BABYMETAL will curate the entire Sonic Stage at Summer Sonic 2026 as "SONIC METAL STAGE – Curated by BABYMETAL." This unprecedented move sees the 15th-anniversary kawaii metal unit taking artistic control of a stage at Japan's biggest urban rock festival, now celebrating its 25th year. With Billboard 200 Top 10 credentials, BABYMETAL is poised to reshape the summer festival landscape. Ticket info and lineup speculation included.
SIMON (JAKOPS), the executive producer and CEO of XGALX behind globally rising Japanese girl group XG, was arrested for cocaine possession at a Nagoya hotel on February 23, 2026 — just hours after XG's concert. With a world tour in progress and SIMON serving as the group's sole creative architect, this breaking news raises urgent questions about XG's future.
Ado, the anonymous Japanese singer who conquered the world without showing her face, has released "Vivarium," a song she wrote and composed herself, alongside her autobiography. For the first time, her single cover carries a real photograph of her. From closet recordings to sold-out arenas, this is the biggest turning point yet in the 23-year-old's career.
KID PHENOMENON, a seven-member dance & vocal group from LDH JAPAN, has been selected to perform at SXSW 2026 in Austin, Texas, the legendary festival that launched Billie Eilish, Ed Sheeran, and Kendrick Lamar. Discover how their "TOKYO NEO POP" concept is charting a new path for Japanese artists going global.
Eve, the voice behind Jujutsu Kaisen's viral hit "Kaikai Kitan," teams up with Yorushika vocalist suis for "Kaze no Anthem," the opening theme of TV anime Witch Hat Atelier (premiering April 2026). It is their third collaboration. Here is why this Eisner Award-winning manga adaptation drew so much attention outside Japan.
Hatsune Miku V6, the latest AI-powered vocal synthesis software, launches April 14, 2026. Supporting trilingual singing in Japanese, English, and Chinese, it marks a giant leap in natural vocal expression. Explore the 19-year evolution from the original 2007 Miku to today's AI-driven Vocaloid culture and what it means for the future of music creation.
Hatsune Miku's European tour "MIKU EXPO 2026 EUROPE" is set for November 2026, visiting 7 cities starting from London's The O2. With a steampunk theme and 120 shows across 50 cities behind her, Japan's virtual singer keeps widening what a live act can be.
SKY-HI's D.U.N.K. Showcase 2026 added Filipino acts SB19, BGYO, and Cup of Joe plus Thailand's BUS to its fourth-wave lineup, with BMSG TRAINEE opening DAY 3. The three-day run at K-Arena Yokohama was the largest edition of the cross-agency project yet.
XG's "HYPNOTIZE" topped Billboard JAPAN's country-by-country Japan Songs chart in seven markets at once for the week of February 6-12, 2026. Their debut album "THE CORE - 核" reached the Billboard 200, and their world tour opened with three sold-out nights and 60,000 fans in Yokohama.
BABYMETAL will perform at Summer Sonic 2026 in both Tokyo and Osaka, curating the SONIC METAL STAGE on one day at each venue. It is a convergence of two anniversaries: BABYMETAL's 15th and Summer Sonic's 25th. Fresh off their Billboard 200 Top 10 debut, Japan's kawaii metal pioneers continue to reshape the global metal landscape.
Kenshi Yonezu's "IRIS OUT" spent 22 straight weeks at No. 1 on Oricon's streaming chart, a record for a solo artist, and topped the YouTube chart for the 21st time (V21). It peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Global 200, the highest ever for a Japanese-language song, and his tours drew 440,000 fans at home and abroad. Here is how Japanese artists are reshaping global music streaming.
