EXILE AKIRA marries Taiwanese actress Lin Chi-ling

EXILE THE SECOND member EXILE AKIRA has suddenly announced his marriage! Taking to his official Instagram account, the singer and actor revealed that he married Taiwanese actress and model Lin Chi-ling.

Referring to her as a “famous actress” and someone who he had a “long-standing friendship” with, he thanked fans for their continuous support.

Billboard Japan Releases Its 2019 Mid-Year Charts

We are now heading towards the midpoint of 2019, meaning that mid-year charts are here! Billboard Japan has now released their version! This chart covers the period from 11/26/18 to 5/26/19.

Aimyon is the Top Artist of 2019 so far.

After topping 2018’s mid-year and year-end charts, Yonezu Kenshi‘s “Lemon” continues its winning streak by topping the mid-year Hot 100 single chart. “Lemon” did the same on the Download Songs chart.

Hoshino Gen‘s “POP VIRUS” topped the Hot Albums and Download Albums charts.

Aimyon’s “Marigold” topped the Streaming Songs chart.

Shiggy Jr. to Disband

Shiggy Jr. has decided that the band will break up after their concert at Tokyo’s BLITZ Akasaka, “Shiggy Jr. LAST LIVE – That’s what I call Shiggy Jr. -“, on September 7. The decision to dissolve comes after many discussions within the band, with the main factor being Tomoko’s vocal nodule. She also expressed her desire to live life on her own terms as she approaches 30. Shiggy Jr. thanked their fans for their support over the years, despite this sudden announcement.

Nikkei Entertainment Releases the Large Scatter Plots Featuring All the Male and Female Celebrities in Its 2019 “Talent Power Ranking”

This year’s edition of Nikkei Entertainment’s “Talent Power Ranking” is out. We’ve had several posts about this topic, and we now have the very large scatter plots that these lists were made from. There is one for male celebrities and another for female celebrities. Check them out after the jump to see where your faves placed in the spectrum of celebrity!

Final Fantasy soundtracks now available on Apple Music & Spotify

Good news for fans of the legendary RPG series Final Fantasy, the soundtracks from the beloved games are now available for streaming, worldwide!! Some soundtracks from select games are missing, but all the big ones are there. These include “Final Fantasy VII”, “Final Fantasy VIII”, “Final Fantasy X”, and “Final Fantasy VI”.

It is currently available on the two primary music streaming services, Spotify and Apple Music. Earlier in the year fellow Japanese developer Capcom surprised fans by making music from “Street Fighter”, “Resident Evil”, and “Mega Man” available. Thankfully Square Enix has decided to follow suit.

Sakanaction Release Intimate PV for “Nylon no Ito”

On June 19, Sakanaction will release their long awaited album, “834.194.” Ahead of the album’s release, the band will release the song “Nylon no Ito” as a digital single on June 5. The song serves as the CM song for Calorie Mate.

Sakanaction has also released the music video for “Nylon no Ito.” In contrast to the Calorie Mate commercial, which finds Sakanaction frontman Yamaguchi Ichiro in a vast desert, the video for “Nylon no Ito” has the themes of water and the city. It also features a couple exploring each other’s bodies in a close and personal fashion. See it below!

PKCZ, CL, and AFROJACK Team Up for “CUT IT UP”

On June 4, PKCZ will release a new digital single, “CUT IT UP.” The song features CL of the defunct KPop group 2NE1 and AFROJACK. 88rising, a company that seeks to expand the reach of Asian hip hop in the West, is releasing “CUT IT UP.”

The music video for “CUT IT UP” was released today and it is an homage to the film “Kill Bill.” Check it out below!

Sandwich Man Tops Nikkei Entertainment’s “Talent Power Ranking”

This year’s edition of Nikkei Entertainment’s annual “Talent Power Ranking” is currently appearing online. The main list, the overall top 50, is now available. Sandwich Man tops the ranking this year, rising from #6. Matsuko Deluxe falls to #2, after three years on top. Ayase Haruka is #3, dropping one spot. Find out the rest of the top 30 after the jump!