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YOASOBI‘s “Idol” logs its ninth consecutive week atop the Billboard Japan Hot 100, released June 14, dominating four metrics of the chart’s methodology for the third straight week.
Nine consecutive weeks at No. 1 breaks the record previously held by Official HIGE DANdism’s “Subtitle” (eight straight weeks), and the song is now tied with Aimer’s “Zankyosanka” in terms of total weeks at No. 1. “Subtitle” is currently the record-holder for most weeks at No. 1 (13 weeks), and “Idol” still maintains the momentum to catch up with the long-running hit from late last year.
The Oshi no Ko opener holds at No. 1 on the Japan Hot 100 powered by streaming, downloads, video views, and karaoke, where it rules for the third week in a row. Total points for the track is almost triple that of the song at No. 2, MAN WITH A MISSION x milet’s “Kizuna no Kiseki.” The track also sailed past 200 million streams on its ninth week on the chart, breaking the previous record held by “Subtitle” (11 weeks) for number of weeks it took to hit the milestone. It looks like the track’s unprecedented record-breaking streak is likely to continue.
Johnny’s WEST’s “Shiawase no Hana” debuts at No. 2 on the Japan Hot 100, selling 220,040 copies in its first week to rule sales. The theme of the TV series Gekikaradou 2 starring member Akito Kiriyama also hit No. 22 for radio airplay.
BTS’s “Take Two” — the digital single released June 9 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the septet’s debut — bowed at No. 6 on the Japan Hot 100 after coming in at No. 2 for downloads and No. 61 for streaming. A video of the seven members singing, including Jin and J-Hope who are currently serving in the South Korean military, was also released on Tuesday (June 13), and the track is expected to move further up the charts in the future.
Stray Kids’ “S-Class” from the group’s new album 5-STAR rises 39-8 after jumping to No. 7 for streaming. The album is at No. 4 on Billboard Japan’s download albums chart, and also hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Aimyon’s “Ai no Hana” (“Flower of Love”) also moves 32-9 on the Japan Hot 100 after the CD hit No. 6 for sales.
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 June 5 to 11, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.
The race is on! Dave and Central Cee‘s “Sprinter” (via Live Yours/Neighbourhood) edges into the lead on the midweek U.K. singles chart, after JHus and Drake came out fast from the starting blocks with “Who Told You”. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news If “Sprinter” maintains its pace, it’ll land […]
Niall Horan welcomed fans to The Show (via Capitol). Now he’s set to be rewarded with the U.K. chart title.
The Irish pop singer’s third solo album leads the midweek U.K. chart race, piloting an all-new top 5 featuring new releases from McFly, James, Christine & The Queens and Extreme.
If it holds its course, The Show will give the former One Direction star his sixth leader overall and second solo No. 1, following 2020’s Heartbreak Weather. Horan’s debut solo effort Flicker peaked at No. 3 in 2017.
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As a member of 1D, Horan landed four U.K. No. 1 albums and as many leaders on the national singles survey.
Arriving at No. 2 on the Official Chart Update is McFly’s Power to Play (BMG), which is set to become the pop-punk band’s seventh top 10 release.
The podium at the midweek stage is completed by Britpop-era Manchester band James, with Be Open to the Wonderful (Nothing But Love Music). James has ten U.K. top 10 albums, including a No. 1 for 1998’s The Best Of.
French alternative pop outfit Christine & The Queens could net a third U.K. top 10 with Paranoia, Angels, True Love (Because Music). The three-part LP is new at No. 4 on the midweek chart.
Close behind at No. 5 is veteran U.S. rock band Extreme with Six (Ear Music), which set to become the “More Than Words” act’s first U.K.-charting album since 1995’s Waiting for the Punchline (No. 10 peak). Six could be Extreme’s third top 10 release.
Further down the midweek tally is Tears For Fears’ 40th anniversary reissue of their debut album The Hurting (Mercury), which originally led the chart in 1983. The Hurting is poised to return at No. 7.
And finally, English singer, producer and rapper King Krule could bag his first top 10 LP with Space Heavy (XL Recordings), new at No. 8 on the chart blast.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published Friday (June 16).
Silvio Berlusconi, the billionaire Italian entrepreneur and former prime minister who died Monday (June 12) in Milan at age 86, will be remembered as one of Italy’s most controversial leaders. But before his career in politics, record labels he formed in the 1980s and 1990s helped launch the careers of popular Italian artists like Cristina D’Avena, Sabrina Salerno, Ambra Angiolini and Francesco Salvi.
In the 1950s, Berlusconi performed as a young crooner on cruise ships, where he met his friend and lifetime professional partner Fedele Confalonieri, who would later become chairman of Mediaset, Berlusconi’s media giant.
Music played a big role in the origins of his media empire. In the 1980s and 1990s, Berlusconi was an influential executive in the Italian music industry. In 1981, after founding Fininvest, the holding company that owned Mediaset, he launched his first record company, Five Record (renamed RTI Music in 1991).
Inspired by American songwriters, French chansonniers and the melancholic, existentialistic style of singers and songwriters from Genoa, the label initially commercialized the theme songs of the TV series and programs broadcasted by Mediaset, from cartoons to variety shows, from quiz shows to telenovelas. Then it expanded and released albums by Italian artists such as Gino Paoli, Orietta Berti, Patty Pravo and Bruno Lauzi.
Within such a wide artistic spectrum, Berlusconi’s enterprises launched the careers of artists who quickly became immensely popular (and transgenerational) in Italy: D’Avena, Angiolini, Salvi, Sabrina Salerno (her song “Boys” became a hit in Europe), Lorella Cuccarini, Giorgio Faletti and singer/comedian Fiorello.
Five Record had a strong connection with dance music. Take Change, an Italo-disco project produced by Italian musician and arranger Mauro Malavasi, saw their album The Glow of Love (1980) reach No. 29 on the Billboard 200 — a first for an Italian dance production.
The label also released Joe Smooth’s “Promised Land” in Italy and works from Double Dee (house music from Ancona, Italy) and Novecento.
After leaving office in 2011, Belusconi briefly revived his music career, releasing a new album, True Love, with longtime musical collaborator Mariano Apicella. The three-time Italian premier didn’t sing on the album but co-wrote all 11 songs, which were a collection of love songs and jazz arrangements.
Berlusconi’s biggest success in the music industry was D’Avena, the queen of theme songs for cartoons in Italy. In a career spanning 40 years, D’Avena has stayed relevant and sold more than 7 million copies of singles and albums, including compilations such as Fivelandia and Cristina D’Avena con i suoi amici in TV. The single “Kiss Me Licia” alone sold over 200,000 copies, reached No. 7 on the Italian chart and was certified Gold.
D’Avena’s biggest hit was “Canzone dei Puffi,” the theme song of the Italian version of The Smurfs cartoon. Released in 1982, it sold 500,000 copies and became her first Gold record.
“I always hoped this moment wouldn’t come,” D’Avena tells Billboard Italy about Berlusconi’s passing. “To me, he was immortal. But watching his last interviews you could tell that he was sick. … I’m feeling a huge loss. … An important piece of our country is gone.”
Dave and Central Cee’s “Sprinter” (via Live Yours/Neighbourhood) does just like its namesake, as it bolts to the U.K. No. 1 in record-setting fashion.
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The hip-hop collaboration scores the biggest streaming week ever for a rap song in the U.K., the Official Charts Company reports, for Dave’s third leader and Central Cee’s first.
The outright leader at the midweek point, “Sprinter” races to 108,200 chart sales, according to the charts compiler, for the biggest opening of 2023. That sum includes 13.4 million streams, for the biggest-ever week for a rap single, beating Stormzy’s “Vossi Bop” which accumulated 12.7 million streams in one cycle back in May 2019.
That’s the biggest opening week for streams since Adele’s “Easy On Me” posted 24 million plays in its first seven days in October 2021.
Previously, Dave hit the summit with 2018’s “Funky Friday” with Fredo and in 2022 with “Starlight,” while Central Cee’s previous best was a No. 2 peak for 2022’s “Doja.”
“Sprinter” also nabs a piece of chart history in Australia, by coming the first U.K. rap single to debut at No. 1 on the ARIA Chart.
It’s one of three top 20 U.K. debuts from Dave and Central Cee’s surprise EP drop, Split Decision, as “Trojan Horse” gallops to No. 14 and “UK Rap” is new at No. 17.
Meanwhile, Sweden’s 2023 Eurovision champ Loreen taps a well of energy on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, published Friday, June 9, as “Tattoo” (Polydor) bounces 10-7 in its fourth week on the tally, while Rudimental improves 11-8 with “Dancing Is Healing” (Room Two) featuring Charlotte Plank and Vibe Chemistry, for the British drum & bass act’s first top 10 single in five years.
Kylie Minogue is within a whisker of the top 10 with her comeback track “Padam Padam” (BMG). The Aussie pop princess’ electro-pop cut lifts 23-12 for her highest-charting single in the U.K. since “Higher with Taio Cruz” went to No. 8 in 2011.
The queen of pop, Madonna, bags a 72nd top 40 appearance with “Popular” (Republic Records/XO), her collaboration with the Weeknd and Playboi Carti. Lifted from HBO’s The Idol, the new cut bows at No. 21 for Madonna’s highest-charting U.K. single since “Celebration” reached No. 3 in 2009. It’s the Weeknd’s 34th top 40 appearance, and Playboi’s second.
Finally, Dundee, Scotland DJ Hannah Laing and vocalist RoRo has the biggest gainer in the U.K. with “Good Love” (WUGD), up 63-22.
The Foos fought all the way to the finishing line, as But Here We Are (via Columbia) wins a tight U.K. chart race.
Foo Fighters’ 11th and latest studio album becomes their sixth leader in the U.K., racking up 44,500 chart units during the latest cycle.
But Here We Are follows One By One (2002), Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (2007), Wasting Light (2011), Concrete And Gold (2017) and their most recent effort, 2021’s Medicine At Midnight, by marching to the top of the Official U.K. Albums Chart.
Dave Grohl and Co. are currently on the road supporting the new LP, recorded in the wake of the sudden death last year of drummer Taylor Hawkins. Brits will likely have to wait until 2024 for their tune to catch the Foos in action.
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But Here We Are manages to overturn a deficit at the halfway point, to deny Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds another crown with Council Skies (Sour Mash).
The legendary British rocker starts at No. 2 with Council Birds, ending a record-owning streak of 10 studio albums dating back nearly three decades. Gallagher’s unbroken run included all seven albums with Oasis and the previous three with High Flying Birds.
Council Skies, which enjoyed a late push from a digital exclusives campaign powered by Serenade, and finishes the chart week as the best-seller on wax, is Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds fifth top 5 title on the Official Chart.
Further down the list, published Friday, June 9, Sophie Ellis-Bextor bags her fifth U.K. top 10, as HANA (Cooking Vinyl) bows at No. 8, while another veteran British pop artist, Louise, just misses out on a top tier berth with Greatest Hits (BMG), new at No. 11.
Finally, Bob Dylan lands a 67th career top 40 entry with Shadow Kingdom (Sony Music CG). The new album, a collection of studio recordings of the songs that appeared in the master songwriter’s 2021 streaming special, starts at No. 14 on the U.K. survey.
Just days after the Foo Fighters announced another stadium lap of Australia, the rock legends land at No. 1 with their new album, But Here We Are (via RCA/Sony).
The Foos’ 11th studio LP becomes their ninth leader on the ARIA Chart, following One By One (2002), In Your Honor (2005), Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (2007), Greatest Hits (2009), Wasting Light (2011), Sonic Highways (2014), Concrete And Gold (2017), and their most recent LP, 2021’s Medicine At Midnight.
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Earlier in the week, the Foos confirmed a major jaunt in November and December of this year, produced by Frontier Touring.
Coming in at No. 2 on the national albums survey is Stray Kids, new at No. 2 with 5-Star (ING). It’s the K-pop act’s third charted release in Australia following Noeasy, which peaked at No. 14 in 2021; and the EP Maxident, with a No. 4 peak in 2022. Stray Kids has an Aussie connection; band mates Bang Chan and Felix both hail from these parts.
Completing an all-new top three is Metro Boomin Presents Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (Republic/Universal). Metro Boomin’s Spidey soundtrack, which features guest appearances from Swae Lee, Future, Nas, 21 Savage, Lil Wayne, ASAP Rocky, James Blake and 2 Chainz, is new at No. 3.
Further down the list, homegrown punk-rock trio DZ Deathrays bags a fifth top 50 appearance with R.I.F.F. (Orchard). It’s new at No. 8, for the award-winning act’s third stint in the top 10, following Bloody Lovely (No. 4 in 2018) and Positive Rising: Part 2 (No. 4 in 2021).
Over on the ARIA Singles Chart, Dave and Central Cee are the top sprinters as the British hip-hop artists team up for a fresh No. 1.
“Sprinter” (via Virgin Music Australia/Universal) races to the summit, becoming the first U.K. hip-hop single to debut at the top, and ending the eight-week reign of Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” (Republic/Universal), down 1-2.
The first U.K. rap single to scale the Australian chart mountain was Russ Millions and Tion Wayne’s “Body,” completing a six-week climb in May 2021.
“Sprinter” is the first Australian chart leader for both acts. Dave’s previous best in Australia was No. 8 for 2022’s “Starlight,” and Central Cee’s top effort was 2022’s “Doja,” which reached No. 3. Based on midweek sales and streaming data published by the Official Charts Company, “Sprinter” is also on track for the U.K. No. 1.
Meanwhile, Dua Lipa’s shimmies into the Australian top 20 with “Dance The Night” (Atlantic/Warner), lifted from the soundtrack to the forthcoming Barbie movie. “Dance” rises 22-14 for the Brit’s 12th top 20 hit in Australia, ARIA reports. It’s some way from contesting her biggest career hit here, her collaboration with Elton John on “Cold Heart,” remixed by homegrown electronic trio PNAU, which logged 10 weeks at No. 1 in 2021 and 2022.
Finally, the Queen of Pop makes a long overdue appearance in the top tier. “Popular” (Universal) by the Weekend, Playboi Carti and Madonna debuts at No. 24 on the ARIA Singles Chart, published June 9. The last time Madonna appeared in the top 30 was in 2012, when “Give Me All Your Luvin’” with Nicki Minaj and M.I.A reached No. 25.
Official HIGE DANdism and King & Prince top Billboard Japan’s 2023 mid-year charts, tallying the weeks from Nov. 28, 2022, to May 28, 2023.
On the Japan Hot 100 songs chart, hitmakers Official HIGE DANdism rule with “Subtitle.” The four-man band’s record-breaking single, featured as the theme of the popular TV series silent, was streamed 287,706,788 times during the tallying period after dropping digitally on Oct. 12 last year. In May it sailed past 400 million streams, breaking the previous record for the time it took for a song to reach that milestone. It also became the record-holder for most weeks at No. 1 after the topping the survey 13 times.
“We’re so very grateful that so many of you have listened to our music,” the band says in a statement. “We’ll keep working hard on our songwriting and live shows, and enjoy being in this band so we can continue delivering music we think is great. Thank you so much!”
Two popular anime series openers follow on the mid-year Japan Hot 100: the Chainsaw Man opener “KICK BACK” by Kenshi Yonezu at No. 2 and the Oshi no Ko opening theme “Idol” by YOASOBI at No. 3. The latter recently made headlines in Japan for becoming the first Japanese-language song to top Billboard’s Global Excl. U.S. list.
The No. 1 album on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums mid-year chart is King & Prince’s greatest-hits collection Mr.5. The boy band’s best-of set sold over a million copies (1,376,802) during the surveying period and dominated the physical sales metric as well.
King & Prince
Courtesy Billboard Japan
Ren Nagase and Kaito Takahashi of King & Prince shared a heartfelt statement expressing gratitude to their fans for their undying support: “We’re thrilled to hear King & Prince’s first best-of album Mr.5 finished first in the album category on [Billboard Japan’s] mid-year charts of 2023. Thank you so much to everyone who picked up a copy and to everyone who was involved in its making!”
“This album was created to reflect upon our journey so far as a group, made together with our fans who walked with us along the way,” they added. “It made us so happy to receive so many votes when we were selecting the tracks, seeing how much people loved our songs. We’re sure we were able to achieve this result because so many of you supported us. We’ll continue to stay true to ourselves and keep delivering our best performances and songs. Please look forward to it!”
The album at No. 2 is Snow Man‘s i DO ME and SEVENTEEN‘s FML follows at No. 3.
Official HIGE DANdism is the top act on the mid-year Japan Artist 100 chart, compiled from the results of the Japan Hot 100 and Hot Albums lists. The band has eight songs in the top 100, including former chart-toppers “Mixed Nuts” and “Pretender.”
The artist at No. 2 is young singer-songwriter Vaundy, whose performance of his long-running hit “Kaijuu no Hanauta” on last year’s New Year’s Eve live music extravaganza Kohaku Uta Gassen stole the show. Following at No. 3 is veteran three-man band back number, with five songs in the top 100 including the hits “I Love You” and “Suiheisen.”
While the synergistic effects of major tie-ins with popular TV series and anime have led to the accumulation of more points than ever in the digital realms of the chart’s methodology — streaming, video views and downloads — the breakthroughs of hits independent of tie-ins such as Vaundy’s “Kaiju no Hanauta,” Tani Yuuki‘s “W/X/Y” and Natori’s “Overdose” should also be noted.
Billboard Japan Hot 100 Mid-Year Chart 2023
1. “Subtitle” / Official HIGE DANdism2. “KICK BACK” / Kenshi Yonezu3. “Idol” / YOASOBI4. “Kaijuu no Hanauta” / Vaundy5. “Dai Zero Kan” / 10-FEET6. “New Genesis (Uta from ONE PIECE FILM RED)” / Ado7. “W/X/Y” / Tani Yuuki8. “Overdose” / Natori9. “Mixed Nuts” / Official HIGE DANdism10. “I Love You” / back number
Billboard Japan Hot Albums Mid-Year Chart 2023
1. Mr.5 / King & Prince2. i DO ME / Snow Man3. FML / SEVENTEEN4. THE SOUND / Stray Kids5. Koe / SixTONES6. Kessoku Band / Kessoku Band7. Awakening / INI8. FACE / JIMIN9. Humor / back number10. POWER / Johnny’s WEST
Billboard Japan Artist 100 Mid-Year Chart 2023
1. Official HIGE DANdism2. Vaundy3. back number4. YOASOBI5. Ado6. Mrs. GREEN APPLE7. Yuuri8. King & Prince9. Snow Man10. Kenshi Yonezu
YOASOBI’s “Idol” adds another week to its No. 1 streak on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, now at eight straight weeks on the chart released June 7. The latest hit by the Japanese duo of Ayase and ikura continues to dominate the same four metrics it ruled last week — streaming, downloads, video views, and […]
ONE N’ ONLY, the Japanese dance and vocal group that blends J-pop and K-pop to create “JK-pop,” released its new album, Departure, on May 17. This album represents the culmination of the “5 N’ 5” project, which began in January to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the group’s formation. Billboard Japan recently spoke with the six members of the group.
You’ve had several releases during your fifth year, but now you’ve capped them off with the release of Departure. It’s a really full album, packed with songs.
HAYATO: It has all the songs we’ve released over the past five months, of course, but it also has a lot of new songs. It’s a special album, and a lot of care went into making it. We didn’t just throw in all our past songs.
So it must have been really tough for you when you were making it.
Everyone: It was so tough! (they laugh)
HAYATO: There were constant release events, and from what I can remember we were always recording material, so we were super busy.
TETTA: I think it’s probably the busiest ONE N’ ONLY has ever been.
EIKU: We met a lot of SWAGs, too (“SWAGs” is the nickname for ONE N’ ONLY fans).
TETTA: We also gave a speech at the premiere of the movie Battle King!! We’ll Rise Again. Our schedules were really packed. We also did a tour of Latin America, took part in EBiDAN THE PARADE (an event put on by their talent agency), and went on a solo tour. When it was all going on, I just had to remind myself that when it was all done, I’d have grown a lot as a person.
The songs on the album are colorful and unconstrained by genre. Which are your personal favorites?
REI: I like “Call me” the most. It’s addictive, and it has elements that will help it go viral on TikTok. It has a reggae feel, and talking to our voice trainer impressed on me just how important it was to have the rhythm in the background. We grew a lot through our work in Latin America, which is what I think put us in the right position to sing the lyrics to “Call me.”
What about you, HAYATO? What’s your favorite song?
HAYATO: I like the first song, “CIRCLE.” JUNE wrote it for us two years ago, and we’ve been keeping it in our pocket till the time was right. I’ve always loved it, so I asked for it to be put on the album. This is our first song to be performed entirely by the rap team, so it holds a special place in my heart.
What about you, rap team members KENSHIN and NAOYA?
KENSHIN: I sang on the song, and it was really hard. The rapping was technical, and there was a lot I had to do in terms of technique, so I broke each part down and analyzed it, one by one.
Like HAYATO said, the song itself was written two years ago, and at the time I couldn’t quite get a good grip on it. But I’ve experienced a lot over the past two years, and it seems like all I’ve learned has really come together. I was happy to be able to sing on “Circle,” and I think it’s a very special song.
NAOYA: This song has an inner strength. It’s not like the sound itself is super powerful, and the song’s hook is laid back, but when I sang on it, I hoped to accent the song with something new. I don’t think that the me of two years ago could have sung that hook. It’s a song that I can sing because of where I am today.
I’m really looking forward to seeing how you perform it live.
HAYATO: It’s probably going to be pretty aggressive. Before we finished recording, we lined the songs all up once. We were talking about the songs, and everyone agreed that “Circle” got them fired up. I think it came out really well.
KENSHIN: I also really like “Set a Fire.” The album has a lot of aggressive songs and a lot of fascinating songs, but “Set a Fire” is a lighter song, in a good way. It’s a party song. When we were thinking about how we could improve ONE N’ ONLY’s live shows, we strongly felt that we needed something that everyone could take part in, that would make them all be like, “ONE N’s shows are so fun!” I think this song adds that kind of spice.
TETTA: It’ll probably get people moving in Latin America. It’d be great to perform outdoors!
NAOYA: I like “10,000 miles,” which is named after the distance between here and Brazil. I personally love the sound of the song, and the fact that we performed in Brazil is what makes us so right to sing this song. Our SWAGs in Latin America are so far away, but we’re always thinking about them, and this song expresses how even though we’re physically far apart, we’re together in spirit.
Wow, looking at the distance as an actual number, that’s really far away.
NAOYA: Yeah. And yet, despite this distance, our fans are out there supporting us. I feel so thankful.
TETTA: I also like “10,000 miles.” It expresses the way we feel, always keeping our SWAGs number one in our hearts. I recommend the song, because it’s got a gentle feel but the sound strikes right at your heart, which I love.
The album is full of bold, rich songs, with both a JK-pop and a Western pop feel.
EIKU: Yeah, it’s a rich album. I like “Reflection,” which I helped write, but I also like “Be Alright,” which is only on the standard version of the album. I played guitar on the recording, and both the melody and the lyrics are wonderful. Even when you’re trying your best every day, there are times when your spirit just crumbles. When that happens, instead of someone trying to encourage you, it feels better to hear “you’re not alone,” “it’ll be alright,” “we’re here for you.” That’s what I wanted to convey when I sang the song.
It sounds like the kind of song that would bring the audience to tears when played live.
EIKU: And us singers, too (laughs). I think that’s the kind of song it’s going to turn out to be.
Do you have a message you’d like to share with the people who are looking forward to this densely packed new album?
HAYATO: Every day has been a really fulfilling one during this fifth year commemorative project, and our new album is the culmination of our series of recent releases. We named it Departure because it’s a starting point, and we want to pick up speed from here. Once we make our spring tour a great success, we’ll use what we learn from the experience going forward, showing off a ONE N’ ONLY that is steadily evolving. I hope everyone can feel how special this album is, a commemoration of our fifth anniversary, and that they experience this boundless emotion together with us.
—This interview by Kana Yoshida first appeared on Billboard Japan