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The concept of “narrative” in the English language is becoming adapted as a commonly used word in Japan. Unlike the similarly loaned “story” that refers to the content or outline of a tale, the narrator is central to a narrative. Just as in our own lives, there is no fixed plot and nobody knows how it will unfold. In the world of popular music, narratives organically connected to a person’s background or situation are often used as a connection between artist and listener. Artists talk candidly about their own lives and form a kind of community with listeners who accept those narratives,
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Wez Atlas is an artist with an extremely rich narrative. His lyrics are candid and personal, written as if they’ve been taken straight out of his diary or journal. Thoughts and landscapes expressed in the first person, rather than an objective third-person perspective, are undoubtedly part of his own narrative. Listening to the quiet flow of his verses filled with intense emotion set to restrained tracks makes us feel like we’re playing a first-person, open-world video game.
Born in 1998 in Oita, Japan, Wez Atlas is a Tokyo-based hip-hop artist with roots in Japan and the U.S. He moved to Colorado as a child and attended public school there, and eventually got into hip-hop music and rapping through artists such as Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and his biggest influence, J. Cole. He began writing his own lyrics after returning to Japan in high school, and his career as an artist can be traced back to those days he spent jotting down typically adolescent struggles and worries on paper.
With roots in Japan and the U.S. and having internalized those different cultures, Wez’s verses aren’t just superficially bilingual in English and Japanese but are based on a rich musical foundation. Shortly after the release of his first EP, “Saturday,” keen hip-hop listeners began noticing his music.
In 2020, Spotify JAPAN featured a song co-written by Wez and michel ko called “Time” on its official playlist. In June 2021, the young rapper followed up with a collaboration with Grammy-nominated producer starRo called “Zuum!” and graced the cover of the streaming giant’s Next Up playlist.
Wez Atlas then released his first mini-album, Chicken Soup For One in July that year. The artist had just entered his twenties when working on this album, and his lyrics, written during a period when he had no clear vision for the future, genuinely reflect the worries and anxieties he felt at the time. Among the tracks is “T.I.M.M.,” a song that seems to reveal his pain, but other tracks articulate his attempt to turn negativity into positivity. In “Fun + Games,” he expresses the importance of solidarity with the friends who support him, and in “Overthink,” the Japanese lyrics “Maybe I don’t have to read the room” voice his determination to follow his intuition. His flows aren’t intense, but they’re filled with grim determination.
And in March last year, he released his second mini-album, This Too Shall Pass. As the title suggests, this project following his deeply personal debut set is a work that expresses a more detached state of mind. The first track, “Life’s A Game,” is like a shrug of the shoulders, song of positivity stemming from resignation that reflects what Wez was honestly feeling at the time. The song “It Is What It Is” expresses his will to “never stop looking for the light despite adversity.” The TikTok lyric/performance video of this number articulating his positive vision for the future went viral with over 12.4 million views.
His collaborations with VivaOla, Kota Matsukawa, starRo, nonomi, uin, and other producers who support his creativity have also gained further depth. The production is extremely listener-friendly, focusing on Wez’s own comfort and chemistry without fixating on trends — not that they’re being ignored by any means. Wez’s music has widespread appeal because it fits a broad range of situations, from bedroom to driving. The magnetism of his music has been proven by the enthusiastic reactions to his performances at SXSW 2023 in the U.S. and at Kobe Mellow Cruise 2023, one of the largest hip-hop culture festivals in Japan’s Kansai region.
Wez dropped a new song called “RUN” on Dec. 22, an upbeat number that can be considered a new experiment for the rapper. The track starts with a sharply distorted guitar riff, followed by the verse, “Hajimaru aratana Race (A new race begins)/Vamos! Andale! Onore no sadame (my destiny),” then drum’n’bass-like rhythms and hard rock-inspired bass kick in. The music produced by nonomi and Kota Matsukawa might be described as neo-mixture or an evolution of grunge rock. Either way, there’s no doubt the style is unlike anything we’ve heard from Wez before.
His vocal style in this song also feels new, speaking frankly to listeners as if to inspire them. While he gained popularity through the restrained flow of his earlier releases, Wez diverts from his conventional style in “RUN” and swings toward a more direct expression. The fact that he leans towards mostly Japanese in this number means it has potential to reach domestic listeners who normally prefer rock and J-pop. Another notable aspect of his releases is that he doesn’t stay in one genre or style and continues to casually expand the boundaries of his musicality.
“RUN” brilliantly shatters Wez Atlas’ previous soundscapes and messages, hailing his breakthrough into a new phase of his career. This song will surely add further depth to his narrative, and the words he weaves together will spread far and wide, overlapping with the lives of each listener. There’s no doubt Wez will be one to watch in 2024.
—This article by Tomoyuki Mori first appeared on Billboard Japan
Conductor Yukari Saito spoke with Billboard Japan for its Women in Music interview series celebrating female players in the country’s entertainment industry. The WIM initiative in Japan began in 2022 to honor 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 last year as a “Billboard Japan Presents” collection by writer Rio Hirai, who continues to speak with women to highlight their stories.
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Saito moved to Dresden in 2013 and gained experience in Europe conducting the Lille National Orchestra and the Vienna Tonkunstler Orchestra. She returned to Japan in 2021 and this year, is set to conduct the Tokyo Philharmonic Billboard Classics Orchestra at Billboard Japan’s Women In Music Vol. 2 concert on Feb. 8 featuring singer-songwriters Reo Ieiri and Miliyah Kato. The 40-year-old maestro looked back on her career dedicated to the world of classical music and shared some experiences that changed in her life after spending time in Dresden.
First, could you share your thoughts on the upcoming WIM concert in February?
I’m interested in various genres of music, so I’m really looking forward to performing with two different types of musicians like Ms. Reo Ieiri and Ms. Miliyah Kato.
You usually work in the world of classical music. What opportunities do you see in the collaboration between pop and orchestral music?
First, I feel grateful to be tapped to participate in this precious opportunity. We’re still in the process of working out the details, but I have a feeling I’ll be able to find a new style within myself that’s different from my usual work. The way I feel about this concert is the same as how I usually feel about creating classical music together with everyone, but depending on the rhythm and mood of the piece, there will be changes in my conducting style and the sound expressed by the orchestra, so I’m excited about that. I look forward to seeing what positive effects the synergy produces.
This concert is part of Billboard Japan’s Women in Music project. What do you think about this kind of event focusing on women’s empowerment?
It’s something that’s been relatively uncommon (in Japan), isn’t it? Some people might come because the project interests them, so it makes me glad to think we’ll be able to bring our music to a wider and more varied audience.
I understand you originally wanted to be a pianist. How did you come to be a conductor?
At some point while studying at music school to become a pianist, I began to feel that it might be hard for me to become a professional. I became interested in conducting around then and met various teachers who told me, “You might be suited for it.” I then met Mr. Seiji Ozawa, who nominated me as a conducting trainee. That’s how I got started.
Why do you think you were suited for the job?
Maybe I always had a good sense of rhythm. I conducted in a choral competition when I was in junior high school. At the time, I only did it because I didn’t want to sing, [laughs] but the teachers praised me and told me I did a great job.
Does being a woman have any influence on doing your job?
I haven’t experienced too many moments where I thought, “This happened because I’m a woman.” When I wanted to become a pianist growing up, I’m sure there were times I thought, “I wish I could be like that” when seeing female concert pianists wearing beautiful dresses. I also remember thinking how awesome the pianist Martha Argerich was.
As a conductor, I believe I’m capable of flexible expression with meticulous attention to detail, even if I can’t compete with men in terms of physical size and strength. So I’d say I’m aware of the differences but don’t let it bother me. There are plenty of female players in classical music and it’s a merit-based industry, so I don’t think women are rejected as a member just because of their gender.
Because the world of classical music values tradition, I’d imagined there might still be some elements of sexism left. It’s nice to know it’s merit-based. So you’ve never encountered any gender imbalances?
Well, I’ve had experiences where I went to greet an elderly male concertmaster and he seemed surprised that I was going to conduct, but at the time I thought maybe it was because I was acting intimidated and not because I was a young woman. I think I might have accepted such moments as a net positive because the gap between that first encounter and my actual high level performance on stage would result in a good impression.
You know what though, this isn’t about sexism, but unfortunately some racism might still be around. There are no Asians at all in some orchestras, or if there are, only Japanese are included for some reason.
I see. So you didn’t encounter sexism but you did witness some leftover Western-centric values. Outside of the classical music world, do you see any differences in values between Germany and Japan?
In Germany, I often encountered protests. The sight of LGBTQ people asserting their rights, for example, is striking in its earnestness. I didn’t come across such scenes in Japan very often before I left for Germany, which made me think that such problems were hidden. Things seem to have changed now, though. Also, a lot of women (in Germany) clearly express their opinions. In Japan, many people are somewhat modest or reserved, but the culture in Germany doesn’t consider that to be a good thing.
Did you change after spending time in such an environment?
I think I did. The first thing that took me by surprise when I went to Germany was when I was told during a lesson, “Don’t you have your own will?” When we were asked, “What do you think?” the people around me would express their opinions, but I was at a loss at first.
How did you manage to change from not being used to expressing your opinion?
By being honest with myself, I guess. If I think too much about what will happen if I say something, I won’t be able to say anything, so I try not to think about it too much. What’s also important, along with naturally expressing what I feel, is delving deep within myself to figure out why I feel that way. I think this makes my words more convincing.
Is being convincing a necessary skill for your work as a conductor of orchestras?
I think so. In my case, I taught myself how to think in order to overcome that initial setback of not knowing what my own will was. I’m glad I’ve gained experience by repeatedly making such gaffes.
When do you find your work as a conductor most rewarding?
It is rewarding, but I work pretty hard to get there.
What’s the hardest part of your job?
It goes without saying that I have to use my brain and convince everyone in the orchestra. It’s a lot of work, but there comes a moment when things just click. The players and I make eye contact and we’re like, “This is the sound, right?” and the sound comes out exactly as we intended. It’s hard to put into words, but I guess it’s like having a dialogue with sound. When that happens, I’m like, “Yes! We did it!” and pump my fist in my mind.
—This interview by Rio Hirai first appeared on Billboard Japan
On Jan. 13 and 14, 2024, , the creative label that is pioneering Internet culture, will be holding Kamitsubaki Yoyogi Wars 2024. This event, the label’s biggest ever, will be held in Tokyo’s Japan National Stadium, Yoyogi 1st Gymnasium, which has a capacity of roughly 12,000. V.W.P, the virtual artist group made up of KAF, RIM, Harusaruhi, Isekaijoucho and KOKO, will be playing on the first day. On the second day, virtual singer KAF, just 20 years old, will be putting on a solo show titled Kaika.
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The event will be a special feature in the ongoing SINKA LIVE series of live shows put on by virtual artists on the Kamitsubaki label. With the first day of the event approaching, Billboard Japan talked to the performers about their ambitions for the show.
KAF, how have you been preparing for the event?
KAF: I can’t go into a lot of detail yet, but I can present myself in different ways in my performances, so I’ve been talking a lot to my team about what approach to take to make the show the most fun for the audience. I’m also practicing singing a lot!
KOKO, what are you looking forward to the most about playing at the Yoyogi 1st Gymnasium?
KOKO: Needless to say, I’m excited about playing in a venue as big as the Yoyogi 1st Gymnasium, and I’m looking forward to seeing what it looks like from the stage. In the virtual world, I have a lot of opportunities to connect to fans through the screen and the net. This time, though, people will be taking time out of their schedules to come to see V.W.P in person, gathering together in one place, so I’m looking forward to seeing everyone face-to-face at the venue.
Could you talk a little about the “Versus” artist collaboration stage performance?
KOKO: My opponent in the “Versus” stage will be CIEL. Normally, we stream together in the Kamitsubaki Diplomacy Division. So usually, she feels like a colleague, not an opponent. We’re both former brass band members, and when it comes to music, we both have our own strong preferences and musical expertise. I’ve got no idea what kind of positive chemistry it’s going to produce when we perform together. Maybe it’ll turn into a tense musical battle? I guess people will just have to come and see.
RIM, how are you feeling as the show approaches?
RIM: For now, what I need to do is to get Haru (Harusaruhi) to unwind. Recently, I’ve been practicing the choreography for “Resonance” so I won’t make any mistakes (laughs). Everybody’s all hyped for the event, and we’re already giving it our all, starting with the rehearsals!! I’m also looking forward to my part as a guest performer.
Isekaijoucho, what do you think about the SINKA LIVE show series?
Isekaijoucho: Everything about SINKA LIVE is innovative. It’s a whole new type of live show. Everything, from the virtual space to the connected stories, is majestic and beautiful, but at the heart of all of it is our own music. To share our songs, we need to have a place to serves as our starting point, along with a certain spirit. SINKA LIVE shows allow us to dive deep inside ourselves. We’re setting out to discover our true selves, which are the same in both the virtual and real worlds. What will we find through this exploration? How deep will we go? I think each of us has found our own answers to these questions. At V.W.P 2nd ONE-MAN LIVE “Phenomena II – Witch Expansion”, we’re going to be giving it our all, singing true-to-life songs with all our heart, as only the five of us can.
Harusaruhi, could you share a little about the unique qualities of the members that make up V.W.P?
Harusaruhi: KAF’s voice is wonderful, clearly delivering her message straight to listeners. It stands out for its almost spoken feel, a really natural mode of expression. RIM has a stylish, relaxed, soft singing voice. I find it really catchy, and it makes mid-tempo songs truly shine. Isekaijoucho isn’t just a singer, but also a creator, and I find her originality to be enthralling. I also love her unique voice. KOKO has a wide singing range. She can sing songs from any genre. She also puts on wonderful live shows, making a lasting impression on anyone who watches her perform.
How has V.W.P evolved since it was initially formed?
RIM: All of us members have grown even closer, and the way we combine our voices has evolved!!! At some point we lost our initial awkwardness. We still have our five distinctive voices, but now they mesh smoothly in our songs. Each of us brings our own unique strengths and we combine them into a unified whole. The process was so steady I didn’t even notice it at the time, but looking back, we’ve evolved a lot.
KAF, your previous main composer, Iori Kanzaki, was part of your process of deepening your sound. When he parted ways with the label, you also ended your Fukakai series of live shows, which you began in 2019. Your solo show, Kaika, on the second day of Kamitsubaki Yoyogi Wars 2024, could almost be seen as chapter two of Fukakai. What do you think the highlights will be?
KAF: In this new show series, I’m of course preparing performances that will go above and beyond what everyone is imagining. I think I’ll be able to put on a show that highlights both the changes I’ve made and the parts I’m keeping the same. At last year’s Nippon Budokan performance, I called on various guests to sing together with me on stage. This time, as well, there will be an exclusive, one-time collaboration that people will only be able to see at Kamitsubaki Yoyogi Wars 2024. I hope a lot of people come to see it.
Is there anything you try to do when collaborating with guest performers?
KAF: When I sing a song by an artist I like, the first thing that comes to mind is their singing style. When I think about how I want to sing the song, I find myself setting the original artist’s own style as the standard. But it’s important that I sing in my own way. The question is how best to combine the two. I’m really looking forward to trying out different approaches in the show.
KAMITSUBAKI STUDIO has changed immensely while constantly progressing. It now has quite a few creators.
KAF: When I first started my creative work, I didn’t know much about the virtual world. However, over time, I’ve gone beyond just songs. Now, there are a lot of different elements that make up the artist known as KAF. A lot of people’s efforts combine to make me what I am, but I’m the one who speaks. Since realizing that, I’ve started to think deeply about just what I am.
I feel like that question ties into the title Fukakai, which is Japanese for “inexplicable.”
KAF: The title Fukakai also contains a sense of “unknown.” There are a lot of times in my artistic activities where I find myself confronting the unknown. For example, with the upcoming show at Yoyogi 1st Gymnasium, just how big will it be? How many people will come? I know the numbers, but they don’t really give me a visceral sense of what it will actually be like. Sometimes, on stage, I don’t know exactly how the performance is going. But the fact that I don’t know means that I simply have to have faith. I can move forward, trusting my own predictions and hopes. I think this is something I’ve discovered through this series of shows. It’s really strengthened my belief in myself.
Streaming tickets can be purchased here.
—This interview by Mio Komachi first appeared on Billboard Japan
Number_i’s “GOAT” blasts in at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Jan. 10.
Number_i is the new group formed by members Sho Hirano, Yuta Jinguji, and Yuta Kishi, three former members of King & Prince. The trio’s first digital single dropped on New Year’s Day and launched at No. 1 for downloads, radio airplay, and video views, while coming in at No. 15 for streaming with 4,801,615 weekly streams. First-week figures for the track placed it far ahead of the song at No. 2 on the Japan Hot 100 — Ado’s “Show” — with downloads hitting 64,321 units (3.8 times the number for “Show”) and 7,243,154 video views (2.3 times).
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Songs that enjoyed exposure on year-end music programs continue to rise on the charts this week, with two iconic live shows — the 65th Japan Record Awards and the 74th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen — greatly influencing the action.
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Ado’s “Show” slips to No. 2 after extending its record to 13 weeks at No. 1 last week. The long-running hit comes in at No. 2 for downloads and streaming, with the former racking up 16,740 units (up 14%) and the latter 10,318,975 streams (up 0.6%). Radio jumped 24-11, indicating that the track is also being played on platforms other than ground-based TV broadcasts.
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YOASOBI’s “Idol” comes in at No. 3, also boosted by a jaw-dropping staging of this monster hit track on NHK’s year-end live music extravaganza, with more than a dozen A-list J-pop and K-pop idol groups, dance teams and individuals gracing the stage to assist the superstar duo’s first-ever live performance of their global hit on TV. The record-holder for most weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 is on the rise again, with downloads up 67% to 16,740 units (No. 3), streaming up 13% to 10,571,870 streams (No. 1) and video up 11% to 2,341,628 views (No. 3). Like Ado’s “Show,” the Oshi no Ko opener has gained new fans through its year-end exposure.
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Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Que Sera Sera,” winner of the 2023 Grand Prix at the 65th Japan Record Awards, rises to No. 4 after jumping 17-7 last week. Points for streaming increased significantly, up 23% with 7,759,163 views, indicating that the song is reaching a new generations of fans. “Dance Hall,” which the three-man band performed on Kohaku, rose 18-12 this week, and like Vaundy’s “Kaiju no Hanauta” — a karaoke favorite that continued to chart in the upper tiers of the Japan Hot 100 throughout last year after the 23-year-old performed it on Kohaku in 2022 — Mrs. GREEN APPLE could have another hit song in the making this year.
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Other notable chart-movers powered by year-end TV performances include 10-FEET’s “Dai Zero Kan” (21-13), ATARASHII GAKKO!’s “OTONABLUE” (32-20), NewJeans’ “Ditto” (46-22) and Aimyon’s “Ai no Hana” (79-27), all enjoying surges in metrics including downloads, streaming, radio, video, and karaoke.
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 Jan. 1 to 7, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.
Warner Music Group and Red Light Management have entered into a strategic partnership designed to help Red Light artists better target the world’s second-biggest music market, Japan.
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Under the pact, Warner Music Japan’s international marketing and ADA divisions will work with Red Light to build a marketing and label channel for Red Light artists. They will also work to foster collaboration between Red Light artists and domestic performers in Japan.
The partnership kicks off with the promotion of Ghostly Kisses, the musical project of French-Canadian singer-songwriter Margaux Sauvé, who is signed to British label Akira Records. She performed for the first time in Tokyo in December ahead of her new album release set for early this year.
Red Light Management’s roster of artists, writers and producers includes Dave Matthews Band, Punctual, Enrique Iglesias, Brittany Howard, Lady A, Lionel Richie, Interpol, ODESZA, Phish, The Strokes, Sabrina Carpenter, Chris Stapleton, Danny L Harle and Lewis Thompson.
James Sandom, managing partner at Red Light Management, said in a statement, “We’re super excited to partner with Warner Music on this initiative to help our artists with a dynamic new route into Japan. The Japanese market has unique characteristics, a landscape requiring bespoke attention and knowledge of the local music and entertainment sector. Bringing this knowledge together with our artists will help them build fan communities in this special market, with the aim of enabling a new generation of artists to find success in Japan.”
Kaz Shimada, COO of Warner Music Japan, added, “In recent years we have worked hard to help international artists connect with local fans as we transitioned from physical to digital. This exciting new partnership is another significant step forward, as we combine our experience promoting some of the biggest global stars in Japan with Red Light Management’s super-talented managers and amazing roster of artists.”
SPY x FAMILY CODE: White, an animated film featuring the beloved characters of the popular manga and anime series, has quickly become a box office smash in Japan after hitting theaters Dec. 22. Japanese hitmaker Gen Hoshino wrote the ending theme for this movie, as he did for the TV series, and this new song “Why” is the title track of his latest single.
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The 42-year-old artist’s new project also features “Life” — the theme song for this year’s World Athletics Championships and the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China — as the other title track, and includes “Odd Couple” a song written for the popular Japanese comedy duo Audrey for their event at Tokyo Dome, and the instrumental track “Beyond the Sequence” featured in a TV commercial that he appears in. The J-pop superstar sat down with Billboard Japan and looked back on his headspace in 2023 while breaking down the production process of the tracks on this new single.
“Why” is the ending theme song for SPY x FAMILY CODE: White. How did you feel when you were tapped to write this song?
Gen Hoshino: First, I thought it was interesting that the ending theme would be revealed on the day of the movie’s release. I wrote “Comedy” (the ending theme for SPY x FAMILY Season 1) with the sound of 2000s hip-hop in mind, so when I was asked to do the theme for the movie, I wanted to make sure that the feel of the music was connected at the base. For “Why,” I went further back and combined the R&B/hip-hop beats of the early ’90s with the R&B medium ballads of the late ’80s as the track’s soundscape.
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R&B and hip-hop from the late ’80s to early ’90s comprise your musical roots, don’t they?
They’re the music of my youth, to be exact. Oh, but I guess the late ’80s could be considered part of my roots. A lot of the songs featured as anime themes that I listened to growing up were heavily influenced by Western music, and I wanted to do something like that now. Take “Romantic Ageruyo” from Dragon Ball as an example. The opener is energetic and easy for kids to understand, but out of nowhere the ending theme is a grownup love song that suddenly throws you off. But that wistfulness stays with you and when you grow up, you get what the lyrics are saying. That sort of thing.
I grew up on jazz and R&B music of the same era because my parents liked to listen to them, so they’re stuck in my mind as the same kind of music. A lot of hip-hop tracks from the ‘90s sample R&B from the ’80s, and I wanted to make a song with that kind of connection in mind. That was how “Why” first came about.
The lyrics to “Why” lay out the premise that “people eventually disappear,” and ask the question of “why we still try to create more memories.” Could you elaborate on this theme?
The soundscape is a throwback to the ‘80s and ‘90s, and in the lyrics I decided to depict what happens after “Comedy” which was sonically inspired by the 2000s. Since the movie is about a trip, I actually went on a trip myself. I went to Kanazawa alone, and felt like I gained many things from the time I spent at the D.T. Suzuki Museum, and the time I spent walking around the city.
I was feeling pretty depressed this year. I didn’t feel any hope or have positive feelings at all. When I think about it, I think it might have been kind of a backlash, a reaction to the three years of the pandemic and how I’d worked so hard during that time.
Restrictions stemming from the pandemic have been lifted this year, so maybe the mental fatigue of the past three years set in.
I was in a state of “nothingness,” and no matter what I wrote, it didn’t feel right. After my trip to Kanazawa, I decided to write a song without thinking about the tie-in, and the first thing that came to me was the A-melo (first verse) of “Why.” That really felt right, and from that point on, my current situation — my own troubles and trials, the things I wanted to overcome — linked to the movie. People die eventually, and if you think about it on the level of thousands or tens of thousands of years, human society will surely collapse. When you consider it that way, it doesn’t matter what anyone leaves behind or what they do, it’s all meaningless. But why was I so moved by the sunset I saw in Kanazawa? Why did I find the ripples of water at the D.T. Suzuki Museum interesting? Why do people take pictures to preserve their memories when they travel? These thoughts led to the characters of SPY x FAMILY, three people and a dog, who each have their own traumas, being together as a family.
“Life” feels like it has the power to uplift the listener’s mind and body, and I also felt a connection with “Why.”
I didn’t intend to connect them at all, actually. [Laughs] I thought the lyrics to “Why” would be more light-hearted, but a lot of thoughts went in as I was writing it. I wasn’t originally planning to release these two songs as a single, so they just happened to connect when I completed them.
Music-wise, I heard you had gospel in mind. The song contains the fundamental power of human performance and singing, like the raw sounds of the drums and saxophone.
Sounds with physicality come across in a direct way. That, and I also really like music programming and editing. Up until my early thirties, I was more interested in physicality and used to think that it’s better to have people (performing the music), even with mistakes and errors. I started being drawn to programming and synthesizers later on. There’s definitely an energy that comes out of programmed music. For the drums, Shun Ishiwaka played what I’d programmed. There’s something moving about a human performance that tries to imitate and outdo machines. It’s a mixture of human and machine-like qualities.
The footage from your “so sad so happy” Curated by Gen Hoshino at SUMMER SONIC BEACH STAGE from this year’s SUMMER SONIC music festival will be streamed on the Amazon Music Japan channel on Twitch. Jacob Collier, Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest), Camilo and UMI performed at the event. Looking back now, what are you thought on this project?
The first half of this year, I spent all of my days at home doing stuff like write songs, then suddenly I was outside and it was crazy hot. [Laughs] I managed to get through it, and it’s a great memory of this summer. I couldn’t be more grateful to be able to do whatever I wanted on one of the stages at SUMMER SONIC. I’d met everyone before except for Camilo. I invited my friends, so the day’s performances were linked in that sense, and it must have looked different from a typical festival. And they all gave great performances, so that was really moving.
–This interview by Tomoyuki Mori first appeared on Billboard Japan
Ado’s “Show” holds at No. 1 after returning to the top spot last week to log its 12th leader on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.
On the chart dated Dec. 27 tallying the week ending on Christmas Eve, “Show” passed the 11-week record held by Gen Hoshino’s “Koi” and is now eyeing the 13-week record held by Official HIGE DANdism’s “Subtitle” for most week at No. 1. (The all-time record for most weeks at No. 1 is 21 weeks, held by YOASOBI’s “Idol.”)
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Streaming for “Show” decreased by approximately 6% from last week to 9,707,241 streams, but continues to rule the metric for the 14th consecutive week. The track also holds at No. 1 for video views (12th straight week), rises 3-2 for downloads with 10,210 units, and moves 7-9 for karaoke.
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“Anti Confiture” by ≠ME (Not Equal Me) debuts at No. 4 on the Japan Hot 100. The eighth single by the girl group launched with 216,440 CDs to hit No. 1 for physical sales. Following at No. 2 for sales is HKT48’s “Bucket wo Kabure!” with 183,540 first-week copies. The girl group’s 17th single bows at No. 5 on the Japan Hot 100.
As mentioned earlier, this chart week ended on Christmas Eve and as always during the holiday season, Christmas- and winter-themed songs surged on the Japan Hot 100 powered mainly by radio airplay. 13 songs charted this year, surpassing 2022’s record of 11 songs. Here’s a list of this year’s winter-themed entries:
No. 2 “Kissin’ Christmas (Christmas dakara janai) 2023” Keisuke Kuwata & Yumi Matsutoya No. 6 “Christmas Song” back numberNo.10 “All I Want for Christmas Is You” Mariah CareyNo. 21 “Christmas Eve” Tatsuro Yamashita No. 24 “Santa Tell Me” Ariana GrandeNo. 25 “Shiroi Koibitotachi” Keisuke KuwataNo. 41 “Merikuri” BoA No. 42 “Heroine” back numberNo. 44 “Last Christmas” Wham!No. 57 “silent” SEKAI NO OWARI No. 69 “WINTER WITHOUT YOU” XGNo. 90 “Itsuka no Merry Christmas” B’z No. 99 “Koibito ga Santa Claus” Yumi Matsutoya
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“Kissin’ Christmas (Christmas dakara janai) 2023” by Keisuke Kuwata & Yumi Matsutoya shoots to No. 2 after the CD dropped Dec. 20. This song was originally written for the Merry Christmas Show, a now-legendary music program Kuwata spearheaded in 1986. It was remade for this release and the Southern All Stars frontman and “Koibito ga Santa Claus” singer-songwriter newly recorded their duet. The song ruled radio, sold 25,639 copies in its first week to hit No. 4 for sales, and came in at No. 7 for downloads with 5,131 units, giving the two iconic hitmakers their highest-ranking song so far on the Japan Hot 100.
back number’s “Christmas Song” from 2015 rises 11-6 this week to break into the top 10 again for the third consecutive year during the same season. This year, the track entered the top 20 on the chart released Dec. 6 and gradually climbed the ranks. This week the evergreen pop-rock love song reaches No. 5 for streaming with 6,976,101 streams, which is an increase of about 3% from last year’s peak (6,715,894 streams). The track comes in at No. 32 for downloads with 1,789 units, No. 7 for radio, No. 8 for video, and tops karaoke for the first time this year.
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Meanwhile, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” also rises 35-10. The Queen of Christmas’s modern standard comes in at No. 3 for radio, behind Tatsuro Yamashita’s iconic seasonal favorite, “Christmas Eve.” Carey’s Yuletide hit comes in at No. 11 for streaming with 5,089,233 streams, No. 28 for downloads with 1,857 units, and No. 29 for video.
The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.
See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Dec. 18 to 24, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.
YOASOBI, the musical unit that produces music inspired by novels, shows no signs of stopping. Their song “Idol” — written as the opening theme song of the TV anime【OSHI NO KO】— has taken top positions in five year-end Billboard Japan charts since it began streaming in April. Their next single, “The Brave,” is the opening theme of the popular TV anime Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End and continues to hold a high position in the charts. This year, they also completed a Japanese arena tour and performed overseas, in Los Angeles, in August. As one of the most iconic artists of the J-pop scene, they’ve demonstrated tremendous presence the whole year long.
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On Nov. 18, YOASOBI released its newest single, “Biri-Biri.” The song was inspired by Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, which celebrated its one-year anniversary on the same day. Composer Ayase has always been a big fan of Pokémon, and the song has little touches that will bring a smile to any fan of the game. “Biri-Biri” is already generating tremendous buzz.
Billboard Japan invited Ayano Takeda, who wrote the novel the song is based on, After the Rain With You, to talk with YOASOBI about their shared love of Pokémon and the making of “Biri-Biri.” After their discussion, there was a “Trade of Pokémon” ceremony and a special commemorative photo shoot. Famitsu.com is also running an article with a greater focus on Pokémon.
Ayase, you’ve played almost every game in the Pokémon series, but how about you, Ayano?
Ayano: I was biggest into Pokémon when I was in elementary school, so I was playing Pokémon Gold and Silver and Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. I have a brother who is six years younger than me, so we’d play together.
How about you, ikura?
ikura: The first one I’ve really properly played is Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet. When I was a little kid, though, I did watch family members play Pokémon Red and Green. I also played a lot of Pokémon Ranger on the Nintendo DS.
Which are your favorite Pokémon?
Ayano: My favorite is Vaporeon. When I was playing Pokémon Silver, my friend’s older brother gave me a level 96 Vaporeon, so was able to just lay waste to everything before me. Ever since then, it’s been my favorite Pokémon.
ikura: For me, it’s Eevee. But if I were to become a Pokémon, I’d want to be Charizard.
Ayase: For me, Mew. It’s cute, and I like its almost mythical nature.
Ayano, what was your first impression when you heard “Biri-Biri?”
Ayano: My first impression that it was like a cool, cute Pokémon. The first time I heard it, I was moved to tears. I saw how all these different people worked together to turn a novel into a song. Also, I’d researched a lot about Nemona in order to write the novel, so there was a strong emotional connection. When I saw the music video, I was like, “yes, that expression right there!”
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There’s a lot of great Pokémon music, like game soundtracks and anime theme songs. Did you get any inspiration from them?
Ayase: There are background music videos and playlists on the official Pokémon YouTube channel, and last year, by chance, I was listening to them a lot. When they approached me about writing the song, I decided that I wanted to draw on some motifs. What I did wasn’t exactly sampling, but instead kind of creating new arrangements. This was the first time we’d tried that kind of homage-style approach, so I wanted to give it a shot.
The intro is really an homage to battle music.
Ayase: I was playing Pokémon Violet, so I had this futuristic, mechanical image. I realized I wanted to make a kind of electric [in Japanese, “biri-biri” is used to describe the feeling of electrical shock], techno-like feel, and I realized that battle music would be a good fit for that.
Past Pokémon titles are sprinkled through the lyrics. There, as well, there’s this sense of playful homage.
Ayase: At first, I wasn’t planning on putting the names of other works in the lyrics, but the phrases came to mind because how the parts of the song fit in together. I thought I worked in some of the titles in really subtle ways, and they’d be hard to find, but looking at social media and YouTube comments, people found them all really quickly. You really get a sense of how much love people have for Pokémon.
I think this song has also shown a new side of YOASOBI. Were there any artists or songs that inspired you with respect to the vocals?
ikura: For the high-pitched parts, instead of straining, I tried to let go and loosen up when I sang. During the chorus, there’s a bit of a cushion zone before launching into a light dance part, and I think that technique for loosening up is going to become part of my repertoire.
What part of the song is your favorite, Ayano?
Ayano: I like the “ABC and to XYZ” part. It feels really good.
Ayase: When it comes to really feeling good, that’s the part of the song I’m most proud of, too.
ikura: Singing that part is really fun.
Recently, you performed at events Hong Kong and Taipei, where you performed “Biri-Biri” live for the first time.
Ayase: Performing “Biri-Biri” is great. The live elements really work well.
ikura: The song has a totally different tone than our other songs, so it completely changes up the mood. Plus, it’s a blast to sing. It makes me feel like dancing, and even though we just released the song, audiences are already singing along.
You’ve also released an English version of “Biri-Biri.” What differences should people keep an eye out for between the English and Japanese version?
ikura: This is also true for all of the past English versions of our songs, but the way the lyrics roll off the tongue, and how they fit in with the music, feels great. But, personally, even among all those songs, I think “Biri-Biri” matches the best. I’ve felt that way since we were recording. The speed and stylishness of English meshes really well into the song.
Ayase: In Hong Kong, “Biri-Biri” climbed high in the charts immediately after its streaming release. Also, and this is a bit of a tangent, but Taiwan opened their first Pokémon Center, and we were able to go there before it opened.
ikura: We had the opportunity because of this collaboration, or, I guess, because of this connection we’ve established.
In closing, do you have any last words for our readers?
Ayano: I feel very proud to have been able to be a part of a big IP like Pokémon. I hope anyone who’s never tried Pokémon before tries it out, and that people enjoy both the novel and our song.
YOASOBI: From the other works in the series to the recent Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, Ayano Takeda’s novel, and “Biri-Biri,” Pokémon has truly created a world of its own, so we hope that everyone savors everything it has to offer.
Pokémon image: ©2023 Pokémon. ©1995-2023 Nintendo/Creatures Inc. /GAME FREAK inc. TM, ®, and character names are trademarks of Nintendo.
This interview by Takuto Ueda first appeared on Billboard Japan.
In June 2023, comedian Tonikaku Yasumura appeared on the British audition show Britain’s Got Talent and became the first Japanese contestant to make it to the finals. Recently, he released “PANTS,” his first-ever digital single, under the name MC TONY.
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The track was produced by Double Clapperz, a grime unit made up of producers UKD and Sinta. The song plays on the juxtaposition of its production and its lyrics. The sound features elements of U.K. drill, a dark, menacing genre from South London, iconic for its ski masks and gun sounds. The lyrics, on the other hand, extol being “naked” — unarmed and non-violent.
Billboard Japan talked to Tonikaku about the making of the song and the story of his overseas success.
How have things changed around you since you appeared on Britain’s Got Talent?
I’ve got more international job offers, and recently I’ve been going overseas for work at least once a month. In October I made it through auditions for the French version of Britain’s Got Talent, and I also appeared on audition shows in Italy and Korea. The other day, I also appeared at the OC JAPAN FAIR in Los Angeles.
Have the audience reactions been different in different countries?
I got the biggest reaction in the U.K., but I got a standing ovation in France, too. I performed in French, and it even turned into a call and response (laughs). The reaction has also been good in Italy, Korea and the U.S. So far, every country I go to, I’ve been warmly received.
What led to you appearing on Britain’s Got Talent in the first place?
I wasn’t originally trying to break out overseas, but my talent agency, Yoshimoto Creative Agency, sends out videos of comedians that overseas audiences might enjoy to audition shows around the world. Britain’s Got Talent just happened to like my material. So at first, it felt like going on an overseas vacation. I was like, “I get to go to the U.K.! How lucky!”
But when I actually got there, the schedule was really tight. I arrived in London at around 11:00 at night, and then the next morning we started with rehearsals, filming, interviews, and the like. And then the day after that I flew back to Japan (laughs). It was really a whirlwind trip, and I wasn’t able to do any sightseeing. I took a brief detour to Buckingham Palace and saw a guard riding a horse. And on that little sightseeing detour, I got pickpocketed.
What?!
I was obviously a tourist, looking around at this and that, so I guess I made an easy target (laughs). It felt like I’d gone through a rite of initiation.
What was the response like when you performed your material for the first time in the U.K.?
They loved me in the auditions. But I wasn’t so sure, and I didn’t really get my hopes up. We filmed in January and the show was broadcast in April, I think, so there was a pretty big gap. So at the time I simply thought, “Well, that was a good experience,” and I pretty much forgot it. I was really surprised when they told me I passed the auditions.
It seems like you carefully tweaked your strategy for foreign audiences, like making your stage name “Tonikaku.”
To be totally honest, I wasn’t really thinking about hitting it big with overseas audiences, I was just hoping the fact that I went to the U.K. would generate some buzz in Japan. So I didn’t think too deeply about my stage name, “Tonikaku,” I just picked it so that when I appeared on shows in Japan, my co-performers would be like, “What’s up with picking that as your stage name?” Actually, I used to be part of a comedy duo, but we broke up and I started performing on my own. Up on stage I’d tell the audience “My name is long and kind of hard to remember [his Japanese stage name is Tonikaku Akarui Yasumura], so just remember ‘Tonikaku.’” “Or you can call me Tony, if you’d like.” I never dreamed that one day in the future, people overseas would be calling me “Tony!”
It was really striking seeing the call and response that happened with the audience on the U.K. show when you said your iconic line, “Don’t worry, I’m wearing pants.” In Japanese, you don’t need an object after “wearing,” but in English you do, so when you say, “Don’t worry, I’m wearing,” other people have to jump in with “pants.” I feel like that’s another reason for your victory.
Right. In Japanese, you wouldn’t spell it all out, “Don’t worry, I’m wearing ‘pants’.” But I translated it literally into English, which turned into this unexpected call and response. I was surprised, too.
I wanted to keep the act simple, with few lines. I didn’t want to practice there in the U.K. (laughs), so I just kept it stuck to simple, easy to remember phrases, and I think that’s another reason people liked it. In that sense, I struggled with French. I’m less familiar with French than English, and it’s harder to pronounce.
Now, you’ve released a digital single, “PANTS,” as MC TONY.
The genre, U.K. drill, is a popular genre that came from a really dangerous part of the U.K. Everyone dresses all in black, wearing ski masks, but there I am, unarmed, wearing just underpants. I thought that gap was pretty funny. I also tried out various ways of delivering the lyrics. At first, I sang it in a brighter, happier voice, but Mitsunaga, the lyricist, said “It’ll sound cooler if you sing it in a lower voice to match the track.” I took his advice, and now it’s got over two million plays (laughs).
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What led you to try your hand at music?
It’s because I met Takaya Mitsunaga [HYTEK Inc.], who handled overall production for the song. Mitsunaga said that the wall separating comedy and music is much lower in the U.K. than in other countries. The other day, I went to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe [the world’s largest performing arts festival, spanning three to four weeks each August in Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh], and I was surprised to see several performances in which comedians were doing freestyle rap.
There’s never been that much separation between comedy and music in Japan. For example, the comedy duo Downtown collaborated with composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. What kind of things would you like to do going forward?
As I mentioned earlier, at this point last year I had no idea how much would change over the course of this year. That’s how it is every year. There are always unexpected turns of events, and those reveal new possibilities. I want to just go with the flow, without thinking too hard about what lies ahead.
You want to play it by ear.
Exactly. That’s what I’ve done so far. If I think of new material for overseas audiences, the next thing I know things could be taking totally new turns, so I want to take on each challenge as the ideas come to me. For example, the Paris Olympics are coming up, so I might do all-nude poses of the different sporting events (laughs). I still haven’t appeared on America’s Got Talent, so I’d like to take on that challenge in the near future, too.
This interview by Takanori Kuroda first appeared on Billboard Japan.
Ado’s “Show” returns to No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Dec. 20, extending the song’s record to 11 weeks at the top.
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Despite an overall drop in points, the Universal Studios Japan Halloween event theme makes its comeback atop the list after slipping to No. 2 last week, boosted mainly by the mysterious singer’s recent string of appearances on TV, among other factors. The track holds at No. 1 for streaming for the 13th consecutive week, though figures are down by about 7% at 10,355,342 weekly streams. It’s also in its 11th straight week at No. 1 for video views, while also coming in at No. 3 for downloads (up 3%, 10,302 units) and No. 7 for karaoke.
YOASOBI has two tracks in the top 5 this week, with “Idol” at No. 2 and “The Brave” at No. 5. The former — Billboard Japan’s 2023 No. 1 Song of the Year — is still going strong and currently at No. 3 for streaming (down 5%, 8,225,278 streams), No. 11 for downloads (down 2%, 3,458 units), No. 2 for video, and No. 8 for radio.
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Sexy Zone’s “Jinsei Yuugi” debuts at No. 3 on the Japan Hot 100 with 203,299 copies sold in its first week. Although the group’s 25th single falls short of the first-week figures of its predecessor, “Honne to Tatemae,” the new song hits No. 1 for physical sales and comes in at No. 31 for video.
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Angerme’s “RED LINE” bows at No. 7 on the Japan Hot 100, launching with 70,397 CDs to hit No. 2 for the metric. The track is part of the Hello! Project group’s double A-side single RED LINE / Life is Beautiful! released Dec. 13 and also hits No. 13 for downloads with 3,302 units.
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Another debut at No. 8 this week is BUMP OF CHICKEN’s “Sleep Walking Orchestra,” the opening theme song for the upcoming anime series Delicious in Dungeon, set to begin airing in January. The anime is being shown in theaters for a limited three-week run starting Dec. 8. The veteran four-man band’s new number rules downloads with 14,494 units and is also at No. 1 for radio. While still not charting in the top 100 for streams, the number of listeners is expected to increase after the TV premiere of the series.
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The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.
See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Dec. 11 to 17, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.