With the arrival of June, Billboard Japan dropped rankings for the first half of 2019. The particular rankings were taken from the Billboard Japan Top 100 Chart and somewhat different from what we usually cover on the show with the Oricon, but they’re pretty similar in some regards.

#1 Aimyon

#2 Kenshi Yonezu

#3 Queen

#4 back number

#5 ONE OK ROCK

#6 TWICE

#7 Gen Hoshino

#8 Nogizaka46

#9 BTS

#10 DA PUMP

Surprising no one, vocalist Aimyon takes number one Top Artist. With thirty-one tracks on the Japan Hot 100 and four releases charting on the Japan Hot Albums list, it’s no surprise she’s the face of Japan’s Top Artists this year. What’s even more impressive is that she was only rank sixteen on last year’s chart. Not too far behind her is predecessor Kenshi Yonezu who took this past year’s Top Artist of NHK’s Kohaku, bearing twenty-five tracks on the Japan Hot 100 list and four releases charting on the Japan Hot Albums list. It’s no question, then, that Yonezu will remain in the top three. With the upcoming release of “Umi no Yurei”, Yonezu is hoping to overtake Aimyon to take the number one spot overall. With the success of “Bohemian Rhapsody” fever hitting Japan, Queen rounds out the list at number three.

#1 Yonezu Kenshi「Lemon」

#2 Aimyon「Marygold」

#3 DA PUMP「U.S.A.」

#4 Aimyon「Konya Kono Mama」

#5 Yonezu Kenshi「Flamingo」

#6 Kiyakizaki46「Kuroi Ushi」

#7 back number「HAPPY BIRTHDAY」

#8 Hinatazaka46「Kyun」

#9 Nogizaka46「Kaerimichi wa Tomawari Shitaku Naru」

#10 Aimyon「Kimi ha Rock wo Kiganai」

Strangely enough for the Hot 100 list, the top two artists swap with each other; “Lemon” continues to dominate from last year’s Hot 100 list with it also wrecking this year’s download charts. Overtaking last year’s impressive point count at 219,288.49, Yonezu is looking to become a mainstay in the industry for Reiwa. Running in at 155,429.37 points, Aimyon’s “Marygold” takes number one Top Streamed song and ninth Top Downloaded. Rounding out the list at number three is DA PUMP’s “it song” “U.S.A.“

#1 Gen Hoshin『POP VIRUS』

#2 ONE OK ROCK『Eye of the Storm』

#3 Nogizaka46『Ima ga Omoi Detani Narumade』
#4 Queen『Bohemiam Rhapsody Official Sound Track』
#5 back number『MAGIC』
#6 Aimyon『Shukanteki Six Sense』
#7 Kobukoro『ALL TIME BEST 1998-2018』
#8 TWICE『#TWICE2』
#9 Kenshi Yonezu『BOOTLEG』
#10 GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE『BEST GENERATION』

Surprisingly, none of the top three artists above have taken the Hot Albums list, with Gen Hoshino’s POP VIRUS taking the number one spot for both CD sales and downloads overall. Selling an impressive 281,000 copies since the album’s release back in December of last year with downloads over 26,000, Hoshino outdid himself with this album. Not too far behind him, popular rock band ONE OK ROCK took the number two spot with their album Eye of the Storm, taking fourth in CD sales with an impressive 288,000 copies sold and third in downloads with over 53,000. The idol community not to be forgotten, Nogizaka46’s album Ima ga Omoi Deni Naru took third.

We at Ongaku to You would like to congratulate all of the artists for their achievements thus far and look forward to their future releases this 2019.