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2024 is shaping up to be an even more exciting year for Internet-based music such as Vocaloid, utaite, and VTuber music. Holohoneygaoka High School, the first album from hololive and HoneyWorks, is filled to the brim with every fascinating aspect of this culture.
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Holohoney is a new musical collaboration between hololive production, a VTuber groupwith over 50 streamers, and HoneyWorks, a group of creators. The album is a double album consisting of Holohoneygaoka High School -Originals-, new songs written for the album, and Holohoneygaoka High School -Covers-, covers of HoneyWorks songs by hololive members. Altogether there are a total of 20 songs (not counting the CD bonus tracks), which are presented in detail below.
Holohoneygaoka High School -Originals-
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1. Kawaiko Check! by Inugami Korone
“Kawaiko Check!” is Holohoney’s first original song, released in September 2023. The song is about Inugami Korone, disguised as a school teacher, scouting cute girls to liven up the school’s culture festival. The speedy tune, livened up with accents like a brass section, emphasizes the cuteness of Korone, a character with a dog motif, as she races around, tail wagging.
2. Idol 10 rules by Nekomata Okayu, Himemori Luna
This punk tune, almost ska-core, depicts the hard work the two singers do to become top idols while always obeying the 10 rules of idols.
3. Tokyo Wabi-Sabi Lullaby by Gawr Gura
This mellow, mid-tempo number is sung by a member from hololive English. The lyrics are evocative of an exchange student thinking of home, and the modern R&B sound of the song is blended with Japanese instruments such as bamboo flutes and sound effects like railroad crossings and fireworks, painting a picture of summer in Tokyo and a feeling of wabi-sabi. You can feel the Japanese city pop flavor that Gura is so fond of.
4. Bridal Dream by Usada Pekora, Houshou Marine
“Pekomari,” the duo of Usada Pekora and Houshou Marine, is the most popular and well-known hololive duo, made up of two members of the third generation of hololive. “Bridal Dream” is an official B-side for the duo’s wedding…or, at least, that’s what it appears like, until you discover that it was all just Marine’s dream. There are wedding-like melodies sprinkled throughout and a frantic feel that’s a perfect fit for the duo, which always whips up a storm when they’re together.
5. Utage☆Dokudanzyou! by Nakiri Ayame
Sharp, strummed guitar lines drive this fast-paced song, an up-tempo tune with a post-Vocaloid rock pop feel and an exhilarating, breakneck pace.
6. Outsider plan by La+ Darknesss, Takane Lui, Hakui Koyori, Sakamata Chloe, Kazama Iroha
The five members of Secret Society holoX shares the pride of outsiders who can’t, or don’t want to, fit in with their classmates, carried by a powerful rock tune. What they’re actually doing — eating lunch before lunchtime, reading comics in class — is cute, and the heart of this song lies in how it uses pop to express the feelings of these outcasts.
7. PAKU-PAKU-SEIBAI by Hakos Baelz
“PAKU-PAKU-SEIBAI” is a dance-pop song with a “girl crush”-like sound rooted in EDM and trap music that highlights the cool vocals of Hakos Baelz, who plays a student with a powerful sense of justice.
8. Hero for a day by Kobo Kanaeru, Takanashi Kiara
hololive Indonesia’s Kobo Kanaeru and hololive English’s Takanashi Kiara sing about the joy of being a “hero for a day” up on the culture festival stage, backed by a sunny pop-rock melody. They also provide a glimpse of the wistful side of the event, singing that “the magic will vanish soon,” but in the end they look back on their experience fondly as another chapter of their youth.
9. Riazyuu★Bokumetu movement by Murasaki Shion
“Love and that tingling feeling you get inside, they’re just illusions.” That’s the message behind this ska-punk song by the angsty Murasaki Shion, who is doing all she can to block those around her from having rich, fulfilling lives.
10. Kyoushitsu ni Ao / Hoshimachi Suisei
This song is like the campfire at the end of the culture festival. It reminds the listeners that the time young people have to make memories and develop strong bonds with their friends will come to an end on the day of their graduation. It’s an emotional rock song that conjures up images of the starry night sky. Hoshimachi Suisei’s emotional, bright singing voice unlocks a flood of emotions.
Holohoneygaoka High School -Covers-
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1. Fansa by Yozora Mel, Shirakami Fubuki, Natsuiro Matsuri, Shiranui Flare, Shirogane Noel
Five artists cover this passionate idol song from the solo artist mona, which was released as part of the HoneyWorks project Kokuhaku Jikko Iinkai: Ren’ai Series (Confession Executive Committee: Love Series). The original song was already an emotional one, but when the voices of the five singers come together in the chorus, the feelings run even deeper as you viscerally feel the strength of the bonds between them.
2. Inokori sensei by Tsunomaki Watame, Tokoyami Towa
These two artists from the fourth generation of hololive have burgeoning solo music careers and exceptional voices. In this song, they’ve come together to perform a popular, wild rock tune that tells the dark story of a teacher (Saku Akechi) and his student (Haruki Serizawa).
3. motto ichigo ore by Sakura Miko
Sakura Miko is one of hololive’s generation zero members, with a sweet, slightly lispy singing voice. In this rock number, she covers a song with a distinctly mona-like feel that depicts the heroic ideals of an idol. Miko’s sweet vocal qualities and the powerful song combine in a wonderful blend of sweet and spicy. The lyrics were also tweaked for Sakura Miko, such as by changing “mona wink” to “miko wink.”
4. Hokori Takaki Idol by Tokino Sora
This song by mona is one of pride in the face of the people who look down on idols. Here, it has been covered by Tokino Sora, a pillar of hololive since debuting as its first virtual idol.
5. Sis x Love by Kureiji Ollie, Anya Melfissa
This song by the sisters Sena Narumi and Mona Narumi has been covered here by a close-knit duo of second generation members from hololive Indonesia. The lyrics, about the powerful bonds between sisters that grew up together, convey a different sense of bonding when sung by Ollie and Anya. The scintillating string parts and uplifting sound bring tears to your eyes.
6. Daikiraina Hazu datta by Shishiro Botan, Omaru Polka
This bittersweet love song, originally sung by Kotaro Enomoto and Hina Setoguchi, is famous for a version sung by members of Nogizaka 46. In this cover by a duo of fifth generation hololive streamers, Botan plays Hina’s part and Polkaa plays Kotaro’s part, backed by a piano rock tune that is the embodiment of glittering youth — a duet that paints a picture of pure, bashful love.
7. Tokyo-Summer-Session by Oozora Subaru, Amane Kanata
This cover of a popular song depicts a scene of youth in full bloom — a couple, more than friends but less than lovers, realize their mutual attraction at a fireworks festival one summer night. Subaru plays the boy’s part and Kanata plays the girl’s part in a song that sets the listener’s heart fluttering with lyrics like lines from a drama and nuances that evoke the innocence of a young couple.
8. Kessen Supiritto by Moona Hoshinova
This beloved song by CHiCO with HoneyWorks was the ending theme to the TV anime Haikyuu!! To the Top. Here, it is covered by Moona Hoshinova, one of hololive Indonesia’s finest vocalists. The energetic performance is a perfect encapsulation of the drive to always keep pushing forward, using failure as a springboard for future success.
9. Doutan Kyohi by Momosuzu Nene
Momosuzu Nene, a fifth generation hololive member who is always bubbly and full of energy, sings this pop number, a straightforward declaration of devotion by Chu-tan, from the Heroines Run the Show series, to her favorite idol.
10. Senpai by AZKi, Ookami Mio, Yukihana Lamy
This song, originally performed by the voice actor unit TrySail, was the opening theme song of the anime movie The Moment You Fall in Love: Confession Executive Committee. Here, it has been covered in pure, three-part harmony. The song dramatically depicts the powerful romantic feelings of a student for an upperclassman that go tragically unnoticed.
—This article by Hajime Kitano first appeared on Billboard Japan
Shinichi Osawa (MONDO GROSSO) has had a profound impact on Japan‘s music scene through his musical sensibilities, focused on the newest and most creative dance music and his collaborations with a wide range of artists. RHYME is an Australian artist (poet, performer, DJ, and beatmaker) based in Japan. These two contrasting creators, with their differing backgrounds, nationalities & musical careers, make up the dance music duo RHYME SO.
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They debuted in 2019 with the 88rising single “Just Used Music Again.” Then in the spring of 2020 they dropped “Fashion Blogger.” The music video featured MILK, who rose to popularity on RuPaul’s Drag Race, and the song’s title itself, “Fashion Blogger,” is deeply intertwined with the RHYME SO concept.
Osawa: “I think it was back in 2017, when I was getting my hair cut, I saw some video on my iPad of this woman overseas talking about the outfit she was wearing that day. When the interviewer asked her what her job was, she said “fashion blogger.” I don’t think she was actually writing a blog, but she was making a living sharing her fashion on Instagram. That came as a bit of a surprise to me. The internet and social media permeate our society, but there are a lot of things that we take for granted that make me think ‘Is this really an everyday thing?’ I think it would be interesting to use music to pose questions like ‘What do you think of this situation?’ Not as criticism, just as questions. That’s the concept behind RHYME SO.”
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RHYME: “RHYME SO sounds like ‘I’m so.’ ‘I’m so happy,’ ‘I’m so sad,’ ‘I’m so hungry.’ I, I, I… Sometimes that (showing off on social media) is a positive, but sometimes it’s not. That’s one of the statements that RHYME SO is making.”
RHYME had been exposed to Japanese culture since she was a high school student, and she was an avid MONDO GROSSO listener. You can see this in a line she sings on MONDO GROSSO’s song “BIG WORLD,” “I saw MONDO GROSSO back in high school, I used to cry listening to life.”
RHYME: “I listened to MONDO GROSSO’s back catalogue and watched videos of his live shows. It stirred up all kinds of emotions. I’m Osawa’s pupil, and he’s my teacher. It’s an honor to be able to make music with him.”
RHYME SO has continued to release exciting music. It’s a unique group, set apart by its genre-spanning production and its cynical and poetic lyrics about modern society. In November 2023, it released its first album, IAFB.
The first thing to note about the album is the rich diversity of its production. It freely flits between genres and decades, touching on everything from acid house, industrial techno, and trap to Eurobeat, making it a microcosm of Japanese culture and society.
Osawa: “I did have Japan in mind when making the songs. However, I didn’t really think about current trends. Honestly, I don’t know if I’m even good at identifying them. It even feels a little like I’m ignoring them.” [Laughs]
RHYME: “RHYME SO’s sound is a fusion of dance music, new age, post-punk, electro, para-para, festival music, and more. That, and word play.”
The core of RHYME SO’s concept, bring up questions about modern society, is highlighted even more vividly on the album. The first song, “ACT THE SAME,” is the antithesis of the music scene, which places so much value on doing the same thing as what’s already being done by other hit songs.
Osawa: “It’s become a fundamental part of the music industry to assign artists to create music that sounds like what’s already out there, based on the existing market. And that’s not a current development. But is that really what we should be doing?”
RHYME: “Doing the same thing as everyone else is the safe approach, but that’s not art. The people who sing songs like that aren’t artists, they’re more like puppets. What’s even the point of doing that? That’s what the song is about.”
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“UNFOLLOW YOU” samples Seiko Matsuda’s “Akai Sweet Pea.” It puts a modern twist on the lyrics of the original song, “I will follow you,” turning it into a song about following influencers and popular artists. At its heart is the idea that “Instead of following trends and hype, shouldn’t you be following what you truly like, and what you think is genuine?”
RHYME: “I used auto-tune on my voice, which I don’t normally use, for a bit of irony (because it’s not even my real voice).” [Laughs]
Osawa: “‘UNFOLLOW YOU’ started out as a remix of ‘Akai Sweet Pea’ for Kayokyoku Night, an event put on by photographer tajjiemax (Issei Tajima) and my friend Toba. When I first made it, it was just for fun, but then when I listened to it with RHYME, we were like ‘Wouldn’t this track make a good RHYME SO song?’ However, the lyrics make fun of the modern music scene and culture, so we decided to send out letters to Takashi Matsumoto and Yumi Matsutoya to get their permission. I thought it would be hard to get, but the person at the record label that was the go-between got their willing permission right away. It went surprisingly smoothly. I’ll bet nobody has ever sampled ‘Akai Sweet Pea’ before, and nobody has sampled it since us, either. Of course, Seiko Matsuda isn’t actually singing on it. That’s me on the vocals.” [Laughs]
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The song “I AM FUCKIN’ BRILLIANT,” from which the album title, IAFB, was taken, is an up-beat tune with a 90s alternative rock feel. Osawa explains that “this song represents the whole album.”
Osawa: “The theme of the song is the need for recognition from others. It’s something that we’ve always had, but with the widespread penetration of social media, it’s become even more pronounced. Now, it even feels like you’re forced to express an even stronger desire for approval. Back in the day, you could just go home and pet your cat and feel fulfilled. If you helped out an older person, you would feel fulfilled, thinking ‘I did something good today.’ In other words, we all knew that we were the coolest.”
RHYME: “I think there are people who are happy when they’re outside but who feel down when they’re at home. There are a lot of people who are pretending or just putting up with things. When that happens, we’re saying ‘Imagine you’re the only one in the world.’ This is my favorite song on the album, and I want to make it a global anthem.”
The album also contains “SHIBUYA PARAPARA,” a para-para song whose theme is Shibuya at night, along with “SILENT” and “PICTURESQUE,” which feature Seiko Omori. The album art, showing a woman in traditional Japanese garb taking a selfie with her smartphone, also vividly reflects modern Japanese society.
RHYME: “The next thing I want to do is live performance. I want a big stage, a gorgeous set, tons of dancers, and, if possible, figure skaters. [Laughs] I want to put on an amazing show. I’d love to tour the world with great Japanese artists. Dongurizu, Seiko Omori, Kazuo. There are a lot of artists I’d like to introduce to overseas audiences, to show them ‘JAPAN POWER’. I want there to be a shock factor to everything I do. I want to start a revolution.”
—This interview by Tomoyuki Mori first appeared on Billboard Japan
Tomonari Sora’s “Demons Banquet” holds at No. 1 for the second week in a row on Billboard Japan’s Heatseekers Songs chart, dated Feb. 28, tallying the week ending Feb. 25.
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This chart extracts artists rapidly on the rise based on radio airplay, downloads, streaming and video views among the metrics that make up the Billboard Japan Hot 100 weekly song chart.
The demo version of the track by the singer-songwriter born in 2002 went viral after being posted on TikTok in November, and was officially released in digital form on Jan. 10.
“Demons Banquet” comes in at No. 10 for video views, No. 59 for downloads, and No. 66 for streaming, gaining 40% in total points from the previous week.
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At No. 2 on Heatseekers Songs is swetty’s “junkie.” This track was released Dec. 4 by the artist who is active mainly on SoundCloud, and grabbed the spotlight after ONE OK ROCK frontman Taka shouted it out on Instagram Live in late January.
Meanwhile, TOMOO’s “Present” debuts on the chart at No. 7. The 28-year-old artist sings about love over a pop and upbeat, euphoric track in her latest release, which gained points mainly in radio this week.
Other first-time entries on this chart this week include Humbreaders’ (hum-bread-ers) “DANCING IN THE ROOM,” Risky Melody’s “Itai Itai Ai,” E.scene’s “Watashi to Watashi,” and WHITE SCORPION’s “Hijoshudan.” asobi’s “All In My Head,” also climbs the chart to enter the top 20 at No. 18.
Some rules regarding the Billboard Japan Heatseekers Songs chart include: songs that have entered the top 300 in at least one metric of the Japan Hot 100 for three consecutive weeks including the tallying week are eligible; the list excludes artists who have charted in the top 20 of the Japan Hot 100 or in the top 10 of the Japan Hot Albums charts after appearing on the Heatseekers list; artists / acts that have charted in the top 20 for at least 4 months (17 weeks) out of the last 6 months (26 weeks) are excluded; and if any excluded artists are clearly listed in the credited artist’s name as “Feat.” etc., their songs are also excluded.
◎Billboard JAPAN Heatseekers Songs Top 20
(Data Collected: Feb. 19-25, 2024)
1. “Demons Banquet” / Tomonari Sora
2. “junkie” / swetty
3. “Zenhoukou Bishoujo” / noa
4. “request” / krage
5. “Obsessed” / Ayumu Imazu
6. “Planet” / ako
7. “Present” / TOMOO
8. “AtoZ” / Tokimekkii
9. “SARIGIWA NO ROMANTICS” / See-Saw
10. “Konton Boogie” / Jon-YAKITORY
11. “DANCING IN THE ROOM” / Humbreaders
12. ““Itai Itai Ai” / Risky Melody
13. “LoveJetaime” / Mahiru Coda
14. “My dream girls” / NACHERRY
15. “Watashi to Watashi” / E.scene
16. “Futsunanteiranaiyo” / TENSONG
17. “ANPANMAN TAISOU” / Dreaming
18. “All In My Head” / asobi
19. “Hijoshudan” / WHITE SCORPION
20. “Ba-Bang to Suisan! Bang Bravern” / Bravern (Kenichi Suzumura)
Creepy Nuts’ “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” extends its reign over the Billboard Japan Hot 100 to five weeks on the chart dated Feb. 28.
While slowing down slightly in streams and downloads, the MASHLE Season 2 opener remains almost stationary and adds another week at No. 1 to both metrics. Streaming is down by about 0.6% (21,661,077 streams) and downloads by about 2.3% (19,520 units). The viral hit is at No. 19 for video views and rises 9-7 for karaoke, while slipping slightly in radio (7-10) this week, leading the Japan Hot 100 by a huge margin.
Sakurazaka46’s “Nansai no koro ni modoritai no ka?” rises 15-2 after launching with 531,917 CDs in its first week (released Feb. 21). The eighth single by the J-pop girl group features Ten Yamasaki in center position of the choreography, and follows the first-week sales of its previous single, “Shoninyokkyu” (545,944 copies). The track gained points in other metrics as well, coming in at No. 4 for streaming with 7,808,921 streams, No. 11 for downloads with 3,758 units, No. 74 for radio, and No. 67 for video.
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OCTPATH’s “OCTAVE” debuts at No. 4 this week. The eight-member boy band’s fifth single sold 99,413 CDs in its first week — 14.3% more than its predecessor “Sweet” —to come in at No. 2 for sales, while also hitting No. 2 for radio.
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Omoinotake’s “IKUOKU KONEN” rises a notch to No. 7. The track is steadily on the rise figure-wise as well, moving 10-8 for downloads (4,913 units, up 10.6%), 7-6 for streaming, (7,323,028 streams, up 20.8%), and 25-22 for video.
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SPYAIR’s “Orange” jumps 19-8 this week, debuting in the top 10. The second release by the four-man band featuring new vocalist YOSUKE is being featured as the theme song for the animated feature film Haikyuu!! the Movie: Decisive Battle at the Garbage Dump, which opened in Japanese theaters on Feb. 16. According to Kogyo Tsushinsha, the movie drew 2.9 million viewers and grossed over 4.18 billion yen during its first ten days. “Orange” comes in at No. 3 for downloads with 7,168 units, No. 8 for streaming with 6,492,428 streams, No. 21 for radio, and No. 13 for video.
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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 Feb. 19 to 25, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.
Billboard Japan‘s “MONTHLY FEATURE” series presents various artists and works that have caught our eye. February’s featured artist is Japanese three-piece band shy taupe, formed in June 2022 by members of a university music club. On April 25, 2023, they released the digital single “Rendezvous,” which became frequently covered on TikTok and other social media, both in vocal covers and guitar-accompanied performances. The song turned into a charting viral hit in August 2023 and in November, shy taupe reached 100 million total streams.
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On their first full album, Hors D’oeuvre, released in February of this year, the band combines pop sensibilities and sentimentalism. The lyrics are beautiful and go right to the heart. The vocals deftly change tone from song to song, conveying the feelings of the persona of each song. It’s an album with a rich variety of tunes that convey the sway of emotions that are part of the human experience. Billboard Japan caught up with the three members of shy taupe on their first-ever nationwide tour and discussed their aesthetics and musical philosophy.
You’re in the middle of your first Japanese tour, right? How’s it going?
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So Sasaki (vocals/guitar): We’ve finished playing three of the shows on the tour so far, and playing each venue has been a blast. I’m thinking that our experiences will have opened up new perspectives when the tour finishes, so I’m looking forward to seeing them.
Takatoman (drums): The mood of the audience varies depending on where we’re playing, so each show, I’m thinking “What kind of show should we put on?” Each show, I want to put on an even better performance than the last. Without ever losing sight of that spirit, I want to keep showing the audience new things. I think that, through this process, we’ll grow as a band.
Masaki Fukunaga (bass): Just changing a single song in the set list totally changes the atmosphere of the show. It feels like the more shows we put on, the better our shows are getting, so I’m looking forward to the final show of the tour on March 31.
You formed as a band in June 2022, and now you’ve reached the phase of your musical career where you can’t ignore the potential for viral hits on social media. What do you think about that aspect of the music scene?
Sasaki: I’ve never said “Let’s try to build some buzz and make it big.” When writing songs, I’ve never thought about what kinds of themes or lyrics or melodies would help it go viral. But I do have a strong desire for a lot of people to hear our music. So it’s been a bit of a struggle — I want lots of people to hear our music, but I don’t want to be focused on trying to create buzz.
I can see that. Your lyrics are easy to understand, but it’s also clear that you’ve taken a lot of care to write them beautifully.
Sasaki: That’s right (laughs). I could write lyrics that are super-straightforward, but I prefer more poetic expressions. When you see the lyrics, I want them to look like a poem, not just a paragraph. I guess this will be a conflict that I’ll always be facing. I’ll just keep pushing forward, struggling and using trial-and-error.
During the course of following that vision, in September 2023, “Rendezvous” became a viral hit.
Fukunaga: Listeners have had more opportunities to hear us through songs like “Heya” and “pink,” but it came as a surprise to us to see shy taupe showing up even in rankings we were familiar with.
Takatoman: But I don’t think our attitude or approach to music has changed. The numbers and rankings have changed so much that it hardly feels real, and while we’re happy to have this recognition, there’s also a lot of pressure to become stronger as a band and live up to expectations.
Sasaki: When we wrote “Rendezvous,” it didn’t feel like we’d written a masterpiece. It didn’t feel like a masterpiece when we released it, either. But that’s made us realize that this is what it feels like when you write something that a lot of people will listen to. When people started listening to “pink,” there were a lot of unexpected reactions online. I was surprised to see how people interpreted the lyrics.
That’s not what you’d written the lyrics to mean.
Sasaki: Right. But I’m actually glad to see those kinds of misinterpretations. It’s not all about having listeners receive my lyrics the way I intended. If listeners interpret my lyrics in a different way, and that helps them through hard times, then that’s even better, and it makes me happy that I wrote the song. I write songs partly for myself, but that alone isn’t enough. No man is an island. I think that deep in their hearts, everyone, to some degree or another, wants what they do to benefit others, too.
Your first album, Hors D’oeuvre, which includes “Rendezvous,” shows that shy taupe is a many-faceted band. It feels like you took a lot of care with balancing the album.
Sasaki: I’ve gotten the feeling that it’s become rarer nowadays for people to listen to music in the form of entire albums. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, but in our case, we’re going to keep paying a lot of attention to the order of songs on our albums for the sake of the people who listen to our albums as albums. I’d like us to do interesting things with album song order, like making the title track the last track on an album.
Fukunaga: I fell in love with music through the CD albums my parents would play in the car. I also listen to individual songs here and there, but I feel like Sasaki understands what makes albums great, as well, so I agree with him.
Takatoman: When I pick up an album, I feel like I get a sense of something that’s important to the artist that can’t be expressed electronically in the form of a playlist or the like. That’s why I always want to take great care with our albums.
The fact that you place such importance on the expressive medium of albums could be seen as the reason for your creating such a diversity of songs.
Sasaki: When I write songs, balance is very important to me. I don’t want to just keep creating ballad after ballad and being a “ballad band.” I want people who hear “Rendezvous” to pick up Hors D’oeuvre and hear songs with a different feel, like “Burn!!” We picked these songs with the desire to be a band that has a balanced repertoire of different songs. That’s why we chose the title Hors D’oeuvre, because we’re a band with a lot of variety, like a plate of hors d’oeuvre at a party, and because, like hors d’oeuvre, it conveys the sense that there’s a main course to come in the future. We want to live up to people’s expectations and show people that we are versatile — that we write the lyrics we want, the way we want, and we make the music we want to make. I hope we can maintain a good balance and develop along both of those axes.
You’ve mentioned that the songs you write are about things people experience in their everyday life, but many of the songs are about love, about chasing your dreams, and about observations from daily life.
Sasaki: When you boil down my everyday life, it comes down to those three things. That’s why our songs are very true-to-life.
So shy taupe is now serving hors d’oeuvres across Japan, and the best is yet to come?
Sasaki: I think the kinds of songs we should make, and the kinds of songs we want to make, are going to vary every time we work on new music. Those changes themselves can be interesting, and I think we can create interesting music if we reflect those changes in our songs. I’ve always had a lot of admiration for Mr. Children. They’re really good at balancing what they want to do and living up to others’ expectations for them. I want for shy taupe, too, to constantly be exploring, imagining, having fun, and struggling with our music, without ever slacking.
Fukunaga: I think you need to have real skill to do what you want to do. That’s why I’m trying to learn even more musical phrases and absorb even more influences, building up my own abilities so I can do what I want.
Takatoman: The future isn’t all going to be wine and roses. I’m sure there are also going to be hard times. That’s why I need to not only improve my technique as a musician but also to grow as a human. I feel like if you don’t grow as a person, you’ll lose the power you need to keep doing what you want to do, and the power you need to keep making music. That’s why during this tour, and in the future, I want to keep growing while maintaining a good balance.
—This interview by Sayako Oki first appeared on Billboard Japan
Creepy Nuts’ new song “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” is blasting its way up the charts — not only in Japan, but on a global scale.
Creepy Nuts is a hip-hop unit consisting of R-shitei (R-rated), the first MC in J-rap history to win the country’s top MC battle competition UMB Grand Championship three times consecutively, and DJ Matsunaga, who won the world’s largest DJ competition DMC World DJ Championships in 2019 and performed at the closing ceremony of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. While they both have such impressive titles under their belts, both members of Creepy Nuts are known in their home country for their laid-back personalities and talk skills, making them popular staples in TV variety shows. They have also been regular hosts on the historic All Night Nippon radio program for five years, and many people probably recognize them as radio stars as well.
Music-wise, their mini-album To Us Former Prodigies, released August 2020, reached No. 2 on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart. Also, their track “Nobishiro” from the album Case became their first song to surpass 100 million streams (as of Dec. 1, 2022), and “Daten” — the opener for the anime Yofukashi no uta, which is based on the duo’s song of the same title — released in 2022, reached No. 35 on the Japan Hot 100, the highest position for them at the time. On their tour promoting the album Ensemble Play that includes this track, they sold out the Saitama Super Arena near Tokyo, the largest capacity venue in their career up to that point.
Then, “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” shot to No. 5 on the Japan Hot 100 on the chart dated Jan. 24, the week after it debuted No. 27, which was already higher than the duo’s record for “Daten.” The following week, “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” became Creepy Nuts’ first-ever No. 1 hit.
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This track is actually gaining more traction outside of Japan. Featured as the opener for the anime series MASHLE Season 2, the comical dance by the protagonist Mash set to the refrain of the song’s title attracted attention on TikTok. The song was downloaded and streamed on a global scale before it reached Japanese audiences. As a result, “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” hit No. 8 on the Global Japan Songs Excl. Japan chart (Jan. 18), which ranks “songs from Japan” being listened to in more than 200 countries and regions around the world outside of the country. In its second week on the tally, the viral hit hopped over the top seven songs from the week before to take the top spot. Total points and streams earned by “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” that week broke the chart’s all-time high, and the following week it quickly rewrote its own record to hold at No. 1 for the second week in a row (Feb. 1). The track is still at No. 1 for the fifth week on the chart dated Feb. 22.
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Looking closer at the rankings for each country calculated from the Global Japan Songs Excl. Japan chart’s data, we can see that “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” has accomplished an unprecedented feat, dominating seven of the nine countries currently included in the tally: Thailand, Singapore, France, the U.K., South Africa, the U.S. and Brazil. In terms of points gained, the song’s popularity in the U.S. is exceptionally high, followed by France.
The duo’s breakthrough didn’t stop there. The following week, “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” debuted at No. 77 on Billboard’s Global 200 chart (Jan. 27) that ranks streaming and downloads on major digital platforms in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. It surpassed even YOASOBI’s “Idol” and King Gnu’s “SPECIALZ” — two recent J-pop hits with an established global following — to become the highest-ranking song on that week’s list by Japanese artists. It also bowed at No. 48 on the Global Excl. US tally that week. “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” continued to ascend, and is currently at No. 12 on the former and No. 2 on the latter (Feb. 24) — again the highest position for Japanese artists on those weeks, indicating that the growing support in the Japanese market played a significant role in the breakthrough on both global charts.
Why did “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” suddenly attract so much attention on a global scale? The reason is simple: the synergistic effect of TikTok, dance, and animation. Encouraging users to participate in TikTok dance challenges is now a promotional standard, but that alone isn’t enough. Adding the element of a tie-in with an anime series, especially one being distributed worldwide on Netflix and other global platforms, to the synergy brings a song to the forefront of public attention.
Of the top 20 songs on the Global Japan Songs Excl. Japan chart, about half are anime tie-ins most weeks, indicating that being attached to a major anime title is enough to draw worldwide attention to new J-pop songs. Anime songs are particularly popular in France; about 14 songs out of the top 20 and over 65% of the total data collected are tracks linked to anime titles. Other such anime tie-ins that have made the Global Japan Songs Excl. Japan top 3 include YOASOBI’s “Idol” (Oshi no Ko opener), Tatsuya Kitani’s “Where Our Blue Is” (Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 opener), and King Gnu’s “SPECIALZ” (Jujutsu Kaisen Shibuya Incident story arc opener), all of which became hits in Japan and began climbing the charts worldwide at about the same time, then suddenly spread explosively on a global scale. This trend of simultaneous sharing is likely to become more prominent in the future, and not only with anime tie-ins.
But the reason “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” became such an breakout hit can be attributed to the fact that in addition to its link to a popular anime title, it became a TikTok favorite where non-anime fans could share the song, combined with the element of dance, which has strong distribution potential. Plus, the original manga that the anime was based on was serialized in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, released worldwide in multiple languages via the official MANGA Plus by SHUEISHA app, so the already established global fan base for the original manga gave “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” an advantage.
The track also adopts the Jersey club sound, a global trend originating in the U.S. used in music by other recent breakout acts such as NewJeans (“Super Shy” etc.) and LE SSERAFIM (“Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s wife”), and this is probably another reason why it caught the attention of listeners around the world, centering around the U.S.
The fact that the part used for the TikTok dance challenge was the refrain of the simple and catchy title may also have contributed to the song’s widespread popularity. The aforementioned NewJeans’ “Super Shy” and LE SSERAFIM’s “Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s wife” were also popular dance challenges on TikTok, and the viral snippets featured short rhymes in the lyrics or refrains of the same word, not limited to the songs’ hooks. While equipped with this type of TikTok-friendly refrain, the lyrics of “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” as a whole overlap sympathy with the position of MASHLE’s main character Mash with the rapper’s own braggadocio in a clever way. It’s brilliant as an anime theme song and a hip-hop single, a high-quality number that can satisfy both fans of the original work and fans of hip-hop.
After making an unexpected, yet understandable impact on a global scale with their first release of 2024, Creepy Nuts followed up with another Jersey club-infused track called “Nidone” (“Back to Sleep”) on Jan. 27, which is being featured as the theme song for the time-traveling drama series Futekisetsu nimo hodo ga aru! (which loosely translates to “That’s so Inappropriate”). As they begin to expand their reach beyond their home country, we can look forward to more “Nobishiro” (“Room for Growth”) from the duo.
—This article by Maiko Murata first appeared on Billboard Japan
Creepy Nuts’ “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” holds atop the Billboard Japan Hot 100 on the chart dated Feb. 21, extending its record to four consecutive weeks at No. 1.
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The MASHLE Season 2 opener continues to rule downloads and streaming, with the former increasing by 21.4% from last week to 19,980 units and the latter by 8.4% to 21,812,337 streams. The hip-hop banger also climbed 13-7 for radio airplay and jumped 32-9 for karaoke. The song’s momentum continues to grow as it draws increasing attention, with overall points gaining 11.7% from the week before.
Snow Man’s “LOVE TRIGGER” debuts at No. 2 on the Japan Hot 100 after launching with over a million CDs. The boy band’s 10th single called “LOVE TRIGGER / We’ll go together” dropped on Valentine’s Day and sold 1,224,902 copies in its first week, a record for the nine-member group. The CD is also the first by the group to launch with more than a million copies. The two tracks are the theme songs for drama series featuring members Hikaru Iwamoto and Shota Watanabe, respectively in their first starring roles. The single is off to a good start, coming in at No. 3 for radio and No. 7 for video views.
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Hikaru Utada’s “A Flower of No Color” debuts at No. 4. The theme song for Fuji TV’s latest “getsu-ku” (Monday nights at 9:00) drama series is the J-pop superstar’s first new release after celebrating the 25th anniversary of her debut. The song was unveiled during the drama’s premiere, then digitally released on Feb. 12. It launched at No. 2 for downloads with 11,704 units, No. 1 for radio, and No. 10 for video views. It’s still at No. 40 for streaming with 2,793,660 weekly streams, but the track is expected to gain in this metric as well in the coming weeks.
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Omoinotake snags its first top 10 hit with “IKUOKU KONEN,” the theme song for the TBS Tuesday drama Eye Love You. The track moves 13-8 this week, coming in at No. 10 for downloads with 4,441 units, No. 7 for streaming with 6,058,030 streams, No. 11 for radio, and No. 25 for video, collecting points in a balanced way. The piano trio performed this love song on YouTube’s “THE FIRST TAKE” and the video has racked up 1.36 million views in four days after dropping Feb. 16.
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WOLF HOWL HARMONY from EXILE TRIBE’s “Frozen Butterfly” debuts at No. 9. The four-member group’s second single hits No. 2 for physical sales with 40,160 CDs sold in its first week, No. 4 for radio and No. 39 for downloads.
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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 Feb. 12 to 18, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.
Singer-songwriters Leo Ieiri and Miliyah Kato graced the stage for a double-headlining show at Tokyo City Hall for Billboard Japan’s Women In Music Vol. 2 concert on Feb. 8. The two J-pop stars collaborated with the Tokyo Philharmonic Billboard Classics Orchestra, led by conductor Yukari Saito, for a one-night-only performance featuring special renditions of familiar hits and uplifting messages with an underlying theme of inspiring and empowering women.
First up was Ieiri, who appeared onstage dressed in an elegant beige top with puffy translucent sleeves and matching pants, following the members of the orchestra at the start of the show. As the 29-year-old singer bowed deeply and greeted the audience, the piano sounded and the concert kicked off with “Zutto, Futari De” (Always, Together). The combination of Ieiri’s clear vocals and the orchestra’s solid performance instantly filled all corners of the venue with a luscious soundscape. The next song, “Kimi Ga Kureta Natsu” (The Summer You Gave Me), also sounded more dramatic than usual thanks to the orchestral arrangement. It was clear from the beginning of the show that everyone in attendance was in for a special evening that they couldn’t miss for a moment.
The singer addressed the crowd in the middle of her set and shared some thoughts on gender, inclusivity, and diversity, noting, “These past few years, I’ve been writing and singing songs while being mindful about how to carve out a path as a woman.” She also mused, “Since we live in times of diversity, I think we should expand our sexuality more.” Also, her remark about how “female empowerment can’t be achieved without cooperation from men, so I think it’s actually a theme for all human beings” left an impression, reminding that while the recent move towards gender equality encourages men and women to live under the same conditions, the important thing to remember is to respect each other’s differences and to help each other.
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Ieiri also performed “to U” by Bank Band with Salyu in the second half of the set, launching into the song a cappella and gradually adding minimal sounds of piano and harp in the first half, then building up the second half with a grand string arrangement. Ieiri’s voice and the orchestra’s performance showered the venue with a lush sound, creating an immersive environment that drew the crowd into the world of the song. During “Taiyo No Megami” (Goddess of The Sun), she turned her body left and right as she sang, visually accentuating the fact that she was singing for each and every person in the audience. Ieiri closed her set with the uplifting “Sora To Ao” (Sky And Blue), spinning around during the interlude while the crowd clapped along to the beat, leaving fans feeling euphoric by the end of her hit-filled stage.
After a short break, Miliyah Kato appeared on stage decked in a flowing black tiered tulle dress for the second half of the concert. After opening her set with “Respect Me,” the 35-year-old songstress addressed the crowd, saying, “I’m sure there will be many moments when (the music) will pass through your skin and cells and make your heart tremble. It’ll be an evening where something will reach you through this air. Please enjoy it to the end,” then went on to perform “Goodbye Darling,” “With U,” and other familiar hits in succession. Kato’s sultry vocals and the orchestral performance combined resulted in a more dynamic sound than the original versions of her recordings. Like the singer said, it felt like we were taking in the gorgeous sound through our skin and it was settling deep into the cells of our bodies.
Midway into her set, she opened up about her stance as a woman in the music industry. “I’ve always been very aware that I’ve lived my life as a woman. I love it, I enjoy it, and sometimes I’m sad about it,” she said. “I struggle with it every day, but music is what helps me during those times. Female artists were the reason I started music in the first place.” She then covered Hikaru Utada’s “First Love” as a tribute to one of the female artists who inspired her. She drew in the audience with her majestic performance, singing the longing ballad beautifully with both hands clutching the microphone against the backdrop of an orchestra. Each lyric seemed to linger in the air, showering over the audience in a luxurious blend of voice and sound.
Kato then launched into her iconic hit from 2009, “Aitai” (I Miss You). The evergreen, poignant love song is definitely heartbreaking yet sonically comforting, making you wish it never ends. Kato closed the evening with “JOYRIDE,” a song half in English and half in Japanese that she wrote with her hometown in mind. Kato’s vocals, the orchestra’s performance and the audience clapping along to the elevating single ended the show on a joyous note.
The aim of Billboard Japan’s Women In Music concerts is to play a part in encouraging women’s empowerment, and the Vol. 2 show delivered energy in various forms including the mesmerizing vocals by the two songstresses, the performances by the orchestra, the words spoken by the artists, and the sense of unity in the venue. People in the audience enjoyed the concert in different ways, with some rocking back and forth to the music while others listening intently, and many probably were inspired by what the artists had to say.
The synergetic effect of J-pop and orchestral music was more than expected, and was a good reminder that there are no barriers between musical genres. The people who gathered at the venue that day were probably diverse in terms of gender, age, and the music they like. But the fact that they were united by listening to the same music at the same place on this day will surely be an unforgettable memory for all.
—This article by Misaki Ito first appeared on Billboard Japan
Billboard Japan spoke with singer-songwriter Ai Higuchi for its Women in Music interview series featuring female players in the Japanese entertainment industry. The WIM initiative in Japan began last year to celebrate artists, producers and executives who have made significant contributions to music and inspired other women through their work. The first 30 interviews in this series were published in Japan as a “Billboard Japan Presents” collection by writer Rio Hirai.
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Higuchi was in high demand last year and brought her music to a wide range of listeners through numerous opening and ending themes for movies and TV, plus songs accompanying commercials. What she values in her songwriting is being true to her honest feelings, and the 34-year-old artist — who dropped her fifth album Miseisenjo (“On the Unfinished Railway Line”) on Jan. 24 — opened up about her stance on what she considers to be her mission in work and the feelings of hesitation she currently faces.
Tell us about your latest album, Miseisenjo.
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It’s a bright album that’s like a collection of singles, with many tracks that were featured as tie-ins. Ever since I released “Akuma no Ko” (“Devil’s Child”) in January 2022 as the ending theme for the Attack on Titan The Final Season Part 2 anime series, the range of people who listen to my music has expanded immensely. I’ve enjoyed opportunities to write music for movies and other projects, and received requests for songs that make moviegoers feel cheerful when they leave the theater. So the album is a collection of songs that let listeners settle into a mellow mindset without making them feel all doom and gloom.
How do you feel about the increase in new listeners?
At first I was really just happy, but I did feel pressure at one point and it was hard for a while. I was brought up as the eldest daughter in between two brothers, so personality-wise, I have this sense of responsibility to balance things out between people and feel a strong urge to do things properly. I worked really hard to live up to expectations from 2022.
I get the impression that you carefully deliver the voices of women as they really are in your songs, even in the ones meant for a wide audience. What are you mindful of in music production?
At the very least, I try to be careful not to use strong language and force my way of thinking on others. Personally, I’m not good at dealing with people who use strong language or express anger. Trying not to make enemies is a weakness of mine, but I think there are many people who feel the same way, so I want to be careful about that.
When I read your lyrics, I can see that you have your share of conflicting thoughts, but you express them with great care. So you consciously avoided using strong language when writing them.
I think you should try to find your own answer when forming an opinion on something. Having someone else’s idea forced on you isn’t a good influence, both for the person hearing the song and for myself as a songwriter. So my stance is to simply present options, and then let each listener make their own choices. I try not to give too many answers.
I also want to avoid imposing ideas about how women “should be” in these interviews. The reason we’ve been collecting many women’s voices is because our intent is to visualize the diversity of opinions. When we ask the same question to 30 people, we receive 30 different answers. And this next question is one I’ve asked everyone throughout the series: Has being a woman affected your current activities?
Well, I’m not sure because I’ve never been a man, but… I’m fortunate in that I’ve never been slighted because I’m a woman. I have a hard-featured face so maybe people don’t bother messing with me. But I have felt that it’s hard to ask men in high places in the industry out to chat about work over dinner or something and thought that if I’d been a man, it might have been easier to get along with such people without giving it so much thought. “Going out to dinner one-on-one with a man” could be taken in a different way, and I sometimes give up on the whole thing because it’s too much of a hassle. So I do feel inconvenienced by the fact that most of the people in upper management are men.
Why do you think there are so few female executives in the Japanese music industry?
I think the reality is that women leave the industry when they become a mom. Even if they return to work, I imagine parenting gets in the way of career advancement. When I look around, a lot of the women in their 50s or so who are successful in their careers are really tough. I think it demonstrates that they had to become tough in order to make it in an environment full of men.
As a female singer, what do you take care to do so you can keep working for a long time?
I try to take care not to write “fast-food” songs. I want to write songs that I can sing for the rest of my life.
When did you start thinking that way?
I’ve always thought that way. I’m very bad at keeping up with trends and find it hard to change my mind quickly. I’ve always made songs by thinking about what my point of view is, and don’t think that will change anytime soon. As a result, I think I’ve created songs that can be listened to years from now.
The drama series such as Hatsukoi, Zarari and Ikiru toka Shinu toka Chichioya toka that you wrote ending themes for depict different types of women, and your independent project called Ufufu Project* also collects many women’s voices. Have you found themes you’d like to write songs about through these projects?
(*Ai Higuchi’s independent project launched at the end of 2019. She has published magazines featuring interviews and essays and also runs a cultural salon.)
I want to shine a light on young people who normally wouldn’t think of themselves as being in the spotlight and turn their thoughts into songs. I’ve always wanted them to know that life can be a song. If the people who live and work in ordinary ways give up, then the things that need to change will never change.
For example, this is something my mother told me, but she quit her job when she had her first child. She said, “I didn’t even question (quitting her job) because that was the norm at the time.” If a person thinks that the thing that happened in their life is insignificant, then nothing will change from there.
I think you’re creating a really nice cycle by writing songs based on what you hear in your interviews which then change the mindset and actions of those who hear them. Is that something you aimed for when you started the Ufufu Project?
Yes. When I turned 30, I made a magazine about the Ufufu Project, and I was dealing with my own loneliness at the time. While more and more of my friends and peers were starting a family, I was on my way to living on my own as a singer-songwriter without getting married or having kids. When I thought about this, I felt myself being shaken by the loneliness inside. No one could show me the way, so I wanted to hear from different people.
Did the loneliness disappear by hearing people’s stories?
Four years have passed since then, and I don’t feel lonely as much anymore. I’ve been fortunate enough to continue my career and have come to realize that I’m the kind of person who’s dependent on work. So as I feel less lonely, I may start dwelling on futility next. [Laughs]
I guess you won’t run out of inspiration for new music then.
Actually, futility can’t be made into song. People gravitate toward things with energy, so if something is too lifeless, I have a feeling they’ll think it doesn’t matter. I’d have to extract vitality from the futility.
Related to what you mentioned earlier, I think there are many people out there who feel exhausted in the face of strong language or who think they don’t deserve to be in the spotlight and have given up. I kind of feel that songs about loneliness or futility would be a lifesaver for such people. Do you feel that you are empowering others by writing songs and singing?
Well, to begin with, I feel like I’m excluding a lot of things when I write a song. For example, when I sing, “I want to walk hand in hand with you,” that excludes people who don’t have arms, right? If the “other person” in a love song by a male protagonist is clearly a woman, then it’s not about homosexual love, and it’s definitely not about someone who doesn’t fall in love in the first place. I’m aware that I write songs for the majority by cutting out a lot of things and it’s scary. So it’s more of a negative thing for me than trying to empower people, but I have to come to terms with that feeling. I write about my own feelings, so I can’t make something that will be understood by everyone. As long as I’m in the majority, in that I identify as a woman both in body and mind and that I’m heterosexual, I have to cut off minorities to write about my feelings.
When did you start seeing things that way?
Probably the last few years. As more and more movements properly focusing on the rights of minorities started taking place, I also began noticing and thinking about it more. I said at the beginning of this interview that I’m not good at dealing with people who use strong language or express anger, but I also understand that there there must be many things that have changed for the better because of people who can use strong language or express their anger, so I also feel like saying thank you to those people who got angry for the right reasons. But while I’m sometimes encouraged by such expressions when I have the energy, they scare me when I’m not feeling very energetic.
So for you, people who can use clear-cut, strong language are like double-edged swords in that they give you courage but are also sometimes a little hard to accept.
I find myself thinking, “I’m feeling bad about myself because I don’t feel so strongly about such-and-such.” Maybe not so much feel bad about it, but just that I can’t be that way. So I feel like I’m in charge of taking the first step, then maybe walking three steps up the staircase. I want to ask someone else to take it from there to the 100th step or so. In other words, I’ll leave the leadership to someone else and keep up from the back, and be like, “Let’s climb together and one day reach the top, even if we’re slow.”
—This interview by Rio Hirai (SOW SWEET PUBLISHING) first appeared on Billboard Japan
LiSA recently announced that she will be visiting fans in Asia starting in June for her tour entitled LiVE is Smile Always～ASiA TOUR 2024～. The “Homura” songstress had been touring internationally, focusing around Asian countries, on a regular basis since her solo debut in 2011, but this will be her first trek in the region […]