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Hitsujibungaku announced its first first U.S. tour, the Hitsujibungaku US West Coast Tour 2025, set to kick off April 10 in San Diego, California. The three-piece alternative J-pop band’s trek is scheduled to make stops in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland, Oregon. Canadian pop singer Jonathan Roy will accompany the group to […]

Kenshi Yonezu blasts in at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 with his latest hit song “Plazma,” on the chart dated Jan. 29.
The track was written as the theme song for the latest installment of the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise called GQuuuuuuX -Beginning-, released in domestic theaters Jan. 17. After being released digitally on Jan. 20, the track racked up 9,235,562 streams to hit No. 3 for the metric, while coming in at No. 1 for downloads with 40,408 units and No. 4 for radio airplay. This is the eighth chart-topper — and 16th week at No. 1 — for the 33-year-old hitmaker, whose singles “Lemon,” “Flamingo,” “Spirits of the Sea,” “Uma to Shika,” “Pale Blue,” “M87,” and “KICK BACK” have previously hit No. 1.

Coming in a close second on the Japan Hot 100 is Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Darling.” The theme song for NHK’s television special featuring the group collaborating with teenagers called Mrs. GREEN APPLE 18 Matsuri hit No. 2 for streaming (12,054,584 streams) and downloads (19,835 units), ruled video views, and came in at No. 18 for radio.

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The three-man band’s former No. 1 track “Lilac” slips two notches to No. 3 this week. While toppling from the top spot on the Japan Hot 100, the song continues to dominate the streaming metric for the 22nd week. Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Soranji” is also charting in the top 10, climbing a rung to No. 7. With 6,431,698 weekly views, this track continues to hold in the top 10 for streams and is on the verge of reaching 500 million cumulative streams. Mrs. GREEN APPLE has 5 songs in the top 10 and 20 songs in the top 100 this week, with “Darling ~18 Matsuri Ver.~” bowing at No. 44. 

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ONE OK ROCK’s “Puppets Can’t Control You” debuts at No. 10. The theme song for the TV drama Mikami Sensei ruled radio, while hitting No. 3 for downloads and No. 64 for streaming. Meanwhile, Chanmina’s songs continue to rise, with “Harenchi” climbing 51-47, “Never Grow Up” 79-75, “NG” debuting at No. 80, “^_^” at No. 92, and ‘B-kyu’ rising to No. 95.

The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.

See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Jan. 20 to 26, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English X account.

hololive VTuber and virtual idol Hoshimachi Suisei has announced her first new album in two years, SHINSEI MOKUROKU.
Ever since her debut, her slogan has been “A shooting star that appeared from diamonds in the rough,” and that slogan was embodied by her first album, a refreshing work with a true idol feel. She followed this up with a very different album that took her music to the next level, expressing the struggles and tumult she faced in her musical career. Now, she is releasing an ambitious third album with the theme of “revolution.” In an interview with Billboard JAPAN, Hoshimachi said, “Virtual artists have been seen as oddities. People don’t look at me as a person, but I sing my own songs and I dance my own dances. Gaining recognition for that is, to me, a revolution.”

Her appearance on a massive billboard in New York’s Times Square is a sign of the steady progress she is making in that revolution. The Spotify advertisement is unusual, as the company has done few collaborations with Japanese artists, and it is their first time collaborating with a Japanese indie artist. When Hoshimachi first heard about the project, she thought they were talking about an advertisement on Shibuya Scramble Square.

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Hoshimachi says she ultimately decided on the concept for the new album around the time she released the lead single “BIBBIDIBA” in March 2024. The theme of the song, written by Vocaloid producer Tsumiki, is a strong-willed woman—a Cinderella who isn’t content to sit back and wait for her prince to come but who goes out to seize her destiny herself. It became the first-ever VTuber song on the Billboard JAPAN charts to reach 100 million streaming plays. That same concept was also part of “AWAKE,” a Hoshimachi song written by the team of Giga and TeddyLoid, whose other credits include Ado’s “Odo.” “Modern women are drawn to and want to become strong women. I’m particularly fond of the lyrics ‘Clichéd storyteller, don’t pass the mic.’ I don’t like falling into clichés, either. I want to explore my own way of doing things. I’m singing about how people can’t leave the direction of their own lives to others who just live cookie-cutter lives.”

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The music on the album was written by a wide range of artists at the vanguard of J-pop and rock, such as Soichiro Yamauchi (Fujifabric), Enon Kawatani (indigo la End, Gesu no Kiwami Otome, etc.), Deu (PEOPLE 1), Natori, and Haruno. Hoshimachi discussed how she chose these artists. “A lot of the artists on my second album were creators active in the online scene. That’s because I’ve also always been heavily online, and those were the artists I was listening to. With this third album, I decided to take a step outside the bounds of the online scene.”

The music videos for the album’s songs are also unique. The videos for “BIBBIDIBA” and “AWAKE” combine anime and live action. Hoshimachi explains, “I really want to break into the real world. I thought about how I, as a virtual figure, could get closer to 3D people, so I went with this approach of fusing our worlds.” The entire video for “Venus Bug” is live action, a rarity for a VTuber.

“Kireigoto,” for which Hoshimachi wrote both the lyrics and music herself, is of particular note. This marks her first time writing her own lyrics and music. “I wanted to do that on my second album, but I ran out of time. Or, I guess I should say, I had a hard time getting myself going. When I was talking to someone on the staff, I mentioned that for sure I wanted to do it on my third album, and they started making concrete deadlines and plans, like ‘okay, have this done by that time’ or ‘let’s have these folks work on the music video.’ That’s when I knew I simply had to make the song, and I set my mind to it. I ended up going way over the deadline, though.”

The lyrics to “Kireigoto” include the line “I sing because I hate spewing platitudes.” It expresses a dilemma that Hoshimachi herself often confronts. “I’ve been online for a long, long time, and a lot of the people in the online communities I’m in live in big cities. That meant it was easy for them to meet up, but since I lived far from anywhere, I could never attend. Then, years later, after I finally made it to the city, I’d reach out to my friends from back then and they’d say ‘I can’t, I’m not young anymore, it’s just too tiring.’ These were people who were already adults back when I was a kid. It made me really sad to see that people changed like this as they got older.” Looking back on this experience, she spoke about how she always wanted to remain lively and young at heart, giving up as little as possible. “But I know that’s just painting a rosy picture. I hate platitudes, and I hate when I’m the one saying platitudes, so I just sing. That’s what the song is about.”

On February 1, she will put on a solo show at the Nippon Budokan. Back before she joined hololive, when she was on her own as an artist, she talked in her very first self-introduction video about her dream: playing at the Nippon Budokan. Reflecting frankly about her feelings at the time, she shared, “I was a little worried that if my dreams came true I’d lose my drive. I also worried that perhaps my listeners would be left with the feeling that they’d watched my story through to its very end and they’d drift away. But now, I’ve actually got my sights set on a lot of things after I play at the Budokan. I’m going to be really busy (laughs). My schedule is packed, so I don’t think there’s ever going to be an end. And I now trust my listeners to stick with me.”

The Nippon Budokan is known as one of Japan’s most prestigious concert venues, but the way Hoshimachi talks about it, it is just one point in her journey. She shared her vision for what lies beyond. “I’ve talked about this for a long time, but I want to create a world in which virtual beings are part of everyday life. I like science fiction set in the near future, like Coil – A Circle of Children. I hope we can see that kind of future in our own lives. That’s why I want to help bring in a new era.”

“There are a lot of people who speak negatively about virtual beings. Whenever I see that, I think ‘they’ve got low resolutions.’ People will say things like ‘all they do is push a button to dance or sing,’ and I just think ‘that’s not true.’ But if people are going to be that way, then, fine, I don’t care, I’ll just become even more active. I’ll force my presence down their throats, like ‘Here, eat up, this is the virtual world.’ If I do that, their resolution might just improve. That’s why I hope to create even more opportunities for people to be exposed to me.”

—This article by Takuto Ueda first appeared on Billboard Japan

The Japan Culture and Entertainment Industry Promotion Association (CEIPA) has announced matsuri ’25: Japanese Music Experience LOS ANGELES, a concert featuring performances by Ado, ATARASHII GAKKO! and YOASOBI, which aims to introduce world-class Japanese music to the global stage.  Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Scheduled to take […]

BAND-MAID kicked off 2025 with a new digital single called “Zen,” released Jan. 13. The track is being featured as the opening theme song for ZENSHU, an original TV anime series produced by MAPPA. The collaboration between the all-women rock band and animation studio hailing from Japan with fans around the world is poised to gain a wide global audience suitable to celebrate the start of a new year.

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The five members of BAND-MAID chatted with Billboard Japan about the production process of the new single, the tracks on Epic Narratives, their first studio album in three and a half years, and their outlook for what is already looking to be a super-busy 2025 for the group.

“Zen,” your new single, has a different flavor from the songs on the Epic Narratives album. Did you start working on it after you finished the album?

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Miku Kobato (Guitar/Vocals): It was around the same time. We were asked to write it when we were still working on the album. KANAMI started off by coming up with a number that fit the requirements for the tie-in while also having a different feel from the album.

KANAMI (Guitar/Vocals): I was given the script for the main story and received quite specific requests regarding the music, so I simplified the image I had in mind to create the track.

MISA (Bass/Vocals): When I listened to the demo, I thought that this song had a strong melody, so I made the bass line feel solid to bring it out. I usually tend to play bass lines that move around a lot, but this time I tried to really focus on the melody and held back on being too technical. 

AKANE (Drums/Percussion): I was also very aware of making a melody-oriented beat. Since many of BAND-MAID’s songs have fast BPM, this one might sound a bit mid-tempo, but I tried to avoid making it sound simply like a chilled-out mid-tempo track by adding little details, like creating beats with fills, that would become the hook. Basically, though, I wanted people to listen to the vocals throughout the song, so it’s a simple beat that supports the vocals.

It might be a little simple for BAND-MAID, but when you compare it to songs by other rock bands, it’s not laid back at all.

AKANE: Right. [Laughs] When the melody line is extended like this and the drums are keeping a simple eighth-note groove, it sounds mid-tempo when our band does it. But I didn’t want to erase its speedy feeling, so was conscious of creating a beat that wouldn’t get boring. In terms of the anime, it’s like being reincarnated in another world. I added a furious drum fill before the final chorus, and had these two themes of another world and the real world in my mind when I recorded it.

Kobato: I’ve felt that there are surprisingly few songs with a simple feel recently, so I’m thinking of playing the guitar parts in our live shows [the band calls its concerts “Okyuji,” meaning “to serve”] in a way that would complement the catchy melody, po. SAIKI sings in a way that really brings out the story, so I tried to sing the chorus in a way that would support her from behind, changing the nuances and singing with a lot of range. The chorus work is rich, so I tried to sing it with that in mind, po.

SAIKI, when you wrote the lyrics, what did you focus on in the work it accompanies?

SAIKI (Lead vocals): The title “Zen” was there from the demo stage, and the ZENSHU team were like, “Perfect, that’s great,” so we kept it. I was able to really get into the work by watching all the episodes as moving images, and picked out words from the story and incorporated them into the lyrics. ZENSHU taught me all kinds of things about being an animator, the profession of the protagonist, and thought it’d be nice to convey how creators like that feel. I think musicians and animators are the same in that we both create, so there were lots of parts I could relate to as a musician, and the lyrics in the chorus also reflect how we feel as BAND-MAID.

When (an anime) is based on a work that exists, you might already like it and be able to get into it right away, but since ZENSHU is an anime by MAPPA with an original story, I imagine it must have been difficult to grasp its worldview and reflect that in the lyrics.

SAIKI: It was. [Laughs] But I went over the plot and script and everything many times and worked on it after becoming a fan before anyone else. I felt that the song was “kayou [vintage Japanese pop music] rock.” We don’t often do songs in that style, and because of that, I figured my lyrics would reach people without sounding off, so I did pretty much what I pleased. As a vocalist, I recall recording it in a simpler way. In the first verse, I did simple chorus work, and from the second verse I tried to show off my own quirks, and added more and more harmonies to each chorus.

In terms of the performance, the descending part at the end of the chorus is memorable. What was the inspiration for that arrangement?

KANAMI: I wanted to create a kind of conclusion to the song. I also considered ending all together with the members, but since the work is about reincarnation, I wanted to include a fantasy-like image.

Your guitar solo, on the other hand, has an ascending, chaotic nuance that’s cool.

KANAMI: Thank you, I like it myself. It’s quite difficult technically, but I always want to play melodies that stick in your ears, and I think I’ve created a guitar solo that leaves a strong impression.

On the Zepp tour last year, you also performed songs off your new album Epic Narratives. How do you feel about the album now?

Kobato: After we “served” them live, we were like, “This album is really good after all,” and our masters and princesses [fans] have told us that that they felt the album was even more wonderful after hearing it live, so that made me happy, po.

SAIKI: It really struck me once again how much we love performing live, and felt that our music is something that is completed by “serving” it to the audience.

The music video for the song “Memorable” off your new album features scenery from overseas. It’s a song you feel strongly about, isn’t it?

Kobato: Yes, po. After COVID restrictions were lifted and we were finally able to go on another overseas tour, we thought it’d be a good idea to write a song about how we felt then, so KANAMI wrote the chorus during the tour. From there, we filled the song with memories of our U.S. tour, like including the English phrases we spoke on the stage and making it so that the people who came to see us at the time could envision the scenery when they listened to the song. The song turned out like that because we decided to write a straightforward ballad with a tempo we’ve never done before as BAND-MAID, po.

Lastly, please say a few words as a New Year’s greeting to your to your masters and princesses.

KANAMI: Happy New Year! I’m really looking forward to 2025, especially because we’ll be able to “serve” [play live] in lots of different places. I’ll write more songs this year and work hard so that we can entertain everyone. Thanks in advance.

SAIKI: This year we’ll be releasing not only the new single “Zen” but also an EP, and there’s more good news to come. I hope you’ll all stay healthy and look forward to it!

AKANE: Last year we were able to perform with some bands we respect, like Incubus and The Warning, and our dreams are steadily coming true. I hope we can continue to make the dreams of BAND-MAID as a whole come true again this year.

MISA: I think we’ll be able to “serve” a lot this year, so I plan on cherishing each show. I want to grow personally and grow as a group and make it a fun year.

Kobato: We’ll be “serving” in lots of different places this year, and there are also lots of things we haven’t announced yet, so I think the year will really pass faster than the last, po. I’m really excited about it, and think that 2025 will bring joy, surprise and all sorts of other feelings to our masters and princesses, so I hope you look forward to it, po. One of our strengths is that we work both in Japan and abroad, so we’d like to continue doing projects that our masters and princesses overseas can enjoy too. I’m looking forward to meeting lots of masters and princesses in 2025, po.

Anything else you want to add as a message to your masters and princesses outside of Japan?

Kobato: We’ve received lots of passionate requests from overseas for us to come and “serve” them, and we also really want to meet lots of people everywhere. We hope masters and princesses from outside Japan can come see us “serve” at Billboard Live this year, and we’ll be “serving” on many other occasions as well, so we’d love for you to plan a trip to Japan and come and see us, po!

—This interview by Takayuki Okamoto first appeared on Billboard Japan

Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac” continues to rule the Billboard Japan Hot 100 for the fifth week, on the chart dated Jan. 22.
Downloads, streams and video views for the Oblivion Battery opener are down to 67%, 89%, and 95%, respectively, compared to the week before, but karaoke is up to 104%.  The track holds at the top spot for the third consecutive week and for fifth time in total, with a huge lead over the track at No. 2 and below.

At No. 2 is Rosé & Bruno Mars’ “APT,.” also holding for the third week. While the track is slowing down in downloads, streams and video, it gained slightly in radio and karaoke.

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STU48’s “Chiheisen wo miteiruka?” debuts at No. 3. The title track of the girl group’s 11th single sold 165,727 copies in its first week to hit No. 1 for sales.

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Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Que Sera Sera” slips a notch to No. 4. Streams are down to 93% and downloads to 50% week-over-week, but radio and karaoke are up to 170% and 105%, respectively.

“CBZ (Prime time)” by BSS, a group consisting of members SEUNGKWAN, DK, and HOSHI of SEVENTEEN, bows at No. 5. The lead track of the trio’s second single “TELEPARTY” sold 63,797 copies to come in at No. 2 for sales, while also hitting No. 94 for downloads, No. 86 for radio and No. 41 for video. “’Shohikigen,” by SEVENTEEN released last year, also came in at No. 3 for sales, and the track rises to No. 20 on the Japan Hot 100 after six weeks.

In other chart moves, a number of rapper Chanmina’s tracks have climbed the Japan Hot 100 again, due to the final judging of the audition project she’s producing, No No Girls, airing on Jan. 11. “Harenchi” came in at No. 51 and “Never Grow Up” at No. 79. Also, after the movie 366 Days hit domestic theaters on Jan. 10, the song the story was inspired by, HY’s “366 Days,” has returned at No. 84. The last time this classic ballad charted was about six months ago, in July 2024.

The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.

See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Jan. 13 to 19, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.

ONE OK ROCK surprise-dropped a new song called “Puppets Can’t Control You” on Sunday (Jan. 19). The four-man band’s latest release is the second lead single from its upcoming new album DETOX, due Feb. 21. The track is being featured as the theme song for the TBS drama series Mikami Sensei, which started airing on […]

Chart-topping Japanese pop group BE:FIRST is finally expanding onto the global stage with their first-ever world tour.
Following the boy band’s eight No. 1 hits on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, Billboard can exclusively reveal that BE:FIRST is embarking on a world tour this year titled -Who Is BE:FIRST?-. Launching on April 22 in Los Angeles, the trek will span 15 cities across North America, Europe and Asia to mark a major move in the J-pop stars’ international ascent.

Managed by Tokyo-based agency BMSG, the septet consisting of Sota, Shunto, Manato, Ryuhei, Junon, Ryoki and Leo debuted in 2021 after winning fans through the reality singing competition The First. BE:FIRST’s first-ever single, “Gifted.,” topped the Billboard Japan Hot 100, leading the band to millions of views on YouTube, and collaborations with fellow chart-toppers like English DJ and producer Jonas Blue and two singles with K-pop boy band ATEEZ. Through their three years together, and with a mix of feel-good pop, intense EDM, futuristic hip-hop and classic R&B, the seven-member group has carved a multifaceted musical identity that’s garnered millions of social-media followers and fans — or BESTY, as their fans are affectionately known.

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“We are excited to announce that BE:FIRST will be embarking on a world tour,” the guys tell Billboard exclusively. “As BE:FIRST, we’ve had very few opportunities to perform outside Japan so we’ve been eagerly looking forward to holding our first-ever world tour! We’re truly excited to see how international BESTY will react to our music and performances. In addition to sharing our music, we’re especially looking forward to the stage talk during our shows — talking about the local culture, sharing memories in the cities we visit and creating unforgettable moments together!”

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“BE:FIRST was founded with the goal of delivering world-class dance and vocals — a vision they have pursued since their audition process,” says legendary rapper-producer SKY-HI, the CEO of BMSG who also acts as BE:FIRST’s main producer.

“With the support we’ve received through their activities in Japan and the success achieved so far, BE:FIRST is now ready to embark on their first-ever world tour. As the producer of BE:FIRST, I am confident that their music, performance quality, and attitude align with global entertainment standards, and I deeply appreciate the high praise they have received so far. At the same time, we remain aware that we are still a young and emerging presence in the industry. Having sparked a sensation in Japan in 2021 and 2022, BE:FIRST is determined to recreate that excitement on the global stage, embarking on this journey as fresh newcomers. We deeply appreciate your continued support. At BMSG, we proudly represent Tokyo, Japan, and we see this as an opportunity to make the world a more exciting place. By showcasing the power of creativity, we will continue to uphold our ‘creative first’ philosophy. We hope you look forward to what’s to come.”

In addition to live concerts in new countries and continents, BE:FIRST has also lined up representation outside of Japan with Steel Wool Entertainment, the management and media agency whose clients have included Anderson .Paak, Hayley Kiyoko, Amber Liu and more.

“I flew into Osaka to see BE:FIRST and was blown away by their stage presence and knew that we had to work with them,” says Steelwool CEO and founder Kevin Morrow. “I can’t wait for the world to see what I saw on their upcoming tour.”

In the meantime, the BE:FIRST members want their fans to stay healthy and send BESTY-approved recommendations for their cities.

“Please take care of your health, and let’s enjoy the show to the fullest!” BE:FIRST adds. “And if you have recommendations for delicious local food or great places to visit in your area, let us know — we’d love to explore during our stay! We’re all so thrilled to meet you soon!”

Fans can look forward to different VIP packages available for the tour, as well as BE:FIRST’s upcoming single “Spacecraft,” set for release in February. The track follows the group’s recent Top 5 Billboard Japan Hot 100 hit “Sailing,” a collaboration with the popular animated manga series One Piece.

Read on for the full tour dates and on-sale ticket information across regions, as well as more tour information on BE:FIRST’s official site here.

-Who is BE:FIRST?- 2025 World Tour dates:

4/22/25 – Los Angeles, CA, USA – The NOVO4/23/25 – San Francisco, CA, USA – The Regency Ballroom5/15/25 – Taipei – Zepp New Taipei5/24/25 – Bangkok – Samyan Mitrtown Hall6/1/25 – London, United Kingdom – O2 Forum Kentish Town6/3/25 – Paris, France – Bataclan Theatre6/4/25 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Melkweg6/6/25 – Frankfurt, Germany – Batschkapp6/9/25 – New York, NY, USA – Webster Hall6/10/25 – Philadelphia, PA, USA – Keswick Theatre6/14/25 – Chicago, IL, USA – Copernicus Center6/17/25 – Honolulu, HI, USA – Hawaii Theatre6/28/25 – Hong Kong – TBD7/5/25 – Singapore – Capitol Theatre

Ticket On Sale Information:

North America:Artist Fan Club Presale: Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 1:00 a.m. PST – Thursday, Jan. 24 at 5 p.m. PSTGeneral Onsale: Friday, Jan. 24 at 10 AM local

Europe:Artist Fan Club Presale: Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 1 a.m. PST to Thursday, Jan. 24 at 5 p.m. PSTMastercard / LiveNation Presale: Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 10 a.m. local to Friday, Jan. 24 at10 a.m. localGeneral Onsale: Friday, Jan. 24th at 10 a.m. local

Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac” holds at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Jan. 15, extending its reign atop the chart to four weeks.
The Oblivion Battery opener saw an increase in streams, video views and karaoke plays this week. Streaming and video both gained by around 20% compared to last week, and the song dominated downloads, streaming, video and karaoke, while coming in at No. 19 for radio. 19 songs by the three-man band are charting on the Japan Hot 100 this week, including three more in the top 10 — “Que Sera Sera” at No. 3, “Bitter Vacances” at No. 5, and “Soranji” at No. 10.

Rosé & Bruno Mars’ “APT” also holds at No. 2. Streams for the long-running hit, which topped the Billboard Global 200 for the 11th week, increased 30% from the week before, and charts in the top 5 for the seventh week. The track comes in at No. 7 for downloads, No. 2 for streaming, No. 15 for radio airplay, No. 2 for video, and No. 27 for karaoke. 

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Kis-My-Ft2’s “Curtain call’ debuts at No. 4. The boy band’s 32nd single launched with 121,351 copies to rule sales, while coming in at No. 45 for radio. Lienel’s fifth single “Go Around The World” also bows at No. 6, selling 73,952 copies to hit No.2 for sales and also coming in at No. 26 for radio.

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The song that ruled the radio metric this week was “Sakura, Hirari” by veteran band Southern All Stars, which held the top spot for a second week. The lead single off their upcoming new album THANK YOU SO MUCH, due in March, gained about 70% in radio airplay from the week before. Streams and video views also increased and the song rises 28-25 on the Japan Hot 100.

The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.

See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Jan. 6 to 12, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English X account.

Day 2 of MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN, the largest international music awards in the country set for May 21 and 22 at Rohm Theater Kyoto, will be broadcast live on NHK, and both days will be streamed worldwide on YouTube (excluding some regions), it was announced Thursday (Jan. 16) Japan time.
In addition to the previously announced awards recognizing a wide variety of works in eight categories and 50 divisions, prizes have been added in new categories including the “Co-creation categories” linked to companies involved in music.

Toyota Group has been confirmed as a top partner, Kinoshita Group and NTT DOCOMO, Inc. as gold partners, and Kyoto University of the Arts (Uryuzan Gakuen) as a silver partner. Prize partners set to establish their own divisions in the co-creation categories include XING Inc., DAIICHIKOSHO Co., Ltd., JASRAC (Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers), Spotify Japan, and USEN Corporation. In addition, TimeTree, Inc., IRIS Inc. (TOKYO PRIME), LIVE BOARD, Inc., and LY Corporation will be media partners, JTB Corp., Space Shower Networks, Inc., and RecoChoku, Co., Ltd. will be project partners, and companies related to the music industry will support the awards as music industry partners.

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In the newly established co-creation categories awarded in collaboration with prize partner companies involved in the music industry, the best song will be chosen from among those enjoyed by general listeners on karaoke and cable broadcasting. Furthermore, the award for “Best Viral Song” celebrating songs that became popular after going viral on TikTok, and the “Radio Special Award” chosen by radio directors and radio DJs in collaboration with radio stations nationwide, have also been announced.

Details of the general voting (Listeners’ Choice) categories, where general listeners can participate in the selection process through Spotify’s voting function, have been revealed as well. Along with the two previously announced awards decided by general vote from Spotify users from both within and outside Japan — Best of Listeners’ Choice: Domestic Song powered by Spotify and Best of Listeners’ Choice: Global Song powered by Spotify — the nominees for the Top Global Hit From Japan category, one of the six main categories that celebrates domestic songs that have become hits around the world, will be selected through votes from Spotify users outside of Japan.

Co-creation categories

Karaoke Special Award: Karaoke of the Year powered by DAM & JOYSOUND: An award honoring songs sung the most at karaoke. The top 30 songs sung the most on DAM and JOYSOUND during the target period will be eligible, and the song sung the most on DAM and JOYSOUND during the Karaoke Special Award tallying period after the nominees have been announced will be chosen as the best work. (Two divisions, J-Pop and Enka / Kayōkyoku, are planned.)

Request Special Award: Oshikatsu Request of the Year powered by USEN: An award honoring the song that received the most requests on the USEN Oshikatsu Request Ranking. The song that received the most requests on the year-end USEN Oshikatsu Request Ranking will be awarded as best work.

Creators Special Award: Song of the Year for Creators presented by JASRAC: An award honoring the creator of the song that received the largest distribution of royalties from JASRAC. This award will be given to the creator of the song from among those entrusted to JASRAC for copyright management which received the largest distribution of royalties for 2024.

Song category

Best Viral Song: This award celebrates songs that went on to attract general attention after having gone viral through their use in videos and posts on TikTok. The best song will be selected from the top 50 songs chosen based on an original chart that combines the number of times they were used on TikTok and the total number of views on videos using the songs.

Alliance category

Radio Special Award: An award honoring songs that radio directors and radio DJs think are musically creative and artistic. The directors and DJs of music programs on 53 FM radio stations will each recommend up to three songs, and the top ten with the most nominations will be eligible. All the directors and DJs of the radio stations that recommended the songs will vote to decide the best work.

General voting categories

Best of Listeners’ Choice: Domestic Song powered by Spotify: An award given to the best song decided by general vote from Spotify users from both within and outside Japan.

Best of Listeners’ Choice: Global Song powered by Spotify: An award given to the best global song decided by general vote from Spotify users from both within and outside Japan. 

MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2025 KYOTO 

Date of Ceremony: Wednesday, May 21 and Thursday, May 22, 2025

MAJ Week: From Saturday, May 17 to Friday, May 23, 2025

Venue: ROHM Theatre Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan

The event on May 22 will be broadcast live on NHK.

Events on both days will be streamed globally on YouTube (some regions excluded).