Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s ‘Lilac’ Logs Third Week at No. 1 on Japan Hot 100

Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac” returns to No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Jan. 8.

The Oblivion Battery opener gained in most metrics of the chart’s methodology from the week before: streams are up to 126%, radio airplay 172%, video views 126%, and karaoke 119%. The notable increase is most likely due to the group winning the Grand Prix at the 66th Japan Record Awards 2024 on Dec. 30 with this track (the threesome received this coveted award last year as well, with “Que Sera Sera”) and appearing on the prestigious live music show NHK’s Kohaku Uta Gassen on New Year’s Eve, and downloads have more than tripled from 4,794 units 15,585 units week-over-week. Also, the tracks the band performed on CDTV Live! Live! 2024→2025 — “I’m Invincible,” “Columbus,” and ”StaRt”— also climbed the chart, with “StaRt” reaching a new peak at No. 45.

Rosé & Bruno Mars’ “APT” slips a notch to No. 2. The global hit decreased in streaming, video and karaoke, but increased slightly in downloads and radio this week.

6 of the tracks listed on the top 10 this week were performed on Kohaku. Creepy Nuts’ massive rap smash “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” rose 6-3 and Kocchinokento’s breakout hit “Hai Yorokonde” more than doubled in downloads, rising 10-5. Omoinotake’s “IKUOKUKONEN” also gained in downloads more than twofold, rising a notch to No. 7, while tuki.’s “Bansanka” quadrupled in downloads, rising 17-9. Da-iCE’s “I wonder” tripled in downloads and returned to the top 10 for the first time in about 5 months.

Other Kohaku performers who graced this week’s chart include Kenshi Yonezu, whose “Sayonara Mata Itsuka!” saw a six-fold increase in downloads to shoot to No. 17 from No. 40, and Fujii Kaze, whose “Michi Teyu Ku” returned to the Japan Hot 100 for the first time in about three months, hitting No. 27. Veteran rock duo B’z also return with two classic J-rock anthems, “ultra soul” and “LOVE PHANTOM.” The former re-enters the chart for the first time in about 7 years and 4 months at No. 49, fueled by radio and download points, while the latter comes in at No. 57, powered by gains in downloads and streams.

The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.

See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Dec. 30, 2024 to Jan. 5, 2025, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.