Japan
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INI is a global boy band made up of 11 members (Rihito Ikezaki, Takumi Ozaki, Masaya Kimura, Takeru Goto, Yudai Sano, Fengfan Xu, Hiromu Takatsuka, Shogo Tajima, Hiroto Nishi, Kyosuke Fujimaki, and Jin Matsuda), the winner of one of Japan’s biggest audition shows, PRODUCE 101 JAPAN SEASON 2.
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Since debuting on Nov. 3, 2021, they’ve released three singles, all of which took first place on Billboard Japan’s weekly singles sales chart, Top Singles Sales. On Dec. 14, they released their long-awaited first album, Awakening. Hopes are high for their further success.
Billboard Japan interviewed the entire band and talked to them not only about the album, but also about the current state of INI.
You’ve already made a lot of fans in Japan, but for people outside Japan: What kind of group is INI?
Shogo Tajima: We formed this group through an audition show, so we’re a group of 11 people born in all kinds of different places with very different backgrounds.
Kyosuke Fujimaki: We’re part of a talent agency that was established in Korea and Japan, so our music videos and songs are made in Korea, but they have Japanese elements mixed in, creating something that’s all new.
Fengfan Xu: There are elements of J-pop in the way members sing, and in our personalities, so our songs have the best qualities of both K-pop and J-pop.
Masaya Kimura: The way we operate is also a bit unusual for a band in Japan. Each of us has our own strengths and specialties, and we have a real diversity of personalities. Fengfan (Xu) speaks English and Taji (Tajima) speaks Korean, which also makes it easy for us to reach out overseas.
Hiroto Nishi: I feel like we must be the most energetic dancers in Japan nowadays. One of our strengths is our powerful and dynamic performing style. It’s one of our hallmarks.
Takeru Goto: We also have members who are particularly skilled at rapping or at singing. That’s a point of pride for us, as a group that makes music with a hip-hop base.
You’ve recently released your long-awaited first album, Awakening. How did it come out?
Takumi Ozaki: The album is the culmination of our first single, “A,” our second single, “I,” and our third single, “M.” The album’s theme is “awakening,” and I think it really brings out everything each member has been working on so far.
Kimura: In terms of dancing and vocals, we’ve grown since our first single, and I think the album clearly shows how the members have awakened. We haven’t been practicing for years and years as trainees, but instead we entered this world through an audition show, so we’ve been practicing day by day by finding time in between our other activities. When we practice, we’re always focused on how we can show off how we’ve changed since when we released that 1st single, and the results of those efforts are packed into this first album, which shows an “awakening INI.”
Yudai Sano: That’s exactly what I was thinking. For each single we’ve released, I picked something that I really wanted to focus on in my own way. This album brings out all of that.
Hiromu Takatsuka: I think this album establishes what kind of group INI is. Each of our three singles has shown, little by little, what kinds of songs we sing. Then, with this album, I think we’ve established our identity.
Ozaki: We’ve awakened not only as performers, but also as people. Fortunately, we’ve been able to do all kinds of work, so I think we’ve grown as people, too, making the group more appealing. That growth ties into our performances, and I think you can feel it in the album.
Fujimaki: I think we were able to put all of our development into the album and I hope that we can move on from here into the future.
I’d like to talk a little about your songs. Your first song, “SPECTRA,” is your lead single, and Nishi worked on the lyrics, right?
Nishi: That’s right. It was pretty hard. I worked with some Korean writers on it, and you know how the way language sounds to natives and non-natives is totally different, right? Korean, especially, is similar to English and the consonants are really clear, while in Japanese the vowels are really clear. Thinking about our previous songs, I figured that it would be better to focus on the sound, more than the meaning. I struggled with which type of approach would go over better.
Are there any key lyrics?
Nishi: “Orera saikyo (‘We are the best’)” (laughs). I just said, almost offhand, that it would be fun if we sang “Orera saikyo,” but that turned out to be the key to the song. For the Korean creators, the sound of those lyrics just clicked, I guess.
Goto: The parts that Nishi came up with were super easy to tell. When I read through the lyrics, as soon as I came to a part that Nishi wrote, I was like “A Japanese person came up with this.” You could feel Nishi’s word sense coming through. As a fellow member of the band, I felt really proud that his lyrical suggestions were used. I sing some of the parts that Nishi wrote, so my own parts are my favorite parts of the song.
Nishi: Wow, that makes me so happy! Thank you! During practice, I’ve seen Takumi mouthing the lyrics to the verses I wrote, which is wonderful.
Sano: The tone of the song is also really clearly defined, so it’s easy on the ears. The intro starts out with this mysterious feel, and just when you think it’s going in an ethnic direction, it settles down, then it gradually swells towards the chorus, and then it pops. It really has that INI feel.
Fujimaki: It fits the album perfectly. It conveys that bright, bouncy feeling, and I hope our performances give that same feel.
The next song is “Dramatic.”
Kimura: The way “Dramatic” develops is really interesting. The chorus sticks with you, and the song keeps changing direction as it unfolds. We wanted people to notice the dancing, as well, so we had ReiNa, a Japanese choreographer, handle the choreography. We’d always worked with Korean choreographers before, so this was our first time asking a Japanese person to do the choreography. It was pretty hard, but it perfectly matched the song, so it was easy to really get into.
Tajima worked on the lyrics for “Runaway,” right? Were there any key lyrics?
Tajima: The part that goes “Worrying like I always do, Sleepless nights gnaw at my heart, I want to shout, but no matter where I go, I just can’t shout” — the part I wrote! I hope I expressed that feeling of frustration of wanting to just shout it all out, but not being able to. I was really happy that my lyrics were used. This part links up with the “I finally found you, And as I hold your hand, I’m not lonely,” and it makes me realize that I’m not alone, I’m here with my MINIs [INI fans], my fellow band members, the people around me, working hard alongside me. I wanted, ultimately, to make it an optimistic song, and I think I succeeded in packing all of those elements into just a few lines.
(Everyone claps)
Rihito Ikezaki: I really like the theme of this song.
Tajima: It’s like a “voyage.”
Ikezaki: Yeah, exactly. Like, when someone finds someone they love, you often hear things like “I’m right here next to you” or “I love you.” You don’t often hear things like “Let’s run away together.” You’ve got to deal with society every day, but choosing to escape is also a viable choice. I love that.
Xu: I’m with you, there. I feel like this is a song we’re singing to our MINIs. It is full of that sense that we have nothing to fear because our MINIs are with us.
Jin Matsuda: We need to keep growing together with our MINIs and getting bigger and bigger. I feel like the song also carries a message of enjoying the moment, and of staying together into the future.
Nov. 3 marked the one-year anniversary of your debut. I’m sure you’ve had all kinds of experiences in the meantime, but one of the big ones was KCON 2022 LA, your first time performing outside of Asia. Did you take away any lessons from that?
Kimura: I learned how big the language barrier was. I keenly felt the limits of my ability to express things outside of actually performing. Fengfan did his best for the team, but there were language barriers when it came to MCing, when it came to listening to others — everywhere. The audience got really hyped watching our performance, but there were huge barriers everywhere else. So that experience showed us where the issues we need to tackle are.
Matsuda: I learned that I need to study different languages. Fengfan was a true lifesaver. We were interviewed by local media, and, needless to say, it was all in English. We didn’t know what to do.
Ikezaki: Fengfan handled everything.
Matsuda: Shogo took the initiative when Korean was involved, too. It made me realize how essential Fengfan and Shogo are to us being able to call ourselves a “global boy band.” It brought home the fact that we need to try harder.
Xu: K-pop groups always have members who can speak Japanese and English, and they developed those skills when they were trainees. We didn’t have a trainee phase, so we need to work hard and study languages on our own. I was also acutely aware of our lack of ability to really command the entire venue.
Tajima: It showed us that the MCing is also important. Every part, from taking the stage and performing to talking to fans, is an important part of shaping our group’s image.
Ozaki: Right. When I stood up on that stage and heard the cheers, I was like “This. This is what it’s all about.” I really felt that strong desire to be right there when I heard those cheers. I want to keep doing my best, never forgetting that feeling for even a moment.
Matsuda: I also felt the cultural differences. It was a great leap forward for me.
Kimura: Even people who had never heard of us before got really into it. Maybe that’s the L.A. mindset.
Nishi: That was exhilarating! It made me realize that I wanted to put on live shows where it felt like everyone was enjoying the entertainment together. At the same time, I realized that in Japan, too, we need to be able to create an atmosphere that draws in the audience.
Fujimaki: I’d never experienced that kind of atmosphere before. I was just swallowed up by the atmosphere and the excitement. I got really hyped up, and I used that to good effect in my performance, but I lost sight of my own limits. On the one hand, it was super fun, but on the other hand there were parts of my performance that were a bit sloppy.
Takatsuka: It was really amazing, wasn’t it? There were all kinds of people there — Japanese, Koreans, Americans, people from other countries — and looking out from the stage, it felt different than when we perform in Japan. I was aware of just how big the world was, and how little we were. But, at the same time, I felt an even stronger drive to make it big on the global stage.
Goto: I watched the performances by the other artists, and they were really world-class entertainers. I realized how timid we were. It was really frustrating at first, but by the time we were about to go back to Japan, on the other hand, I was really fired up.
Sano: I was so nervous that day. But I thought to myself, “If you let yourself get nervous, it’s all over,” so when I performed, I just kept telling myself, “You’re the coolest person in the world!” Perhaps because of that, when I rewatched my performance, I really did think I looked cool.
Matsuda: It’s important to think “I’m the hottest guy in the world!”
Sano: It really is. The event reaffirmed the importance of being confident when you perform.
I see that you learned a lot. How do you plan to use what you learned in the future?
Goto: One thing we want to apply right away to our upcoming arena tour is pacing. We’ve never performed over a dozen songs at one of our shows, so this will be all new to us. I think that looking crisp and sharp will be important. Moving energetically looks cool and gets the audience amped up, but you can’t look all blurry when the camera is on you. I was really surprised watching the other artists at KCON 2022 LA. I was like “How do they look so clear on camera?” So I want to use what I’ve learned and study up how to look even better on camera.
Sano: For me, it’ll be about being confident when I perform and improving my basic abilities. When it’s my turn, I want to put in a performance that sticks in people’s memories. When they’re heading home from the show, I want the MINIs to be saying, “Yudai was just amazing during that part.”
Nishi: Yeah, that’d be nice. For me, I want to create a space that’s great for me and for all our MINIs. I really like sharing that sense like, “I’m having fun, and the MINIs that are watching me are having fun.” I want to create that atmosphere of a shared experience that I felt at KCON 2022 LA.
Ikezaki: That’s what I was thinking, too. You get really nervous, and you’re thinking, “I can’t mess up the choreography” or “I can’t be off-pitch,” but a real artist can simply pump up the music together with the audience. The top K-pop musicians are really good at that. The level of quality is high, but you can also see that they’re having so much fun up on stage. I want to learn to do that.
I’m getting a clear vision of you all growing tremendously in the future. What kind of perspectives and mindsets do you plan to apply as you grow as a global boy band?
Xu: Assuming that we become even more widely known in Japan, I want to keep in mind that people’s eyes are on us. There are MINIs overseas, and people around the world are watching our content, so I also want to always keep in mind that we’re being watched by people outside Japan, too. I also want to maintain an awareness of minority and gender issues. There aren’t very many Japanese groups that have that kind of mentality, and I hope that we become more attuned to those issues in the future. That’s going to be essential as an entertainer in the global market, so I want to make that one of our goals.
Ozaki: I agree. Also, my personal opinion is that it would be good for our members that can speak English and Korean to become active overseas, such as appearing on TV variety shows. The more we can communicate, the greater our potential to reach those markets, and we might be able to get even bigger as a group by extending ourselves more on the global stage. Of course, we’d also be building a solid foundation in Japan.
Takatsuka: Right. We’ve tried hard to let people know about INI, but I really feel that we need to go beyond that and find something extra. We need to create, discover, and refine new band appeal and bring out the individuality of our group. For example, that would include our overseas efforts, like Takumi mentioned, and also the TV dramas we appear in. That approach of actively taking on new challenges is important. So far, we’ve been emphasizing INI as a group that can dance and sing, but as we grow through the years, I hope we discover all kinds of other “INI strengths.”
This interview, by Azusa Takahashi, first appeared on Billboard Japan.
Official HIGE DANdism’s “Subtitle” logs its eighth week at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Dec. 28, and isn’t showing signs of slowing down.
The song serves as the theme for the acclaimed drama series Silent, and during the week its final episode aired, “Subtitle” ruled downloads again with 19,013 weekly units (up from 15,910, seven weeks at No. 1) and streaming with 17,913,433 streams (up from 17,468,383, ten consecutive weeks at No. 1). In particular, the track sailed past 200 million streams on its eleventh week on the chart, faster than the previous record holder, BTS’ “Butter,” which recorded the milestone at 14 weeks. In other metrics, the track climbed 10-4 for radio airplay, 5-3 for karaoke, and stayed at No. 2 for video views for the third week in a row, resulting in an eight percent increase in overall points from the previous week.
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This chart week tallied the week ending on Christmas Day, Dec. 25. Various holiday favorites racked up points again, especially in radio, and eleven songs entered the Japan Hot 100 with two breaking into the top 10. The results are: back number’s “Christmas Song” (2015) at No. 5, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” (1994) at No. 9, Yuuri’s “Christmas Eve” (2022) at No. 18, Tatsuro Yamashita’s “Christmas Eve” (1983) at No. 23, Keisuke Kuwata’s “Shiroi Koibitotachi” (2001) at No. 29, Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me” (2014) at No. 37, Wham!’s “Last Christmas” (1986) at No. 44, BoA’s “Merikuri” (2005) at No. 49, Yumi Matsutoya’s “Koibito ga Santa Claus” (1980) at No. 84, B’z’s “Itsuka no Merry Christmas” (1992) at No. 88, and Suzuki Suzuki’s “White Kiss” (2021) at No. 100.
Among these, back number’s “Christmas Song” ruled karaoke for the first time — it finished at No. 2 last year — and ranked highly across the board in other metrics as well, coming in at No. 5 for radio, No. 7 for video, No. 8 for streaming, and No. 44 for downloads. Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” currently enjoying another streak at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in the U.S., came in at No. 2 for radio, No. 11 for streaming, No. 26 for video, No. 55 for downloads, and No. 62 for karaoke on the Japan charts. Incidentally, the No. 1 song for radio airplay was Tatsuro Yamashita’s J-pop Yuletide classic, “Christmas Eve,” from 1983.
The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, YouTube and GYAO! video views and karaoke data.
See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Dec. 19 to 25, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.
Ryokuoushoku Shakai frontwoman and songwriter Haruko Nagaya and keyboardist peppe are the next featured artists on Billboard Japan’s Women in Music interview series highlighting trailblazing women in the Japanese music industry. The initiative launched this year in the same spirit of Billboard’s annual event that began in 2007, with a mission to celebrate the women who continue to break new ground in Japan’s music business through contents including interviews, live performances and panel discussions.
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The four members of Ryokuoushoku Shakai — two women and two men — formed the now hugely popular band in high school and celebrated their tenth anniversary in music this year. The J-pop group continues to soar, successfully performing its first headlining show at the prestigious Nippon Budokan in Tokyo in September.
But Nagaya admits that until recently, she’d been hitting a wall, feeling that she couldn’t go on unless something changed. She speaks about how she overcame those obstacles and shares her newfound vision in this interview with Billboard Japan, while peppe looks back on watching her bandmate grapple with various expectations and arriving at some of her own realizations through frank discussions amongst the members.
Could you tell us about the women you look up to?
Haruko Nagaya: Mine would be (J-pop singer-songwriter) Ai Otsuka. I’ve always loved music and singing since I was a child, but after encountering Ai Otsuka’s songs, I was drawn to music even further. I fell in love with her very catchy song “Sakuranbo” (Cherry) and she has this gap between the cute first impression and her unpretentious personality that shows through her Kansai dialect. She also comes across as having a great deal of curiosity and those aspects were really attractive to me. Even now, I find that women who have that kind of distinctive individuality and unique gap like I felt with Ai Otsuka at the time are delightful, and I’d like to be that way, too.
peppe: I’ve never admired a single particular person growing up. Instead, I’ve created this image of the kind of person I admire by picking out and listing the good qualities of different people. It’s like I’m trying to incorporate as many of those qualities on that list as possible to bring myself closer to that image in my mind. If I were to explain the image in a nutshell, I guess it would be “a dignified woman.” I think when I make choices in my daily life, I’m subconsciously thinking, “What would a dignified woman do?” I want to keep accumulating even minor things like studying English, reading books, and being aware of people’s gazes as much as I can.
I’m sure there are listeners who consider you two as women who inspire them. Do you think being a woman influences your musical activities?
Nagaya: When I write lyrics, that means it’s from a woman’s point of view, obviously. A man could write lyrics with a woman as the subject, but I imagine the essence would elude him, so I think there’s significance in me expressing my honest feelings. Also, as a general tendency, more and more men are able to cleanly hit high notes and their vocal range is widening, so I feel frustrated because there’s a limit to the lower notes I can hit as a vocalist.
peppe: Those kinds of biological differences are limiting, aren’t they? As a keyboardist, it’s unfortunately true that my hands are smaller than men. But that’s a given so I make an effort to exhibit my originality through my way of expression, like how I play.
Nagaya: I also feel that people seem to expect me to present myself in a pretty specific way. I’m moved by the shows and performances of bands that expose their true selves and the things they carry within in a raw and honest way, but the things being externalized that way aren’t only the pretty parts, right? There’s a profundity that’s enhanced by expressing even the not-so-pretty parts. But maybe I’ve been putting up a barrier as well, and it’s like the people around me expect me to be a certain way.
peppe: Nagaya and I talked about this recently. I wasn’t aware of it, but when I thought about it again after she mentioned it, I could sympathize with her in some ways. She’s our vocalist and gets a lot of media exposure, so she must have felt that way often.
Nagaya: There’s a part of me that was reconciled to presenting myself in a way people expected, like uploading superficial content on social media to receive feedback. But even though I was the one doing that, there was a time when I couldn’t be genuinely happy when people wrote things like, “You’re so pretty” as a compliment. I was like, “That’s not what I want you to see, I want you to listen to my songs and look at what’s inside, at all the intensity.” It was frustrating to me that the “ideal Haruko Nagaya” and the “ideal Ryokuoushoku Shakai” had become entrenched in everyone’s mind.
Did you share this feeling with your bandmates?
peppe: We all discussed it before the Budokan concert. I thought it was difficult (to navigate) but there were some things I realized because she told us and we all became aware of it. I’m sure each member is handling it differently, but I’m glad I now know how she felt.
Nagaya: I remember peppe kindly saying, “We (the other members) were also being too dependent on those public expectations.” We’re glad people hold us up to high expectations and it’s easier to (go) along with it. And there’s no pushback that way. But I couldn’t keep going on like that anymore, so I decided to go all out for the Budokan show. I didn’t care if my makeup or hair was messed up, or if my face looked weird, I just went all out until I had nothing left inside. Now I try to stand on stage intending to convey what’s inside, even if my pitch is off somewhat.
peppe, what was it like for you, watching your bandmate’s change up close?
peppe: I felt her passion for music. There were times when I consciously wore pants to avoid being seen as feminine, but I might not have been thinking about things like that as deeply as she was. Even though we’re in the same band and were both women, we don’t feel 100 percent the same way, and I have my own way of proceeding. In that sense, I think the band itself would fall apart if we don’t know how each member feels at any given time, so I’m glad she told us. We were able to talk about it in the presence of all the crew as well as the band members, so maybe it was the right time for a change.
Nagaya: It was a great relief for me to be able to talk about it. I was able to get rid of a lot of hang-ups and change my behavior on stage, which also helped. I think the same goes for the lyrics I mentioned earlier. I want to convey genuine feelings by exposing even the most pathetic and ugly parts of myself, even if I’m a woman. I want to sing about everything including the part of me that longs to be strong but can’t always be that way.
It’s not that I only want to reach women, but I think that by (letting everything out), the music will be relatable to both men and women. There was a time when I thought about changing the first person in the lyrics to “boku” (generally used by men) to reach a wider audience. But now I want to create things that reach people in a deeper way, not just through a particular word choice.
In that sense, Ryokuoushoku Shakai is a band that’s supported by many people regardless of gender.
Nagaya: How people feel about gender can differ from generation to generation. We don’t hear much biased opinions from our fans, so I think many of them have balanced values. Since we started the band, we’ve been doing music hoping to become a household word, so we’re grateful and happy that many people are listening to our songs now, regardless of age or gender.
peppe: That’s so true. But as far as the industry is concerned, I sometimes feel that the ratio of women is still low. As a mixed-gender band, it’d be nice to have female staff members around, but they’re not always easy to find. Now I don’t mind so much, and when I’m not feeling well, I don’t hesitate to talk about it.
This veers away from the topic of music, but until recently, the main host on (Japanese) TV would always be a man and his assistant a woman. I hope we can achieve the kind of balanced society where competent people can do their jobs in appropriate positions regardless of gender.
Maybe we’re in transition when many things are changing. Looking back now, if you were to give advice to yourself in the first year of your career, what would say?
Nagaya: Sometimes I wish I’d spent my youth in this day and age. It feels like things are becoming more lenient. People are into different styles of fashion, hairstyles, and have different values, and the general vibe is more accepting of people as who they are. I really enjoy that feeling.
peppe: When we were students, it was a bit more like everyone chased the same thing, which led to a trend. It was scary to stray from that line.
Nagaya: Now, a wide variety of styles are accepted, so it’s easier to do what you want. I wonder how it would have been like if I’d spent my youth in these times, but I guess I feel that way now because I’ve reached this age. If I were still that age, maybe I’d be feeling some kind of peer pressure. But I want to tell my past self, “You’re setting your own boundaries and narrowing your possibilities.”
Listen to exclusive playlists curated by Haruko Nagaya here and peppe here.
This interview by Rio Hirai (SOW SWEET PUBLISHING) first appeared on Billboard Japan.
TOKYO — For non-Japanese music artists, Japan’s decades-long obsession with physical media has meant they must grapple with legacy strategies for getting attention in the world’s second-largest market — such as landing on a major Japanese TV show or getting CDs into a large brick-and-mortar retailer.
Now, new digital opportunities are emerging that could make it easier. A three-year-old YouTube channel, The First Take, is at the forefront of breaking new artists in Japan and nudging a market long allergic to the internet toward digital music consumption. The channel has featured a handful of big Western artists in 2022, including Harry Styles, who appeared in June to sing “Daughters” from this year’s Harry’s House, and Avril Lavigne, who in September offered up a stripped-down version of “Complicated.”
Launched in late 2019, The First Take now boasts more than 7 million subscribers. It landed its first viral videos with five episodes featuring singer-songwriter LiSA, who performed the opening theme to the anime series Demon Slayer. But it was in the early months of the pandemic when the channel — like other digital entertainment in Japan — surged in popularity.
Digital music sales, which have grown for eight straight years in Japan, jumped 13% to 89.54 billion yen ($660.3 million) in 2021 over 2020, while physical music consumption, which has fallen over the past three years, dipped slightly by 0.4% to 193.64 billion yen ($1.43 billion), according to the Recording Industry Association of Japan. (Physical sales still comprised 68.4% of total sales, easily the highest level of any major music market.)
Fresh-faced artists stepping up to the mic on The First Take to show off their skills — such as Yoasobi, Yuuri and DISH//— have gone on to top the Billboard Japan Hot 100 and produced videos with over 100 million views. They’ve done so primarily through digital and streaming channels, reflecting a shift in how listeners receive J-pop domestically.
When the team started work on the channel in 2019, “what we wanted to create was something you couldn’t see on TV, or more detailed than what you would see on a weekly music show,” says channel producer Makoto Uchida. They drew inspiration from NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts series and Germany’s Colors. “We decided to shoot it from the side, rather than the front, so that it felt like you were in the studio, getting a peek of the artist at work.”
They leaned into this sense of intimacy by positioning The First Take as, well, a first take, capturing whatever the artist sings into the microphone, with errors and emotion on full display. Channel director Naoko Furukawa says that early on, driving this point across to participating artists proved most challenging, as many came in assuming they would have the chance to redo performances.
Soshi Sakayama from The First Take
Kazuki Nagayama
The First Take saw a substantial increase in views, with uploads featuring young creators like DISH// and Yoasobi, who went from fledgling J-pop names to chart toppers, particularly on subscription services such as Spotify.
The First Take is among the first major music efforts in Japan to use streaming data to target the show’s main demographic of 20- and 30-year-olds, and to determine when artists should perform, says team member Kazuto Fushimi.
“The data shows that Japanese people listen to music by seasons,” Fushimi says. “I used that to cast songs that would fit well for this project at certain times of the year.”
Even after Japan loosened COVID-19 restrictions later in 2020, The First Take morphed into an internet-era version of weekly TV shows like Music Station, a music program featuring live performances that started airing in Japan in 1986. It has added a news platform, podcast and live concerts, and has also tried to bring in artists from other markets, initially from China and other Southeast Asian countries.
“We used anime and anime songs to get attention from those markets,” says Fushimi. “They weren’t made explicitly for foreign audiences, but we always made sure to put subtitles and other things so that everyone could follow along too.”
K-pop group Stray Kids was the first non-Japanese artist to appear on The First Take, in the spring of 2020. Fushimi says many new viewers came to the clip via Twitter, where fan communities were sharing it and explaining what The First Take was. The Korean act has appeared on the channel two more times since, which has further boosted their video views on YouTube. “The more that they’ve appeared, the more likely they are to appear on the ‘related’ videos list, which leads to more fan engagement,” Fushimi says.
Other K-pop acts have appeared on the channel since — most recently, burgeoning girl group Kep1er — as have acts from other parts of the continent, including a recent turn by Taiwanese artist WeiBird.
The team’s focus didn’t move beyond the region until this past summer when they landed Styles in June and started looking outside Asia to the West. The team put together English-language promotional materials for Twitter, knowing that it would get them new looks from abroad. Fushimi says Styles’ appearance generated the most tweets about any artist on The First Take to date. (The First Take’s producers declined to share how the Styles collaboration specifically came together.)
“Compared with Japanese artists, foreign artists really are quick about recording – they don’t take much time for rehearsals, they just jump right in,” Furukawa says. “Harry Styles only took 10 minutes after he showed up to the studio to do the actual recording.”
Lavigne’s video followed several months later, attracting over 7 million viewers (boosted by a domestic love for her music that has endured for decades), and offering The First Take another opportunity to tip-toe toward Western attention.
“It’s hard to export J-pop to the world,” Fushimi says, “but we want to use The First Take as a bridge to introduce great Japanese artists to the world.”
ReoNa from The First Take
Kazuki Nagayama
Official HIGE DANdism’s “Subtitle” continues to dominate the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Dec. 21, holding at No. 1 for the seventh week.
The theme of the highly acclaimed drama series silent is still going strong in streaming, logging 17,468,383 weekly streams to extend its record at No. 1 for the metric to nine consecutive weeks and 15,910 downloads to stay at No. 1 for the sixth non-consecutive week. It’s also performing well in video with 2,878,313 views to hold at No. 2, and moves up a notch to No. 5 for karaoke.
Kis-My-Ft2’s “Omoibana” ruled physical sales this weeks with 248,255 copies sold, more than the Johnny’s group’s previous single, “Two as One,” which launched with 173,309 copies. But the boy band’s 30th single couldn’t supplement that advantage with other metrics — No. 2 for radio, No. 56 for streaming, and No. 73 for video — and couldn’t overtake Kenshi Yonezu’s “KICK BACK,” which came in at No. 2 for streaming and No. 3 for video. Yonezu rises 3-2, while Kis-My-Ft2 debuts at No. 3 on the Japan Hot 100 this week.
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The global popularity of the Netflix series First Love starring Hikari Mitsushima and Takeru Sato continues to fuel Hikaru Utada’s “First Love,” which soars by about 200 percent from the previous week to 3,879 downloads (84-15), 15 percent for streaming to 7,792,651 streams (6-3), and also rises in video, radio and karaoke. The resurgent J-pop hit originally released in 1999 rises 7-5 on the Japan Hot 100 this week.
The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, YouTube and GYAO! video views and karaoke data.
Check out the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Dec. 12 to 18, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.
The December edition of Billboard Japan and TikTok’s hybrid program Next Fire featured a fresh roster of Rooftop artists including Anatsume, Kubota Kai, and award-winning rapper Rinne.
Next Fire is a show on TikTok Live that highlights the rising J-pop artists of the moment, based on Billboard Japan’s TikTok Weekly Top 20 chart. The collaborative project streams live performances and pre-recorded interviews by the featured act of the month to give fans an in-depth look at their artistry.
Rising rapper Anatsume was the first to appear in the studio decorated with a Christmas tree and lights for the December mini-festival. He kicked off his three-song set with “Stay True,” a song with lyrics that touch on the theme of determination expressed through the young rapper’s gentle voice over an airy sound. Next, he brought out a special guest, the vocalist Ai from the all-female band Haku, for a performance of the collaborative track “Aoi tobari” that features the band. “This song is about a precious time in your life and your youth,” said Anatsume before the male-female vocals depicted a wistful, sentimental scene that tugged at viewers’ heartstrings.
The 19-year-old artist closed his showcase set with “Tokyo no Fuyu” (Winter in Tokyo), a song based on the ABEMA romantic reality show he appeared in called Koisuru Weekend Homestay 2020 Winter Tokyo. “The next will be my last song,” he said, introducing the number. “It’s a really valuable song for me because it let me meet a lot of people. I wrote it for the person I was in love with when I was in high school.” The warm, genuine lyrics and the feel-good groove got the audience swaying naturally.
Anatsume
Masanoi Naruse
Next up was Kubota Kai, who took over the stage and immediately launched into the up-tempo and funky “Midnight Dancing.” The young artist hyped up the audience with his speedy rapping over the powerful groove from his backing guitar and keyboards, while drawing them in with his boisterous stage presence. Kubota — his name is stylized in Japanese order, surname first — then slowed things down a bit with a performance of “Seikatsu,” accompanying himself on an acoustic guitar. As the title suggests, the lyrics depict the minutiae of daily life over a gentle track. Kubota finished his set with his hit song “Piasu” (Pierced Earrings) that charted on the TikTok Weekly Top 20 for four weeks in a row. Many viewers seemed familiar with this song that showcases Kubota’s versatile vocal techniques, and the speed of the comments being sent in visibly increased during the performance.
Kubota Kai
Masanoi Naruse
Last but not least on the roster was rapper Rinne, who kicked off his set with “heaven town.” The Japan Record Awards New Artist winner for 2020 then segued into “Blue Diary,” performing twosongs off his latest album cloud achoo back-to-back. The melodious chorus exuding emotion in its tranquility left a lasting impression.
The 24-year-old then took a moment to introduce himself and his backing DJ, ShunMaruno, and addressed the audience watching the livestream. “I first came across the incredible culture of hip-hop and rap through my cell phone, kind of like today’s TikTok. I’m sure you’ll also find your own thing through such means someday,” he said. “My buddies from the same agency are here today. We’ve made a lot of history together, and I’m looking forward to performing with them tonight.”
Rinne first invited Kubota Kai back into the studio. “‘Kubokai’ and I have been friends for a long time,” he shared about his label mate. “Ever since we first met at a freestyle rap battle, the timing for everything we do has been the same, like our first concerts and the like.” The two rappers performed “Haru ni furarete” (Dumped in Spring), a collaborative track released last year featuring catchy rap phrases that highlight the differences in their styles and a chorus that displays the chemistry of their voices.
Then Rinne brought back Anatsume for a performance of “raspberry,” also a collaboration from last year. The bright and cheerful beat featuring brass and other instruments filled the studio with a cheery vibe.
Before the next song, Rinne paused again to encourage fans. “Four or five years ago, I was the one doing the chasing, but now I have a junior colleague like Anatsume and a friend like Kubokai. My old dreams are coming true little by little,” he said. “But what led to my current position was just a tiny opportunity that was lying right at my feet. So if you’re a younger person watching TikTok now, or someone my age, or even someone older, I think it’d be a waste to give up on your dreams too soon. The reason why I say this is because many of my own dreams have come true, partly by luck and partly by coincidence. Like recently, I was asked to write theme song for a TV drama series. It’s a dream that came true thanks to everyone’s support. I was so moved when I was offered the opportunity.”
He then performed the theme he wrote for the NTV drama series Sister, entitled “qualia.” The lyrics, which he said he made a little easier to listen to while retaining the emotional weight of the suspenseful drama depicting a messy love triangle, was delivered over a melodious track.
The last number of the evening was Rinne’s biggest hit to date, “snow jam” from 2020. “I met so many people through this song and I’m still singing it like this. I hope this winter becomes a wonderful one for you all,” he said before performing the smash hit, which struck a chord with students during the early days of the pandemic. Viewers shared their excitement in hearing the live version of the number perfect for winter, featuring a chill vibe that makes you want to lose yourself in the laid-back flow of sound.
A pre-recorded interview by Rinne, Kubota Kai, and Anatsume will stream on Billboard Japan’s TikTok channel (https://www.tiktok.com/@billboard_japan). Excerpts from the Dec. 9 livestream can be seen on each artist’s TikTok account.
INTO1 SANTA’s new song “I’m from…” was released digitally on Nov. 25, 2022. SANTA made his debut in 2020 as a member of WARPs UP, a boy band made of Japanese and Chinese members. In 2021, he joined INTO1, a limited-time-only boy band, through his involvement in the Chinese TV show CHUANG 2021.
Since then, he has been active in the Chinese entertainment scene. SANTA began polishing his dance skills from an early age, and he has won countless dance contests. These include “STREET DANCE KEMP EUROPE,” one of the world’s top dance battle contests, for which he became the youngest winner ever.
In “I’m from…,” whose lyrics he wrote himself, he opens his heart, sharing his feelings about how far he has come by chasing his dreams. He spoke to us at length about his new song, what he’s been doing in China, his family and colleagues, and his future plans.
Congratulations on the release of your new song, “I’m from…” What are your feelings on the release of the single?
Thank you! The theme of “I’m from…” is how I used to live and what I’ve learned from it. The song’s title, “I’m from…,” refers to where I came from. I am where I am today thanks to the support of my family, my friends, my colleagues, and all kinds of people. I poured that gratitude into this song, and when creating it, whether it was writing the lyrics, creating the track, or filming the video, every step was something that I could never have done alone, so I felt that same sense of gratitude through the process of making the song. I really am just filled with this tremendous sense of thankfulness to everyone.
Did you start feeling this sense of gratitude to those around you during the course of your own artistic activities?
I think the impression I make on other people now is “that’s the guy who came here to China from overseas.” I was also a dance world champion, so I think people have that surface level-view of me, like “that’s the dance world champion.” But it’s precisely because of those successes that I realized “I want to work hard to bring joy to the people around me.” This song is about that desire, so I wrote the lyrics along with a lyricist and included memories I have of my friends and family.
In the lyrics, you also express your thanks to each of your parents.
I feel like I’ve been blessed with family and friends, and that’s how I’ve gotten to where I am today. At first, my dream was to be the best dancer in Japan. After I took that title, I wanted to become the best in the world. I won a dance contest in the Czech Republic when I was 17, taking the title of world’s best, but I actually wasn’t all that happy. At the time, what I kept thinking was just “I want to hurry back to Japan and tell my family.” I wanted to see them break out in tears of joy when I told them. I wanted to tell my friends and hear them bragging about me. That was when I realized why I’d been working so hard to succeed. The thing that led me to coming to China and trying to become even bigger is the same — if I make it big, it’ll make my family and friends happy and they’ll look forward to what I do next. That, in a way, is what drives me.
I see. So that’s why you have the one line in Japanese, “arigato.”
Right. That expresses my gratitude in the native language of the people who’ve supported me. My family has been behind me since I was born, and my friends have supported me since I met them, so this “arigato” expresses my thanks to them.
Did it take a long time to write the lyrics? Do you have any stories about the writing of the song?
As far as writing the lyrics, I’m always jotting down my feelings of gratitude. With this song, I wanted to sing about my whole life, so picking which individual events to use in the lyrics was difficult. Translating Japanese directly into Chinese would also sound a little strange, so I had to think about how to phrase things.
One line that makes a particular impression was “It’s not easy to chase your dreams.” As you touched on, it must have been really hard to overcome the language barrier and work overseas. How did you manage to do that?
Chinese has been incredibly hard for me. I really struggled, and I’m still learning. [Laughs] However, I never thought of that in a negative way. I think most people who’ve studied a foreign language will know what I’m talking about, but the more you come to understand what people are saying, the more you come to like them, and the more you come to understand their country. So, for me, it wasn’t an unpleasant struggle. In the line “It’s not easy to chase your dreams,” what I was talking about was how only a handful of people can achieve their dreams — and this also applies to when I was a dancer — so achieving your dreams is no easy matter. You have to work hard, and even then there’s only a slim chance that your hard work will be rewarded. However, I like the time I spend trying to achieve those difficult dreams, which I think is why I can keep going.
You began polishing your skills as a dancer since you were a young boy. Have you always taken on difficult challenges?
Yeah, I can’t stand to lose. [Laughs] For example, when I appear on TV sometimes they’ll introduce me as “the world’s number one dancer!” But the reality is that “the world’s number one dancer” also means “the dancer that’s lost the most times in the world.” That’s how often I’ve lost. I’ve won contests less often than I’ve lost them.
What kinds of things did you struggle with?
When I was a dancer, the hardest thing was making ends meet. Victories in street dance contests don’t come with millions of yen in prize money. So that was hard. It was like, I’d produce results, but I wouldn’t have any money. [Laughs]
People often talk about your brilliant successes, but you’ve also experienced setbacks along the way.
That’s right.
What led you to decide not to remain a dancer but to do what you’re doing today?
When I was pushing myself to get results, it was like playing a sport. My mindset was simple: “I lost. What a disappointment. Next time, I’m going to win.” But when I won (the dance contest) and went beyond, then, like I said earlier, I realized why it was that I was working so hard. Now that I know my objective, it feels like I can try all kinds of things. It’s like I’ve kept moving forward led by the spirit of “I want to make it bigger, and if an opportunity presents itself, I want to take advantage of it.” In the past, I just aimed for whatever goals were dangling in front of me, but now my goals are those deep in my heart, and I want to do my best to achieve them. The reason I put the “…” at the end of “I’m from…” is that I’m not just trying to point to some “location,” like saying that my nationality is Japanese, or that I started out as a dancer, but instead at something deeper. That’s the idea that I’m trying to convey through that space.
On Twitter, you’ve released some illustrations that express the “I’m from…” concept. Did you make them yourself?
Yes, those are mine. They were really hard to make. [Laughs]
It seemed like the contents of the illustrations reflected the message of the song. How did you make them?
First I thought of the story, and then I just started drawing off the top of my head, using a black pen. Then I zoomed in and drew the next element of the story. Then at the end I went in and added color and details.
Have you always been gifted at illustration?
In high school, I was in the Design Information Section, so I studied things like Illustrator. At the time, my future plan was to make a living as a dancer. I figured that when I became a dancer I’d hold my own events or announce that I was offering lessons, so I could save some money if I knew how to do that myself. [Laughs] That’s when I started studying illustration.
Is it important to you to properly express your ideas to others?
Yes. This time around, I told my life’s story in the form of a song, but in general I like communicating not through words, but through dance, or art, or some other medium.
Dancing and art are other ways of expressing yourself. So, along those lines, what does music mean to you?
Well, for example, in the (dance) freestyle battles I’m taking part in now, the DJ plays whatever song they want, and the dancer has to improvise to the music. So if the song isn’t conductive to what I’d originally wanted to express, I need to match the music. However, in situations like the “I’m from…” song, where I can make the music that I want, I’m able to express things even more granularly — I can express things that I couldn’t express through dance. It’s like I have another method to express things directly.
“I’m from…” is an edgy track with a chorus melody that stays with you. Have you always been a fan of this type of music?
No, not really. [Laughs] I listen to all kinds of genres of music. I really like old ballads, I like music by bands, I like foreign hip-hop… That’s why I plan to write songs in other different styles in the future, too.
What inspires you, whether in music or in your life?
I find travelling overseas really stimulating, but, actually, what inspires me the most is my father. He used to be an entertainer himself.
Oh, is that so?
Yes. So when I was little, he often took me with him to the radio station where he had a radio program. I saw a lot there, and I saw a different side of my father than the one who just lounged around at home. [Laughs] So my first stimulus was seeing him at work and thinking, “This job is cool.” He was a comedian, so the approach I took was very different, but I aspired to go out in front of people and communicate through self-expression. Also, ever since I was little, I’ve always been eager to win, so I wanted to surpass my father. So starting from there, I’d gradually build up new experiences and try to take on new challenges, and that’s what got me here.
I see. So, what kinds of things do you appreciate about living in China?
I’d have to say China’s language and culture. I started studying Chinese after arriving in China, and at the start it was hard. I didn’t understand anything. But as I came to understand more, I found myself able to understand conversations between people on the street. Or, for example, when I first came, if I got in a taxi and the driver started talking to me I would have no idea what he was saying, but after a while I came to understand that they were saying “It’s hot today” or “A new cafe opened near here recently.” I learned more and more about the culture and people’s lives, and it became really enjoyable. This is something that I really appreciate about living overseas, and it’s a lot of fun.
That’s something you can’t really experience unless you really get out there and do things. I’m sure there will be some teenagers who read this interview and think “I want to work overseas like INTO1 SANTA.” Do you want to inspire people like that?
Yes, I do. There are probably readers who want to work overseas, and, since I started out as a street dancer, there are dancers who came after me, and child dancers — people who knew me back when I was a child dancer. They’ve also seen me during all those times when I wasn’t sweeping the battles, and I’m sure now when they see me they are like, “it looks like he’s really having fun, now.” I hope that this can spur them on, showing them that “it’s okay to chase your dreams.”
You’ve also released a music video called “I’m from… (Live Show Video).” What’s that video like?
I have very strong preferences about everything I create, so I thought about what kind of content the video should have, how it should be filmed, and what kind of dancers I should dance with. There are a lot of props in the background that are tied to things in my own life. I think viewers will enjoy it even more if they look not only at my performance but also the other elements of the video.
What are your future career dreams and goals?
I really want to give back to the people that have supported me, so I want to keep giving back to them for as long as I can. I also want to share what I’ve learned with others in the hope that I can provide someone, even if only one person, with the inspiration and encouragement they might need in their life.
Do you have any final message for our readers?
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your support. My new song, “I’m from…,” is an expression of my gratitude, and I hope you find it an uplifting song that provides positivity in your life, so I’d love it if you could listen to over and over again. Thank you!
—This interview by Takayuki Okamoto first appeared on Billboard Japan
TOKYO — A new Japanese rock supergroup called The Last Rockstars is taking aim at the international market with a deal with Universal Music Group and a mission statement “to preserve the spirit of rock music.”
The group – drummer-pianist Yoshiki (X Japan), singer-songwriter Sugizo (Luna Sea, X Japan), vocalist Hyde (L’Arc-en-Ciel, Vamps) and guitarist-actor Miyavi — has signed a global distribution deal with Ingrooves, which is part of UMG’s Virgin Music Group. It begins with the quartet’s debut single, “The Last Rockstars (Paris Mix),” which is scheduled to be released on Dec. 23, a spokesperson for the group tells Billboard.
The Last Rockstars announced their formation in November in Tokyo. Speaking to Billboard, Yoshiki says the four artists discussed making a new band together before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We all wanted to aim at the international market, beyond Japan,” he says. “During the pandemic, we talked even more about it and decided to go for it because we all had the same dreams and goals.”
The Japanese artists bonded around the mission to “preserve the spirit of rock music,” Yoshiki says. “Hip-hop and pop have really taken over in recent decades,” he says. “[Rock is] there, but not standing out like it should be.”
While noting that contemporary groups such as Italy’s Maneskin are carrying the genre’s torch, Yoshiki says The Last Rockstars can also help stimulate the global rock scene — which is why they chose their provocative moniker to leave an impression. “I came up with it, and surprisingly the other members didn’t hesitate in choosing it,” Yoshiki says.
The Last Rockstars will make their live debut at a series of four shows in Tokyo from Jan. 26 to Jan. 30, before coming to the U.S. with two shows at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom (Feb. 3 and 4) and Los Angeles’ Hollywood Palladium (Feb. 10).
The individual members of The Last Rockstars have all cultivated strong followings outside of Japan, with each having played shows in North America. Yoshiki and Sugizo’s X Japan have performed at Coachella and Lollapalooza, while Hyde’s L’Arc-en-Ciel became the first Japanese band ever to headline Madison Square Garden in 2012. Miyavi, who as an actor appeared as a psychotic prison guard in Angelina Jolie’s drama “Unbroken,” has recorded in Nashville and toured internationally in at least 30 countries, including the U.S.
Hyde and Sugizo are signed to UMG for solo work. Miyavi is tied to Purple One Star and Yoshiki is currently unsigned for solo projects, a spokesperson for the group tells Billboard.
Yoshiki’s 2013 album Yoshiki Classical peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Classical Albums Chart. Hyde saw his 2019 full-length album Anti top the Billboard Japan Download Albums Chart, with the songs “Who’s Gonna Save Us,” “After Light” and “Fake Divine” landing on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 at No. 17, No. 24 and No. 20, respectively. Subsequent 2020 singles “Believing In Myself” and “Let It Out” charted on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 at No. 43 and No. 50, respectively.
Miyavi’s had a smattering of singles on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, highlighted by his 2011 collaboration with rapper Kreva, “Strong,” which peaked at No. 15.
“I have enormous respect for each member,” Yoshiki says. “I’m really honored to be working with these three amazing rockers, and I think we can make some kind of miracle happen.”
8LOOM is a limited-time-only seven-member boy band that was launched by the TBS drama I’ll Be Your Bloom (which airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. JST).
Their songs have enjoyed continued success on the charts. Their first single, “Come Again,” which was released on September 21, has maintained its position at No. 3 for five consecutive weeks in Billboard Japan’s Heatseekers Songs chart dated November 30, and also came in at No. 49 on Billboard Japan’s Hot 100 song chart. The chart ranks rapidly rising songs poised to become the next breakout hits, by tabulating radio airplays, downloads, streams, and weekly video views for songs in the Japan Hot 100. Their third single, “Melody,” (released on November 9) came in No. 1 for two consecutive weeks on the Heatseekers Songs chart and reached as high as No. 32 on the Japan Hot 100 chart. The band’s success shows no signs of slowing. Let’s take a look at the appeal of 8LOOM’s music, which is tightly linked to the TV show’s concept and story, and how the band has been performing in the charts.
The drama series I’ll Be Your Bloom, headed by actress Tsubasa Honda, is an original story from screenwriter Erika Yoshida, winner of the 40th Mukoda Kuniko Award for her drama series Koisenu Futari (2022/NHK). Asuka Nakamachi used to be a high school teacher until a setback forced her into early retirement. A series of events lead her to becoming the live-in dormitory mother for a boy band called “8LOOM.” The seven members of the band just can’t seem to catch their big break, and as Asuka spends time with the band, she becomes closer to them, helping them in their efforts to achieve success.
The members of 8LOOM are played by Fumiya Takahashi, Ryubi Miyase, Keito Tsuna, Rintaro Hachimura, Shuto Mori, NOA, and Koki Yamashita. The talented members of 8LOOM, who are actors, musicians, and dancers, have released songs and made their debut as a band outside the drama. Their activities have extended beyond the bounds of a TV series to include appearances at the KCON 2022 JAPAN K-culture festival and a solo concert tour. The band has a steady hold on the spotlight and is continually improving its salesmanship. 8LOOM’s YouTube music videos are subtitled in English, Korean, and Chinese, and their efforts to become a global boy band are one of the distinctive features of the band. Let’s look at the singles they’ve released so far.
* 1st single “Come Again”
The melody line of “Come Again,” 8LOOM’s first single, is fresh and light, yet at the same time melancholic, with a pleasant, bouncy feel. The line “We are blooming here, Myself from tomorrow is calling” is a direct reference to the story of I’ll Be Your Bloom, and to the concept of 8LOOM itself. It’s an ideal debut song thanks to its arrangement, which blends a light pop feel with great musical depth.
The music video showcases the vocal and dance skills of each member, and depicts the hard work they’re putting into making their dreams come true. The high quality of the song provides a clear view of their potential as a boy band. In the TV show, the members of the band, who have hit rock bottom, perform a song at a show to a disinterested audience. The iconic scene of them starting to claw their way to a success generated a lot of buzz in social media.
This single debuted on Billboard Japan’s Heatseekers Songs chart at No. 3 and kept that position for five weeks. On the Japan Hot 100, it showed tremendous growth on the November 23 chart, going from No. 46 to No. 26 in terms of downloads and from No. 69 to No. 46 for streaming plays. Its overall ranking also improved dramatically, going from No. 91 to No. 50. On the November 30 chart, it climbed even further, to its peak position of No. 49. It performed particularly well in streaming, peaking at No. 36. As the rankings show, more and more people are learning about “8LOOM.”
* 2nd single “Kimi no Hana ni Naru”
8LOOM performed at the Rakuten Girls Award 2022 AUTUMN/WINTER (Makuhari Messe, Chiba) on October 8 and at KCON 2022 JAPAN (Ariake Arena, Tokyo) on October 15. Immediately after they raised their profiles by captivating audiences with these live performances, they released their second single, “I’ll Be Your Bloom.” The song was produced by UTA, who has also produced songs for Daichi Miura, BTS, and Kohei Matsushita.
The song begins with a soaring chorus by the entire band. The song stands out with its tight four-on-the-floor beat, its beautiful guitar riff, and the way the melody opens up when the chorus hits. The message shared through the lyrics is one of working together to keep moving forward, no matter what happens. This ties into the TV show’s story, but it’s also a message directed at listeners about “being their flower,” successfully elevating 8LOOM’s presence as a real boy band. Bearing the same title as the TV show, this became 8LOOM’s first anthem.
On the Heatseekers Songs chart, the single reached a record high of No. 2 on November 2. On the Japan Hot 100, it came in No. 49 on the October 26 chart, and although it then dropped off the chart for a moment, the rising popularity of the TV show and the accompanying increase in streaming plays, along with the further growth in already-solid downloads caused the single to bounce back up. On the November 30 chart, it came in at No. 35 for downloads and No. 52 for streaming, both new records that hint at the single’s potential to become a long-lived hit.
* 3rd single “Melody”
In the fifth episode of I’ll Be Your Bloom, the band is told that if they don’t come in first place in the streaming chart, their contract will be terminated. That’s when this song appears. Released on November 9 as the band’s third single, “Melody” really did come in at No. 1 on the Heatseekers Songs chart on November 23, after the episode aired. Many fans rejoiced that “the show has become reality!” The music video for “Melody” surpassed one million views in just three days, record speed for the band, and on the TikTok Weekly Top 20, a chart measuring songs popular on TikTok, it entered the Top 10 by taking the No. 5 spot on November 30. This was likely driven by the desire among listeners who had become interested in 8LOOM through the series to turn the group into a real-life success story, as well, together with the high quality of the song itself. As the trajectories of the previous two singles show, the success of this song also significantly boosted the rankings of “Come Again” and “Kimi no Hana ni Naru” in the November 23 and later charts, following the airing of the fifth episode.
“Melody” begins with the sweet line “My heart sings a beat, Next to you is My Best Place.” With its smooth, delicate rhythm and its sound, evocative of neo soul or city pop, this song has a pop sensibility that appeals to a wide range of listeners (even more than 8LOOM’s previous singles).
* 4th single “HIKARI”
From November 2 to 15, 8LOOM held its first and last multi-city tour — the I’ll Be Your Bloom “Let’s 8LOOM” TOUR ~FIRST and LAST~ — with shows in Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka. As the band broke through in the TV drama, which wound towards its finale, 8LOOM released its fourth single. The kick drum sets a pleasant, fast pace. A synth line floats on top. The rhythm of the chorus bounces long. The lyrics share the message “You shine just the way you are.” This pop tune balances all of the best features of 8LOOM.
Looking through the comments on the video for the song, “8LOOM ‘HIKARI’ Special Video for 8LOOMY [TBS],” on the official TBS YouTube channel, you see many sentiments like “I don’t want this to be a limited-time-only group, I want you guys to keep going. I became a die-hard fan after watching the show,” or “The lyrics are so beautiful they bring tears to my eyes. I don’t want 8LOOM to end.” Comments like these are a testament to 8LOOM’s growing momentum. This can be seen in “HIKARI” debuting at No. 31 on Billboard Japan’s Hot 100 chart released on November 30, a new record for the band, as well as the single debuting at No. 8 on th Download Songs chart.
On December 2, 3, and 4, 8LOOM played solo shows at Tokyo Garden Theater on their I’ll Be Your Bloom “Let’s 8LOOM” TOUR ~THE FINAL~. They’re still highly active, releasing their fifth single, “Forever or Never,” on December 7th. As the series’ finale approaches, without a doubt, even more eyes will turn to 8LOOM to see what becomes of this “limited-time-only boy band,” so deeply intertwined with the show’s story.
—This article by Tomoyuki Mori first appeared on Billboard Japan.
Official HIGE DANdism’s “Subtitle” holds at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, logging its sixth week atop the chart dated Dec. 14 after returning there last week.
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“Subtitle” extends its streaming record to eight consecutive weeks at No. 1 (from 18,006,563 to 18,087,047 weekly streams) and five weeks at No. 1 for downloads (from 15,611 to 19,176 units), while rising 3-2 for video (from 2,696,956 to 2,751,338 views), 6-4 for radio airplay and 8-6 for karaoke.
Nogizaka46’s “Koko niwa nai mono” debuts at No. 2 on the Japan Hot 100. The girl group’s 31st single is also the last for graduating member Asuka Saito, featured in the center of the choreography. The CD launched with 830,384 copies sold in its first week, up by about 110,000 copies from the group’s previous single, which sold 720,302 copies in its first week. The track was fueled by sales and downloads (No. 4), but came in at No. 8 for radio, No. 87 for streaming, and No. 97 for video — not enough to overturn the difference between “Subtitle,” which scored high in all metrics in a well-balanced way.
The CDs of King & Prince’s former No. 1 single “Tsukiyomi” are still selling well each week, with 81,053 copies moving this week and coming in at No. 2 for sales. The total has now surpassed the 900,000 mark, reaching 919,358 copies. The track also continues to perform well in video, increasing slightly from 3,363,622 to 3,367,885 views, and holds at No. 1 for the metric to log its fourth week at the top. “Tsukiyomi” slips a notch to No. 4 on the Japan Hot 100 this week.
The hit Netflix series First Love starring Hikari Mitsushima and Takeru Sato has propelled Hikaru Utada’s “First Love” to No. 7 on the Japan Hot 100 with 6,801,720 streams (No. 6 for the metric). Meanwhile, 10-FEET’s “Dai Zero Kan,” the ending theme for the animated movie The First Slam Dunk, jumps to No. 2 for downloads with 15,209 units and soars 50-9 on the Japan Hot 100. Both songs will probably maintain their popularity thanks to the drama series and movie they accompany, and are expected to move up the ranks in the coming weeks.
The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, YouTube and GYAO! video views and karaoke data.
For the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Dec. 5 to 11, see here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.