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Utattemita is Japan’s online culture of uploading vocal covers of Vocaloid tracks or pop songs to video sharing sites, and the singers who post such covers are generally referred to as utaite. From Nov. 22, the country’s largest video platform, Nico Nico Douga, will be hosting Utattemita Collection (commonly referred to as Uta-Colle), a four-day event inviting utaite singers to submit such covers. Uta-Colle is the utattemita version of The VOCALOID Collection (aka Voca-Colle) submission project that began in 2020.
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At the Uta-Colle event held this spring, utaite Underbar (officially stylized as __) submitted an a cappella cover of “Igaku” by Sasuke Haraguchi. He reproduced all the notes using only his own voice without using any musical accompaniment, and ranked No. 5 among the top 100 submissions to the event. Underbar is a veteran utaite with 1.05 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, celebrating the 15th anniversary since his debut this year.
Sasuke Haraguchi began composing music at the age of five and made his major label debut in 2018 as track maker SASUKE when he was 15 years old. He submitted his representative track “Hito Mania” to the Voca-Colle Summer 2023 event, and this hit song went on to achieve 18 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Japan‘s Nico Nico Vocaloid Songs Top 20 list.
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The two artists sat down together to chat about today’s utattemita culture ahead of the upcoming Uta-Colle Autumn 2024 event, sharing their views from the standpoints of utaite and track maker.
Underbar, you covered “Igaku” a cappella for the previous Uta-Colle event. Why did you choose that style to cover it?
Underbar: When listening to the way the sounds are put together (on the track), I got the impression that it was unusual and quite different from other Vocaloid producers (Vocalo-p). I really like the way it uses sound effects as accents and male voices, and thought, “I want to try doing this with my own voice.” I thought it would be interesting to be able to express a composition of unusual sounds with my mouth instead of using a normal guitar or bass. He’d officially released the stem data, so I also used that as a reference.
Haraguchi: I thought the stem data would be used for remixes or something, so I never imagined it would be used for utattemita (a vocal cover). [Laughs]
I’ve heard that when you create tracks using Vocaloid, you try to be aware of things that make people want to cover them. Could you elaborate on that?
Haraguchi: There are a few, but one is to keep the tracks short. People seem to think I do this to make them TikTok or (YouTube) Shorts-friendly, but that’s not the case. It’s to make recording vocals easier when covering them. I sometimes record temporary vocals for commercial productions so I know how singers feel, and I’m glad when (the tracks) are short. Some songs have the same lyrics in the chorus, so you could copy and paste if worse comes to worst.
Underbar: I really like your videos, as well as your music, of course. I think it’s amazing how you make such stylish videos at a low cost. Nowadays, it’s like a race to see how much money you can spend to come up with a good video, the utattemita community included.
Haraguchi: Yeah, there are music videos that make you go, “Is this an opening sequence for an anime series?”
Underbar: Right? So it’s amazing how you create that stylish collage feel using live-action footage. I’m like, “Wow, I never would have thought of that!”
Sasuke, could you share what creative aspect about Underbar that you respect?
Haraguchi: You were already well known when I was in elementary school, and I respect the fact that you’ve been consistent all this time. Rather than taking years to establish the way you do things, you had it all worked out from the start. That’s awesome, and at the same time, you’re expanding the scope of what you do.
Underbar: I’ve always liked festivities. This might be something common among people of my generation who post videos on Nico Nico Douga, but the main thing is that I wasn’t doing it for the money. This is the big difference between now and then. Now, many people start posting with the aim of earning ad revenue or becoming a major-label or professional artist, but back then there was no such thing as ad revenue, and just because you became famous didn’t mean you could be signed to a major label or appear on TV and stuff. At the base of why I got started was, “It’s popular and seems like fun.” That still hasn’t changed for me, and when I see a new fad that seems like fun, I get the urge to join in.
When did you start watching utattemita videos, Sasuke?
Haraguchi: Around 2015 or 2016, maybe?
You were probably already composing by that time. Did utattemita videos influence your own production?
Haraguchi: I did hope singers would cover my works like that someday. But I wasn’t making that kind of music at the time. If you want to make a song that people will want to cover without using Vocaloid software, it either has to go pretty viral or be tied to an anime series. I wasn’t doing either.
Underbar: When choosing a song to cover, it’s certainly easier to choose a Vocaloid track. Songs that use Vocaloid are open to a wide range of interpretation, so everyone can be “correct.” With the ones that have human vocals, both the cover artists and listeners tend to think that the original version is correct, so the singers will cover them in a way that’s closer to the original. I tend to prefer utaite singers putting their own spin on their covers.
Haraguchi: I know what you mean. Maybe because my songs are a little unusual, some people sing them in a way that’s similar to the original Vocaloid version, but I don’t think that’s necessary. I want people to just do whatever they want and mess with it.
Have you noticed any changes in the feedback you receive, or any differences in your fanbase since you started releasing Vocaloid tracks?
Haraguchi: Yes, very much so. With the music I’d been doing up until then, I never really had the chance to hear directly from listeners, so I didn’t really know how many people were listening to it. The culture in the Vocaloid community is that if you think something is good, you make sure to say so, whether you’re the listener or the creator. The comment section on video platforms are like that, and communication on X (formerly Twitter) is, too. I feel like I’ve suddenly been thrown into such a place and it worries me in an opposite way. Sometimes when I’m at home alone, I tell myself, “Don’t get carried away, you have to work hard.”
How do you feel about events such as Voca-Colle and Uta-Colle that Nico Nico Douga has primarily been organizing since 2020?
Haraguchi: There was a period when Vocaloid culture had cooled down, so I’m glad many people are making (tracks) and watching (the videos) again now. But I also think that it’d be scary if the mood became like, “We have to work hard at it.” I want to use the opportunity to expose myself to a lot of other people’s works to feel things like, “This trick is interesting” and “I want to do this too,” no matter how they’re ranked.
How about you, Underbar?
Underbar: I think projects like Uta-colle are great. The reason is that utaite have never really had a clear goal to aim for. Now it’s possible to be signed to a major label, but even if that happens, if you don’t make it big then it’s over. And a song you covered could become a hit, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you will become famous, because the original version is the main focus. After all, utattemita is derivative. So even if you suddenly decide to write your own lyrics and music, people might be like, “No, that’s not what I want to hear.” The hard thing about being an utaite is that just because you’re good at singing doesn’t mean you’ll make it big. I’d like to see a trend where utaite can dream and be like, “If I keep doing what I do on Nico Nico Douga, I can get this far,” and Nico Nico Douga actively promotes the winner of the Uta-Colle.
—This interview by Yuuka Higaki first appeared on Billboard Japan
JO1’s “WHERE DO WE GO” hits No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Oct. 9, tallying the week ending Oct. 6.
The title track of JO1’s ninth single debuted at No. 31 on the chart dated Sept. 18 after being released digitally on Sept. 9. It remained in the Japan Hot 100 since then and soared 73-1 powered by sales with the release of the CD on Oct. 2. The track rules sales this week while coming in at No. 4 for downloads, No. 36 for streaming, No. 2 for radio airplay, and No. 29 for video views. The CD sold 732,009 copies, coming in second to the group’s previous single “HITCHHIKER” (738,776 copies), currently the record-holder for highest first-week sales for the band.
SKE48’s “Kokuhaku Shinpakusu” debuts at No. 2. The group’s 33rd single launched with 319,722 copies to come in at No. 2 for sales, while hitting No. 64 for radio.
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Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac” slips a notch to No. 3. The former No. 1 hit continues to rule streaming for the 16th straight week, though showing a slight decrease (94%) from the week before. The track comes in at No. 3 for video, No. 15 for downloads, and No. 5 for karaoke.
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ATEEZ’s “Birthday” bows at No. 4. The title track off the K-pop boy band’s fourth single in Japan sold 154,296 copies in its first week to debut at No. 3 for sales. The track also comes in at No. 93 for downloads and No. 65 for radio. No. 4 on the Japan Hot 100 is tied for the group’s best position so far, previously achieved by “NOT OKAY.”
King & Prince’s “WOW” enters at No. 5. The track off the duo’s sixth album Re:ERA dropped digitally on Sept. 30 and rules downloads and radio, while also coming in at No. 25 for video. This is the second time King & Prince topped downloads, following “halfmoon.”
Official HIGE DANdism’s “Same Blue” debuts at No. 7. The opener for the anime series Blue Box comes in at No. 2 for downloads (11,375 units), No. 4 for radio, No. 20 for video, and No. 27 for streaming.
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 Sept. 30 to Oct. 6, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English X account.
HARU NEMURI dropped her collaborative EP with Frost Children called Soul Kiss on Oct. 4, and also shared the new music video accompanying “Burn,” a track off the project. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Frost Children is a duo based in New York, consisting of siblings […]
Wagakki Band shocked fans earlier this year when it announced that the group will be going on hiatus indefinitely after Dec. 31, 2024. The eight-member band has forged out a singular space in J-pop music through its unique ensemble including traditional Japanese instruments and featuring the distinctive singing style of frontwoman Yuko Suzuhana. After a decade of enjoying brilliant success both in its home country and abroad, the group has summed up its career so far in a best-of collection, called ALL TIME BEST ALBUM THANKS – Yasou no Oto -.
Wagakki Band members Suzuhana, Beni Ninagawa (Tsugaru-shamisen), Kurona (wadaiko, Japanese drums), Machiya (guitar & vocals), and Wasabi (drums) sat down with Billboard Japan and spoke candidly about why they chose to take a break on their anniversary year, and the process of producing the 18-track greatest hits album that also includes re-recorded versions of familiar hits and two new songs.
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The announcement that the band would be taking a break indefinitely took me by surprise when it came out in January. Could you tell us how you came to that decision?
Yuko Suzuhana: We formed Wagakki Band and made our debut in less than a year and spent an extremely busy ten years since. But at the time we first got started, all the members each had their own bands or were doing solo work. Wagakki Band suddenly attracted a lot of attention, so we stopped everything else we’d been doing until then and poured everything into this project. We’d been discussing for over a year about how it might be a good idea to stop the band for the time being and focus on our individual activities.
Beni Ninagawa: We figured we’d do our best until the end of our tenth year, then after that, we needed some time to reflect on ourselves and further improve our skills. It’s a positive decision that will allow us to get together again after we’ve improved and make even better music.
Suzuhana: The band wasn’t going downhill, so the timing of the announcement might have come as a surprise for some, but we said the hiatus would be indefinite simply because we haven’t set a time limit. This news is being inaccurately reported, especially outside of Japan, that we’re disbanding and I’ve received many inquiries from overseas.
Listening to this greatest hits album, I was touched by how it traces the history of your past ten years in a very dramatic way.
Machiya: We didn’t want to make a best-of album that just lined up our famous hits. Since it’s the tenth anniversary of our debut, we decided to re-record some of our early releases and make the collection into a retrospective of the ten years we’ve spent with our fans. It’s a pretty conceptual structure that allows you to trace our history by listening to the songs in release order.
Ninagawa: What’s more, the earlier songs that we re-recorded have a completely different sound quality compared to the original recordings, so that’s something for our fans to enjoy.
Wasabi: In particular, the original version of “Rokuchounen to Ichiya Monogatari” sounds quite light. There are parts where we should have made more solid, but it’s a fast-paced song and we weren’t able to express that at the time. But thanks to the things we’ve cultivated over the past decade, we’ve finally been able to give it shape, and I think you can feel the weight of our ten years in the sound.
After listening to the re-recorded version, I was struck by the magnitude of the wadaiko’s presence.
Kurona: Rock music can be made with just a guitar, bass and drums, so traditional Japanese instruments aren’t really necessary. But in this band, they can’t just be discreetly included; they have to become indispensable and the sounds should be there because they’re necessary. There were no precedents before Wagakki Band and we’re still the only ones that do this… We’re still in the process of trial and error.
The tracks “Rokuchounen to Ichiya Monogatari (Re-Recording)” and “Senbonzakura (Re-Recording)” were released digitally ahead of the album. My phrases and calls haven’t changed at all since (the original), but maybe because the way we recorded has changed, I’ve had people tell me that they think I’ve added more wadaiko phrases and calls. In that sense, I feel that my trials and the results of how to make Japanese instruments sound richer, including the significance of my own presence, are expressed in these re-recorded versions.
“GIFT” is a positive up-tempo new song credited to Yuko.
Suzuhana: I imagined what I’d be like, what kind of melody I’d like to be singing at the end of our tenth anniversary before the break. I came up with a positive, bright melody and tempo in a day or so, and wrote it on the piano. I named it “Gift” because this band was a gift to me. My life changed completely thanks to this band, and of course I hope that the music we eight members created will also be a gift to our fans. So this song is about how the existence of Wagakki Band has changed all of our lives for the better.
Ninagawa: Everything we want to convey is packed into this song, isn’t it?
Machiya: If you listen to this song after reading this interview, you might be able to see that our hiatus is a bit different from what those who interpreted it as a negative move thought it would be.
The other new song, “Yasou Emaki,” is credited to Wagakki Band.
Machiya: What’s different about this best-of album from previous ones is that we asked our fans which songs they wanted included. We made the selection based mainly on the top answers from the survey, but those songs are to be expected, right? Among the top 100, there were lots of tracks in the midrange that didn’t make the cut. We wanted to meet the expectations of our fans who voted for such songs, so we started working on this new track with the idea of mashing them up as much as possible. I was the one who did all the actual work, but we made it together in that it samples phrases that we all made, so we put it out under the name Wagakki Band for the first time.
I’ve forgotten how many I ended up using, but I took samples of over 80 songs. I exported all the melodies and chords in the same key, and then spent about two weeks extracting the words from them.
You’ll be touring from November to December with this album and wrapping up your decade of music for the time being. Can your fans expect the tour to be a joyful celebration?
Kurona: We know that our fans have bought tickets with some sadness and feeling of loss about our break in the corner of their minds, so we want to make sure that the shows will outlast those feelings for as long as possible. We want people who were feeling down to go home with a brighter outlook, saying things like, “I had a great time” and “I’m glad I came today.” To that end, we’ll put on an even cooler show than ever before.
“ALL TIME BEST ALBUM THANKS – Yasou no Oto -” is streaming now https://wgb.lnk.to/thanks_digital. Click here for information on tickets to “WAGAKKIBAND Japan Tour 2024 THANKS-YASO NO OTO-” Tokyo show on Dec. 10 for overseas residents https://wagakkiband.com/contents/857663.
—This interview by Tomokazu Nishibiro first appeared on Billboard Japan
ONE N’ ONLY, the six-member dance and vocal group from Japan, released their third EP, Fiesta, on Oct. 2. In the past, they melded J-pop and K-pop to create a “JK-pop” style, and in 2023 they established a new style, “Jatin pop,” which fused J-pop and Latin music. Their new EP Fiesta has an even freer approach, spanning all kinds of genres, including a foray into amapiano.
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Billboard Japan interviewed the group, which is constantly breaking new ground as a Japanese dance and vocal group. (Note: Member NAOYA was unable to take part in the interview due to a scheduling conflict.)
You’ve made a really lively EP with Fiesta I feel like it has more aggressive songs than your past work. What have your impressions been like?
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HAYATO: Well, first off, when we were creating the EP, we talked about wanting to make songs to lead our autumn tour. We wanted to make something that would get the audience hyped, like “EVOL,” turning shows into real parties. That’s why we made “Fiesta” our lead song. I think it’s an incredibly fun EP.
“EVOL” generates a lot of excitement, so it’s beloved by fans.
TETTA: Right. I think “Fiesta,” like “EVOL,” will turn up the energy levels in our shows.
HAYATO: The chorus is one you never get tired of, the song has a fast tempo, and both the lyrics and the choreography are incredibly upbeat. There’s also a part that we want all our fans to sing along with, so want to build up this song together.
TETTA: KAITA did the choreography for “Fiesta.” A lot of trial-and-error went into the chorus, too, and I think it turned out catchy and memorable. We stripped the choreography down a lot, making it easy to copy, and the dance is a lot of fun.
How many times have you worked with KAITA so far?
HAYATO: This is our fourth song, after “Hook Up,” “OPEN,” and “Last Forever.” The choreography is really catchy and easy to understand, and KAITA’s the same age as us, so he’s easy to talk to. That’s why the end result turned out so well.
REI: Ever since we established the “Jatin Pop” genre by fusing J-pop and Latin music in “EVOL” and “DOMINO,” we’ve written a lot of songs with Latin elements. “Fiesta” is especially catchy, and it has a great call-and-response section, so the audience will get amped up with us. KAITA, the choreographer, is part of RIEHATATOKYO, which has a strong hip-hop focus, so the choreography he created was really groovy. There’s a lot of depth to the rhythm, and that was combined with this Latin feel. They’re a great match. I don’t think there have been any other groups that combined Latin and Japanese elements like we have with Jatin Pop, so, just like our name, I think we’ve created a “one and only” song.
EIKU: And what’s more, it’s a blast to sing. You can really get into it, and I can just imagine everyone going crazy, carried by that Latin sound, so I’m looking forward to performing it live. Also, through our tour of all of Japan’s 47 prefectures, I’ve felt a change in how much more vocal our fans have gotten.
TETTA: Right! There’s this stronger feeling of unity, and in the audience participation parts, the crowd has gotten so much louder that it feels like they’ve all been practicing together in advance.
HAYATO: It’s so much fun sharing that feeling of excitement and energy with everyone.
KENSHIN: I think that by releasing a song like this, we’re helping create an even stronger sense of unity. I love the start of the second verse. It has this speed and this addictive quality that makes you want to listen to it over and over again. The song gets you fired up. The lyrics are also interesting, combining Japanese, English, and Portuguese.
HAYATO: The lyrics are all really easy to understand, too, so they’re easy to absorb.
KENSHIN: Yeah. Through our 47-prefecture tour from October 2023 to April 2024, we improved our live performance abilities. We were able to experience truly hands-on live shows, and we’ve grown so much.
TETTA: But we never had any down time! There were cameras filming us even while we were travelling between shows, so the only time we were truly alone was when we were asleep in our hotels. Partway through, I was like, “Where am I?” “Who am I?” (laughs) But thanks to that, I was able to focus exclusively on our shows, so I refined my vocals, and I grew more confident with each show. It was a great experience.
REI: It really was educational. Playing at small concert venues, close to the audience, I’d look at people further away and think that I needed to make it a fun show for everyone. I think the tour made me much better at performing live.
TETTA: We played several live shows in Brazil, and sometimes there would be a change of venue on the actual day of a show. Coming from experiences like that, the little problems that came up when touring in Japan were a breeze to deal with. (laughs)
KENSHIN: I became a lot more adaptable! (laughs)
That’s great to hear. Going back to the EP, “Burn it out” is a hard rock number, which is unusual for ONE ‘N ONLY. Listening to it, I could just picture you running around the stage.
HAYATO: We wrote that song precisely because we wanted to run around! We have an older song called “OPEN,” which has a strong rock feel. ONE N’ ONLY and rock go together really well. We wanted a song in our set list where we could go wild, so we picked “Burn it out.”
TETTA: I like rock in general, so singing that song is a blast. I feel like with a rock song, the way you perform live is different, so I’m looking forward to doing it live.
REI: The music for “R.U.S.H.” was written by JUNE (ONE N’ ONLY’s music producer) and HAYATO was involved in writing the lyrics. I hope listeners pick up on those creative aspects, as well.
HAYATO: I worked on the rap part. I wanted to use Japanese, too, so I picked words carefully. In JUNE’s songs, it’s pretty common for the Japanese parts to be broken down and given a more Western feel, with English mixed in, but if I was going to be taking part in the writing process, I wanted to have some clearly Japanese parts. I placed a lot of importance on the overall vibe, focusing on creating an atmosphere in which the words were clearly audible.
EIKU: I love “Too Much.” There’s some amapiano in there, so I hope people keep a close eye on our footwork. TETTA and I did the final switch-up, and I love the interplay in that part. It felt like we were jamming together, so I had a lot of fun.
HAYATO: The choreography also had some African dancing, and we’re developing and using some new steps, so I want fans to check out these latest moves, fresh from the floor.
EIKU: These new steps are like nothing I’ve ever seen when practicing the fundamentals. They’re really hard, so I’ve been watching tutorial videos and practicing.
KENSHIN: I like “ALL OUT.” We debuted this song in the final show of the 47 prefecture tour, but we wanted to make it clear in the lyrics that this was just one more step in our journey. NAOYA, HAYATO, and I wrote the lyrics to the song, and I didn’t have much previous experience with writing lyrics, so it was an incredibly fun time.
HAYATO: We wrote lyrics to accompany music from JUNE, and all of us really focused on the details. We’d show each other the lyrics we were working on while on the bus between shows, and we truly put our heart into the lyrics. Because of that, we were able to create a song with a strong message.
—This interview by Kana Yoshida first appeared on Billboard Japan
Billboard‘s International Power Players list recognizes the leaders that are driving the success of the music business in countries outside the United States. Avex’s CEO, Katsumi Kuroiwa, was chosen from the music industry leaders of the world for inclusion in the list for the second consecutive year. Billboard Japan interviewed Kuroiwa upon his selection for the list and talked with him about the response to ONE OR EIGHT and the issues Avex faces when creating global hits.
You were selected for inclusion in the Billboard International Power Players in recognition of AEGX’s success in bringing artists like Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift to perform in Japan. It seems like this collaboration with AEG has truly gained steam in the post-pandemic era.
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Katsumi Kuroiwa: In February, Taylor Swift played four days of shows in Tokyo Dome. There was huge demand for tickets, both from Japanese and overseas fans. There was particularly high demand from overseas fans, primarily in China and Southeast Asia, so I think the shows also had a major economic impact.
The newspapers were talking about it, too.
Kuroiwa: Taylor Swift’s only stops in Asia were Tokyo and Singapore, so the shows really drew a lot of attention. We need to make sure that when major artists like that come to Asia on tour, they never skip Japan, no matter what. For artists, performing in Japan is somewhat of a status marker, so we communicated closely with AEG members to provide a high level of hospitality.
In last year’s interview (https://www.billboard-japan.com/special/detail/411), you said “we can shift from these being isolated successes to a tide that creates a new market.” Just recently, boy band ONE OR EIGHT made their debut and took the top spot on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart dated August 28. How do you see the response to the band?
Kuroiwa: Last May, we strategically invested in S10 Entertainment, a U.S.-based management company, through Avex USA, and we reinforced our overseas expansion efforts. As part of that, ONE OR EIGHT has also been coordinating closely with Avex USA. Their debut song, “Don’t Tell Nobody,” was produced by David Stewart and OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, and the band is being managed by an international team with members from the U.S., Japan, and Korea.
Creating a global hit song is extremely difficult, but we’re not one of the big three record companies, so without going after foreign revenue, I don’t think we could survive.
Do you think anime tie-ups are essential to producing global hits?
Kuroiwa: I want a hit anime tie-up so badly I can taste it (laughs). I’ve been really impressed with Creepy Nuts and YOASOBI. Of course, simply releasing a tie-up isn’t all there is to it. It’s also important that the tie-up matches the artist’s vibe. The scale of exports from the anime industry is totally different from the music industry, so I think anime plays an important role in expanding the global reach of Japanese music.
In September 2023, we launched the Global Japan Songs Excl. Japan chart, which ranks Japanese music that’s become a hit overseas. I feel like Japan’s music industry has kicked it into higher gear. Physical media sales still account for a lot in Japan. Do you think there’s any potential for physical media sales in the global market?
Kuroiwa: I think it depends on the country and the artist. I recently went to Korea, for the first time in a while. They’ve seen a lot of growth in CD sales over the past few years, but not because people have gone back to listening to music on CD. Instead, CDs are seen as merchandise, and there has been some discussion about whether or not those sales should be reflected in music rankings. I was surprised to hear that one artist recently sold their CD with an artist-branded CD player. I heard that it sold extremely well, and 30 or 40 percent of the people who went to shops to buy it were Japanese. But the values people have, and the way they listen to music, varies by country, so it would be hard to successfully apply that same approach in the U.S., for example.
What potential do you see for Japanese artists?
Kuroiwa: Looking at the Billboard JAPAN charts, I see a lot of different things going on. There are times when an artist will take a top position in the first week after their debut but then fall immediately out of the rankings, but on the other hand you have artists like Mrs. GREEN APPLE that stay on the charts week after week. For Avex, Da-iCE has been releasing steady hits recently.
Going forward, we’ll be putting even more energy into our overseas efforts, but we need to keep creating hits inside Japan, too. I think the biggest pitfall to avoid now is immediately setting out to take on the overseas market as soon as an artist has had a little success in Japan. The approach used in creating a hit in Japan is totally different than that used to create a hit in the U.S., and (the industry) needs to change the way they think about that.
Japanese anime and games have achieved some degree of market share worldwide, but for music, there’s still a long way to go. What challenges do you think the Japanese music industry still faces?
Kuroiwa: Compared to games and anime, Japan’s music industry has only recently really tried to take on the global market. Japan’s video game consoles saw the world as their market from the very start, and the Anime Expo has been going on for over 30 years now. These industries have been engaging with the world and establishing their own cultures.
If I could digress for a moment, we operate Anime Times, an unlimited anime streaming channel, together with companies like Kodansha, Shueisha, and Shogakukan. In expanding it overseas, the biggest challenges we’ve faced have been subtitling and casting voice actors. There have been discussions about the potential for AI to help resolve these problems. If viewers could watch anime in their local languages, but with the voices of the original voice actors, that could further boost exports. So I think the anime industry still has a lot of potential for future overseas growth.
When it comes to music, though, I feel like the number of artists who create music with overseas audiences in mind is still incredibly small. The industry is based around production in Japan—achieve success in Japan and then set your sights on the international market, that sort of thing. I think that’s what’s keeping Japanese music from spreading organically worldwide.
The way you make music differs completely based on what markets the artists and staff are looking to. Over the past few years, a lot of artists have been trying to tackle overseas markets, and those efforts have created a foundation of taking on these challenges. We’re also seeing a gradual increase in the number of successes. As more and more artists achieve overseas success, they’ll form a critical mass that will play an important part in the content industry.
In Korea, this was achieved through the public and private sectors working together. I want us to look to their example as we strive to take on overseas markets ourselves.
Avex has continued to grow by actively partnering with foreign companies like AEG or S10 Entertainment. Are there any philosophies you share with your employees regarding the future growth of your business?
Kuroiwa: Yes, “always generate buzz” and “keep taking on new challenges.” I believe that if our employees do the kinds of things that make friends and family members say “Your company is amazing,” this will, ultimately, contribute to improved business performance. Another is our tag line, “Really! Mad+Pure.” People aren’t receptive to “mad” alone, and “pure” alone doesn’t generate buzz, but I think our company has a good balance of both.
We’re a newcomer to the Japanese recording industry, founded in 1988. We found openings during the height of the CD sales boom, working passionately to do things that nobody else was doing. I tell our employees that it’s vital that we never lose that mentality of looking for new openings and taking on new challenges.
—This interview by Seiji Isozaki and Naoko Takashima first appeared on Billboard Japan
Hoshimachi Suisei surprised passersby in Shibuya, Tokyo on Monday (Sept. 30) by appearing unannounced at Udagawa Crank Street in Center Gai for a compact set promoting her upcoming new single. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news With over 2.4 million subscribers on her channel, Hoshimachi Suisei is […]
Hey! Say! JUMP‘s “UMP” shoots to No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Oct. 2, selling 221,762 CDs in its first week.
The lyrics for the eight-member group’s 34th single was written by sumika’s Kenta Kataoka. The track was powered by physical sales (No. 1) and radio airplay (No. 6) and hits No. 1, becoming the group’s 31st chart-topper. The last time Hey! Say! JUMP ruled the Japan Hot 100 was in May 2022, with its single “a r e a.”
Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac” holds at No. 2. About six months have passed since the Oblivion Battery opener was released, and while the track is slowing down in most metrics of the chart’s methodology, radio is up by about 1.4 times this week, rising from outside the top 100 to No. 68. The former No. 1 hit continues to dominate streaming (15 consecutive weeks) and video views (three consecutive weeks). The three-man pop band also has another song in the top 10 this week, with “Dance Hall” jumping 20-9.
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back number’s “to new lovers” also holds at No. 3 this week. The final episode of the drama series the song serves as the theme — Umi no Hajimari — aired during the chart week and streaming increased slightly, while other metrics decreased slightly. The former No. 1 song has been charting for eleven weeks and has spent four straight weeks in the top 10.
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Kocchinokento’s “Hai Yorokonde” rises 7-4. Most likely due to the music producer’s appearance on CDTV Live! Live! on Sept. 23, downloads are up 112%, streaming up 101%, and radio up 154% from the week before. The viral hit has remained in the top 10 for 11 straight weeks, coming in at No. 3 for downloads, No. 8 for streaming, No. 3 for videos, and No. 19 for karaoke this week. The track also made headlines recently when the accompanying music video reached 100 million views on Monday (Sept. 30). The singer-songwriter is set to make his second appearance on CDTV Live! Live! on the show airing Oct. 7.
Creepy Nuts’ “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” rises a notch to No. 5. Radio for the MASHLE Season 2 opener is up 128% and the former No. 1 mega-hit has now been in the top 10 for 37 consecutive weeks.
Kenshi Yonezu’s “Sayonara, Mata Itsuka!” is back in the top 10, after the full version of the animated opening sequence of the highly acclaimed biographical legal drama series it serves as the theme dropped ahead of the final episode last week. All metrics increased from the week before: downloads is at 142%, streaming 105%, radio 480%, video 162%, and karaoke 106% week-over-week.
The second installment of “NOW PLAYING JAPAN,” a conference and networking event held by Billboard Japan and Luminate on domestic and international music consumption trends and marketing, was held at Billboard Live Tokyo on Sept. 18.
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At this event, representatives from Billboard JAPAN and Luminate gave presentations on the latest music consumption trends in Japan and abroad. In addition, Tatsuya Hori of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry appeared as a guest speaker. Using the recently released “Report on the Music Industry’s Business Model for a New Era” as a basis, Hori explained the current status and challenges for Japanese artists to expand overseas. The following is a report on the event.
Presentation 1: Scott Ryan (Luminate)
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Scott Ryan, Executive Vice President of Luminate, took the stage first to introduce the latest trends in music streaming: In the first half of 2024, global on-demand audio streaming increased 15.1% compared to the previous year, which is equivalent to approximately 300 billion new streams. Among countries in the APAC + ANZ, Japan has displayed a steady increase of more than 10% in streaming, while several countries in Southeast Asia have shown growth of 20-30%. He also touched on listening trends that vary by country, including preferred genres (in Japan, “jazz,” “rock,” and “soundtrack” are over indexing compared to other Asian countries), the #1 source of music discovery (streaming in Indonesia, SNS in the Philippines, and TV in Japan), and differences in engagement with “foreign content” (95% in the Philippines, 74% in Singapore, and 57% in Japan). He also explained a snapshot of Japanese Gen Z music listeners: 44% of Gen Z listeners encounter music via streaming, are 1.4 times more likely to listen to music shared by friends on SNS than Japanese music listeners as a whole, and 27% less likely to listen to music from overseas.
Ryan concluded his presentation by giving three key points: “Streaming numbers are increasing globally, but the way people enjoy new content differs from country to country, so it is necessary to devise marketing plans and approaches accordingly”; “The way people encounter new music differs by region and generation, so for effective targeting, it is important to have smart information”; and “Streaming is still on the rise, and there are opportunities for growth on a global scale across regions.”
Presentation 2: Helena Kosinski (Luminate)
Helena Kosinski, Luminate’s Global Vice President, presented the challenges and new solutions for the industry in assigning key music data identifiers and metadata, including ISNI, ISRC and ISWC, with examples from Japan. While the assignment of music data identifiers is becoming more widespread in the industry, the importance of ISNI is not yet fully understood. In addition, there are cases where incorrect information is linked due to duplication of artist names and song titles, and where multiple identifiers are registered for the same song. Furthermore, songs having identifiers that are unknown to the rights holders is also an issue. As a result, there are many recordings that are not linked to the correct rights holders (lyricists, composers, etc.), and royalties are not being accurately distributed. In fact, it appears that 16.25% (approximately $120 million) of the royalties that were due to be paid by the MLC in 2022 have still not been distributed as of 2024.
As a solution to these issues, Luminate acquired Quansic, a service that collects multiple identifiers and consolidates them in one place, in February 2024 to improve the quality of metadata. Kosinski spoke about the importance and benefits of having correct metadata, with an explanation of this service. For labels, the benefits of having ISNI are “increased visibility and clarity of content on DSPs,” “increased promotional opportunities such as additions to official playlists (as songs with more complete metadata are preferred),” and “getting paid quickly and correctly”. In a test case conducted by Luminate, the number of streams also increased by 6-18%.
Benefits for DSPs through Quansic included improved search accuracy on the platform, support for artist names in other languages, and the ability to distinguish duplicate artists by adding more than twice as many new identifiers. For music publishers, the benefits include securing royalties from all the songs and recordings they manage, automatic recognition of new releases in their catalogs, and better predictability of future revenues. A test case for a publisher showed a 3-18% increase in streaming numbers. Kosinski concluded by giving “metadata is hard” and “fix the problem before you lose royalties” as key points, and urged a free evaluation with Luminate.
Presentation 3: Tatsuya Hori (METI)
Tatsuya Hori, Consulting Fellow at the Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI), Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), gave a presentation on “The Potential of the Japanese Music Market” based on the “Report on the Music Industry’s Business Model for a New Era”, which was released in July 2024 and attracted wide attention both within and outside the industry. The “content industry,” which includes music, is growing remarkably on a global scale. In Japan, overseas sales are comparable in scale to exports from the steel and semiconductor industries, and the high economic ripple effect has led to the recognition that this industry could become a key industry in Japan and drive economic growth. Based on this premise and the data used in the report, he indicated that the characteristics of the Japanese music industry are the “diversity and accumulation of music”.
He also noted that, since streaming has become the center of the global music industry, overseas expansion and digitalization are two sides of the same coin, and that it is essential for the music business to respond quickly to the digitalization of the industry. He also stressed the importance of creating an environment that facilitates the activities of creators who are engaged in production and distribution on their own.
Presentation 4: Seiji Isozaki (Billboard Japan)
Seiji Isozaki of Billboard Japan, gave a presentation on current trends in the world of Japanese music based on the Global chart data for the first half of 2024. In particular, he pointed out that compared to the first half of 2023, the share of Japanese music is increasing in the U.S. and South Korea, and that the share of new releases at the top of the charts is rising in line with the attention paid to anime and game releases. He explained the importance of understanding the market structure of each country and the importance of “increasing resolution” in order to create hits in Asia & globally.
In the U.S. and South Korea, “Artists who increased the number of streams per day and increased their market share” and “Artists who increased the number of streams per day and increased their market share in the corresponding countries” were respectively presented in comparison to the previous year. Names such as Azumi Takahashi, known for her singing in the “Persona” game series, PSYCHIC FEVER from EXILE TRIBE, and eill were mentioned.
Text: Haruki Saito, Maiko Murata
Fifty-eight artists and 29 DJs took the stage at a special outdoor venue in Odaiba, Tokyo, over the weekend (Sept. 21 & 22) for the hip-hop festival THE HOPE. Day 2 headliner Awich performed a blistering nine-track set, including her latest single “Are you serious?” being featured as the theme song for the Netflix series […]