Weekly Oricon Chart Roundup – Week 37

Heya, and welcome to our nommy roundup of the Oricon Chart! We’ll be showing you some of the most popular new songs in Japan this week.

Otherside/愛が止まるまでは – SMAP
At number one this week, we have SMAP, or Sports Music Assemble People. After forming in 1991, they were initially quite unsuccessful, but due to the group leader Nakai pushing for their own variety show, they slowly gained fans. Now they are one of the biggest boy bands out there, with over 35 million sales under their belt. The singing abilities of the members vary quite a bit, and some fans go as far as to admit that “Nakai’s inability to sing is somewhat of a national joke today in Japan”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diBbhuO8Nms

Beautiful Chaser – 超特急 feat.マーティー・フリードマン
At number two we find Bullet Train’s new single, “Beautiful Chaser”. Bullet train consists of “Main Dancers” and “Back Vocalists”, which means that the singers stand behind the dancers during performances. And with five out of the seven members being dancers, they really do focus a lot on the choreography, ensuring the song fits the dancing, instead of other way around.

7IRO – 超新星
Over on the albums chart, we have Supernova at number three. A south Korean Boy Band, they made their Japanese debut in 2009 with three singles released over three consecutive weeks. Since then they have bounced between Korea and Japan, constantly making “comebacks” in both nations. One of their members is currently on hiatus due to military service.

Can’t say – VIXX
Back on the singles chart, we have VIXX, and their latest single “Can’t Say”. VIXX is a Korean boy-band that was formed during a reality show called MyDOLL, where viewers voted on who was eliminated. They are most known for crafting together their music, lyrics, choreography, and over the stage performances into a story or concept. This is both their second Japanese release, and their second Japanese comeback, a concept favored by Korean talent agencies it seems.

Be Brave – EXILE ATSUSHI + AI
Number seven is claimed by Atsushi and AI’s new single, “Be Brave”. Atsushi is a member of EXILE, but has recently also started to release solo work. He writes most of his own songs, and has even written many of EXILE’s most commercially successful songs. AI is a Japanese-American singer and songwriter who was born in Los Angeles, and spent her childhood in both Kagoshima and LA. Her single “Story” has become one of the biggest singles of the 2000’s in Japan.

LinQuest～やがて伝説へ… – LinQ
At number eight, LinQ’s new single LinQuest. LinQ is an idol group formed on the island of Kyushu, which is referenced in their name, as it stands for “love in Qshu”. LinQ is divided into two groups, LinQ L and LinQ Q, the former being made up by members ages 18 and above, whilst the latter consisting of members ages 18 and below.

娑婆ラバ – パスピエ
Back on the albums chart, we have Passepied’s new album. Passepied is a pop/rock group formed by Narita Haneda, the group’s keyboardist. They have a distinct musical style, incorporating themes from 70’s and 80’s musical styles, with a hint of Japan-esque style appearing and disappearing between notes. The vocalist, Natsuki Ogoda, also creates the artwork seen in the videos, and even has a large role in creating the animations.

Sisters- SCANDAL
And finally, at number nine on the singles chart, we have SCANDAL’s new single, “Sisters”. SCANDAL, an all-female rock band, rose to fame by playing live street performances until indie label Kitty Records scouted them. Since then they have risen to fame both in Japan and abroad, with numerous overseas performances. Anime fans will most likely know them from their theme song work, which includes themes for Bleach and Fullmetal Alchemist.

That’s it for this week! I hope you had your fill of nommy songs, and I’ll see you next week for another roundup of the Oricon Chart!

The full charts can be found at oricon.co.jp