Billboard Japan

Billboard Japan launched its Women in Music initiative this year, following the established example of Billboard’s annual Women in Music issue that has continued since 2007. A series of interviews focusing on women in the Japanese music industry is being released as one of the first projects under Japan’s Women in Music banner, which will encompass multiple projects, including interviews, live performances and panel discussions. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Japanese rapper AKKOGORILLA, who named her first album released in 2018 GRRRLISM as an homage to the Riot Grrrl movement, coined the word based on her urge to “transcend the image of [a female rapper] representing girls.” The theme of the 34-year-old’s mini-album Magma I rele...

J-pop boy band THE SUPER FRUIT livestreamed a showcase studio set on Oct. 7 as the featured act of the month on Next Fire, the hybrid program produced by Billboard Japan and TikTok. Next Fire is a show on TikTok Live that highlights the hottest J-pop artists of the moment, based on Billboard Japan’s TikTok Weekly Top 20 chart. The collaborative project streams live performances and pre-recorded interviews by the featured act of the month to give fans an in-depth look at their artistry.  The seven members appeared in the studio with the opening music in the background, cheerfully greeting viewers, “Good evening! We are THE SUPER FRUIT!” The group immediately kicked off the set with “Seven Fruits” from the mini album THE SUPER FRUIT, released as a limited edition before the band’s debut...

It’s no coincidence that ONE OK ROCK’s new project Luxury Disease turned out to be a genuine rock album. The raw passion that pervades the set conveys the fact that the band has returned to their roots with a clarity of meaning and mission. The album was produced by Rob Cavallo, known for his work with Linkin Park and Green Day, and features Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco among other guests. In addition to this solid rock lineup, Luxury Disease also incorporates the latest pop techniques that the band fostered for their previous album Eye of the Storm, and is an updated version of ONE OK ROCK’s sound that goes beyond just a return to its roots. Fifteen years after the release of the band’s debut album Zeitakubyo — a Japanese neologism that means the same as the title of the new album ...

Hiroyuki SAWANO, a composer of music for various video productions, continues to be the center of attention due to his “SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]” project, which is focused on vocal music. Harukaze is an up-and-coming singer who Hiroyuki has nothing but praise for, calling her “constantly captivating.” Today, we take a look at NAQT VANE, the new music project that brings together these two unparalleled talents. What led to you two meeting each other? Hiroyuki SAWANO: I was talking to a producer from Avex who I met when I was producing music for Do As Infinity. I said that I wanted to create a new music project, and they helped me out, which is how I discovered Harukaze. Harukaze had been uploading cover versions of Western songs on Instagram. Her voice was spellbinding, and when I talked to her ...

J-pop singer-songwriter Motohiro Hata digitally released the English-language version of his song “Trick Me,” along with the accompanying lyric video. The track, originally released in April, was featured in a collaborative campaign for the Japanese fashion company United Arrows’ “green label relaxing” brand. The English version could only be heard in stores around the country and was only included in the fan club-exclusive CDs until now. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The lyric video was helmed by up-and-coming Japanese visual artist Aonisai Takada, and the striking, stylish visuals express the lyrics as vividly flashing neon lights. [embedded content] [flexi-common-toolbar] [flexi-form class=”flexi_form_style” title=̶...

Superfly made its major-label debut on April 4, 2007, as a duo with the single “Hello Hello.” Now Superfly — the stage name of vocalist Shiho Ochi — has released numerous J-pop hits over the years, including “Ai wo Komete Hanataba wo” (A Bouquet With Love), “Beautiful” and “Flare.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The singer/songwriter continues to work tirelessly in the year marking the 15th anniversary of her debut, releasing a new digital single called “Voice” on her debut day and then “Dynamite” on May 23, the song featured in the new commercial series for Boat Race 2022 in Japan. A globally renowned DJ from the Netherlands, R3HAB has remixed tracks by a variety of top artists including The Chainsmokers and Rihanna. Superfly is the first Jap...

Now one of Japan’s biggest mainstream acts, Official HIGE DANdism’s most recent hit single “Mixed Nuts” continues to break records, sailing past 100 million streams on July 6 to rewrite the J-pop rock band’s own record for fastest release to hit the milestone. It’s also the first domestic song released this year to generate 100 million streams, notable in that this figure is an indicator of a nationwide hit in today’s J-pop music scene. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The key to the breakthrough was the popularity of the TV anime series SPYxFAMILY. “Mixed Nuts” was written by Official HIGE DANdism — often referred to as HIGE DAN for short — as the anime’s opener. The track was digitally released April 15 and hit No. 1 on the Billboard J...