to Cairo in the aftermath of their tour, they sold out another show with upwards of 27,000 in attendance at ZED EAST in October 2024. Their concerts are riveting experiences, with iconic collaborative moments, in the past they have featured guest artists on their stage such Marwan Pablo, and later Muhab and Tult8e, highlighting their ability to blend genres and connect with a diverse audience.
After two decades of pushing boundaries and challenging the status quo, Cairokee’s journey is far from over. They continue to evolve musically while staying true to much of their original fan base, while their impact on the Arabic music scene only grows stronger with time.
Cairokee
Courtesy of Cairokee/Billboard Arabia