Music News

04 Oct 2023

David Byrne & Fatboy Slim Broadway Musical ‘Here Lies Love’ to Launch Post-Show DJ Dance Party Series

Set inside the Studio 54-esque Club Millennium, Here Lies Love — the Broadway musical from David Byrne and Fatboy Slim — is already a party.

Now, the revelry will continue even after curtains close with a series of post-show DJ sets happening after select dates.

Called the People Power Disco Hour in homage to the show, these events will transform the Broadway Theater into a full-on dance floor, with audiences invited to stay after and boogie for 50 minutes.

The series kicks off this Saturday (Oct. 7), with a set by Here Lies Love co-producer, New York City native and Filipina American DJ CherishTheLuv. This set will start immediately after the 8 p.m. performance in celebration of Filipino American History Month.

“Fatboy Slim passed the baton to me and it is an honor to be the first ever woman DJ on Broadway,” CherishTheLuv says in a statement. “Dancing for a cause and to educate is my absolute favorite form of activism! Welcome to NYC’s newest dance scene.”

This series will continue after performances on Oct. 12, Oct. 19, Oct. 25 and Oct. 31. Guest DJs for these shows will be announced in the coming weeks. The People Power Disco Hour follows a DJ set hosted by Fatboy Slim after the Aug. 31 performance of Here Lies Love.

Designed as an immersive experience inside a disco, Here Lies Love tells the story of the Marcos regime of the Philippines and its first lady Imelda Marcos. The show was conceived of and developed by Byrne with musical input from Fatboy Slim. It features the first all Filipino cast to ever appear on Broadway.

“The person who’s most inspired me is David Byrne,” Fatboy Slim recently told Billboard. “He musically inspired me, then I worked with him writing this musical 15 or 20 years ago. Working with him really set me on a [path] of where I am today, doing other things outside music.”

04 Oct 2023

‘Dancing With the Stars’ Will Have a Taylor Swift Night This Season

Time for Taylor Swift’s “Mirrorball” to have a whole new meaning.

Billboard caught up with Barry Williams and Peta Murgatroyd on set of Dancing With the Stars this week, where the pro dancer revealed exclusively that a Taylor Swift-themed night is coming up this season.

“We will be having a Taylor Swift week here,” Murgatroyd tells Billboard‘s Tetris Kelly, before adding, “Am I allowed to say that?” The dancer did not reveal, however, when the Swift-themed night will take place this season.

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Williams then chimed in that he’s a Travis Kelce fan, and has been long before rumors of the Kansas City Chiefs tight end’s rumored relationship with the “Anti-Hero” superstar. Murgatroyd then cheekily added, “Apparently, I know who Travis Kelce is now. I did not know that name before.”

Swift is no stranger to Dancing With the Stars, as the singer celebrated the release of her 2010 album Speak Now on the show with a performance of “Mine” as well as throwback of her Fearless track “White Horse.”

Earlier in the night, the Brady Bunch star and his dance partner grooved the Cha-Cha to “Oye Como Va” by Tito Puente, but received a low score of 15 out of 30, which surprised fans online, accusing the judges of being “unfair” to the 69-year-old actor. “They did him dirty with the scores. That was great!!” one user wrote. “The scores were unfair. He deserved at least a 6!”

04 Oct 2023

Etro Creative Director Marco De Vincenzo Discusses Connections Between Music & Style

Since the rise of streaming, music has been “liquid” because it is pervasive, universally accessible and quickly consumed. But perhaps it has always been. Few other artistic forms have the same ability to interact in such a harmonious and, indeed, fluid way with other creative disciplines, enhancing their expression.

While for some people music is a pleasant soundtrack, for others it is much more. It is the very source of their creativity. The latter is certainly the case of Marco De Vincenzo, 45 years old, of Sicilian origin, and since last year creative director of one of the great Italian fashion brands, Etro.

For De Vincenzo, inspiration starts and is then supported by a musical suggestion. Music is the fundamental ingredient of the character of a collection, as well as the success of a fashion show.

With the latest Milan Fashion Week, the creative director went even further, having a young emerging band, Santamarea (also Sicilian), create a song for the Etro runway. “Acqua Bagnami” provided the perfect sonic extension to the lines and colors of Etro’s “Nowhere” collection, presented on Sept. 20 in Milan.

After the effort of Fashion Week, Billboard Italy reached out to De Vincenzo to talk about the tight connection between music and style that defines his work.

You recently curated Spotify’s “Runway” playlist. What kind of music inspires your creative work?

I discovered many songs that make up my playlists on the radio. As soon as I hear something I like, I save it. Otherwise, I’ll rely on Spotify’s suggestions, doing a sort of scouting. My taste could be defined as “indie”, but I have playlists of various genres. There is no formula. I am a “headphones” person: I like listening to music to lose contact with the surrounding world. I prefer the two-way relationship with music.

You said, “Music is more than just a simple ingredient of the creative process: It is the foundation of it all.” Could you explain how?

When I start a collection, I’m open to any possibility. Music defines a state of mind and therefore leads me to make choices. Some collections were sad or joyful because of the moment I was going through and that the music supported. I’ve never made a collection that didn’t have important music behind it. When I choose the music for my fashion shows I never want to rely on DJs who don’t know my personal taste. I have always surrounded myself with friends who knew me, until the experience with Santamarea, which was the first time with an unreleased song created especially for the occasion.

As a brand, Etro has always been inspired by the idea of ​​travel, by influences from the world and other cultures. The latest collection is also based on the concept of travelling, but with imagination. This is exactly what music stimulates, isn’t it?

That’s why it is an ingredient. If there is a perfect way to travel non-physically, it is by listening to music. The collection that we presented in Milan is called “Nowhere” for this reason, because the imagination takes you to places you don’t know. The more you let yourself go to this unknown flow, the more interesting the result is, because you haven’t put boundaries on it.

How important is the musical component for the success of a show like a runway?

It’s very important. When the music is not perfect, the show gets penalized. Music manages to connect all parts. The reason for the success of this collection is partly due to the atmosphere that the music created. This hasn’t always happened. Sometimes I regretted the choices I made because they weren’t consistent. These are mistakes I learned from. Thanks to live streaming, runways are no longer a show for the elite and, if the music is wrong, you tell the wrong story. Images and music become one and have the same importance.

Despite its cosmopolitan influences, Etro is one of the symbols of Italian style. Do you also want to convey an idea of ​​Italianness in your work? From your point of view, how are Italian designers considered in the world today?

I always remember what a friend of mine used to tell me after my fashion shows: “You’re so Italian,” probably meaning our predilection for decorum, for maximalism. But that happened ten or fifteen years ago. Today, Italianness has more to do with craftsmanship, with the whole artisanal supply chain, which is a treasure to be protected. As for the taste, it’s all very mixed. I’m careful to look around a lot, not to make Italianness an excessive look at the past. Today, “Made in Italy” is nothing but a voice of global fashion. Luckily there are fashion weeks that are flourishing around the world in addition to the four big ones. They have local designers who produce abroad and have a strong point of view. Given that we bring a lot of our culture into our work, clearly if you are Italian you have an approach that cannot resemble that of someone who grew up in Camden Town in London. I was born in Sicily and moved to Rome at 18. My experience is entirely Italian, but I always keep an open door to look elsewhere. To answer the second question, I think that today Italian designers have some more difficulties than foreigners because Italy is a nation that relies heavily on the past. Young Italian designers find themselves a bit swallowed up by the big names. Today there’s a whole scene of talented young designers who deserve more space. The Italian industry should open up to new things.

Etro fashion show

Etro fashion show at Milan Fashion Week.

Courtesy of Etro

04 Oct 2023

Ariana Madix Wants to Dance to This Britney Spears Song on ‘Dancing With the Stars’

Ariana Madix is taking over the reality television world, as the Vanderpump Rules star has just begun her journey on Dancing With the Stars.

The star joined Billboard‘s Tetris Kelly on the DWTS stage alongside her dance partner Pasha Pashkov to reveal what she’s looking forward to in the upcoming season. When asked what pop diva she’d like to dance to, Madix immediately replied that she’d dance to Beyoncé. “Anything on the Renaissance album, that’s what I would dance to.”

As for a themed night, Madix is crossing her fingers for a Britney Spears Dancing With the Stars night, revealing that “I’m a Slave 4 U” is her favorite song — and even knows the music video choreography.

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Madix also delved into the differences between filming Vanderpump Rules and DWTS. “It’s apples and oranges,” she said. “Vanderpump Rules is very difficult to film because it’s all these real life emotions and difficult conversations, and the worst moments of your life on television being talked about. This is difficult because it’s just something that’s so foreign, and you’re out there and have one shot.”

Dancing With the Stars airs live on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, and is available to stream the next day on Hulu. 

04 Oct 2023

League of Legends Enlists NewJeans for World Championship Anthem ‘Gods’: Listen

NewJeans is the latest act to play a part in the League of Legends World Championship. The K-pop stars provided the championship with this year’s anthem “Gods,” making them the first K-pop group in the game’s history to provide a song for the annual event. The track also marks the 10th anniversary of the game’s world championship anthems.

“Gods” arrived on Wednesday (Oct. 4), alongside a video that features the story of Korean pro player Kim “Deft” Hyuk-kyu, from his start with playing League of Legends as a kid in high school, to becoming World Champions alongside his team.

The track serves as a departure from the quintet’s nostalgic, R&B-inspired sound and sees the artists delivering the track entirely in English with a backdrop of powerful booming synth instrumentals.

“And they’re singin’ your praises, la-la-la/ Screamin’ your name out la-la-loud/ One more step, you’re immortal now ’cause/ Once you play God, once you play God/ They’re gonna crumble one by one/ Then we gon’ ride right into the sun/ Like it’s the day my kingdom come/ Baby, we’re/ Go-Go-Go-Go-Go-Gods,” the girls take turns singing on the track.

The song is the latest from the K-pop quintet, who released its second EP, Get Up, over the summer. The set debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and is currently in its 10th week on the chart. Over on the Billboard Hot 100, three of the EP’s tracks — “Super Shy,” “ETA” and “Cool With You” — charted at Nos. 43, 81 and 93, respectively. “Super Shy” spent a total of eight weeks on the tally, while the latter two tracks spent one week each.

Listen to “Gods” in the video above.

04 Oct 2023

Here Are All the Luxury Fan Gifts Drake Has Given Away on The It’s All a Blur Tour

Drake‘s tour is all a blur, but his checks always clear. And because the Canada native is all about sharing the love, he’s been making sure to give back pieces of his wealth to the fans he’s been meeting on the road, in the form of expensive gifts.

Throughout the It’s All a Blur trek, which Drizzy co-headlines with 21 Savage, it hasn’t been uncommon to find the “One Dance” musician pausing his sets mid-show to choose one lucky fan in the crowd. Then, he bestows upon them a present with a mind-boggling price tag, unless of course he opts instead to just give them straight-up stacks of cash.

How does he choose these recipients? Pretty much at random. Aubrey Claus does, however, seem to enjoy picking people based on the homemade signs they bring into the pit — points if you can work in references to his music.

And while his luxury lottery on tour has made quite a few headlines this year, Drake has actually been all about goodwill since the beginning of his career. In his hit “God’s Plan” music video, the rapper could be seen handing out cash to students, schools and shelters in Miami.



And since 2010, he’s donated thousands of dollars to families in need, hurricane relief, under-funded music programs, education and more. “There’s nothing like seeing people experience a joyful moment when you can tell they need it the most,” he said back in 2018.

From handbags to first class flights, keep reading to see all of the expensive gifts Drake has given out to fans at his concerts below:

04 Oct 2023

Taraji P. Henson Says Beyonce ‘Ruined’ Her Renaissance Tour Outfit Plans

Taraji P. Henson had her whole outfit ready for Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour, but Queen Bey herself ended up throwing a wrench in her plans.

The Empire star stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon this week, where the host showed off a sparkly, ninja-inspired outfit with silver chain detailing that Henson posted to Instagram. “I had already had my outfit picked out for [Beyoncé’s] show, months in advance,” the comedian explained. “Then, she does this, ‘Oh, it’s my birthday. Let’s all wear silver.’ So, I mean, my house is being renovated and my clothes are in storage, so I randomly happened to buy this off of those Instagram Shopping pages.”

Henson noted that when the outfit arrived, it was not good quality and was about to “throw it away,” but decided against it. “At the end of the day, that’s all I had for Beyoncé. It was kind of silver, had silver sparklies on it,” she recalled. “Long story short, I did have to throw it away at the end of the night because it had snags and holes — but thanks, Instagram Shopping!”

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Watch her run down the whole situation below, as well as explain why Usher is the ultimate “female magnet.”

04 Oct 2023

10 First-Timers on Billboard’s Charts This Week: Petey, Chappell Roan, Charles Wesley Godwin & More

Billboard has more than 200 different weekly charts in its menu, encompassing numerous genres and formats.

While established artists often compete for a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart and Billboard 200 albums ranking, which track the most popular songs and albums of the week, respectively, up-and-coming talents typically start off on genre-specific lists.

Here’s a look at 10 artists who appear on surveys for the first time on the Oct. 7-dated charts.

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Petey

The singer-songwriter and social media personality is officially a Billboard-charting artist thanks to his third studio album and major-label debut, USA. The set, released Sept. 22 on Crow Island/Capitol Records, debuts at No. 66 on the Top Current Album Sales chart with 1,000 copies sold in its opening week, according to Luminate. The album also sparks his No. 30 entrance on the Emerging Artists chart.

Petey (full name Peter Martin), who is from Chicago and is now based in Los Angeles, released his first two albums, Lean Into Life and Other Stuff, on the indie label Terrible Records in 2021. He initially broke through on TikTok in 2020, creating absurdist comedy sketches that drove him to viral exposure on the platform, where he now boasts over 1.5 million followers. He signed to Capitol in June, and his Tour of the USA kicks off in November.

Chappell Roan

The pop singer-songwriter scores her first appearance on Billboard’s charts with her debut full-length, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. The 14-track set, released Sept. 22 on KRA International/Amusement Records/Island Records, debuts at No. 3 on Heatseekers Albums, No. 26 on Top Current Album Sales and No. 33 on Top Album Sales with 3,000 copies sold in its opening week. She also arrives at No. 8 on Emerging Artists.

Chappell Roan (real name Kayleigh Amstutz; her artist name is a tribute to late grandfather, Dennis Chappell and the song “The Strawberry Roan”), from Willard, Mo., has been releasing music since 2017. She initially signed to Atlantic Records in 2015, and released a five-track EP, School Nights, before she left in 2020. She later teamed up with songwriter-producer Dan Nigro – the chart-topping hitmaker who has collaborated on hits with Olivia Rodrigo, Conan Gray and Caroline Polachek – for her breakout songs “Pink Pony Club” and “Naked in Manhattan.” “My music [at that time] reflected the feelings of my first time in a gay club, my first time falling in love with a woman, my first time feeling homesick,” she told Billboard in an interview this summer. “I had to go through all those experiences, that pain and suffering, to rebirth myself into where I am now.” Nigro is listed as a songwriter and producer on the LP.

Chappell Roan is currently on the road on her Midwest Princess Tour, which runs through November. Next year, she’ll serve as an opening act on Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour.

Charles Wesley Godwin

The country-folk singer-songwriter arrives on Billboard’s charts with his third studio album, Family Ties. The 19-track set, released Sept. 22 on Big Loud Records, debuts at No. 9 on Heatseekers Albums, No. 25 on Americana/Folk Albums and No. 99 on Top Current Album Sales with 5,000 equivalent album units earned in its opening week. Godwin also opens at No. 45 on the Emerging Artists chart.

Godwin, from Morgantown, W. Va., released his first two LPs, Seneca and How the Mighty Fall, independently in 2019 and 2021, respectively. The critical acclaim of those albums helped him ink a deal with Big Loud, the label home of Morgan Wallen, HARDY and Hailey Whitters, in May. Earlier this year, Godwin opened for Zach Bryan on his Burn, Burn, Burn Tour, and the pair even collaborated on the song “Jamie,” released on Bryan’s 2022 EP Summertime Blues.

Godwin, who was named Billboard’s September Country Rookie of the Month, has a string of tour dates lined up through the end of the year, including two shows at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium in December. Next year, he’ll serve as an opening act on Luke Combs’ Growin’ Up and Getting’ Old Tour.

ALEXSUCKS

The Los Angeles-based band debuts on Billboard’s charts with its breakthrough single “6 Pack and Cigarettes.” The track, released in June on the group’s debut full-length, The Gutter, via Stair Music/Hallwood Media, debuts at No. 39 on Alternative Airplay (up 8% in plays). The set was produced by Brendan O’Brien, who has worked with AC/DC, Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Stone Temple Pilots, among others. ALEXSUCKS comprises Alex Alvarez (lead vocals), Ethan Demoulin (drums), John Luther (guitar) and Garrett Orseno (bass).

MaRynn Taylor

The country singer-songwriter reaches Billboard’s charts with her breakthrough single “Make You Mine.” Released in March on Black River Entertainment, it debuts at No. 58 on Country Airplay (up 86% in audience). The song was co-written by Josh Kerr and Dan Wilson.

In a recent interview with Billboard, Taylor explained that the song is about encouraging a man to commit to a relationship without her coming off as controlling. “That’s just the kind of person I am; I’m going to give my all to whoever I love,” she said. “Sometimes guys are the ones probably being cautious or, you know, afraid of commitment. In ‘Make You Mine,’ she’s into him. I think she’s flirting with him in a way. I feel like ‘make me want to make you mine’ is a strong statement.”

The Michigan native released her debut five-track EP Something I Would Do in 2022. In January, she sang the National Anthem at the NFL’s AFC divisional playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals. In June, she made her debut at the Grand Ole Opry.

Snow Wife

The Houston native (real name Emily Snow), who is based in Los Angeles, notches her first Billboard chart appearance with her debut studio album, Queen Degenerate. Released Sept. 22 on SNOWGLOBE, the seven-track set debuts at No. 25 on Heatseekers Albums with 3,000 equivalent album units earned in its opening week. It was preceded by its breakout track “American Horror Show,” released June 23. The song has tallied 4.9 million official U.S. streams to date. It has also taken off on TikTok, where she boasts over 400,000 followers, while the song has been used in 80,000 clips on the platform. (Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard’s charts except for the newly launched TikTok Billboard Top 50.)

TeeJay

The Jamaican dancehall artist (real name Timoy Jones) achieves his first Billboard chart entry with “Drift.” The song, released in June via TeeJay/Warner Records, debuts at No. 47 on R&B/Hip-Hip Airplay (up 26% to 1.5 million in reach). In September, Teejay performed the song at WQHT (Hot 97) New York’s sold-out 50 Years of Hip-Hop show at Madison Square Garden. Wu-Tang Clan, Mary J. Blige, Sean Paul and Tyrese also performed, while Mariah Carey and Maxwell hosted.

Ayox


https://youtube.com/watch?v=NKCnYM0UdZQ&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

The Nigerian artist notches his first Billboard chart entry with his track “Walking Dead,” with Zlatan. The song, released Sept. 18 on The LV/GProduction, debuts at No. 50 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart. The recording is a tribute to late Nigerian musician MohBad, who died Sept. 12 at age 27 while being treated for an infection. The controversy surrounding his death has resulted in a #Justice4Mohbad social media campaign, and many other tributes to the singer. Ayox has released nearly a dozen other songs, all since 2019.

Iñigo Quintero

The Spanish singer-songwriter arrives on Billboard’s charts with his breakthrough viral hit “Si No Estás.” Released in September 2022 on Acquistic, it debuts at No. 129 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, with 11.3 million official streams outside the U.S. Sept. 22-28. TikTok has been a significant factor in the song’s growing popularity, as a portion of it has been used in over 550,000 clips. It has also soundtracked over 25,000 clips on Instagram Reels. Quintero has released three additional songs: “Sobredosis” (in February), “Será Por Ti” with Hey Kid (May) and “Sin Tiempo Para Bailar” with Javi Chapela (June).

Xxanteria

The artist, whose name is a play on Sublime’s ‘90s hit “Santeria,” lands on Billboard’s charts for the first time with “BAIXO.” The song, released Sept. 19 on 25/7 Records, debuts at No. 42 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs with 765,000 official U.S. streams. TikTok has been key to the song’s growth, as a piece of it has soundtracked over 70,000 clips on the platform. A portion of the slowed-down version has also been used in over 30,000 videos.

04 Oct 2023

Kaori Hayashi of Concert Promoter H.I.P. Looks Back on Career Beginnings: Billboard Japan Women in Music Interview

Billboard Japan spoke with Kaori Hayashi, CEO of Hayashi International Promotions Co. Ltd., for the latest installment of its Women in Music interview series. H.I.P. has long been one of Japan’s leading concert promoters of both domestic and international artists.

Billboard Japan launched its Women in Music initiative last year in an effort to highlight women in the country’s music industry through projects including interviews by leading figures in their respective fields of expertise.

Since Hayashi took up her current post in 2021, H.I.P. promoted sold-out stadium shows for Bruno Mars (October 2022) and Maroon 5 (December 2022) in Japan immediately after the country reopened following the pandemic. For these achievements, she was recognized on Billboard’s 2023 International Power Players list. H.I.P. is producing another round of Mars’ sold-out stadium shows in Japan set for January next year.

Hayashi, who studied in London and is currently based in California, shared her thoughts on the current landscape of the Japanese music industry.

Congratulations on being recognized on Billboard’s International Power Players list this year.

Thank you. My father (Hiromichi “Massy” Hayashi) founded H.I.P. and a lot of the other names on that list are people who’ve been working in the industry since his days, so I feel honored to be named alongside them. There aren’t many female concert promoters out there, so I’d be happy if people notice me for being the next generation of the business and for being a rare woman in it who can really help shake up the industry.

So there aren’t too many female concert promoters on the whole, not just in Japan.

Right. You see a lot of women in positions like the vice-president of a record company now, but the people I talk to on a daily basis are only men. We don’t pull our punches, though. [Laughs]

Why do you think there are more men in concert promotion?

Our work is done both domestically and internationally, so we have to deal with taxing time zone differences and are under continuous pressure every day. It takes a lot of physical strength, and it can be really damaging if you’re not tough mentally. But I think there will be more women coming to the business in the future. I think this job is cut out for people who are good at multitasking.

We started this series of interviews after noticing the gender imbalance on our charts. The topic of gender imbalance in music festivals is also being talked about recently. Do you take gender into consideration when inviting artists?

To be honest, not at all. When we plan and promote concerts, we never think about what we do based on whether the acts are male or female.

An observation that’s come up a number of times while speaking to various people in this series is that there’s a tendency in Japan for women to have a hard time being accepted for asserting something strongly, unlike in the U.S. where artists such as Beyoncé and Billie Eilish who express strong convictions are popular. Have you noticed such sentiments in your line of work?

I’ve never noticed any such reactions to the foreign artists we work with, but it is true that for Japanese female artists, there is probably a higher demand for being cute and pretty rather than whether or not they have something to say. In the U.S., being assertive and having bold and flamboyant performances are considered interesting and garner attention.

What influenced your thinking behind not taking gender into consideration when making decisions?

I think I was raised not to think too much about gender. I’ve always wondered why we think about men and women in a separate way and discriminate when we’re all “from Planet Earth.” Of course, there are times I find myself not being able to communicate smoothly with conservative-thinking men. But it’s up to me to decide whether or not to associate with such men. I don’t let it distract me because it’s my choice to make.

You mentioned the lack of female concert promoters. I’m sure your presence inspires others to consider your line of work. How did you decide on this career?

I often used to accompany my father to the concerts he produced and watched him work. It was still rare at the time to see so many non-Japanese people around, so seeing him working in such an environment seemed out of the ordinary to me. I think that’s why I also wanted to do it too. When I was 18, I worked on Mariah Carey’s dome tour as an assistant. That’s when I started thinking I wanted to make it my career.

Getting started working on a Mariah Carey tour sounds amazing. Now that you’ve established yourself in the business that you aspired to, what parts of the job make it worthwhile?

Every day I keep running into some kind of wall, whether it be big or small. But when I’m able to overcome those obstacles and achieve something, I feel a sense of fulfillment.

When you hit a wall, how do you overcome it?

I never give up and keep looking for a way. If option A doesn’t work, then I consider option B, then C and even D, and just think things through.

You’ll find a way if you work really hard. You can achieve your goals  even under intense pressure. The most important thing is to never give up. My father embodied this attitude. He never ran away from the reality in front of him and overcame obstacles by facing them with sincerity.

If you could give yourself one piece of advice when you first started working, what would it be?

“Go with your gut.” At the time, I didn’t have much experience and didn’t trust my intuition. But now I know that my intuition is more important than anything else and can guide me along the way.

Before I started working, I was a student and decided to go to the U.K. because I was feeling cramped in Japanese society. I was also uncomfortable with the idea that it was considered the norm for women to do all the housework. I was young at the time and wanted adventure, so I lived in London and learned from many experiences. I also learned that in the U.K., women are equal to men when it comes to pursuing a career, and that men tend to encourage women and support their advancement in society.

I live in California now and am surrounded by many women who are mothers and business owners. In Japan, there seem to be a lot of people who think that it’s not good to let other people help care for your kids or help do things around the house, but that’s not the case in the U.S. I think a supportive environment for women is essential for them to be more active in this industry.

You’re right, the way people think needs to be changed along with working conditions because these things are directly related to gender imbalances in the workplace. Is there anything you try to be aware of to maintain a free mindset?

I try to consciously create situations that allow me to be free. For example, when choosing a partner, I choose someone who doesn’t think “women should stay at home.” It’s my choice. I try to remember that the choices are always mine.

—This interview by Rio Hirai (SOW SWEET PUBLISHING) first appeared on Billboard Japan

04 Oct 2023

Ado’s ’Show’ Logs Second Week Atop Japan Hot 100 as King Gnu’s ‘SPECIALZ’ Rises to No. 2

Ado’s “Show” holds at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Oct. 4, logging its second week atop the tally.

The Universal Studios Japan Halloween collab continues to rule streaming, increasing by 0.89 percent from the week before (13,438,742 weekly streams). The track also holds at No. 2 for video views, while rising 3-2 (15,517 units) for downloads and 8-7 for radio. “Show” also makes its debut on the karaoke metric at No. 66.

King Gnu‘s “SPECIALZ” continues to edge up the Japan Hot 100, this week rising a notch to No. 2. The opener for the Jujutsu Kaisen Shibuya Incident story arc debuted on the list four weeks ago at No. 4. The track moves up a notch to No. 31 for physical sales, while also improving in other metrics including downloads (9,439 units, No. 4), streaming (10,729,972 streams, No. 2), radio (No. 11), and video (No. 3).

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YOASOBI’s “Idol” slips to No. 3 this week, with streaming moving 2-3 (10,313,760 streams), downloads 8-6 (6,586 units), radio 68-24, and video 3-4. The record-holder for most weeks at No. 1 on the Japan Hot 100 (21 weeks) continues to rule karaoke for the 19th week straight.

The duo consisting of producer Ayase and singer ikura have another song in the top 10 this week, as “The Brave” debuts at No. 9. The opener for the anime series Frieren that premiered Sept. 29 hit No. 1 for downloads with 22,086 units. The music video dropped the same day and has racked up over 5.2 million views at the time of publication (No. 7 for video). The hit-making pair’s latest single is also currently at No. 49 for streaming with 2,426,245 streams and No. 51 for radio.

Three songs by female idol groups debut in the top 10 this week. AKB48’s “Idol nanka janakkatara” leads the pack at No. 4, launching with 541,037 CDs to hit No. 1 for sales. Tsubaki Factory’s “Yuuki It’s my Life!” follows at No. 6, coming in at No. 2 for sales (79,078 copies), No. 47 for downloads (1,177 units), and No. 64 for radio. Cho Tokimeki Sendenbu’s “Kawaii Memorial” hits No. 10 with 40,708 copies sold (No. 3 for sales) and comes in at No. 4 for radio.



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

See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Sept. 25 to Oct. 1, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.