YAO unites ONE OK ROCK, Awich, CHICO CARLITO and Paledusk, with debut single 777 out July 7. A look at the rock/hip-hop crossover, their global reach, and why these four aren't as random a pairing as they seem.
Ado has signed with WME, the agency behind Billie Eilish and Bruno Mars. From her 500,000-fan Hibana world tour to headlining Zipangu in LA and Lollapalooza in August, here's how Japan's faceless superstar is going global.
Ado topped Spotify's 2025 first-half ranking of Japan's most-streamed artists abroad, ending YOASOBI's four-year reign — yet without a single song in the overseas Top 10. Here's what that means.
Japanese nine-member group JO1 heads to North America this October for a five-city tour tied to its US debut EP. Here are the venues in Toronto, New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles, and exactly how the tickets work.
New York-trained Japanese soul singer Nao Yoshioka releases her new album 'self' on July 17, with 13 artists from across the global soul scene, including Philadelphia legend Bilal. A world tour follows in October, with four Japan dates. Here is her journey from the Apollo Theater stage to the world, and a look at the Japanese soul scene most listeners abroad have never heard about.
BABYMETAL will headline Germany's Impericon Festival in Leipzig on June 26, 2026. We look at why a one-hour set matters, the band's tracks in Forza Horizon 6, and how far they have climbed in the European metal scene.
In a new Billboard JAPAN interview, sailor-uniformed quartet ATARASHII GAKKO! reflect on entering their 11th year. We unpack their 'hamidashi' philosophy, how they perform for crowds who don't speak Japanese, and the 12-year bond between four members — from their 88rising debut to Coachella and beyond.
Japan-born global group XG will throw the first pitch at Dodger Stadium on May 31. We break down the newly announced seven North American dates of the XG WORLD TOUR: THE CORE — venues, tickets, and the TikTok-and-Billboard fanbase that made an arena tour possible.
Yellow Magic Orchestra co-founder Haruomi Hosono will release his 23rd studio album 'Yours Sincerely' on September 11, 2026, via Ghostly International, and play his first U.S. shows in seven years—Radio City Music Hall in New York on September 16 and the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on September 20, both with Toro y Moi. Here's why a 78-year-old Japanese musician is one of the most quietly influential figures in global pop.
Number_i has signed a label deal with Atlantic Records, completing the global infrastructure they started building with WME in February. Here's what the Atlantic deal adds, why being labelmates with Bruno Mars matters, and what the trio is actually planning.
Japan's sailor-uniformed quartet ATARASHII GAKKO! is heading to Latin America for the first time in December 2026. The tour spans Santiago's Teatro Caupolicán, a debut at Brazil's Primavera Sound São Paulo, and a 6,800-capacity solo show at Mexico City's Velódromo Olímpico — their largest overseas headline date yet. A look at how the 88rising-signed group went from Coachella to Interlagos.
Number_i — Sho Hirano, Yuta Jinguji, and Yuta Kishi, three former members of King & Prince — will hold their first-ever fan meeting in Osaka in July and Tokyo in August 2026. While expanding globally with Coachella appearances and a WME deal, the trio continues to find creative ways to deliver love to their fans, known as iLYs.
Kenshi Yonezu's 'Peace Sign'—the My Hero Academia Season 2 opening theme—was certified Gold by the RIAA in May 2026. Following 'KICK BACK' (Gold + Platinum), this is his third RIAA certification, making him the only artist ever to receive three certifications for Japanese-language songs. We unpack the milestone, its overlap with MHA's 10th anniversary, and the 2025 JUNK world tour that drew 440,000 fans.
YOASOBI's debut song "Yoru ni Kakeru" (Into the Night) has crossed 1.3 billion cumulative streams on Billboard JAPAN — the first Japanese song ever to hit that mark. Released in December 2019 and based on a Japanese short novel, the track has now outlasted hits, sequels, and even the duo's own anime megahits. As YOASOBI heads into their biggest-ever North American tour, here's why this song refuses to fade.
Creepy Nuts will join The Weeknd's record-breaking After Hours Til Dawn Stadium Tour as special guests across five Asian dates, starting September 20 at Japan's Belluna Dome. The tour has grossed over $1 billion globally — the highest-grossing tour ever by a male solo artist — and this is the Japanese hip-hop duo's biggest international stage to date.
Sushiro, the king of Japan's revolving sushi industry with 13 consecutive years as the top earner, is finally making a real run at the US market. The Times Square flagship opens this fall — but rival Kura is already at 83 US stores and listed on NASDAQ. Inside Japan's three-way sushi war and Sushiro's last frontier.
SEGA and RGG Studio just dropped the theme song for STRANGER THAN HEAVEN, and the lineup is wild: Snoop Dogg, Ado, Official Hige Dandism's Satoshi Fujihara, and Tori Kelly on a single track. We break down Ado's record-breaking Hibana world tour (500,000 fans across 33 cities), Higedan's anime-fueled global rise via Spy x Family and Tokyo Revengers, Snoop Dogg's long history of collaborating with Japanese artists, and how international gaming and music communities are reacting to this Pacific-spanning collision.
Japan's wolf-masked rock band MAN WITH A MISSION — known worldwide for anime theme songs from Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan, and Seven Deadly Sins — has announced three consecutive monthly digital single releases starting August 2026. Frontman Jean-Ken Johnny made the surprise reveal on stage at VIVA LA ROCK 2026 on May 5, just weeks before their Americas/Europe world tour. We break down what this means, the band's history of 3-month release campaigns, and what international fans should expect next.
North West, the 12-year-old daughter of Kanye West, sampled Kikuo's Vocaloid track 'Aishite Aishite Aishite' on her debut EP N0rth4evr, released May 1. Kikuo replied: 'of course it's approved, and welcome even unauthorized.' A close read of why this is structurally unprecedented for Vocaloid in American hip-hop.
Japanese 7-piece group XG will become the first Japanese act ever at Capital's Summertime Ball, performing at Wembley Stadium on June 6, 2026 — and the first Japanese artist group to take the stage at the 80,000-capacity venue known as the home of football. Joined by Niall Horan, Calvin Harris, RAYE and more.