It was a week of celebration for MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2026, with the Grand Ceremony taking place at TOYOTA ARENA TOKYO on June 13, 2026. Other events like「LiSANi! LIVE on TOKYO ANIME MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS」and「MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN WEEK SPECIAL LIVE Billboard JAPAN | Spotify present Women In Music - EQUAL STAGE」happened on June 9th and served as additional highlights to promote the main awards ceremony.
Here’s our review of「MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN WEEK SPECIAL LIVE Billboard JAPAN | Spotify present Women In Music - EQUAL STAGE」, hosted by Ryo Nagoshi and mikako (Nagie Lane), with performances by ATRASHII GAKKO!, Hitsujibungaku, LANA, and Awich.
What is Billboard JAPAN Women In Music and Spotify EQUAL?
In 2022, Billboard JAPAN began「Billboard JAPAN Women in Music」as an initiative to highlight, empower, and support “cool” female artists in Japan for a more inclusive society. Spotify launched their global project「Spotify EQUAL」in 2021 with the goal of providing female artists and creators with opportunities to reach a wider global audience and continue expressing themselves through their craft.
Both of these initiatives have had tangible effects both within Japan and globally. After Awich was chosen to participate in「Spotify EQUAL」in September 2021, her statistics as of December 2025 show her monthly listeners grew +154%, with a +476% boost in replays of her official Spotify playlist, and a +776% growth in overseas listeners.
Spotify EQUAL Japan Playlist
According to Billboard JAPAN’s weekly「JAPAN Hot 100 」chart, there were 245 songs that charted in 2025, 45 more songs than in 2023. They’ve attributed this to the rise in popularity of female artists, with women representing 63.7% of the songs ranking in on the short-term Top 100 chart in 2025, a growth from 58.6% in 2023.
ATARASHII GAKKO!: Dance and Energy
Known as ATARASHII GAKKO! Leaders in Japan, Mizyu, Suzuka, Kanon, and Rin made their worldwide debut as ATARASHII GAKKO! in 2021. The group represents a new generation of Japanese youth, and their songs are themed around the Japanese word “seishun”, the formative years associated with adolescence and coming of age. They strive to show their individual personality and expression through their dance, and you’ll notice sections of the performance where each member’s choreography has been left up to them as to how they dance.
In a short interview with「Spotify EQUAL」, the group also talked about their concept as artists trying to challenge their limits, but without breaking the rules. They explained that it’s about being brave and challenging yourself with the help of your friends, by yourself, or whenever you’re ready to try something new. Don’t worry about failure, just start learning.
They opened the night with “Go Wild”, followed by a round of other high energy songs that immediately grabbed the crowd’s attention.
ATARASHII GAKKO!’s songs aren’t confined to just one genre. Their setlist included hip-hop, enka, jazz, rock, and more traditional Japanese chord progression over the 8 songs they performed. It made for a unique, cohesive blend that is further amplified by their choreography which includes Japanese festival dance, kabuki performance, contemporary dance, synchronized dance, and more.
Their second song, “Chanka Chanka” is a great example of how they express the Japanese culture of summer festivals and yokai using hip-hop, enka, and Japanese chords, along with incorporating common festival dance into their choreography. One other interesting thing to note about the group is their songs aren’t specifically beholden to one era of sheishun, “OTONABLUE” transports you to Japan’s bubble era in the 80’s which is a completely different beat.
It’s the dedication to pushing their limits, being unconventional, and their showmanship that has made ATRASHII GAKKO! a worldwide success. Before they left the stage, they continued to pump up the audience for the following performers, which reiterated the feeling of community and support.
ATRASHII GAKKO! Setlist
1. Go Wild
2. Chanka Chanka
3. オトナブルー (OTONABLUE)
4. Arigato
5. 乙女の美学 (Otome no Bigaku)
6. Fly High
7. Tokyo Calling
8. One heart
Official HP: https://leaders.asobisystem.com/
Hitsujibungaku: Vocal Expression and Feeling
Hitsujibungaku were the second group to perform and the only rock group of the night. Moeka Shiotsuka (Vo.Gt) and Yurika Kasai (Ba.) made their major debut as Hitsujibungaku under Sony Music in 2020. The group is known overseas for their song “more than words”, one of Jujutsu Kaisen’s season two ending songs, and they are continuing to grow in popularity, with recent tours within Europe and Asia.
Their harmonious vocals, driving bass, powerful drums, and calming melodies put your mind at ease when listening to their music. Their first song “OOPARTS” had the audience peacefully swaying to Moeka’s voice, and the same can be said throughout their entire set list. “more than words” also highlights another of the band’s strong points, their lyrics. Moeka’s word choice and delivery is personal and sincere, which makes their music connect with fans on an emotional level.
However, it was their last song of the night and most recent single, “Dogs”, which showcased Moeka’s powerful voice. It soared throughout the entire concert hall like a graceful bird flying free. Hitsujibungaku’s music will speak to you, reach you, and take you on a reflective journey.
Hitsujibungaku Setlist
1. OOPARTS
2. doll
3. 声 (Koe)
4. more than words
5. Dogs
Official HP: https://www.hitsujibungaku.info/
LANA - Style and Personality
LANA followed as the first solo artist of the night, demanding all attention be on her. At 22 years old, LANA was the youngest artist featured during the concert, but she’s a powerful rising star in the Japanese music industry. Her performance ignited the audience. She started to upload her songs to SoundCloud in 2020, and began to seriously pursue music as a career in 2022. While her roots are in hip-hop and R&B, her setlist proved that she’s gone beyond to mix pop and electronic styles into her music. She continues to write her own lyrics, co-arrange her songs, and more under her own label. She also began her own first tour through Japan in 2026.
LANA visually stood out with her tattoos, camo patterned outfit, and diva like aura. She opened her performance with “Like a Flower” which highlighted her rap, husky voice, and ambition as an artist. The audience caught her infectious energy, threw their hands up, and focused all eyes on LANA. She kept the energy high with the live band arrangement of “No.5”, and there was even a vibe check done before she went into a remix of “My Life”. But it was her performance and cover of “Angel with Broken Wings” where she slowed the show down, opened up about her life, and explained how the song got her through some hard times. The ballad showcased off her vocal prowess, humbleness, and gratitude for the journey she’s been on.
LANA Setlist
1. 華 (Life a Flower)
2. No.5 Band Arr
3. My Life Remix
4. it's okay Band Arr
5. 翼の折れたエンジェル (Angel with Broken Wings)
6. Drama Queen
7. Like a Flower
8. L7 Blues Extended
Official HP: https://lanal7.com/
Awich - Lyrics and Performance
The final performer of the night was Awich, whose real name in Japanese means Asian Wish Child. She was the veteran and heavy hitter of the night and has found major success around the world within the last 5-6 years. As the Japanese queen of rap and hip-hop, hailing from Okinawa, Awich debuted her first EP “Inner Research” in 2006, before moving to Atlanta, Georgia that same year. Her first full album "Asia Wish Child" released in 2007, but after the birth of her daughter and sudden loss of her husband in 2011, she wouldn’t step back onto the music scene until August 2017 with the release of “8”, her first album in 10 years. Her recent album “Okinawan Wuman” released in 2025, and was produced by the RZA, one of America's most iconic hip-hop icons. The album represents her life story and is a strong letter to her home of Okinawa.
Something that stuck with us that Awich said was that if you’ve ever given up on a dream, it’s never too late to take revenge on it. You normally hear that you should never give up and to keep trying, but hearing Awich reflect on her life, struggles, depression, and finally come back to her dream speaks to her character as a person and a mother. She said the most important thing needed is talking and listening to yourself, advice that was also echoed by each artist that night.
When Awich started there weren’t many, if hardly any female rappers to stand by her as support, but the industry has changed and she’s been a part of that change for other female rappers in Japan. LANA joined her on stage to sing “Bad Bitch 美学 feat. LANA”, and their on stage dynamic made for an exhilarating performance. LANA wasn’t the only female artist to join Awich. Her daughter, Toyomi Jah’mira known as Yomi Jah, also took the stage to sing “TSUBASA feat. Yomi Jah” with her mother. Everything came full circle in that moment, for us in the audience to realize how far the industry has grown with more female artists and proper representation. As Awich pointed out, there’s still a long way to go, but progress has been made. The fact there was an entire night dedicated to amazing female artists was a testament to that fact.
As mentioned earlier, Awich was the veteran of the performers and with that came an increased level of improvisation, crowd work, confidence and an energy that could only come from years of experience. She was the perfect choice to close the night out.
Awich Setlist
1. Remember
2. どれにしようかな
3. RASEN in OKINAWA
4.LONGINESS REMIX
5. Bad Bitch 美学 feat. LANA
6. Revenge
7. TSUBASA feat. Yomi Jah
8. Bad Bad
9. A Woman Hung Up
Official HP: https://awich098.com/
A New Generation of Women Artists
「MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN WEEK SPECIAL LIVE Billboard JAPAN | Spotify present Women In Music - EQUAL STAGE」was a night of encouragement and unity, a literal show of the rise of female artists across different music genres, and a night to remind all listeners that you're not alone. You’re part of a community.
Each of these female artists prove that the freedom to dream is real, and they’ve all made it to the world stage with their music. What starts as singing for yourself, family and friends, or dressing up and dancing as your favorite artist, can become a professional reality. For girls and women in music, there’s a community of female artists backing you, major initiatives like「Billboard JAPAN Women in Music」and 「Spotify EQUAL」to assist in recognition, and multiple ways to breakthrough.
Whether you’re coming up from SoundCloud like LANA, starting a band with a friend and jamming out like hitsujibungaku, at a different stage in life than when you began like Awich, or going through auditions to join a group like ATRASHII GAKKO!, remember that you make the opportunities for yourself and for others.
This was an original article written by A. Morris.
Photos for LANA credited to 山内洋枝
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