10 J-Pop Artists to Know Right Now — A Beginner's Guide via ARTIST 100
A beginner's guide to the ten artists topping OSHIRABE's ARTIST 100 — who they are and which songs to start with. Useful for new fans in Japan and abroad.
オシラベ編集部
OSHIRABE's ARTIST 100 sums each song's score by artist across the REAL HITS top 100 (how the charts work). Here are the ten artists at the top right now — who they are and where to start. Tap any song to dig in.
1. Mrs. GREEN APPLE
A Tokyo pop-rock band led by Motoki Ohmori, defining 2020s J-pop with catchy melodies and big dynamics. Two-time MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN Artist of the Year. Start here: Lilac / Darling / lulu.
2. back number
A trio from Gunma, long loved across generations as masters of bittersweet love songs. Start here: Takane no Hanako-san / Suiheisen / Happy End
3. M!LK
A male dance & vocal group (Stardust). Right now the act with the most momentum, on the back of the viral hit "Suki Sugite Metsu!". Start here: Suki Sugite Metsu! / Bakuretsu Aishiteru / Idol Power
4. Arashi
One of Japan's most iconic national idol groups (on hiatus since 2021). Its catalog still resonates widely. Start here: Five / Love so sweet / Happiness
5. Sakanaction
A band from Hokkaido fusing rock and electronica, fronted by Ichiro Yamaguchi. Their "Kaiju" won MAJ Song of the Year. Start here: Yoru no Odoriko / Kaiju / Shintakarajima
6. HANA
A new-generation dance & vocal group and winner of Best New Artist at MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2026. Their signature song "Blue Jeans" also took Best Dance & Vocal Song. Start here: Blue Jeans / ROSE / Bad Girl
7. Kenshi Yonezu
A singer-songwriter who began as the Vocaloid producer "Hachi," now one of the most important figures in modern J-pop. "IRIS OUT" won multiple MAJ awards. Start here: IRIS OUT / JANE DOE / Lemon
8. Vaundy
A multi-talented singer-songwriter (born 2000) who handles everything from writing to artwork himself. "Kaiju no Hanauta" remains a long-running hit. Start here: Kaiju no Hanauta / Tobu Toki / Fuujin
9. Official HIGE DANdism
A four-piece pop-rock band from Shimane, known for Satoshi Fujiwara's vocals and intricate songwriting ("Pretender"). Start here: Stardust / 115-man Kilo no Film / Pretender
10. =LOVE
A female idol group produced by Rino Sashihara. "Tokube-chu, Shite" won MAJ Best Girls' Idol Culture Song. Start here: Tokube-chu, Shite / Gekiyaku Chuudoku
Rankings change daily; see the current lineup on the ARTIST 100 ranking.