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Ado’s “Show” holds at No. 1 after returning to the top spot last week to log its 12th leader on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.
On the chart dated Dec. 27 tallying the week ending on Christmas Eve, “Show” passed the 11-week record held by Gen Hoshino’s “Koi” and is now eyeing the 13-week record held by Official HIGE DANdism’s “Subtitle” for most week at No. 1. (The all-time record for most weeks at No. 1 is 21 weeks, held by YOASOBI’s “Idol.”)
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Streaming for “Show” decreased by approximately 6% from last week to 9,707,241 streams, but continues to rule the metric for the 14th consecutive week. The track also holds at No. 1 for video views (12th straight week), rises 3-2 for downloads with 10,210 units, and moves 7-9 for karaoke.
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“Anti Confiture” by ≠ME (Not Equal Me) debuts at No. 4 on the Japan Hot 100. The eighth single by the girl group launched with 216,440 CDs to hit No. 1 for physical sales. Following at No. 2 for sales is HKT48’s “Bucket wo Kabure!” with 183,540 first-week copies. The girl group’s 17th single bows at No. 5 on the Japan Hot 100.
As mentioned earlier, this chart week ended on Christmas Eve and as always during the holiday season, Christmas- and winter-themed songs surged on the Japan Hot 100 powered mainly by radio airplay. 13 songs charted this year, surpassing 2022’s record of 11 songs. Here’s a list of this year’s winter-themed entries:
No. 2 “Kissin’ Christmas (Christmas dakara janai) 2023” Keisuke Kuwata & Yumi Matsutoya No. 6 “Christmas Song” back numberNo.10 “All I Want for Christmas Is You” Mariah CareyNo. 21 “Christmas Eve” Tatsuro Yamashita No. 24 “Santa Tell Me” Ariana GrandeNo. 25 “Shiroi Koibitotachi” Keisuke KuwataNo. 41 “Merikuri” BoA No. 42 “Heroine” back numberNo. 44 “Last Christmas” Wham!No. 57 “silent” SEKAI NO OWARI No. 69 “WINTER WITHOUT YOU” XGNo. 90 “Itsuka no Merry Christmas” B’z No. 99 “Koibito ga Santa Claus” Yumi Matsutoya
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“Kissin’ Christmas (Christmas dakara janai) 2023” by Keisuke Kuwata & Yumi Matsutoya shoots to No. 2 after the CD dropped Dec. 20. This song was originally written for the Merry Christmas Show, a now-legendary music program Kuwata spearheaded in 1986. It was remade for this release and the Southern All Stars frontman and “Koibito ga Santa Claus” singer-songwriter newly recorded their duet. The song ruled radio, sold 25,639 copies in its first week to hit No. 4 for sales, and came in at No. 7 for downloads with 5,131 units, giving the two iconic hitmakers their highest-ranking song so far on the Japan Hot 100.
back number’s “Christmas Song” from 2015 rises 11-6 this week to break into the top 10 again for the third consecutive year during the same season. This year, the track entered the top 20 on the chart released Dec. 6 and gradually climbed the ranks. This week the evergreen pop-rock love song reaches No. 5 for streaming with 6,976,101 streams, which is an increase of about 3% from last year’s peak (6,715,894 streams). The track comes in at No. 32 for downloads with 1,789 units, No. 7 for radio, No. 8 for video, and tops karaoke for the first time this year.
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Meanwhile, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” also rises 35-10. The Queen of Christmas’s modern standard comes in at No. 3 for radio, behind Tatsuro Yamashita’s iconic seasonal favorite, “Christmas Eve.” Carey’s Yuletide hit comes in at No. 11 for streaming with 5,089,233 streams, No. 28 for downloads with 1,857 units, and No. 29 for video.
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 Dec. 18 to 24, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.
12/28/2023
From charged anthems by Stray Kids and IVE to NewJeans’ inescapable earworms, there was a delicious balance from the industry this year.
12/28/2023
YOASOBI, the musical unit that produces music inspired by novels, shows no signs of stopping. Their song “Idol” — written as the opening theme song of the TV anime【OSHI NO KO】— has taken top positions in five year-end Billboard Japan charts since it began streaming in April. Their next single, “The Brave,” is the opening theme of the popular TV anime Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End and continues to hold a high position in the charts. This year, they also completed a Japanese arena tour and performed overseas, in Los Angeles, in August. As one of the most iconic artists of the J-pop scene, they’ve demonstrated tremendous presence the whole year long.
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On Nov. 18, YOASOBI released its newest single, “Biri-Biri.” The song was inspired by Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, which celebrated its one-year anniversary on the same day. Composer Ayase has always been a big fan of Pokémon, and the song has little touches that will bring a smile to any fan of the game. “Biri-Biri” is already generating tremendous buzz.
Billboard Japan invited Ayano Takeda, who wrote the novel the song is based on, After the Rain With You, to talk with YOASOBI about their shared love of Pokémon and the making of “Biri-Biri.” After their discussion, there was a “Trade of Pokémon” ceremony and a special commemorative photo shoot. Famitsu.com is also running an article with a greater focus on Pokémon.
Ayase, you’ve played almost every game in the Pokémon series, but how about you, Ayano?
Ayano: I was biggest into Pokémon when I was in elementary school, so I was playing Pokémon Gold and Silver and Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. I have a brother who is six years younger than me, so we’d play together.
How about you, ikura?
ikura: The first one I’ve really properly played is Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet. When I was a little kid, though, I did watch family members play Pokémon Red and Green. I also played a lot of Pokémon Ranger on the Nintendo DS.
Which are your favorite Pokémon?
Ayano: My favorite is Vaporeon. When I was playing Pokémon Silver, my friend’s older brother gave me a level 96 Vaporeon, so was able to just lay waste to everything before me. Ever since then, it’s been my favorite Pokémon.
ikura: For me, it’s Eevee. But if I were to become a Pokémon, I’d want to be Charizard.
Ayase: For me, Mew. It’s cute, and I like its almost mythical nature.
Ayano, what was your first impression when you heard “Biri-Biri?”
Ayano: My first impression that it was like a cool, cute Pokémon. The first time I heard it, I was moved to tears. I saw how all these different people worked together to turn a novel into a song. Also, I’d researched a lot about Nemona in order to write the novel, so there was a strong emotional connection. When I saw the music video, I was like, “yes, that expression right there!”
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There’s a lot of great Pokémon music, like game soundtracks and anime theme songs. Did you get any inspiration from them?
Ayase: There are background music videos and playlists on the official Pokémon YouTube channel, and last year, by chance, I was listening to them a lot. When they approached me about writing the song, I decided that I wanted to draw on some motifs. What I did wasn’t exactly sampling, but instead kind of creating new arrangements. This was the first time we’d tried that kind of homage-style approach, so I wanted to give it a shot.
The intro is really an homage to battle music.
Ayase: I was playing Pokémon Violet, so I had this futuristic, mechanical image. I realized I wanted to make a kind of electric [in Japanese, “biri-biri” is used to describe the feeling of electrical shock], techno-like feel, and I realized that battle music would be a good fit for that.
Past Pokémon titles are sprinkled through the lyrics. There, as well, there’s this sense of playful homage.
Ayase: At first, I wasn’t planning on putting the names of other works in the lyrics, but the phrases came to mind because how the parts of the song fit in together. I thought I worked in some of the titles in really subtle ways, and they’d be hard to find, but looking at social media and YouTube comments, people found them all really quickly. You really get a sense of how much love people have for Pokémon.
I think this song has also shown a new side of YOASOBI. Were there any artists or songs that inspired you with respect to the vocals?
ikura: For the high-pitched parts, instead of straining, I tried to let go and loosen up when I sang. During the chorus, there’s a bit of a cushion zone before launching into a light dance part, and I think that technique for loosening up is going to become part of my repertoire.
What part of the song is your favorite, Ayano?
Ayano: I like the “ABC and to XYZ” part. It feels really good.
Ayase: When it comes to really feeling good, that’s the part of the song I’m most proud of, too.
ikura: Singing that part is really fun.
Recently, you performed at events Hong Kong and Taipei, where you performed “Biri-Biri” live for the first time.
Ayase: Performing “Biri-Biri” is great. The live elements really work well.
ikura: The song has a totally different tone than our other songs, so it completely changes up the mood. Plus, it’s a blast to sing. It makes me feel like dancing, and even though we just released the song, audiences are already singing along.
You’ve also released an English version of “Biri-Biri.” What differences should people keep an eye out for between the English and Japanese version?
ikura: This is also true for all of the past English versions of our songs, but the way the lyrics roll off the tongue, and how they fit in with the music, feels great. But, personally, even among all those songs, I think “Biri-Biri” matches the best. I’ve felt that way since we were recording. The speed and stylishness of English meshes really well into the song.
Ayase: In Hong Kong, “Biri-Biri” climbed high in the charts immediately after its streaming release. Also, and this is a bit of a tangent, but Taiwan opened their first Pokémon Center, and we were able to go there before it opened.
ikura: We had the opportunity because of this collaboration, or, I guess, because of this connection we’ve established.
In closing, do you have any last words for our readers?
Ayano: I feel very proud to have been able to be a part of a big IP like Pokémon. I hope anyone who’s never tried Pokémon before tries it out, and that people enjoy both the novel and our song.
YOASOBI: From the other works in the series to the recent Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, Ayano Takeda’s novel, and “Biri-Biri,” Pokémon has truly created a world of its own, so we hope that everyone savors everything it has to offer.
Pokémon image: ©2023 Pokémon. ©1995-2023 Nintendo/Creatures Inc. /GAME FREAK inc. TM, ®, and character names are trademarks of Nintendo.
This interview by Takuto Ueda first appeared on Billboard Japan.
In June 2023, comedian Tonikaku Yasumura appeared on the British audition show Britain’s Got Talent and became the first Japanese contestant to make it to the finals. Recently, he released “PANTS,” his first-ever digital single, under the name MC TONY.
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The track was produced by Double Clapperz, a grime unit made up of producers UKD and Sinta. The song plays on the juxtaposition of its production and its lyrics. The sound features elements of U.K. drill, a dark, menacing genre from South London, iconic for its ski masks and gun sounds. The lyrics, on the other hand, extol being “naked” — unarmed and non-violent.
Billboard Japan talked to Tonikaku about the making of the song and the story of his overseas success.
How have things changed around you since you appeared on Britain’s Got Talent?
I’ve got more international job offers, and recently I’ve been going overseas for work at least once a month. In October I made it through auditions for the French version of Britain’s Got Talent, and I also appeared on audition shows in Italy and Korea. The other day, I also appeared at the OC JAPAN FAIR in Los Angeles.
Have the audience reactions been different in different countries?
I got the biggest reaction in the U.K., but I got a standing ovation in France, too. I performed in French, and it even turned into a call and response (laughs). The reaction has also been good in Italy, Korea and the U.S. So far, every country I go to, I’ve been warmly received.
What led to you appearing on Britain’s Got Talent in the first place?
I wasn’t originally trying to break out overseas, but my talent agency, Yoshimoto Creative Agency, sends out videos of comedians that overseas audiences might enjoy to audition shows around the world. Britain’s Got Talent just happened to like my material. So at first, it felt like going on an overseas vacation. I was like, “I get to go to the U.K.! How lucky!”
But when I actually got there, the schedule was really tight. I arrived in London at around 11:00 at night, and then the next morning we started with rehearsals, filming, interviews, and the like. And then the day after that I flew back to Japan (laughs). It was really a whirlwind trip, and I wasn’t able to do any sightseeing. I took a brief detour to Buckingham Palace and saw a guard riding a horse. And on that little sightseeing detour, I got pickpocketed.
What?!
I was obviously a tourist, looking around at this and that, so I guess I made an easy target (laughs). It felt like I’d gone through a rite of initiation.
What was the response like when you performed your material for the first time in the U.K.?
They loved me in the auditions. But I wasn’t so sure, and I didn’t really get my hopes up. We filmed in January and the show was broadcast in April, I think, so there was a pretty big gap. So at the time I simply thought, “Well, that was a good experience,” and I pretty much forgot it. I was really surprised when they told me I passed the auditions.
It seems like you carefully tweaked your strategy for foreign audiences, like making your stage name “Tonikaku.”
To be totally honest, I wasn’t really thinking about hitting it big with overseas audiences, I was just hoping the fact that I went to the U.K. would generate some buzz in Japan. So I didn’t think too deeply about my stage name, “Tonikaku,” I just picked it so that when I appeared on shows in Japan, my co-performers would be like, “What’s up with picking that as your stage name?” Actually, I used to be part of a comedy duo, but we broke up and I started performing on my own. Up on stage I’d tell the audience “My name is long and kind of hard to remember [his Japanese stage name is Tonikaku Akarui Yasumura], so just remember ‘Tonikaku.’” “Or you can call me Tony, if you’d like.” I never dreamed that one day in the future, people overseas would be calling me “Tony!”
It was really striking seeing the call and response that happened with the audience on the U.K. show when you said your iconic line, “Don’t worry, I’m wearing pants.” In Japanese, you don’t need an object after “wearing,” but in English you do, so when you say, “Don’t worry, I’m wearing,” other people have to jump in with “pants.” I feel like that’s another reason for your victory.
Right. In Japanese, you wouldn’t spell it all out, “Don’t worry, I’m wearing ‘pants’.” But I translated it literally into English, which turned into this unexpected call and response. I was surprised, too.
I wanted to keep the act simple, with few lines. I didn’t want to practice there in the U.K. (laughs), so I just kept it stuck to simple, easy to remember phrases, and I think that’s another reason people liked it. In that sense, I struggled with French. I’m less familiar with French than English, and it’s harder to pronounce.
Now, you’ve released a digital single, “PANTS,” as MC TONY.
The genre, U.K. drill, is a popular genre that came from a really dangerous part of the U.K. Everyone dresses all in black, wearing ski masks, but there I am, unarmed, wearing just underpants. I thought that gap was pretty funny. I also tried out various ways of delivering the lyrics. At first, I sang it in a brighter, happier voice, but Mitsunaga, the lyricist, said “It’ll sound cooler if you sing it in a lower voice to match the track.” I took his advice, and now it’s got over two million plays (laughs).
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What led you to try your hand at music?
It’s because I met Takaya Mitsunaga [HYTEK Inc.], who handled overall production for the song. Mitsunaga said that the wall separating comedy and music is much lower in the U.K. than in other countries. The other day, I went to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe [the world’s largest performing arts festival, spanning three to four weeks each August in Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh], and I was surprised to see several performances in which comedians were doing freestyle rap.
There’s never been that much separation between comedy and music in Japan. For example, the comedy duo Downtown collaborated with composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. What kind of things would you like to do going forward?
As I mentioned earlier, at this point last year I had no idea how much would change over the course of this year. That’s how it is every year. There are always unexpected turns of events, and those reveal new possibilities. I want to just go with the flow, without thinking too hard about what lies ahead.
You want to play it by ear.
Exactly. That’s what I’ve done so far. If I think of new material for overseas audiences, the next thing I know things could be taking totally new turns, so I want to take on each challenge as the ideas come to me. For example, the Paris Olympics are coming up, so I might do all-nude poses of the different sporting events (laughs). I still haven’t appeared on America’s Got Talent, so I’d like to take on that challenge in the near future, too.
This interview by Takanori Kuroda first appeared on Billboard Japan.
Ado’s “Show” returns to No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Dec. 20, extending the song’s record to 11 weeks at the top.
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Despite an overall drop in points, the Universal Studios Japan Halloween event theme makes its comeback atop the list after slipping to No. 2 last week, boosted mainly by the mysterious singer’s recent string of appearances on TV, among other factors. The track holds at No. 1 for streaming for the 13th consecutive week, though figures are down by about 7% at 10,355,342 weekly streams. It’s also in its 11th straight week at No. 1 for video views, while also coming in at No. 3 for downloads (up 3%, 10,302 units) and No. 7 for karaoke.
YOASOBI has two tracks in the top 5 this week, with “Idol” at No. 2 and “The Brave” at No. 5. The former — Billboard Japan’s 2023 No. 1 Song of the Year — is still going strong and currently at No. 3 for streaming (down 5%, 8,225,278 streams), No. 11 for downloads (down 2%, 3,458 units), No. 2 for video, and No. 8 for radio.
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Sexy Zone’s “Jinsei Yuugi” debuts at No. 3 on the Japan Hot 100 with 203,299 copies sold in its first week. Although the group’s 25th single falls short of the first-week figures of its predecessor, “Honne to Tatemae,” the new song hits No. 1 for physical sales and comes in at No. 31 for video.
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Angerme’s “RED LINE” bows at No. 7 on the Japan Hot 100, launching with 70,397 CDs to hit No. 2 for the metric. The track is part of the Hello! Project group’s double A-side single RED LINE / Life is Beautiful! released Dec. 13 and also hits No. 13 for downloads with 3,302 units.
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Another debut at No. 8 this week is BUMP OF CHICKEN’s “Sleep Walking Orchestra,” the opening theme song for the upcoming anime series Delicious in Dungeon, set to begin airing in January. The anime is being shown in theaters for a limited three-week run starting Dec. 8. The veteran four-man band’s new number rules downloads with 14,494 units and is also at No. 1 for radio. While still not charting in the top 100 for streams, the number of listeners is expected to increase after the TV premiere of the series.
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The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.
See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Dec. 11 to 17, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.
After Krazy Super Concert held its inaugural show in New York this summer, Pulse Events’ newly launched K-pop concert series makes its next stop on the West Coast early next year. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Billboard can exclusively reveal the first details that Krazy Super Concert […]
The members of Japanese rock band King Gnu spoke with Billboard Japan for its Monthly Feature interview series highlighting today’s leading artists and works. The hugely popular four-man group released THE GREATEST UNKNOWN on Nov. 29, its first new studio album in about four years.
King Gnu’s 2019 album CEREMONY swept the charts and made them one of the leading bands in Japan, and the group has since dominated the scene on a scale fit for a “King” — an arena tour, a two-day headliner at the Tokyo Dome, and a stadium tour. THE GREATEST UNKNOWN is an album bursting with King Gnu’s original creativity beyond their narrative of making it big as a band in the Japanese music scene.
What did the members want to express in this new album, which they say allowed them to zero in on a sound that only these four can make by becoming liberated from the basic band format? Billboard Japan asked King Gnu’s mastermind Daiki Tsuneta, drummer Yu Seki, bassist Kazuki Arai and vocalist / keyboardist Satoru Iguchi to elaborate on where the band stands today and what they have in store for the future.
THE GREATEST UNKNOWN is really an amazing album. Could you tell us how you all feel about it?
Satoru Iguchi: Well, we presented what we consider to be King Gnu’s “answer” to J-pop once with the previous album CEREMONY, and from there we wanted to make another album as a counter to that, and I think that has taken form in a solid way.
Yu Seki: This time, I’m not just playing the drums like I did before. In fact, I hardly play the drums at all. It feels like I was able to try something new.
Kazuki Arai: A lot of the tracks were featured as tie-ins, and this band has considerable variation depending on the song, so during the production I was like, “Can these really become an album?” and was really worried. Once the project was completed, it really felt like something that could be listened to as a single piece of work. I think my strongest feeling is that of huge relief.
Daiki Tsuneta: I really sensed the growth of the band and each individual member. I feel relieved.
Is the sense of accomplishment different in nature from that of CEREMONY?
Tsuneta: Totally different. With CEREMONY, I was so caught up in the need to break out and make it big, so I had no emotional leeway and was short-sighted. This time, I made adjustments regarding such things. Of course, I feel strongly about all of our songs, but I carefully eradicated the things I didn’t like at the time and was able to create by focusing more on my way of production and on the things I’m making.
Arai: Yeah. The production flow of the album was also definitely different between CEREMONY and this time. For CEREMONY, Tsuneta would sometimes share with the band a song that had to be finished before he was sure about how it should be done, so we’d have to record it on that day even though the arrangement hadn’t been finalized. But with the new album, it’s like each of us found common ground within ourselves in that sense. It felt like we made this album as an extension of our daily lives, and it’s still ongoing. So I feel really fulfilled, but not burnt out.
Where does the difference come from?
Arai: I think the biggest difference is that the production flow was different from the previous one. Specifically, Tsuneta built his own recording studio, and we began working on songs based on a division of labor system. Each of us was able to fully concentrate on our own parts, so we had more time to reflect on ourselves. Satoru’s way of approaching his singing and Yu’s way of approaching music programming take time, so I imagine our way of doing things before was obviously a bit hard for them to begin with.
Tsuneta: Yeah. There was a brief period when the four of us would get together in the studio and record a little bit at a time, starting with the rhythm section and somehow making the rest of it all add up in the end, but I thought that didn’t reflect everyone’s intrinsic creativity. This time, everyone adapted to the new flow. I think it was probably a good fit for all of us.
Seki: Yeah, a part of me wanted it. When we do it together, we have to record the drums first each time due to the nature of the instrument, but I always thought I could come up with something better if I could record my part later.
Mr. Iguchi, how did you approach the creative process of this work?
Iguchi: I think I have a really broad range this time. There are elements of myself from when I studied classical music, and the R&B that I’ve been listening to recently, and I also sing like I did on our first album (Tokyo Rendez-Vous). The songs of each of our eras make up a coherent album. Like the others mentioned, Daiki completed his studio and… Temperament-wise, playing in a sandbox by myself fits my personality the best. It occurred to me again that even if there are lots of people in that sandbox, making sand balls without worrying about what they think is what I prefer doing. It was easier for me to express myself, to put playfulness into the work. So there’s a lot that element of playfulness in this album that I couldn’t do in CEREMONY.
That’s so true, and not only the vocals but also the songs themselves are like that. That’s exactly how I feel about “SPECIALZ,” the first song that came out after your CLOSING CEREMONY stadium tour. It’s a pretty aggressive song that doesn’t worry about what people think. It doesn’t have a typical band sound and the beat and groove are weighty. But it turned out to be accepted by the masses as a pop song. I imagine you all must have felt a sense of accomplishment about that.
Tsuneta: You know what, I’m surprisingly calm about such things. I don’t really see myself as being a catchy kind of person fundamentally, so it was just good timing in a lot of ways. [Laughs]
Really?
Seki: Super calm. [Laughs]
Tsuneta: Well, I do think that the four of us have been able to nurture King Gnu into becoming a band can convincingly put out that kind of music.
That’s exactly what I mean. You were able to put out a song like that at that timing, and as the opener for the Shibuya Incident arc of the anime Jujutsu Kaisen.
Tsuneta: You’re right.
And people around the world are listening to “SPECIALZ,” not just in Japan. Billboard Japan launched its new Global Japan Songs Excl. Japan chart in September, and it’s the ranking of Japanese music being listened to outside of Japan obtained by omitting figures of the Japanese market. “SPECIALZ” has been charting in the top 3 ever since the launch of this new list. It’s an interesting phenomenon.
Tsuneta: Sounds like it’ll bring in some money. [Laughs] But it’s amazing. When I went overseas earlier this year from winter through spring to work with artists over there, people really seemed to like my tracks that sounded like this. I got the sense that this type of industrial music with such a beat is compelling and cool to people anywhere, so I figured King Gnu might as well do it since we all think it’s cool. So I’m putting out stuff that’s really close to how I feel about things at the moment, like the things I’m interested in or think are hip right now. I’m in this mode where I feel the need to reflect those sensations more directly and straightforwardly in the band’s music, and that it would be more fun to do so.
In that sense, what I really like about this album is that the middle section comprised of the new tracks “IKAROS,” “W●RKAHOLIC,” and “):Ashura:(” plus “Senryo Yakusha” that’s been greatly changed from the single version, is the solid highlight of the album. The set contains so many tracks previously released as singles, yet the songs that are the most personal and directly express what you want to do musically at the moment are the stars of this album. “):Ashura:(” is just so good.
Tsuneta: It’s a new line, isn’t it? It’s also a form that would never happen if we were recording as a band. It could be King Gnu’s mode from here on.
Arai: In terms of album production, it was really only towards the end of the last four years that we were able to incorporate that flow I mentioned earlier. The last five months or so.
Tsuneta: We considered the existing songs along that flow, too. That’s why we changed the arrangements.
Mr. Tsuneta, you’ve been saying things like you’re going to move your base and change the way you work after next year’s tour. Could you share why you feel that way?
Tsuneta: In the five years since we released our first album, we haven’t taken any breaks and I’ve been feeling it’s not healthy to live according to this workflow. I just think it’s better to review the cycle once. With CEREMONY, I deliberately decided to take that route and focused on selling as much music as possible, but outside of Japan, Beyoncé takes a year to rehearse and performs at Coachella. I mean, there’s no way I could compete with someone at that incredible level who works like that by living according to this current workflow. I think the time has come for us to fundamentally rethink our approach.
So, this isn’t about working in Japan or elsewhere, but about competing on the level of Beyoncé’s Coachella performance since you’re making music.
Tsuneta: I want to be on the same playing field… It doesn’t mean to sing like her or anything like that, but as a creator of art, I want to face (creating art) like her, that way of not being over-consumed. Putting aside whether or not I was able to do so with this album, it’s how I want to live my life.
—This interview by Tomohiro Ogawa first appeared on Billboard Japan
Vicke Blanka announced his upcoming Vicke Blanka North American Tour 2024, set to kick off in Vancouver in January.
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It’s been a busy, globe-trotting year for Vicke Blanka, known outside Japan for “Black Rover” and “Black Catcher,” the opening theme songs for the Black Clover anime series. Beginning with the Jeddah Events Calendar 2023 – Anime Village at City Walk event in Saudi Arabia in May, he performed in RIMINI COMIX in Italy and the 22nd Japan Expo in France in July, the Gamers8 Cosplay Cup supported by WCS in Saudi Arabia in August, and Magnificon Krakow in Poland and 29 Manga Barcelona in Spain in December. Notably, he was invited as honorary musical guest at the Japan Expo in France, where his show recorded the highest attendance for a single stage at the event with over 5,000 people flocking to see him perform.
“I’m so happy to finally get to meet everyone in North America!!” says the 36-year-old singer-songwriter in English ahead of his upcoming North American trek. “I’ve often gotten DMs from US/Canadian fans, like, ‘Come do your show here too!’ and ‘We’ll be waiting for you!’ So. Guess I’ll take my DJ set and guitar with me. Let’s make an awesome tour together!”
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Vicke Blanka’s headlining North American tour will begin Jan. 31 in Vancouver, followed by 10 shows in 10 cities including the final in New York Feb. 20. Tickets are now on sale, see the schedule below.
Vicke Blanka North American Tour 2024
Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024 VOGUE THEATRE, Vancouver
Friday, Feb. 2 GOTHIC THEATRE, Denver
Monday, Feb. 5 GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC HALL, San Francisco
Tuesday, Feb. 6 THE BELASCO, Los Angeles
Thursday, Feb. 8 STUDIO AT THE FACTORY, Dallas
Friday, Feb. 9 SCOUT BAR, Houston
Tuesday, Feb. 13 PARK WEST, Chicago
Thursday, Feb. 15 ANNABEL’S, Toronto
Sunday, Feb. 18 RIALTO THEATRE, Montreal
Tuesday, Feb. 20 PALLADIUM TIMES SQUARE, New York
The number 21 holds a special significance for Nicholas Teo, who has been in the industry for more than two decades. It’s akin to a “coming-of-age ceremony” for his career. Nicholas named his tour “The 21st Story,” a simple yet direct idea. Having spent over two decades in the limelight, Nicholas has gained a profound understanding of life and no longer fixates on the gains and losses.
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While Nicholas still appreciates his early works, he feels that some songs from his first and second albums no longer resonate with him. In this concert, he aims to express himself more sincerely and chooses every song that resonates with him at this moment.
Even for national hits like “Love Is the Answer” and “Tears From Polaris,” Nicholas wants to present them in a different and interesting way. He collaborates with the music director and band teachers to discuss their feelings and understanding of each song. They may adjust the arrangement direction, such as incorporating a jazz flavor, to give these classic songs a new musical appearance and make them more interesting.
“The 21st Story” is Nicholas’s first official concert tour in mainland China. With his life story full of flesh and blood 21 years since his debut, Nicholas hopes to bring this concert to more cities he has never been to, meet fans whom he hasn’t seen for a long time, and create a new chapter of deep empathy through music. Tickets for the first stop in Shenzhen (Nov. 25) sold out shortly after they were released, and tickets for the second stop in Chengdu (Dec. 9) also sold quickly. More new shows will be unlocked in the future.
“White Night”: A Warm and Reserved Self-Dialogue
After a hiatus of five years from the Chinese music scene, Nicholas finally unveiled his latest EP, White Night, earlier this year. Although he may have slowed down his pace of music releases in recent years, it does not imply a deviation from his musical path. On the contrary, Nicholas has dedicated his heart and soul to each song and album, rendering his music distinct and exceptional. From “To Be…Nicholas” in 2015 to “The Best Is Yet to Come” in 2018, and now White Night in 2023, Nicholas’ musical odyssey has propelled him further and further.
The innovative design of the album’s packaging, featuring a fragmented mirror effect, invites listeners to introspect upon their own emotions and thoughts while engaging with the songs in White Night. The popular track “Innocuous” best embodies Nicholas’s present state of life: “I create music that I adore and present my authentic self through these songs. ‘No Harm Done’ closely aligns with my current state of existence. I increasingly recognize that no one is flawless, and no creation is flawless.”
The love songs in White Night depart from Nicholas’s previous repertoire. They emanate a mature perspective on love. For instance, “Unrequited Love” conveys profound anguish without resorting to heart-wrenching cries, while “Symptomless” showcases an insightful comprehension of life after years of experience. Evolving over time, Nicholas has acquired the ability to introspectively articulate his emotions through his music.
In his forthcoming concert tour, “The 21st Story,” Nicholas aspires to perform an array of works from the past decade, enabling the audience to perceive his personal growth through his music. He has realigned his musical direction to remain true to himself. He desires those who have recently discovered him through a variety of shows to witness his authenticity on stage.
After “Call Me by Fire”: A More Open-minded Nicholas
In “Call Me by Fire,” Nicholas expands the audience’s boundless imagination of him: He possesses capabilities beyond standing silently at the center of the stage and crooning love songs. Nicholas relishes every transformation that each stage brings: “The most remarkable aspect is when it occurs at the opportune moment. I aspire to maintain sincerity in sharing my music. I will give my utmost, not necessarily achieving perfection, but exerting my utmost effort.”
On the debut stage of “Call Me by Fire,” Nicholas’ simple Weibo post stating “I’m fine, I’m back” instantaneously moved fans who had followed him for countless years. Over the past 21 years, Nicholas may not have been as active as he is this year, but these dormant periods have ultimately fostered the unwavering confidence he possesses now that he has “returned.” From Nicholas’s perspective, an artist’s duty is to continually produce output. “If you fail to learn to rest and expose yourself to more input, you will easily become depleted. I hope to grant myself a moment of tranquility so that I may generate fresh creations.”
One method by which Nicholas reinvigorates himself is by aimlessly exploring cities during his travels. “I am not the type of individual who meticulously plans their itinerary in advance. It feels excessively laborious. Just like when I spontaneously decided to take classes in New York, it was an impromptu decision. After registering online and booking my flight and hotel, I promptly embarked on my journey. During one year in Tokyo, I had already boarded the bus to Disney, but then I pondered: why should I visit Disney alone? So, I disembarked from the bus. I do not necessarily visit tourist attractions and capture photographs. Instead, I might relish a cup of coffee, engage in shopping, and abstain from setting lofty expectations for myself.”
Participating in diverse music variety shows has taught Nicholas to be more carefree and at ease with his true self: “When recording variety shows, certain aspects can be challenging. I also wish to express gratitude to myself for persevering until the end and gradually revealing a more endearing and authentic side of Nicholas to everyone. This is likely the most favorable arrangement along the journey. I desire to pat myself on the back and say, ‘Nicholas, you have exerted tremendous effort.’”
Nicholas Teo
Tianyao Wang/Billboard China
This year, country music’s popularity has not only surged in the United States, but globally as well.
No one knows that better than Luke Combs. As part of his WME-booked 44-show 2023 tour, the superstar played in 16 countries, one of the most expansive outings ever by a country artist. In addition to sold-out stadium dates in the U.S., Combs spent August through October playing 23 sold-out shows — primarily in arenas — in New Zealand, Australia and in 12 European countries.
Combs’ efforts have earned him the Country Music Association’s 2023 international artist achievement award, which recognizes outstanding achievements by a U.S.-based artist who has demonstrated significant growth and development outside of the U.S., and has helped promote the country music industry.
The CMA took advantage of Combs’ tour to find out more about country music’s international fans and to help spread the word of the genre’s popularity abroad by embedding Milly Olykan, CMA’s vp of international relations and development on several tour dates.
Unlike pop and rock artists, country artists haven’t toured internationally as often, but with streaming dominating discovery, borders have come down, making it easier for international audiences to learn about country artists.
Combs’ ticket sales were propelled by soaring streaming numbers for country acts like him, Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson internationally. On-demand audio and video streams for country music are up 24% in the U.S. through the third quarter of 2023 over the same time frame last year, according to data provided to the CMA by Luminate, and other territories are seeing even bigger growth. The U.K. experienced 34.7% growth in country music streaming over the same time, with September breaking the record for most country streams in a month at 213 million. Germany saw 33% growth and Canada 32% growth.
Combs’ audience has been growing steadily internationally. The two-time CMA entertainer of the year has accumulated more than 5 billion streams outside of the U.S. over the last six years, according to his label, Sony Music Nashville. In addition to expected strong markets such as Canada and Australia, Combs has seen tremendous growth in other territories, including year-over-year streaming increases of 128% in Ireland and 166% in the Netherlands and 130% in Sweden, partially boosted by the success of his international hit cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.”
Combs’ manager, Make Wake’s Chris Kappy, studied the analytics, but he also was aware of the international demand for Combs based on anecdotal evidence, including emails from Combs’ passionate base, social media and fans who were traveling from overseas to U.S. dates. “When I’m seeing ‘Luke, come to Sweden,’ ‘Come to New Zealand,’ and you look at the analytics and see that Sydney has more people in it that want [to see] Luke than markets where we’re doing double stadiums, I was like, ‘We’ve got to pay attention to this,’” he says.
Kappy positioned the international tour to Combs as a mission much bigger than just expanding his own audience.
“I sat him down and said, ‘Look, man, this is an investment in your career, this is an investment in country music, this is an investment in taking the genre to the next level,’” Kappy says. “’You’re not going to make as much money as you do in [the United States], but you’re going to put the entire genre on your back, and you’re going to take it to the people and you’re going to show promoters, DSPs, record labels, publishers [and] venue buyers that country music is not only alive and well, but as strong or stronger than any other format that can tour over there.’ And he did it.”
Though he says he didn’t feel like an ambassador for country music, “I knew that’s what we were trying to do,” Combs says. “That was the ultimate goal. I’m going to give the credit to Kappy for that. That was his vision from day one. He was adamant that this was bigger than United States and Canada. No [country act] has ever been fully in. But you not only get to grow the genre, you get to extend the lifetime of your career.”
Combs first toured internationally in 2018, starting in clubs. Though he had been to many cities on the 2023 international leg before, there were certain territories, such as three dates in Scandinavia, where he had “never set foot in and he sold out arenas in all three,” Kappy says.
Tickets went on sale in August 2022 and in many markets, smaller venues were upgraded to arenas when it was clear the demand was there. In a few markets, like Paris, where Combs played the 950-seat La Cigale, or in Brussels at the 740-seat Ancienne Belgique, restrictions on moving shows kept him from being able to relocate despite the potential to sell more tickets.
Combs says playing a handful of smaller venues provided some adjustments for him and for his crew now that he’s a stadium act. “It was a huge challenge to my team to adapt to that size venue,” after playing stadiums and arenas. “We’re lugging 45 guys into a venue that has dressing rooms for 10.” Ultimately, though, he says the Paris show provided some of the best memories of the tour. “We started by playing the bar scene and didn’t realize how much we miss doing that,” he says. “It was cool to get to do that again.”
Kappy says the outside-U.S. dates broke even, and next time Combs tours internationally, he will likely be in stadiums. “We could have already done stadiums in Australia, but we couldn’t get them because the Women’s World Cup was at the same time,” Kappy says.
For the CMA’s Olykan, Combs’ tour was the perfect outing to join.
“I knew I had to leverage Luke Combs’ shows because he’s been building an international audience,” Olykan says. “He was the only one doing a world tour like this and had already done some international touring, so he was the poster child for me to attach myself to.”
Olykan’s purpose was two-pronged: to educate the international market on country music and, upon her return, to educate the U.S. country industry on her findings on potential global markets.
Coordinating with the local Sony office in different territories, Olykan held CMA-funded receptions in eight markets, including Auckland, Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Hamburg and London. The guest list included local promoters and media, as well as festival, label, streaming and radio executives. “I just knew if I could get those people to the show and around country music in the market, I knew they would [discover] it’s a young audience,” she says. “I was trying to have a converting moment for the industry in the local markets. We’ve engaged an industry around there [who] can lean in now when they hear about country music because they know the potential.”
From her time with Combs, Olykan especially sees growth potential in the Nordic countries. “If artists continue to go to the Nordics, they’re going to build good arena business there and eventually there will be a country music festival that will be a tentpole kind of moment for them,” she says. Based on her findings, the Nordics could leapfrog Germany as the next big country market, joining already established markets like the U.K. and Australia.
In additional to the cocktail parties, the CMA conducted surveys with Combs’ audiences. Though that information is still being tabulated, among the questions asked were how attendees discovered Combs, their listening habits in terms of radio and streaming and their ages. “That data will inform us and we’ll use it to talk to the industry here,” Olykan says, adding that the information will be shared with CMA’s members.
The activities expand on connections the CMA already has established based on existing task forces Olykan set up in the U.K., Canada, the Nordics, Australia and Germany. She meets with the task forces, which include industry executives, every two months.
The CMA also aligns with the Country 2 Country festival (C2C), which takes place every March in London, Glasgow, Belfast, Rotterdam and Berlin. CMA programs the opening slot on the shows with a lineup of new country artists. Based on Olykan’s research, this year, in addition to providing talent for C2C, the CMA will bring a number of developing artists for shows in Stockholm and Oslo.
