Sakurazaka46 Hits No. 1 on Japan Hot 100 With "Ai MUST BE"

Sakurazaka46's "Ai MUST BE" is No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, according to the chart released on 21 October. The title song comes from a single that went on sale on 14 October, and the chart week counted sales and plays from 12 to 18 October.

The Hot 100 is a weekly ranking that combines physical and download sales, radio airplay, streaming and video views into one list. The single sold 736,759 copies in its first week, enough to top the sales category. Billboard Japan also reported that the group passed half a million copies in its early tally on release day, the fourth consecutive release to do so.

The song's strength on the main chart came mostly from sales. It placed No. 16 for radio airplay, No. 10 for downloads with 2,776 units, and No. 12 for streaming. Downloads are single tracks bought as digital files, and "units" is the chart's measure of how many were counted.

The rest of the top ten was crowded with new entries. EBiDAN's "Yes! Tokyo" climbed from No. 3 to No. 2. It led the chart for video views and ranked No. 2 for streaming with 8,099,664 streams. Ayumu Imazu's "Musubi" rose from No. 5 to No. 4 and topped the streaming category with 9,303,925 streams.

iiONDO, an eight-member group launched from EBiDAN, debuted at No. 5 with "Hatsukoi ONDO," its first song. The single that carries the track went on sale on 14 October and sold 202,345 copies, ranking No. 2 for sales. EBiDAN describes the title track as an energetic, funky and fresh dance number.

Mrs. GREEN APPLE's "Kyohan" held at No. 3 and kept the No. 1 spot for radio for a second straight week. MATSURI's "Koi no Chuo-sen" debuted at No. 6, selling 91,833 copies to rank No. 3 for sales.

Travis Japan's "EGO" debuted at No. 8 and led the downloads category with 15,753 units. The song is the theme for the TV Asahi drama Hadakanbou-tachi, which stars group member Genta Matsuda.

The next weekly ranking will show whether these entries hold their places or drop back.