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The top three finishers at Italy’s Sanremo music festival have entered Billboard’s global charts, including the contest’s winner, Marco Mengoni. The Billboard Global 200 dated Feb. 25 sees debut from rapper Lazza’s “Cenere” (“Ashes”) at No. 68; Mengoni’s “Due Vite” (“Two Lives”) at No. 80; and Mr. Rain’s “Supereroi” (“Superheroes”) at No. 97.
The Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart features two more Sanremo artists – Madame and Tananai – for a total of five songs from Sanremo 2023. On that chart, “Cenere” debuts at No. 29, “Due Vite” bows at No. 32 and “Supereroi” enters at No. 42. Meanwhile, Madame’s “Il Bene nel Male” (“The Good in the Bad”) starts at No. 104 and Tananai’s “Tango” arrives at the No. 195 spot. On Luminate’s Global Hits – Italy chart for the week ending Feb. 16, “Cenere,” “Due Vite,” “Supereroi,” “Il Bene nel Male” and “Tango” are Nos. 1-5, respectively.
Since the launch of the Billboard global lists in 2020, Sanremo’s most successful songs enter the charts each year after the event. The 2021 edition saw three songs make it to the Global 200 and six enter the Global Excl. US immediately after the contest. In that year, the song that won Sanremo, “Brividi” by Mahmood and Blanco, reached the highest positions on both charts, and at more impressive spots: No. 15 on the Global 200 and No. 7 on the Global Excl. U.S.
Mengoni, who is signed to Sony Music Entertainment’s Epic Records Italy, won Sanremo 2023, after the pop star dominated the song contest from start to finish with “Due Vite.” It was his second victory at the festival, his first coming in 2013 with “L’essenziale” (“The Essential”).
Under the artistic direction of Amadeus, who oversaw his fourth Sanremo this year, recent editions of the Italian song contest have started resonating with younger audiences, especially on streaming platforms. This year’s edition was the highest rated since 1995. Overall, 63.1% of TV viewers followed the five nights of the event, with the final night (Jan. 11) drawing an audience of 12,256,000 people, or 66% of Italian TV viewers.
Billboard Japan launched its Women in Music initiative last year featuring various women in the music industry in a string of projects, one being the interview series highlighting trailblazing women in the industry. This initiative follows the established example of Billboard’s Women in Music event that has honored artists, producers and executives who have made significant contributions to the music industry and empowered women through their work since 2007.
J-pop singer-songwriter eill is the next guest in the interview series. The 24-year-old aspired to become a singer after seeing the K-pop girl group KARA as a child, and now that she has made that dream come true, her music is being featured as themes of movies and anime series and appeals to a wide range of generations. Incorporating elements of R&B and K-pop into her sound, she continues to explore the possibilities of her signature sound accompanying lyrics that encourage people to cherish their individualities.
eill looks back on her beginnings, shares her experiences being a young female singer-songwriter and elaborates on wanting to raise her voice more about various issues in this new interview.
What were you like when you were little?
I was a really shy kid who would blush and look down when the teacher asked me to do something in class. That all changed when I saw KARA perform on TV in sixth grade. I was shocked by the way they wore stage outfits and did their makeup and hair in styles that didn’t pander to anyone, very much unlike my image of “idol” singers, and powerfully sang songs with lyrics that expressed their resolve. I thought, “I want to carve out my own life just like these girls!” and they even influenced my path in life.
So it wasn’t just about KARA’s fashion and songs that grabbed you, but also their attitude and the way they were. What changes did you go through after that?
First, I began to think that I wanted to be a singer. And I became so fascinated with the world of K-pop that I began to study Korean along with singing and piano. I became so absorbed in (learning Korean) that I stopped paying attention to my schoolwork. I couldn’t stand to lose, so when I got into something, I wanted to work as hard as I could at it. I even went too far and was found secretly reading a Korean reference book during class, and when the teacher scolded me, I talked back in Korean. [Laughs] But in the end the teachers supported me because I was trying so hard.
It’s amazing how you really did realize your dream of becoming a singer. Could you share some of the efforts you must have put into behind the scenes along the way?
I wasn’t very good at singing either, and started out by picking out the pitch of each note one by one. So from that level, I gave myself my full attention and made a list of what I lacked, and worked hard to fill in the gaps.
The one who can understand me the best is me, so the thing to do was to face my inner self and have conversations with my heart. Even if I mess up or if I have some kind of shortcoming, I try to accept it fully. And then I go to my favorite sauna or eat my favorite food to get myself in a good mood and move on. I’ve reached a point where I can think like that over the past year or so.
What did you do before you settled into your own way of picking yourself up mentally?
I always hit rock bottom. When I couldn’t come up with lyrics or songs, it felt like I was in a daze day and night, like I was in a nightmare where I’m being backed against a wall. But the lyrics and songs that were born when I was being hard-pressed like that are the ones that could only have come out from that time, and they feel so real that I just feel like hugging them now. So I’d like to tell myself who was going through all that back then that it’s OK to be yourself.
You write your own lyrics. What does the act of writing do for you?
I guess you could say that it’s like “a costume for being who eill is.” I often sing about life, and feel that there’s a side of me that writes lyrics with the sense of “this is the kind of person I want to be.” Someone who’s strong to begin with probably wouldn’t sing “I want to be strong.” For me, writing lyrics is a process of having conversations with myself, and my weak side also comes out along the way. So by putting into words that feeling of “this is who I want to be” and singing them, it’s like I’m encouraging myself.
I couldn’t love myself when I was a young girl, but came across music and discovered the meaning of my life. So I think I’m singing now to bring even a little light to those who might be feeling the same way.
I’m sure there many young women out there who are uplifted by your songs, like “palette,” a celebration of life that encourages people to color their lives in their own way, and “Tada no Gyaru” (“Just a Gal”), a number about how a woman feels about being looked down upon because she’s young. How do you think being a woman has affected your life and your music career?
In the past, like the lyrics in “Tada no Gyaru,” I often experienced being slighted because people thought I don’t write my own music or lyrics. Being a woman and making a living as a singer-songwriter, chances are you’re treated like a dress-up doll. But fortunately, my current team tries to protect me from such treatment. They respect my wishes and walk with me so I’m really grateful for that. On the other hand, I get comments like, “I don’t like strong-looking women like that” when I’m just performing in an outfit with matching top and bottom and holding a loudspeaker. In Japan, there’s still a tendency to shun women who have a strong sense of self, or consider women who lack self-confidence as being “cute,” or shut down anything a woman says as being “tacky” or “scary.”
I recently watched the American movie She Said about the #MeToo movement in the U.S., and while the incidents of 2017 were portrayed in a tone of “this stuff is still happening,” I thought that even in 2023, Japan is still so far behind. There weren’t too many people in the theater to see the film when I saw it, and I wish more people knew about it.
Meanwhile, when I look around me, I have friends who are having a hard time as single mothers. But some haven’t voted in elections even though they’re not satisfied with the current measures taken by the national and local governments. So I say to each of them, “First of all, you have to vote and express your opinions.” I hope society will change so that a kind of system where women don’t have to give things up due to pregnancy and childbirth and are able to see them in a positive light become functional. To achieve this, I think we should communicate what we’re thinking like the #MeToo movement, or take action together with others who share the same problems, maybe in a more pop and fun way, with a vibe like, “Let’s liven things up together!”
So not only do you convey your messages through your music, but you also directly reach out to your friends as well. Why do you think there’s such a difference in your current way of thinking despite the fact that you and your friends grew up in the same place?
I think that’s because I was introduced to music. I looked up to stars like KARA and Beyoncé around the same time, and these divas who were independent and sent out powerful messages were my role models. I also would like to be the kind of person who can give courage through music.
—This interview by Rio Hirai (SOW SWEET PUBLISHING) first appeared on Billboard Japan
Once again, the Sanremo Music Festival impacts Billboard’s global charts. Italy’s qualifying competition for the Eurovision Song Contest, the showdown yields a handful of debuts on the Feb. 25-dated rankings. Sanremo was held at the Teatro Ariston from Feb. 7 to 11, and was broadcast by Radiotelevisione italiana. (Eurovision is set for May 9-13 in Liverpool.)
Five songs from the Sanremo competition enter the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, led by Lazza’s “Cenere,” at No. 29. In the week ending Feb. 16, “Cenere” drew 22.5 million streams worldwide, according to Luminate. Ultimately, it placed second in Sanremo.
The competition’s winner was Marco Mengoni for “Due vite,” which topped its competitors in all three categories – public televoting, jury of the press and demoscopic jury. Though it swept its way to a Eurovision qualification, it debuts just under Lazza’s high mark, hitting Global Excl. U.S. at No. 32, on the back of 21.3 million streams.
Mr. Rain follows at No. 42 with “Supereroi,” also third place in Sanremo. These three top 50 debuts also crack the Billboard Global 200 at Nos. 68 (“Cenere”), 80 (“Due vite”) and 97 (“Supereroi”).
Additionally, Madame enters Global Excl. U.S. at No. 104 with “Il Bene Nel” and Tananai rounds out the Sanremo scope at No. 195 with “Tango.” The latter song finished in fifth place in Sanremo, while the former ranked seventh.
All five charting songs from Sanremo drew more than 90% of their streams from Italy, with Lazza, Mr.Rain and Tananai each above 94%. They make up the entire top five of Luminate’s latest Global Hits – Italy ranking, as seen in the data firm’s Music Connect platform, with “Cenere” leading the pack.
The sum of five Sanremo-sparked Global Excl. U.S. entries falls short of last year’s seven but is still above 2021’s four. Plus, the three Global 200 debuts match last year’s high, after no Sanremo songs impacted two years ago. (Both worldwide tallies began in September 2020.)
The zero-to-100 (er, three) momentum from 2021 may have something to do with the notoriety that that year’s winner brought to the competition. Måneskin triumphed with “Zitti E Buoni,” before winning Eurovision and then scoring multiple global hits later that year (plus a Grammy nomination for best new artist this year), including “Beggin’,” which reached No. 2 on Global Excl. U.S.
The band’s pan-continental, and then worldwide, fame may have assisted a top 10 debut for last year’s Sanremo champion, “Brividi” by Mahmood and Blanco. The ballad reached No. 7 on Global Excl. U.S. following Sanremo and returned to the chart after Eurovision.
But while Måneskin may have helped launch a new era of international success for Sanremo-associated titles, one may forget that the Italian glam-rockers were initially outpaced on the global charts. “Zitti E Buoni” debuted at No. 106 on the March 20, 2021-dated ranking, slightly behind the year’s runner-up “Chiamami Per Nome” by Francesca Michielin and Fedez at No. 100. That Måneskin went on to greater heights should give extra hope to Mengoni as he prepares for Eurovision, as even though his competition-winning song didn’t yield the biggest initial chart impact, even bigger things could be right around the corner.
On Feb. 12, Rihanna headlined the Super Bowl LVII halftime show in Glendale, Ariz., using less than 15 minutes of airtime to amplify her sprawling discography.
In a spur of debuts and re-entries, she logs 16 titles on the Feb. 25-dated Billboard Global 200 chart and nine on Billboard Global Excl. U.S., more than any other act on either of this week’s surveys. In all, they totaled 257.2 million streams worldwide in the week ending Feb. 16, according to Luminate.
American football is a specifically stateside sport, but the Super Bowl is a major pop cultural event. The NFL revealed that an estimated 208 million Americans watched this year’s game, while The Athletic estimates an additional 40 million viewers outside the United States.
All of those eyeballs on Rihanna created a firestorm of consumption worldwide. She properly performed 12 songs during her halftime set, and those dozen tracks averaged a week-to-week streaming increase of 231%.
Her hit parade is led by 2007’s “Umbrella,” featuring Jay-Z, debuting on the Global 200 at No. 32 and re-entering Global Excl. U.S. at No. 66. The classic spent three weeks on the latter chart in January 2021 but never hit the former until now.
2012’s “Diamonds” and 2011’s “We Found Love,” featuring Calvin Harris, both crack the top 50 of the Global 200, at Nos. 40 and 47, respectively, while arriving at Nos. 71 and 77 on Global Excl. U.S.
“Only Girl (In the World),” “B**** Better Have My Money,” and “Where Have You Been” debut further down both charts. “Work,” featuring Drake, “Run This Town,” with Jay-Z and Kanye West, and “Rude Boy” debut on the Global 200 while missing the Global Excl. U.S. ranking.
The superstar performed three other songs during her set – “Pour It Up,” her featured verse on DJ Khaled’s “Wild Thoughts,” and her refrain from West’s “All of the Lights” – that miss both charts.
But while Rihanna’s hyper-curated setlist spurred chart activity for specific tracks, the performance also drew listeners to her entire discography, hungry to rediscover deeper hits as the seven-year gap since her last studio album continues to widen. She charted an additional seven songs from beyond her halftime performance. See below for a rundown of all of Rihanna’s globally charting hits on the latest lists.
The seven songs above that were not performed drew the smallest streaming bumps, up anywhere from a still notable 23% (“Lift Me Up”) to 107% (“Don’t Stop the Music”). Next are the songs that were performed that were generally expected to be performed, and therefore had already been picking up steam in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. “Umbrella” was up by 131%, “Diamonds” by 138%, “Only Girl (In the World)” by 159% and “We Found Love” by 160%.
Then, there are big-to-massive gains for songs that may have surprised fans with their inclusion and had smaller global streaming counts to begin with, and therefore more room to grow after last weekend’s exposure.
Among all Rihanna tracks, the seemingly NSFW “B**** Better Have My Money” got the biggest gain, up 594% globally to 14.7 million streams. “Pour It Up” followed, up 334%. Those songs’ original releases, in 2015 and 2012, respectively, predate Billboard’s global charts but they peaked outside the top 10 of the U.S.-based Billboard Hot 100, where Rihanna has 32 career top 10s. Including both in a tight 12-song set alongside six former No. 1s (and another three top five hits) ensured a massive resurgence.
Across the board, Rihanna’s gains in the U.S. were bigger than those beyond. That is to be expected considering that an estimated 80% of the viewing audience watched from somewhere in the U.S. Still, Rihanna’s 12 songs from the halftime show averaged a 201% gain in non-U.S. streams. That’s notably smaller than the 297% average domestic gain, but still enough to land more than a handful of songs on the Excl. U.S. ranking.
SYDNEY, Australia — Brendon Bainbridge is leaving TEG after 17 years, the past six of those leading the live entertainment, ticketing, digital and data giant’s activities in Asia.
Bainbridge has been “an asset to TEG from day one and I want to personally thank him for his friendship, commitment, loyalty and immense efforts in successfully launching TEG in Asia,” comments TEG CEO Geoff Jones in a statement announcing the move.
During his six-year stint as managing director, Asia, “Brendon has grown the business in the region, leading through the pandemic, the entertainment and ticketing industry’s most challenging period in recent times, positioning TEG Asia to now capitalize on a wealth of opportunity in the region,” adds Jones.
Before making the move to Singapore, Bainbridge served for 11 years as managing director of Ticketek New Zealand.
Bainbridge is leaving to go live in Colorado, according to the company, and TEG is working on opportunities for him to continue working with the company after his relocation.
His successor at TEG is Timothy Ho, who is named as managing director, Asia, and has worked closely with Bainbridge for the last year, creating what should be “seamless transition for our business in the region,” enthuses Jones.
The incoming chief has 15 years’ experience in live entertainment and ticketing prior to joining to TEG, and was a “clear choice to step into the role,” says Sydney-based Jones.
The region, notes Ho, “is at the forefront of every major discussion now for live entertainment and ticketing – it’s a great time to be stepping into this leadership role and fulfilling TEG’s long-term vision and commitment to Asia.”
Currently, the TEG empire includes TEG Live, TEG Sport, TEG Experiences, TEG Dainty, SXSW Sydney, TEG MJR, TEG Van Egmond, Laneway Festival, FAN+, Handsome Tours, Qudos Bank Arena and ticketing giant Ticketek, a multiple winner at the 2022 Ticketing Business Forum international awards in Manchester, England.
In other news, TEG’s owners are reportedly preparing for an auction process.
In one article published last month in the Australian Financial Review, TEG is said to be pitched to big global buyout funds as “a unique business worldwide,” one that has expanded its footprint in recent years.
Another tale which ran in The Australian, suggested a sale process for the group could kick off this April, with investment bank Jefferies tapped to facilitate.
TEG was acquired in 2019 by Silver Lake, the U.S.-based private equity company which specializes in technology investing. Financial terms weren’t revealed, but sources say TEG carried a price tag of $1 billion-plus.
A spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.
Since 2007, Billboard’s Women in Music event has honored artists, producers and executives who have made significant contributions to the music industry and empowered women through their work as Woman of the Year and other awards. Billboard Japan launched its own WIM initiative in 2022 and has been featuring various women in the music industry in a string of projects, one being the interview series highlighting trailblazing women in the industry.
UA is the next guest in the series. The singer is set to perform at the Billboard Japan Women In Music Vol. 0 event to be held at Billboard Live Osaka on March 3. Since her debut in 1995, the Osaka native has released numerous hit songs including the massively popular “Jounetsu” (“Passion”) from 1996 and continues to take on new challenges as an artist today. In her private life, she’s the mother of four and is based in Canada. The 50-year-old songstress looks back on her career and shares her thoughts on balancing career and private life in this new interview.
What kind of women did you look up to when you were a child?
UA: I saw lots of people on TV, but when I was little, I looked up to people who were closer to me, like my aunt who used to take care of me for a while. She was funny and charming, and her presence really helped me at the time.
The first artists I became a fan of were Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin. I found out about Aretha when I was a teenager, fell in love with her voice, and collected her records. Information wasn’t readily available back then, so I didn’t know anything about the kind of life she’d led. I was strongly drawn to and admired her voice and singing prowess. I first came across Janis in a movie theater when I saw footage of her singing at a big festival. I was shocked as if I’d been struck by lightning and cried on the spot.
These two artists helped me realize that there are two kinds of people in the world: those who sing on stage, and those who watch them. I began thinking that I’d like to be one of those who sing on stage if possible.
So I do have that kind of fan mentality, but I also feel that I don’t know who those people really are. For a long time now, I’ve thought that although I might be a fan of someone, there really isn’t anyone I can say that I wholeheartedly admire for their personality.
If not any specific person, do you have a definition of your ideal kind of woman?
People are fragile and change easily from day to day, and nobody is perfect in the real world. That’s why I feel good when I meet people who have the ability to accept and the ability to listen and enjoy doing so. I guess that’s the kind of woman I admire.
The direction I’m headed as the person I am when I’m with my family and friends and as UA the artist who expresses things is different. So I think maybe the kind of woman I aspire to be as an individual and the kind I admire as UA are slightly different.
The person you are at home and the artist onstage are heading in different directions. That’s an interesting observation.
For the past 27 to 28 years I’ve been wondering what it’s like to maintain a good balance between the two, and feel like I’m still in the process of working on it.
You became a fan of Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin in your teenage years and went on to make your debut as a singer on stage. Your hit single “Jounetsu” came out in 1996, and the following year you gave birth to your first child, (actor) Nijiro Murakami. You then formed the band AJICO with Kenichi Asai in 2000, so looking at the timeline alone, it must have been a very eventful time. How did pregnancy and childbirth affect your career?
Looking back chronologically like that, it certainly was a turbulent time. [Laughs] But you see, I’m actually the type of person who insists on taking adequate time off, so after making an album and touring with it, I was allowed to take a proper break. I knew from the beginning that I’d burst if I kept working all the time. I was still young when Nijiro was born, so I think I took about three months off, then started easing back to work.
I witnessed something so pure and beautiful and clear in (Nijiro’s) new life. Also, some horrific incidents happened (in Japan in 1997), and it felt like the world was changing rapidly. The single I released before childbirth was “Amai Unmei” (“Sweet Destiny”), a song with lyrics about wanting to leave things up to a “sweet” fate, but after childbirth, I wanted to sing about a dystopian world in a vivid way, so “Kanashimi Johnny” (“Sad Johnny”) was born.
The experience of pregnancy and childbirth and the time I was able to put into it were like gifts to me. He was my first child and raising a child was a real challenge. I kind of feel like I inconvenienced Nijiro, and would like to apologize to him for some things now. In any case, the experience was like being allowed to practice becoming a parent while still being a kid myself.
When someone’s career is interrupted by pregnancy or childbirth, it’s sometimes interpreted in a negative way, but I think it’s lovely how you describe the experience as a gift that worked out positively. Has being a woman influenced UA in other ways?
I’m the type of person who thinks that I’d like to be a woman even if I were to be born again. Even now, I feel like I’m able to sing because I’m a woman. If I’d been born a man, I might not have chosen to sing, though I can’t say for sure because I’ve never been one before. Men are so unknown to me, and I’m constantly presented with themes to think about from my partner.
You’ve raised boys, though. Any discoveries through that experience you could share?
I have four children. One is a girl and the rest are boys. I try not to say unreasonable things like (act a certain way because) “you’re a boy” or “you’re older” to my boys, and try to tell them how they should be as people instead of their gender. But I do think I have a special empathy for my girl.
You mentioned earlier that you sing because you’re a woman. Were there any difficulties you faced as an artist or in other areas of your daily life because you’re a woman?
None, really. I don’t know why… but I’ve never felt that way. I think I’ve been very fortunate as an artist. I didn’t have much of an amateur period, and it was like I made my debut just when I became seriously involved in music, so I didn’t understand anything. I was always struggling to create each work. There was pressure and I was always nervous, but I faced it and overcame it, and then I’d spread out another blank sheet of paper in front of me and write another song. Looking back now, I had no other choice. But it seems to me that I didn’t make a single mistake along the way.
On the year-end Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart for 2022, 58 of the top 100 acts were male, 27 were female, and 15 were mixed gender groups. What do you think of this result, given that there are many great female artists in Japan?
I think one way of interpreting this result is that the power of women who are fans of the opposite sex was strong, rather than any lack in capabilities of female artists. Even within my circle, it feels like there are lots of women whose drive to support their favorites across generations is powerful.
That’s a really interesting take. Based on what you’ve said so far, what do you think is needed to make it easier for women to thrive in the music and entertainment industry?
This isn’t limited to the music industry, but for the time being, the functionalities of men and women’s bodies can’t be changed. You can choose how you live, but you can’t choose the function of the body you have, and it’s not easy to change. I think the reason why people choose not to have kids based on their careers (in Japan) is because the government doesn’t provide enough support and security during the period of having and raising children. I’m personally glad I was able to experience pregnancy and childbirth, so I wish that an environment where more women can feel more positive about choosing to have children would be put into place. It’d be nice to have a system that allows women to move on to the next step in their lives while experiencing these things instead of thinking “pregnancy and childbirth = career interruption.” I think this is a national issue, not a music industry issue.
—This interview by Rio Hirai (SOW SWEET PUBLISHING) first appeared on Billboard Japan
BE:FIRST’s “Boom Boom Back” debuts at No. 1 on the latest Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Feb. 22, ruling three metrics of the chart’s methodology.
“Boom Boom Back” hit No. 1 in downloads with 23,004 units, video with 5,010,303 weekly views, and radio airplay. It also came in at No. 2 for streaming with 9,445,515 weekly streams, amassing high points in these metrics. The seven-member boy band’s previous No. 1 single from August, “Scream,” launched with 15,304 downloads, 8,290,751 streams, and 5,015,160 views, so the figures have improved in two of the digital metrics, suggesting the growth of the group’s popularity.
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Sakurazaka46’s fifth single “Sakurazuki” hit No. 1 for sales with 395,075 copies sold in its first week. The track couldn’t supplement this lead in the digital realm, coming in at No. 9 for downloads, No. 14 for radio, No. 29 for streaming, and rises to No. 2 from No. 43 on the Japan Hot 100 this week. Sales are down by about 50,000 copies compared to the girl group’s previous single, “Samidareyo,” which sold 452,752 CDs in its first week.
YU-KA’s “Hoshizukiyo” rises 9-7 on this week’s chart, after the rising singer-songwriter performed the number on the popular music show Music Station last week. The drama theme song is showing the effects of media exposure, improving in two metrics — streaming, which increased 56.4 percent from the previous week, and video, which rose 57.6 percent — and holding with minimal point declines in downloads and radio.
The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, YouTube and GYAO! video views and karaoke data.
See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Feb. 13 to Feb. 19, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.
The relationships between artists and music fans are growing more diverse, involving streaming and social networks. Universal Music Japan has a team dedicated to exporting music overseas: the Export Marketing Team.
The team’s objective is to provide more strategic support to Japanese artists being listened to outside Japan. Ever since its formation, it has constantly updated the company’s strategies for supplying the increasingly competitive global market with music from Japan. It is truly an organization for the streaming era.
Billboard Japan spoke with Hajime Isogai, General Manager of Export Marketing, about Universal Music Japan’s overseas strategy.
Jay Kogami (JK): What is the role of the Export Marketing Team in Universal Music (UMJ)?
Isogai: We rapidly identify and analyze how Japanese music and Japanese artists are being listened to outside Japan, and we discover signs of changes and opportunities for increasing plays. As the leader of the team, I guess my role is to systematically build an approach for thinking about potential measures. Every day, we’re thinking about how we can respond to daily trend movements.
JK: Could you share an example of a specific Japanese artist that you’ve performed export marketing analysis for?
Isogai: Some interesting movement we saw in 2022 involved Fujii Kaze’s “Shinunoga E-Wa” and SEKAI NO OWARI’s “Habit.” Of course, they’re both excellent songs, but they’ve also become well-recognized around the world through social media. “Habit” first started buzzing in Latin America, in countries like Peru and Mexico, and view numbers started climbing. It spread from there around the world. Seeing a song take off from Latin America and spread worldwide from there was something new for us. Fujii Kaze’s “Shinunoga E-wa” spread through use in Thailand in sped-up UGC on TikTok, anime MADs, and K-drama highlight videos. From there, it hit the Spotify viral charts, and in a flash it had spread around the world.
JK: Do you think that Japanese music owes its worldwide acceptance to the overall high number of young social media users overseas? Or is it limited to specific countries or regions?
Isogai: Rather than compartmentalizing along the lines of age or region, I think it’s essential to look at the cultural backgrounds of music fans. For example, Japanese anime is well-established and accepted worldwide. However, that doesn’t mean that anime tie-up songs always take high places on Billboard’s global charts. There are foundational cultures of accepting music that vary by region and age range. When looking for ways to approach overseas markets, it’s important to investigate and examine their underlying cultures.
JK: Have you made any new discoveries that could overturn past stereotypes or conventional wisdom with respect to the kinds of cultures or environments that welcome Japanese artists and Japanese music?
Isogai: I think we need to reexamine our assumption that lyrics have to be in English. When one particular Japanese song became a viral hit in Southeast Asia, local staff carried out a study and found that one of the reasons for the rise in the number of videos using the song was that “the lyrics are good.” It was a deep love song with lyrics in Japanese, so we were surprised to find out that one of the reasons it resonated with locals was the lyrical content. It really brought home the fact that language barriers and national borders don’t prevent artists based in Japan from reaching listeners and users worldwide.
JK: How do you feel that the Universal Music Group’s strengths have changed with respect not only to Japanese music, but also to capturing overseas market share?
Isogai: I think that, as a global music company, our teams around the world are better than ever at directly working with each other when we discover potential hits, wonderful talent, and creative people. In the past, when aiming to create an overseas hit, you’d have to sign a contract with the local label and ship and sell products. Now, with digital services, we can deliver music across borders, without being concerned with language barriers. That’s making it more important than ever to share information, so that we can understand the pioneering cultures in each country. Having marketing teams in each region is an even greater strength for us in terms of creating paths for international success.
JK: Is there any overseas marketing or any key trends that you would like to work with?
Isogai: With TikTok, Spotify, YouTube, and the like, you can see the numbers change in real time, so you can see data on the number of fans, listeners, and the like. I always keep in mind the process by which these things happen: things take off on social media, get played and shared on streaming services, and then spread around the world, attracting more and more fans. Specifically, physical products like CDs start selling outside Japan, and we start providing fans with tangible ways of expressing their appreciation of their favorite artists. I think one of the missions of a music company is to provide fans with ways of supporting the artists and music they love. I don’t think this trend is limited to Japanese artists, but can also occur overseas as well.
JK: So you’re creating different physical products from zero in different regions?
Isogai: Well, for example, the VTuber Mori Calliope already had a lot of fans in the U.S., so she consulted with a team in our head office and we’ve started selling her merchandise through an American e-commerce site (the U.S. Universal Music store). The number of fans that bought her titles with additional included merch was even higher than we expected. I think that we’ll be seeing lots of similar approaches being developed in the future.
JK: Are there any fields you’d like to take on, or any that you see as challenges?
Isogai: A lot of successful songs are anime tie-ups, so I’d like to increase the number of artists who become popular without any anime tie-ups. That poses a major challenge, but, in that sense, I feel like Fujii Kaze has opened a new door for artists from Japan. His success on TikTok and other social platforms led to a rise in the number of monthly listeners on services like Spotify and created an environment in which it was possible to pitch him for major editorial playlists like Spotify’s “New Music Friday.” It’s still not an easy process, but it’s started to prove effective.
JK: What are the Export Marketing Team’s targets for 2023?
Isogai: We have a few. One is our approach to cultures like the utaite (cover vocalist) and VTuber culture. I think there are a lot of latent or potential fans around the world for Japanese cultures like these. Mori Calliope, who I mentioned earlier, was looking at expanding into the overseas market from the very start, and she signed with EMI Records. I feel like in 2023 we’re going to see even more of these kinds of overseas connections that span label lines. The value of our Export Marketing Team lies in the fact that we can spring to action and provide flexible support and proposals when artists or staff have even a little bit of interest in working on the global stage.
–This interview by Jay Kogami first appeared on Billboard Japan.
After two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 in the last 10 months, Stray Kids have delivered another new project focused on the Japanese market.
Released the morning of Feb. 21 (Feb. 22 local time in Japan), The Sound marks Stray Kids’ first original Japanese full-length album. The 10-track record follows up two previous EPs that the boy band packaged for Japan with Circus from 2022 and All In from 2020. While those earlier EPs consisted of half or more remakes of their K-pop material, The Sound is a majority of original music.
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Ahead of the full album today, several singles previewed the LP including “Scars” and “Thunderous (Japanese Version),” which were both originally released in 2021, “Case 143 (Japanese Version)” from 2022, and the rip-roaring title track “The Sound” from January, and rhythmic ballad “There” from Feb. 15, ahead of the full album today.
Demonstrating fan anticipation for the LP, the Kids took over the top 5 of Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs chart, powered by Twitter, dated Jan. 28, with the title track at No. 1, and the cuts “DLMLU,” “Novel,” “Battle Ground” and “Lost Me” at Nos. 2-5, respectively.
Two tracks from The Sound are on the Japan Hot 100 chart dated Feb. 18, 2023. After peaking at No. 14 last year, “Case 143” is at No. 78 for its 19th week on the chart. Meanwhile, “The Sound” is at No. 96 after debuting at No. 34 last week. So far, SKZ peaked at No. 2 on the Japan Hot 100 with “Scars” in 2021.
While Stray Kids’ most recent Korean albums have been able to top the Billboard 200 thanks to their wide availability in retail stores after signing with Republic Records, there’s no current indication that The Sound or any of the band’s other J-pop material will be made available in retail stores or via physical albums like other Korean bands (such as BTS and TOMORROW X TOGETHER) have previously done.
Looking ahead, Stray Kids will return stateside next month to make up the previously-postponed dates in Atlanta and Fort Worth as part of their Maniac World Tour, and hold their first-ever arena concerts in the U.S. for a pair of shows at Los Angeles’ BMO Stadium on March 31 and April 2.
Stream Stray Kids’ The Sound here.
It’ll take something special indeed to stop Pink from claiming the U.K. albums chart crown, as Trustfall (via RCA) sets the early pace.
Pink’s ninth studio album takes a strong lead at halfway stage. According to the Official U.K. Charts Company, Trustfall is outpacing its nearest rival by almost two-to-one, to lead an all-new top four at the midweek marker.
Should it hold its course, Trustfall will give the Philadelphia native her fourth U.K. chart leader, following Funhouse (from 2008), Beautiful Trauma (2017) and Hurts 2B Human (2019) — and third in succession.
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With Pink all set for a return to the road, the pop superstar’s 2010 career retrospective Greatest Hits – So Far!!! is on track for a return to the top 40, blasting to No. 34 on the Official Chart Update.
Coming in at No. 2 on the latest chart blast is Inhaler’s Cuts & Bruises (Polydor), the Irish rockers’ sophomore effort.
It’s the followup to It Won’t Always Be Like This which, in 2021, saw Inhaler become the first Irish act to top the Official Chart with their debut LP in 13 years.
Meanwhile, Welsh rock act Those Damn Crows are swooping for a first U.K. top 10 appearance with Inhale/Exhale (Earache). It’s new at No. 3 on the chart blast. Those Damn Crows made their debut on the U.K. chart with 2020’s Point of No Return, peaking at No. 14.
Also eying a top 5 debut is Optical Delusion (London Music Stream), the latest serving from the veteran British electronic duo Orbital. Optical Delusion is tracking for a No. 4 start, for what would be the pair’s fourth top 10 album in the U.K., and first in nearly a quarter century; their last was 1999’s The Middle of Nowhere, which reached No. 4.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published late Friday.