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Steve-O is on Team Kendrick. The Jackass star joined Hardy’s Wild Ride podcast this week, during which they talked about their top five rappers. While discussing André 3000 and Kendrick Lamar, Steve-O explained that the Outkast star “oozes coolness,” as does the “TV Off” rapper. Steve-O then chimed in on the headline-making feud between Lamar and […]
Chappell Roan is a favorite to win big at the 2025 Grammys — and if she does, she plans to stir a little controversy.
On A Carpool Karaoke Christmas with Zane Lowe, which premiered first thing Monday (Dec. 16) on Apple TV+, the 26-year-old pop star revealed that she has some complicated feelings about the awards show, hinting that she will probably do a little disrupting if she wins any of her six nominations at the 2025 ceremony.
“It’s such a double-edged sword for me, because I’m like, ‘Yes, it is a talent show for the popular kids,’” she began of the Grammys. “That’s one side.
“But the other side is, ‘Oh my God, how amazing is it that a gay artist wrote a gay song that went No. 1, with a gay writer who did not grow up in the industry, did not have an in, has been busting her a– for like a decade?’” Roan continued. “That’s honorable to me. It’s an honor to be nominated with some of the other artists.”
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The Missouri native is in the running for all of the “big four” Grammy categories next year, including best new artist, album of the year for The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, and song and record of the year for her Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit “Good Luck, Babe!” When asked whether she has remarks ready to go if she’s called onstage, Roan replied, “I don’t have a speech yet, but you know me. I’m going to say something controversial.
“Why not? Girl, what do I have to lose?” the “Pink Pony Club” artist added. “The fearlessness comes from in my heart knowing I’m always going to be OK.”
Grammy nominations went live in November, revealing that Roan is tied with Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift for six nods each in 2025. Beyoncé has the most nominations going into next year ceremony with 11, while Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Post Malone are tied for second-most with seven apiece.
In addition to the Big Four categories, Roan is also up for best pop solo performance for “Good Luck, Babe!” and best pop vocal album for Midwest Princess, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in August. The project — and Roan’s career, for that matter — has been steadily snowballing since its release in September 2023, with the star finishing out 2024 as Billboard‘s Top New Artist.
And while the VMA winner has been open about her excitement regarding her Grammy nominations, she’s also previously expressed mixed feelings. “I’m kind of hoping I don’t win [a Grammy],” she told The Face in September. “Because then everyone will get off my a–: ‘See guys, we did it and we didn’t win, bye!’ I won’t have to do this again!”
Kristen Bell is set to host the 31st annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, which will stream live on Netflix on Sunday, Feb. 23, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT from the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles.
This marks Bell’s second time hosting the show. She first did the honors in 2018, when she became the show’s first host. (The show had gone host-less in its first 23 years.)
“Thrilled to be hosting the SAG Awards again this year,” said Bell. “I’m honored to be asked back and can’t wait to share the evening with my fellow actors, doing what we do best… celebrating ourselves.”
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“Kristen Bell’s wit, warmth and charm makes her the perfect fit for our show – a night celebrating actors and the outstanding performances of the year,“ said SAG Awards executive producer Jon Brockett. ”Plus — everybody wants this.”
Brockett’s line is a play on the title of Bell’s hit Netflix comedy series, Nobody Wants This, in which she starred alongside Adam Brody and also served as an executive producer. Bell is set to reprise her role in season 2 of Nobody Wants This.
Bell is probably best known in music circles for giving voice to Anna in the animated blockbusters Frozen and Frozen 2. The Frozen soundtrack topped the Billboard 200 for 13 weeks in 2014 and spawned numerous Hot 100 singles, including three on which Bell was featured: “For the First Time in Forever,” “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” and “Love Is an Open Door.”
Nominations for the 31st SAG Awards will be announced on Jan. 8. As previously announced, actress and activist Jane Fonda will receive SAG-AFTRA’s highest honor, the SAG Life Achievement Award.
This is the second year of an exclusive, multi-year partnership between the SAG Awards and Netflix. In addition, the 2023 show streamed on Netflix via YouTube.
Silent House Productions will return to produce the 31st annual ceremony. Jon Brockett, along with Silent House Productions’ Baz Halpin, Mark Bracco and Linda Gierahn, will serve as executive producers. Those three producers won Primetime Emmys in 2023 as executive producers of Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love, which was voted outstanding variety special (pre-recorded).
As Billboard Japan unveiled its 2024 year-end charts, the hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts — rapper R-Shitei (also known as R-rated) and DJ Matsunaga — land the No. 1 song of the year for the country, with their mega-hit “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” taking the top spot on the all-genre Japan Hot 100 chart (which applies six metrics to songs: physical sales, downloads, streaming, airplay, video views and karaoke). The high-octane track also tops the year-end Global Japan Songs Excl. Japan ranking by a huge margin after holding the No. 1 position for 24 weeks, the longest ever in the history of the chart that ranks songs from Japan that are listened to internationally. In total, “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” has dominated 12 year-end Billboard Japan roundups.
Amid the song’s success, Creepy Nuts have stayed extremely busy, traveling the world for festival performance dates while working on their new album. Billboard Japan caught up with the two artists as they wrapped their whirlwind year.
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How do you feel about the success of “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” on the year-end charts?
DJ Matsunaga: It kind of hasn’t really sunk in yet.
R-Shitei: Yeah, it’s like my brain hasn’t been able to keep up at this stage. I’m like, “Oh… Awesome…” (Laughs.) … Compared to the first half of the year, the reaction to our shows [helps bring it into perspective]… But I think we’re a lot more confused about it all than people might think.
DJ Matsunaga: It’s still hard to believe we’re at the top of any kind of ranking. (Looks at R-Shitei.) Right?
Still, after “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” became a global hit, your follow-up track, “Otonoke,” continues to do well: On Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart, it reached No. 1 five times (on the charts dated Oct. 19, Nov. 2, Nov. 16, Nov. 23 and Dec. 14). You’ve been on a roll in 2024.
DJ Matsunaga: Wow…
R-Shitei: That’s amazing. Both “Otonoke” and “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” were written around the same time. We were working on the former when we had no idea that the latter would become such a hit. “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” is a work we’re really proud of, but when we were making those songs, “Otonoke” was the one we felt the most confidence in. So when the year started and “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” became pretty popular, I was like, “So people seem to like this a lot,” and “Well, we’re really proud of ‘Otonoke,’ too” when we released it. So I’m genuinely happy to see that people seem to accept “Otonoke” as well.
DJ Matsunaga: [The chart results are] too much of a blessing, so I don’t think it’s right to use it as a precedent…
R-Shitei: That’s true. It’s hard, isn’t it? Rankings can be both a source of encouragement and poison for artists.
DJ Matsunaga: For real.
R-Shitei: We’re happy and grateful, but don’t want to focus too much on that… Our goal isn’t to do well on the charts. It’s to keep updating our own definition of “good.” We’re making new songs with that in mind, too.
“How do you interpret chart rankings?” is a question we often ask various artists. In a recent interview, Ayase from YOASOBI said he’s now working with “a really fresh feeling” after becoming the No. 1 Artist of the Year on Billboard Japan’s Artist 100 ranking in 2023 with “Idol,” because a weight has been lifted from his shoulders.
R-Shitei and DJ Matsunaga: What?!
DJ Matsunaga: The way he approaches music is completely different. When I first started out, it felt like the notion of making enough money to get by by doing hip-hop was just a pipe dream, so being able to make a living from hip-hop and quitting my part-time job was a huge weight off my shoulders. (Laughs.) Like, I don’t have to be chasing my dream while working part-time in my 30s, you know?
R-Shitei: That’s normal, and I’d still like it regardless, so I was vaguely thinking that I’d be doing hip-hop [like that in my 30s] when I first got started.
DJ Matsunaga: Yeah, we have proper respect for those who keep at it while working part-time jobs in their 30s.
R-Shitei: When I was able to make a living doing music, I thought I was really lucky… Now when you look around, [many hip-hop artists in Japan] are making a living and there are even hit songs… all of this, including the fact that hip-hop is so popular in Japan, makes me really happy.
DJ Matsunaga: I really agree.
R-Shitei: We never planned to make songs that would be listened to around the world. It’s really just about expressing what we want to get out and releasing the pent-up [feelings] we’ve been holding in, basically.
Tell us a bit more about “Otonoke.” How did you go about making it?
R-Shitei: Usually, I get the beat from Matsunaga and add my rap to it, but this time, because we made it around the same time as “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born,” I was like, “I’ll go to a completely different place by extension of the same mindset.” I was in a period where I wanted to make songs using a fundamental rhythm as the key, rather than language. And I thought that a non-verbal rhythm like “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” would be good. It was going to be the theme song for [the anime series] Dandadan, so I thought I’d try making it by using “Dandadan” as the starting rhythm, and decided to use the same rhyme as “Dandadan Dandadan” [in the intro] for the verse. I recorded something like scat that wasn’t really a language, sent it to Matsunaga and had him flesh out the track.
I see! So the rhyme came first.
R-Shitei: Right. So the sound that was going “Dandadan Dandadan” a cappella became more and more like language, and then it became a slightly slower melody, and then a more bouncy melody, and so on. The rhythm stays the same, but the flavor changes. I’d only imagined it as a straight line climbing up, but Matsunaga expanded it horizontally with the track. The scenery changes suddenly when you get to the bridge that goes “Haireta Haireta,” and it’s because he really opened it up there during the scat stage, adding that completely different development. And the lyrics changed to “Haireta” (“I’m in”) at that point. I thought, “This feels like I’ve ‘gone in.’ ” Like, if I were a “specter of sound (oto no ke),” a music monster, I’d probably enter people’s brains through their ears at the moment when the scenery changes suddenly. So, words also appear during our back-and-forth.
DJ Matsunaga: What was good about this time was that I had the a cappella version, where R had already gone the distance with the same rhymes and prosody, so I was able to add crazy development to the track. No matter how much I changed it, the rap maintains the same groove as it develops, so the song doesn’t fall apart at all. He’d given me that kind of guarantee first, so I was able to make bold developments that wouldn’t ordinarily have been possible. I mean, it’s possible to make [tracks like that] at any time, but it’s not easy to make something that works beautifully after it’s done, even if you intend to make it that way.
You appeared at festivals in the United States, South Korea and Taiwan this year. What was the response like?
R-Shitei: There were moments when I could tell people knew our songs and were responding to them, and that made me really happy. And of course I feel it when people are really grooving and partying. But I think we’re only starting to understand how people really feel about us.
DJ Matsunaga: The main reason is that we haven’t done any tours. We’ve only appeared in events so far. Each country is completely different, and the audience in each country is also completely different, so it’s not like we can compare them…
R-Shitei: We don’t have enough data yet inside ourselves, right?
DJ Matsunaga: It feels like we’re still at the entry level. Even if we were talking about Japan, festivals that you’re invited to perform in are irregular spaces.
R-Shitei: Yeah.
DJ Matsunaga: So we can only get a real feel for it by doing our own tours while performing in those invited events, then adding up and dividing them.
What is your vision for the future?
R-Shitei: To make things feel good to me from the end of this year and on to the next, I need to focus on the things that are right in front of me… I’m in the middle of making an album, so my mind’s still on that. Rather than any kind of vision, I’m thinking about what I should do with the next bar or the next line, you know? I mean, just now…
DJ Matsunaga: Yeah, we were talking about it for a long time just now [before the interview].
R-Shitei: Yeah! We were coming up with themes and ideas nonstop, so I guess that’s the biggest thing occupying my mind right now. That’s exactly my vision for the future.
DJ Matsunaga: Me too. Ninety percent of my private life is like that. (Laughs.)
R-Shitei: Also, my way of thinking might have reverted to the way it was before. While the content of our songs has evolved a lot and we’ve grown from around 2013 to 2014 when Creepy Nuts began, it’s like… I can’t find the right words to describe it. But if you listen to the album, you might understand.
DJ Matsunaga: It’s like we’ve gone back a decade. We’ll lose our social position.
Lose your what?
R-Shitei: (Laughs.)
DJ Matsunaga: Our social position will go down. (Laughs.) I mean, when you do work and stand in front of people and appear in the media and advertising… When you branch out from just making music and become involved with people in companies, you inevitably have to take on social responsibilities. Now that we’ve returned to a lifestyle focusing on music, it feels like the irresponsibleness that I had before is back.
R-Shitei: If the stages in our career had continued to visibly rise in an easy-to-understand way like from 2020 to 2022, and we’d kept busy, constantly appearing in the media and so on, I probably would have felt that I should only say proper things. I might have just ended up trying to say good things in my songs. But we stopped doing that and just focused on the music and our expression and the things we like. As a result, I figured I might be able to express the bad and ugly parts of myself in an irresponsible way, which is something I used to think about when I first started rapping. Because the thing that makes hip-hop interesting to me is how it allows you to express the dirty stuff in its raw form.
DJ Matsunaga: That’s true. Express bad stuff like it is.
R-Shitei: As a listener you go, “Dude shouldn’t be saying that!” but the way it’s so bad and crazy makes it exciting as hip-hop. And then there’s “Dude says some good stuff once in a while, doesn’t he?” (Laughs.) So it’s a balance. It’s hard to express succinctly, but we’ve evolved in certain ways while still being like, “No way, we’re no good at all to begin with as human beings.” It’s about being able to go, “So what?” and expressing that as well next time.
DJ Matsunaga: It feels like we’ve regained the courage to do that.
R-Shitei: Feels like we got it back, doesn’t it?
DJ Matsunaga: That’s so true! We got it back and somehow… I’ve found a balance. It’s more natural and I actually feel more level-headed now.
HANABIE. is an all-woman nu-metal band made up of vocalist Yukina, guitarist and vocalist Matsuri, bassist and backup vocalist Hettsu, and drummer Chika. Although it’s been less than a year and a half since their debut, they were performing at overseas metal festivals even before they debuted, and in 2024 they played on the main stage at Lollapalooza, one of America’s “big three” outdoor festivals. Their momentum, especially overseas, knows no bounds. They spoke with Billboard Japan about their experiences around the world and about how it turned their attention to their hometown of Tokyo, the theme of their new EP, Bucchigiri Tokyo.
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First off, could you talk to us about Lollapalooza 2024, where you played in August?
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Matsuri: Lollapalooza is a super-famous festival, so at first we thought there was no way we’d actually be able to play there (laughs). We were jittery and restless all the way up until the actual day of the show.
Yukina: We’ve been very fortunate to be invited to play at metal festivals in lots of different countries, but Lollapalooza isn’t a metal festival, so we thought a lot about what to say and what to wear during the show. Hettsu stayed up late decorating the four platforms we stood on.
Hettsu: I went shopping for fabric with Chika. Not to sing my own praises too much, but I think the platforms turned out well, and they were a great match for the Lollapalooza stage (laughs). Also, for the first time at a HANABIE. show, we had a VJ, and for some of the songs we were projected up onto a huge screen.
Yukina: We also tossed some beach balls into the crowd and did some other things just for the show.
How did the success of the show affect the band?
Matsuri: It gave us a lot of confidence. Pulling off a big show like that was a great experience for the band. Also, we played during the daytime, so it sparked an ambition in us to make it even bigger and to one day perform in a later spot on the timetable. We also wanted to work even harder on our overseas shows.
Have you always been ambitious?
Matsuri: I don’t really think so.
Yukina: The more we play in different countries and in festivals in Japan, the more things we want to achieve.
Matsuri: We didn’t expect our music to connect with overseas audiences. Finding out that it connects gave us a lot of confidence. It made us want “more! more!”
You played at a few other overseas festivals after Lollapalooza. Have you gotten used to those kinds of shows?
Matsuri: Yes, we’re pretty used to them now. We’re gradually starting to get a picture of the different atmospheres at individual festivals in individual countries. Last year, every day was just like “This festival is amazing!”
Outside of festivals, you also did a roughly one-month-long tour of the U.S. together with Ukrainian metal band Jinjer and American deathcore band Born of Osiris.
Yukina: We played 19 shows in one month. It was like four days in a row, then a day off, and then repeat again, over the whole course of the tour. Jinjer’s performances had a lot of entertainment value. They were like watching a show. That influenced us, too, so we tried to be more expressive and to create an atmosphere for each song through our expressions, movements, and gestures.
Chika: Also, our individual performances came together and gelled.
Hettsu: Jinjer and Born of Osiris are both very technical bands, and they’re very locked in, so we focused more on getting ourselves locked in. That’s another way in which it was a really wonderful tour.
Matsuri: We’ve got the same sense of groove now, we push or pull the rhythm together. That was always an issue for us, but now we’re all starting to sync up, so I can really feel how we’ve grown.
After the tour with Jinjer, you did a tour in Australia, and now, having travelled the world, you’ve released a new album, Bucchigiri Tokyo. If it hadn’t been for your overseas experiences, you wouldn’t have chosen that name, would you?
Yukina: Right. Not just the title, but I don’t think we would have gone in the same direction with the songs, either.
Traveling to all these different places and meeting new people, you keep hearing “Japan’s great. Tokyo’s great.” So you rediscovered your pride and affection for where you’re from, right?
Yukina: Right. Partly because anime has such a huge presence that you take it for granted, I’d never really thought that deeply about Japanese culture, but through our world tour I found out how much people love Japanese culture. That opened up lines of communication, and I’ve come to feel really proud of our culture.
A lot of the songs on the new EP go pretty hard. “Bucchigiri Tokyo” is a surprisingly straightforward song.
Matsuri: So, about that song…I saw Green Day perform live for the first time at a festival in Europe. I’m a huge Green Day fan, so it was like a dream, being able to hear songs I’ve loved since I was little, all being performed live. That feeling stayed with us after the tour ended and we came back to Japan. We wrote “Bucchigiri Tokyo” about two days after we got back, still feeling that same spirit. I think that’s why that straightforward feeling comes through in the chorus riffs.
So the punk feel of the song comes from Green Day?
Matsuri: Right. Of course, it also has a lot of HANABIE. in it, but the mindset underneath comes from Green Day.
And then there’s “Ito Okashi My Type.”
Yukina: From that famous personality test…(laughs). It’s pretty popular now. Or, rather, it’s something that everybody’s interested in nowadays, so we decided to use it in a song. It’s well-known all around the world, not just Japan, so I think the song’s theme will resonate with people in any country. The song also has a kind of Heian era feel. A classical Japanese feel.
Matsuri: There are aspects of our modern age that share something in common with the Heian era, so we put them into our song, using a kind of pop approach.
There are artists who avoid referencing modern fads in their lyrics. You, on the other hand, actively try to do that, right? Don’t you worry about what will happen after those fads have passed?
Yukina: I don’t worry about it. It’s like the songs will age with us. We’re trying to create artistic output that’s super-fresh, in the way that only we can.
Matsuri: When we get older, there’s no way we’ll be able to do what we’re doing now, so we’ve got to do it while we can.
What kind of year do you think next year will be?
Yukina: It’s been almost a decade since our band formed. The one decade anniversary is a major milestone, so I want us to give ourselves a pat on the back and then be like, “Okay, now let’s give it our all again!” We’ve already been announced as playing at the German FWacken Open Air 2025 festival and some other festivals, so we want to really pump up the energy levels, both here in Japan and overseas!
—This interview by Daishi “DA” Ato first appeared on Billboard Japan
Wagakki Band’s Japan Tour 2024 THANKS – Yasou no Oto – came to a close on Dec. 10 at Tokyo Garden Theater. This year marks the eight-member group’s 10th anniversary, and in January it announced that the band would go on indefinite hiatus at the end of the year. With this tour, Wagakki Band will be putting its activities on hold for the time being. The band performed songs off its best-of album released in October, ALL TIME BEST ALBUM THANKS – Yasou no Oto -, with members conveying their gratitude to fans as the project’s title suggests and putting on a show representing the culmination of the decade of work together as a singular musical group.
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As the members appeared one by one to the opening music “Overture – Yasou no Oto -,” the audience already showed signs of excitement. Once the members were in place, the set kicked off with the sound of the koto (Japanese harp) and the powerful rhythm of the wadaiko (Japanese drums) leading into “Rokuchounen-To-Ichiyamonogatari (Re-Recording).” The ensemble captivated the audience with its intense arrangements, while still allowing the individuality of each instrument to shine through. Perhaps because this was their last show together before taking a break as a band, the seriousness with which the members approached this performance was palpable.
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Frontwoman Yuko Suzuhana (vocal) took a moment to hype up the crowd after the first number. “Today is the culmination of our 10th anniversary,” she said. “Everyone here, let’s all come together. Keep up!” The group then launched straight into “Valkyrie -Ikusa Otome-.” By this time, the members’ expressions had softened and it was clear they were trying to enjoy the show to the fullest. In their next track, “Aria of Life,” the band gradually built up the excitement in the venue with a performance featuring contrasts in tempo and emotive vocals.
“Today is probably a special day for you all, and it’ll be a special day for us too. Thank you for being here on this day that we’ll work together to create,” said Suzuhana. “Let’s all liven things up like a big year-end party.” The band then resumed the set with the serene track “Starlight (I vs I ver.).” The singer encouraged the audience to turn on the lights on their smartphones during “Queen of the Night” and the venue was bathed in dazzling light, creating a dreamy atmosphere combined with the dramatic music.
Midway through the show, the band members flaunted their colors during an instrumental section highlighting their musicianship. After Machiya (guitar & vocal) dazzled with a sparkling arpeggio followed by some percussive techniques, Kurona (wadaiko) joined in with his Oke Daiko (a kind of wadaiko) with a shoulder strap and Suzuhana performed a sword dance, creating an imaginative sight onstage. During the session, Kiyoshi Ibukuro (koto) also joined in with Shirasagi, a bunka-koto (compact koto) he produced, and the musicians boisterously showed off their skills in friendly rivalry. Then, Machiya, Asa (bass) and Wasabi (drums) wowed the crowd with their aggressive metal riffs, while Daisuke Kaminaga (shakuhachi) and Beni Ninagawa (Tsugaru shamisen) added their flourishes to dramatic effect.
The octet went on to perform songs including “The Beast,” which included time for the audience to take photos on their phones, “Perfect Blue,” featuring twin vocals by Suzuhana and Machiya, “Synchronicity,” and “Children Record.” They drew fans into their robust musical world with a wide range of songs like “Yoshiwara Lament” and “Sasameyuki (Re-Recording).” The set list mixing Vocaloid tracks and the band’s original numbers was truly a summary of Wagakki Band’s career. “We put together the set list based on requests of everyone’s favorite songs,” Suzuhana told the crowd. “Wagakki Band’s catalog includes rock-heavy numbers and elegant ballads, but no matter what we play, it always ends up being a Wagakki Band song. The music will continue to live on, so I hope you’ll continue to listen to and sing your favorite songs.” The band then performed the “Re-Recording” version of its first original song, “Hanabi,” featuring vocals evoking both glamour and transience backed by the band’s solid performance.
As the end of the main set approached, Kurona and Wasabi commenced their drum vs. wadaiko battle, now a regular feature of the band’s shows. Kurona hyped up the crowd, saying, “I want today to be the best battle cry of the decade,” and the audience responded by cheering loudly in time to the beat by the two drummers. The band then launched into “Kishikaisei (Re-Recording)” to the rhythm of the 3-3-7 beat, signaling the start of the show’s climax. During “Yukikageboushi,” fans spun towels above their heads, enhancing the feel of togetherness. The band went on to perform “Yasouemaki,” a track displaying the fruits of their years together as a group, and the main set ended with a flair with Wagakki Band’s signature number, “Senbonzakura (Re-Recording).”
The members returned to the stage as if led by the voices of the eager crowd singing “Akatsukino Ito.” Because this was the band’s last live show before going on hiatus, each member took turns expressing their current feelings. “Hard to believe we’re taking a break,” “I’m so glad I joined this band,” “Thank you for encountering us,” they voiced in unison. When Asa noted, “The eight of us together made a full-fledged team. We each had something missing, so we were able to stand by each other and fight together as a band,” Suzuhana responded by saying, “We were able to create so many miracles because the eight of us together made a full-fledged team.”
“There’s so much music in the world, so we thank you for finding and liking Wagakki Band,” she continued. “We’ll continue to struggle and survive in this world of music, so please keep supporting us.” The members then presented their fans with “GIFT,” a song filled with their feeling of gratitude. The venue was filled with smiles and tears as the song, promising a reunion rather than an end, came to a close.
Fans may be feeling sad right now, but as Suzuhana said at the end of the evening, “I think this view today will continue to support our lives from now on,” they can reminisce on the many miraculous moments they’ve seen over the years as they wait for the day the eight members converge again as the Wagakki Band.
This article by Tomokazu Nishibiro first appeared on Billboard Japan.
Wagakki Band Japan Tour 2024 THANKS – Yasou no Oto – Set List
Tuesday, Dec. 10, Tokyo Garden Theater
1. Overture – Yasou no Oto –
2. Rokuchounen-To-Ichiyamonogatari (Re-Recording)
3. Valkyrie -Ikusa Otome-
4. Aria of Life
5. Amenochi Kanjyoron (Re-Recording)
6. Starlight (I vs I ver.)
7. The Last Confession on Earth (Chikyuu saigo no kokuhaku wo)
8. Queen of the Night
9. Toono Monogatari Kyuu Yon
10. Toono Monogatari Go Go
11. Chie no Kakitsu
12. Homura
13. The Beast
14. Perfect Blue
15. Synchronicity
16. Children Record
17. Yoshiwara Lament
18. Sasameyuki (Re-Recording)
19. Hanabi (Re-Recording)
20. Effector Of Life
21. Drum vs. Wadaiko Battle – Ikusen no Onkai –
22. Kishikaisei (Re-Recording)
23. Yukikageboushi
24. Yasouemaki
25. Senbonzakura (Re-Recording)
Encore
1. Akatsukino Ito
2. Hoshizukiyo
3. GIFT
With the 25th anniversary of her debut rapidly approaching, AI has announced various tie-ins and collaborations starting in November 2024. Her latest song is “NAKAMA,” the ending theme to the latest anime series Dragonball DAIMA. AI has loved the Dragonball series since she was a young girl, and she talked with Billboard Japan about everything from her love for the series to her collaboration with EDM titan Zedd on the series’ ending theme and her other experiences working with overseas artists. She also revealed her plans for her 25th anniversary year and her somewhat surprising outlook on the future.
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The Dragonball franchise includes comics, movies, TV series, and more. How did you first connect with it?
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AI: I think my first exposure to Dragonball was with the comics, but what made the strongest impression on me was the TV series. I’m part of the generation that grew up with it. I watched it the whole time it was on TV. At one point I moved overseas, so I lost contact with it, but then they started making movies. It must have been like the number one or two thing I was into as a kid.
How did you feel when you found out you’d be working on “NAKAMA,” the ending theme of Dragonball DAIMA?
AI: At first, my team just said something like, “This is Dragonball DAIMA, a new series that will be coming out soon,” and they showed me a video. I saw it while on the road, and I was just saying “Wow” as I watched it. My manager then said, “You’ll be doing the ending song,” and the minute he said it, the tears started falling from my eyes (laughs). I’d loved Dragonball since I was a kid, and I was so happy, I was like “Whaaaa?” It’s not just me. I think everyone loves Dragonball. I’m not the type of person who talks a lot about what they like, but it seems the team knew (laughs).
So there’s a sharp contrast between you and Zedd, your collaborator on “NAKAMA.” He’s made his love for Dragonball very public, even posting pictures of himself in Dragonball cosplay on his social media.
AI: That’s right. I’m the kind who watches from a distance (laughs). It’s like I love it so much that it’s holy, so I don’t dare to touch it.
How did the actual process of making the music go?
AI: Right after it was decided that I’d be working on the ending theme, Zedd happened to come to Japan, so we met and we talked about what kind of song we should write. Then a while after he went back to the U.S., he sent a video of him playing solo piano. I was really impressed, thinking “this chord progression has a wonderful feel.” It wasn’t just a bright and cheery song, but had the feeling of an ending song.
What did you focus on when writing the lyrics?
AI: I love Dragonball as much as anyone, so when I wrote the lyrics I thought about the fans who had watched and loved Dragonball through the years.
Zedd pays a lot of attention to the details of songs—the tone, the nuances of the sound, and the like. Was it hard working together with him?
AI: No, not at all. On the contrary, he was quick to give his okay (laughs). On top of that, the song he wrote was really easy to put Japanese lyrics to. I actually found matching English lyrics to the song a lot harder.
This was your first time working with Zedd, but you’ve collaborated with a lot of overseas artists before, right? Which stand out the most in your memory?
AI: The first name that springs to mind is, of course, Chaka Khan. She’s very down to earth. Like, I offhandedly said something like “I’d love to get a Grammy someday,” and she said “That’s easy.” For Chaka, that’s what getting a Grammy must be like. She doesn’t brag or act arrogant. I think it’s just that for her, the message and the heartfelt feeling of the music is more important than any kind of award. I think that’s what moves her.
Is there a big difference between Chaka the singer and Chaka behind the scenes?
AI: No, not at all. She has the least gap between the two. She’s always like that, and she carries around this huge fan and is like “Heyyyy!”
But you have a similarly broad-minded personality. It seems like you two could really talk at the same level.
AI: That’s because she’s so accommodating. It’s because of the way she is, because she’s such as great person. I have so much respect for her that I get a bit nervous and I can’t really approach her. But she’s very outgoing and approaches me, so our conversations just keep rolling (laughs). I saw her at a Billboard Live show before we sang “One More Try” together. I was wearing these really long rings at the time, which covered my entire fingers. She saw them, and she lifted my hand up in the air and stared at them and said “Wowww!!” I thought that if she liked them so much, I wanted her to have them, so I gave them to her (laughs). At her show, when she came out on stage and started singing, I just started crying. It wasn’t even a sad song or anything. Her voice was just so powerful. When I was a little kid, my parents loved Chaka Khan, too, and my mom even went to her shows, so I had all these memories. I have a lot of interesting stories about Chaka.
Who else has made a big impression on you, besides Chaka?
AI: Boyz II Men, who I collaborated with on “Incomplete,” were amazing. Their voices were truly angelic. Watching their recording session taught me so much. The way they joined in chorus, the freedom with which they let their voices roam, and each of their voices, they were all wonderful. They had this strong sense of stability. They could go airy, or belt out really bold vocals, and deftly switch between them. I think I learned more from them than any other session. Trey Songz is also a genius. He was still young when I met him, but he was a great kid. When we recorded “Beautiful (Remix)” together, he was already well-known in the U.S. but relatively unknown in Japan. He can write music, he can sing, and he can even do sound engineering. He can do it all. I remember really feeling the love he had for R&B.
What about Snoop Dogg?
AI: On our “Let It Go” collaboration, Snoop and I recorded separately, but then it was decided that we’d film the video together, and I was like “Really?” So I went to LA and got ready and waited. I was wearing this tight, uncomfortable dress and these high heels, waiting for him. He didn’t come until like six hours later. That’s really true to form for Snoop, but I wanted to give him a piece of my mind, so I was there waiting to tell him off when he comes in and says “The song was great, but that’s not all, your voice is great, too.” With that, I was like “I love this guy” (laughs). He’s generous with praise. So my anger faded, and ultimately we had fun filming the music video together (laughs).
I would have thought the Jacksons would have made the biggest impression on you.
AI: That experience had me so nervous. For me, the Jacksons are the very pinnacle. They’re like Dragonball. They’re just beyond imagining. Like, these are not people I could ever actually meet.
In the MUSIC ON! TV “AI Miss MICHAEL JACKSON – The Miracle of the King of Pop” series, you went to the U.S. and filmed the Jacksons. It covered a really long span of time. I doubt there has ever been, or will ever be, another Japanese person who has gotten such an up close and personal look at the Jacksons.
AI: It was really long. Really long, and the schedule was really tight. I had to make sure not to be inadvertently rude to anyone, but there were also so many things I wanted to ask. There were a lot of people who shared really genuine stories and stories I’d never heard before. It was just one moving experience after the next.
That’s what led to your recording “Letter in the Sky” with them, right?
AI: I just wanted to run away. It was all too much for me. I felt like I was unfit to even deal with them. The show was about exploring the roots of the Jacksons after Michael Jackson’s death. I met his brothers during the filming of the show, and things just took off from there. They said “We’re going to be performing at a tribute event. Why not come sing with us?”
On your RESPECT ALL album, which came out last year, you sang Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me.” You also performed the song in the “Lasting Peace” project at the G7 Hiroshima Summit. I’m sure you’ve loved this song for years but what led you to want to sing it now?
AI: When the decision was made that I would be singing at the G7 Hiroshima Summit, I wanted to share a message with the world. I thought a message of peace would be good, so I wanted to sing with a chorus of children. I was going to sing “Aldebaran,” “Not So Different,” and then I wanted to sing a cover song, so I came up with a list of candidates. I didn’t want a song with a big, lofty message, like “Let’s change the world, let’s do this or that.” I wanted a song that was more about the ups and downs we have in our lives, a song that was like a dialogue. I felt that this song was the one that was closest to my own spirit. It didn’t sound like a lecture, but instead was the message that I wanted to share the most. I also thought that it’s a wonderful song that would contribute to peace. Then we started talking about recording it, and I decided to perform it to a simple piano accompaniment.
I see. You sang with a children’s choir on “Lean On Me,” but on your tour you also led a gospel chorus, and on your best hits album, Kansha!!!!! – Thank You for 20 Years New and Best, you included gospel versions of songs. Do you feel that when you go back to your roots, you go back to gospel?
AI: Yes. I love gospel. I love that assembly of voices. That power. Gospel isn’t just sung in a straightforward way, it uses all these different techniques, and hearing them just gets you so excited.
I get the impression that when you sing in English, there’s a bit more freedom and a bit more of a relaxed feeling. What do you think?
AI: When it comes to speaking, my Japanese is better, but when I’m singing, for some songs, English is easier to pronounce and it fits better with the music. But there are also songs which only work in Japanese, so it really comes down to the individual song.
It’s going to be your 25th anniversary soon. Do you have any plans?
AI: Yes, I’m going on tour and I’m going to put out an album.
One of the things I vividly remember from a previous time interview was that you said “I want to win a Grammy. I’m going to win one.” Do you still feel the same way?
AI: Yes, I want to get a Grammy. That desire hasn’t changed. But I think that when I said that, I wanted a Grammy as a demonstration of my ability. I picked it simply because it was the most famous award. I felt like I had to do a lot of different things while I was still young. Nowadays, I don’t feel that need to rush. But, of course, since I said I was going to go win a Grammy, I will. I want to take care of everything on my bucket list. But it doesn’t have to be right this moment. I’ve still got my health and energy, so I think I’ve got time (laughs).
What are your long-term goals?
AI: Right now I’m focusing on my children. It’s pretty hard work. It’s shaken up everything—what I write, what I say, what I do, my attitude, my rhythm. I don’t think there’s any experience like it. It’s like really hard but rewarding training. Like I’m a monk going through ascetic training (laughs). It’s like you break yourself completely down and then the question is how you’re going to rebuild yourself. To be honest, I really don’t think about the 25th anniversary of my debut. It’s just the people around me who are focused on it. So much so, actually, that when someone first mentioned it, I was like “Oh, really?” (laughs) For me, music is just something that I’ll probably keep on doing forever. I think that’s important. I just live each day, hoping that I’ll make it through with no problems.
—This interview by Hisashi Murakami first appeared on Billboard Japan
Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Bitter Vacances” hits No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, rising from No. 6 where it debuted last week.
On the chart released Dec. 11, the theme for the upcoming live-action movie Saint Young Men (due in domestic theaters Dec. 20) comes in at No. 2 for streaming (up 182% week-over-week) and radio airplay (up 1,381％), No. 5 for video views (up 136％) and No. 3 for downloads.
Rosé & Bruno Mars’ “APT.” slips to No. 2 this week after holding the top spot for three straight weeks. After peaking last week, streams are down to 95%, downloads to 79%, and videos to 85%, but the global hit continues to dominate streaming and video.
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Number_i’s “HIRAKEGOMA” debuts at No. 3. The new track off the three-man group’s album No. I (Deluxe) released Dec. 2 launches at No. 1 for downloads and radio, No. 4 for video, and No. 40 for streaming. The album No. I rises to No. 2 on the download albums chart and to No. 7 on the Hot Albums chart this week.
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Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac” holds at No. 4. Downloads for the Oblivion Battery opener gained 119%, streaming 104%, and radio 229% from the week before.
BALLISTIK BOYZ from EXILE TRIBE’s “SAY IT” bows at No. 5. The track produced by T.Kura, Chaki Zulu and DJ DARUMA comes in at No. 4 for sales and No. 3 for radio.
In other news, the tragic death of Japanese actress and singer Miho Nakayama at age 54 was reported on Dec. 6, and fans turned to her collaborative single with the band WANDS from 1992, “Sekaiju no dareyori kitto,” (roughly, “probably more than anyone in the world”) to celebrate her life. The karaoke favorite debuted at No. 56 on the Japan Hot 100 this week, coming in at No. No. 6 for downloads, No. 91 for radio, and No. 88 for karaoke. Seasonal staples are also coming back in full swing, with back number’s “Christmas Song” rising 19-15, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” jumping 72-46, and Keisuke Kuwata’s “White Love” returning at No. 66. Also, a new Christmas love song by REIKO featuring JUNON of BE:FIRST called “First Christmas” debuts at No. 54.
The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Dec. 2 to 8, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English X account.
2024 is coming to an end, and Billboard reminisced on some of the top moments of the year with your help.
Fans worldwide took part in Billboard’s 2024 Fan-Voted Favorites polls, and the results arrived on Monday (Dec. 16). With 53.86% of the votes, Coldplay won the fan-favorite tour in 2024, beating Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Nicki Minaj, Metallica, Chappell Roan, Bad Bunny, Madonna, Zach Bryan, Drake with J. Cole and Future with Metro Boomin.
The win comes just days after the band took home the award for Top Rock Touring Artist at the 2024 Billboard Music Awards on Dec. 12. Since their Music of the Spheres tour kicked off in March 2022, it earned more than $1 billion in concert grosses, making it the highest grossing and bestselling rock tour in Boxscore history. The global trek has also sold more tickets than any tour in history, at 10.3 million.
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Meanwhile, ATEEZ’s Atiny won in the best K-pop fan army poll with 48.65% of votes, beating BTS’ ARMY, TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s MOA, ENHYPEN’s Engenes, Stray Kids’ STAY, SEVENTEEN’s Carats, Lisa’s Lillies, Rosé’s Number Ones and NewJeans’ Bunnies.
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Last month, ATEEZ notched their second No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart as GOLDEN HOUR: Part.2 debuted atop the all-genre chart. The act previously topped the chart with THE WORLD EP.FIN: WILL in 2023. In total, GOLDEN HOUR: Part.2 is the sixth top 10-charting set for the group, all consecutive.
See the full results of Billboard‘s 2024 Fan-Voted Favorites, as well as the full list of BBMAs winners here.
On April 26, Argentine trap star and master freestyler Duki will kick off his first major U.S. tour, playing 11 dates (including Puerto Rico) in theaters and arenas. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Duki, who made history as the first urban artist to sell out the […]