# 2021 in Japanese music

The year 2021 in Japanese music.

## Debuting
### Debuting groups

* ≠Me
* AB6IX
* ASP
* Be First
* Enhypen
* Ho6la
* INI
* Itzy
* Loona
* Naniwa Danshi
* NIK
* Rocket Punch
* Treasure

### Debuting soloists

* Miku Kobato [ja] (as Cluppo)
* Takuya Eguchi
* Ai Hashimoto
* Masato Hayakawa
* Miyu Honda
* Marina Horiuchi [ja]
* Elaiza Ikeda
* Takanori Iwata
* Reina Kondō
* Marika Kōno
* Kanako Momota
* Hiroki Moriuchi
* Takuma Nagatsuka
* Yurie Neno as a member of Sweet Pop Candy
* Miho Okasaki
* Aguri Ōnishi
* Anna Suzuki [ja]
* Rie Takahashi
* Wonho
* Daiki Yamashita

## Returning from hiatus
### Returning groups

* Ajico
* Funky Monkey Babys
* Nirgilis
* Rythem
* TM Network

### Returning soloists

* Fullkawa Honpo
* Yūzō Kayama
* Noriyuki Makihara
* Shiori Niiyama
* Naoya Urata

## Events

* 72nd NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen

## Number-ones

* Oricon number-one albums
* Oricon number-one singles
* Hot 100 number-one singles

## Awards

* 63rd Japan Record Awards
* 2021 MTV Video Music Awards Japan

## Albums released
### January

| Date | Album | Artist |
| 1 | Sukkarakan | Eito |
| 1 | Love Live! Sunshine!! Kurosawa Dia First Solo Concert Album ~White First Love~ | Arisa Komiya |
| 1 | Enka Yume no Kyōen | Yukino Ichikawa, Kohei Fukuda |
| 6 | Mikunoyoasobi | Ayase |
| 6 | Bokutachi No Denkosekka | Greeeen |
| 6 | Sweet Hug | Misako Uno |
| 6 | 1ST | SixTones |
| 6 | Wadachi | Spyair |
| 6 | Suki Suki Ronchan | Suki Suki Ronchan |
| 6 | The Book | Yoasobi |
| 13 | One | 7order |
| 13 | Tasekai kaishaku | Genin Wa Jibun Ni Aru. |
| 13 | Japanese Star | Girls² |
| 13 | Reincarnation | Go to the Beds |
| 13 | Straight Outta Rhyme Anima | Hypnosis Mic: Division Rap Battle |
| 13 | Guinea Pig Lab | Kyuso Nekokami |
| 13 | Hyaku hi Ryōran-sen | LatuLatu |
| 13 | Speed Music Box - All The Memories - | Speed |
| 13 | "Idolish7 Second Beat" Original Soundtrack "Beyond The Shine" | Tatsuya Kato |
| 15 | Kōkyō kumikyoku uchūsenkan'yamato 2202 | Akira Miyagawa |
| 20 | Baekhyun | Baekhyun |
| 20 | Unseen World | Band-Maid |
| 20 | Six | Da-ice |
| 20 | Pop In City ~For Covers Only~ | Deen |
| 20 | D4DJ Groovy Mix Cover Tracks Vol.1 | Happy Around!, Peaky P-key, Photon Maiden, Merm4id, Rondo, Lyrical Lily |
| 20 | Sing;est | Hiroki Moriuchi |
| 20 | ~10th Anniversary~ "Princess Assemble" | Houkago Princess |
| 20 | Ghost in the Shell Superb Music | Kenji Kawai, Yoko Kanno, Cornelius |
| 20 | Gradation | Little Glee Monster |
| 20 | Mamejor! | Mameshiba no Taigun |
| 20 | Sabitsuku made | Miyashita Yuu |
| 20 | 20th Anniversary Best Kachō Fūgetsu | Monkey Majik |
| 20 | Theory | Oisicle Melonpan |
| 20 | Mādadayo | Satoshi Hayashibe |
| 20 | To Redefine/To Be Defined | Survive Said The Prophet |
| 20 | The Idolmaster Shiny Colors Colorful Feathers -Stella- | Team.Stella |
| 20 | Green Giraffe | Toshinori Yonekura |
| 20 | Still Dreaming | Tomorrow X Together |
| 25 | Hikigatari Live | Chiharu Matsuyama |
| 27 | Just Believe You | All At Once |
| 27 | Hyaku Nozomi Yakō | Asca |
| 27 | Boymen the Universe | Boys and Men |
| 27 | Aster | Colon |
| 27 | Harami Teishoku DX ~Streetpiano Collection~ "O Kawari" | Harami-chan |
| 27 | Mother Music Revisited | Keiichi Suzuki |
| 27 | Tomaranai Kazeguruma | Little Parade |
| 27 | "Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club" Original Soundtrack "Sound of Tokimeki" | Naoki Endo, Nijigasaki High School Idol Club |
| 27 | Chaosix | Nobuhiko Okamoto |
| 27 | 10ct | Predia |
| 27 | Note | Ryo Nishikido |
| 27 | Find Fuse in Youth | Soshi Sakiyama |
| 27 | Star | Super Junior |
| 27 | "Dear Vocalist Raving Beats!!!" Lumiere Vo.Re-o-do | Toshiki Masuda |
| 27 | Physical | Yoru no Honki Dance |
| 27 | Sōsaku | Yorushika |
| 30 | "Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!" Original Soundtrack | Horiguchi Junka |

### February

| Date | Album | Artist |
| 3 | The End | Aina the End |
| 3 | Billow | Keina Suda |
| 3 | Reboot | Madkid |
| 3 | Travel | Mamamoo |
| 3 | Green Diary | Megumi Nakajima |
| 3 | Kimi ga Ita kara | Pixmix |
| 3 | Frontier | Ryo Kitazono |
| 3 | You Can Change My Life | Sung Si-kyung |
| 3 | I Love You | Super Beaver |
| 3 | Live Loud | The Yellow Monkey |
| 3 | Sakkac Craft | Tsumiki |
| 10 | The Idolmaster Master Artist 4 07 Miki Hoshii | Akiko Hasegawa |
| 10 | 15 | Cali Gari |
| 10 | The Idolmaster Master Artist 4 08 Miura Azusa | Chiaki Takahashi |
| 10 | America/Hosono Haruomi Live in US 2019 | Haruomi Hosono |
| 10 | One Wish EP | Man with a Mission |
| 10 | The Millennium Parade | Millennium Parade |
| 10 | Love Live" Sunshine Matsuura Kanan First Solo Concert Album ~Sakana ka nandaka?~ | Nanaka Suwa |
| 10 | The Idolmaster Master Artist 4 09 Ritsuko Akizuki | Naomi Wakabayashi |
| 10 | Sekadepa! | Qumali Depart |
| 10 | Sekai no Owari 2010–2019 | Sekai no Owari |
| 10 | Hachijuokubunnoichi: to you | Sonar Pocket |
| 10 | Two-Mix 25th Anniversary All Time Best | Two-Mix |
| 10 | Gusare | Zutomayo |
| 14 | Seiko Matsuda 40th Anniversary Bible -bright moment- | Seiko Matsuda |
| 17 | Aces | AtToKun |
| 17 | Chō kakumei-teki koisuru nichijō | Azumi Waki |
| 17 | Gardenia Jasminoides | Cocco |
| 17 | Fake Land | Fake Type |
| 17 | Ethernity | For Tracy Hyde |
| 17 | Reamp | Hitorie |
| 17 | Yakou Himitsu | Indigo la End |
| 17 | Between The World And Me | Inoran |
| 17 | Loveholic | NCT 127 |
| 17 | Guts Entertainment | Su-xing-cyu |
| 17 | The Idolmaster Shiny Colors Colorful Feathers -Luna- | Team.Luna |
| 17 | Vacation | TFG |
| 17 | Vivid Vice | Who-ya Extended |
| 21 | Suikyō Kyoku | Yuki Saito |
| 24 | It's All Me, Vol. 2 | Ai |
| 24 | Killing Idols | Bis |
| 24 | X | Dish |
| 24 | Hanaemi | HY |
| 24 | Believe | Jel |
| 24 | Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- 2nd D.R.B "Matenro VS Buster Bros!!!" | Matenro, Buster Bros!!! |
| 24 | Masahiro Tanaka | Momoiro Clover Z |
| 24 | Love Live! Nijigasaki Gakuen ~Good Morning ohayō hōsō-shitsu~ Drama CD Youth Capriccio | Nijigasaki High School Idol Club |
| 24 | "Dear Vocalist Raving Beats!!!" Brave Child Vo. Joshua | Nobunaga Shimazaki |
| 24 | Kyō Sō | Pure White Canvas |
| 24 | Pure x Pure x Pure | Purely Monster |
| 24 | Fiction | Rikako Aida |
| 24 | Three | Sayonara Poesie |
| 24 | Subekaraku Matsuri | Subekaraku Kai |
| 24 | Digitalian is Eating Breakfast Special Edition | Tetsuya Komuro |
| 24 | Reboot | The Rampage from Exile Tribe |
| 24 | Sutekina otona ni naru hōhō | Tota Kasamura |
| 24 | Useless | XIIX |
| 24 | Natural | Yui |

### March

| Date | Album | Artist |
| 3 | Doushitatte Tsutaerarenaikara | Aiko |
| 3 | Reboot | Airi Miyakawa |
| 3 | Cryamy -Red Album- | Cryamy |
| 3 | SS | Devil Anthem. |
| 3 | IV | Hiroyuki Sawano |
| 3 | Katashigure | Hiroyuki Yoshino |
| 3 | Fizzy Pop Syndrome | Kiro Akiyama |
| 3 | Canvas | Keisuke Ueda |
| 3 | 15th Anniversary Hikigatari Best | Maiko Fujita |
| 3 | Paradises Return | Paradises |
| 3 | Bravely Default II Original Soundtrack | Revo |
| 3 | L | Sakurako Ohara |
| 3 | SZ10TH | Sexy Zone |
| 3 | Shibuya | Shibu3 Project |
| 3 | Peacepeace | Sky Peace |
| 3 | Amusic | Sumika |
| 3 | Ska=Almighty | Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra |
| 3 | LP | Towa Tei |
| 3 | New World | Trio Ohashi |
| 3 | Saikyō Tsubomi DX | Tsubomi |
| 3 | Ningen Gekijō | Yurry Canon |
| 3 | Self Selection "Hip Hop" | Ai |
| 4 | Love Live! Sunshine!! Kunikida Hanamaru First Solo Concert Album～Oyasuminasan!～ | Kanako Takatsuki |
| 10 | Ai Kayano 10th Memorial Book & Mini Album "Musunde Hiraite" | Ai Kayano |
| 10 | Sudachi no Uta / Life is Cider | Anemoneria |
| 10 | Appare! Parade | Appare! |
| 10 | Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- 2nd D.R.B "Bad Ass Temple VS Matenro" | Bad Ass Temple, Matenro |
| 10 | I Love You | Fujifabric |
| 10 | A Cappella 2 | Gospellers |
| 10 | Bokutachi no Gunzō | Granrodeo |
| 10 | One Last Kiss | Hikaru Utada |
| 10 | This Is Not A Song | Jun. K |
| 10 | Glory, Glory, to the World | Lovebites |
| 10 | Button | Sakura Shimeji |
| 10 | Aoi Honoo | Shizuka Kudo |
| 10 | The Idolmaster Shiny Colors Colorful Feathers -Sol- | Team.Sol |
| 10 | Octopath Traveler Original Soundtrack | Yasunori Nishiki |
| 10 | Asagao | Yuta Orisaka |
| 11 | 2+0+2+1+3+1+1= 10 years 10 songs | Radwimps |
| 13 | Gurenge / Flame | Lisa |
| 14 | Only One | 3LDK |
| 14 | 20XX "The Best" | W-inds |
| 16 | Thanatos | Inuwasi |
| 17 | Where's My History? | Alexandros |
| 17 | M.C.A・T Da Pump Mix | Da Pump |
| 17 | 'Funfare | Fudanjuku |
| 17 | One | Gyroaxia |
| 17 | Rainbow | Johnny's West |
| 17 | Akahoshi Ao Hoshi | Kayoko Yoshizawa |
| 17 | Debut 20th Anniversary Recital @ Nippon Budokan | Keisuke Yamauchi |
| 17 | Duets | Maaya Sakamoto |
| 17 | Evergreen 2 | Motohiro Hata |
| 17 | Sunny!! | Pmarusama |
| 17 | Shiro Sagisu Music from "Shin Evangelion" | Shirō Sagisu |
| 17 | Velvet Night | Shoose |
| 17 | Cure | Sirup |
| 17 | 8 Infinity | Solidemo |
| 17 | Breaking Dawn | The Boyz |
| 17 | It's A Perfect Blue | Tokyo 7th Sisters |
| 17 | Twilight Wanderers -Best of Yuji Nakada 2011-2020- | Yuji Nakada |
| 17 | "Haikyū!! To The Top" Original Soundtrack | Yuki Hayashi, Asami Tachibana |
| 21 | A Long Vacation 30th Anniversary Edition | Eiichi Ohtaki |
| 24 | One Of Us | Afterglow |
| 24 | Enter | Akira Takano |
| 24 | Into the A to Z | Ateez |
| 24 | Colony | BIN |
| 24 | Hypnosismic -Division Rap Battle- 2nd D.R.B "Fling Posse VS Mad Trigger Crew" | Fling Posse, Mad Trigger Crew |
| 24 | Pandora | Go!Go!Vanillas |
| 24 | 55 Stones | Kazuyoshi Saito |
| 24 | Piece | Kenji Urai |
| 24 | Full Colors | Oldcodex |
| 24 | "Dear Vocalist Raving Beats !!!" Kagaribi Vo. Juda | Sōma Saitō |
| 24 | "Shoujo ☆ Kageki Review Starlight" Best Album | Starlight Kuku Gumi |
| 24 | Ghost Album | Tempalay |
| 24 | Seishun to Band wa Tanoshikute Mendokusai | The Coinlockers |
| 24 | For U | Yusuke Kamiji |
| 28 | Singer 7 | Aya Shimazu |
| 30 | 30th Anniversary Best Album "Vintage Denim" | Megumi Hayashibara |
| 31 | "Yuru Camp Season 2" Original Soundtrack | Akiyuki Tateyama |
| 31 | Hakkō-tai | Hanaregumi |
| 31 | Who? | Ikimono-gakari |
| 31 | Ketsuno Paradise | Ketsumeishi |
| 31 | Shin uchū + Warp Drive II | Kirameki Unforent |
| 31 | "Yamiyonikarasu, yuki ni sag" kanzen seisan gentei-ban | Lacco Tower |
| 31 | 16th ~That's J-POP~ | Morning Musume |
| 31 | Mata Aitaito Omoeru Tomoni, Jinseide Nannin Meguriaeruka? | High School 3-C |
| 31 | Unite | Spyair |
| 31 | The First Step: Treasure Effect | Treasure |
| 31 | "Uma Musume Pretty Derby Season 2" Animation Derby Season 2 Vol. 3 Original Soundtrack | Utamaro Movement |

### April

| Date | Album | Artist |
| 4 | Your Mori. | Mori Calliope |
| 7 | Chōtokkyū ≠Me Iki | ≠Me |
| 7 | First E.P | Backdrop Cinderella |
| 7 | Music Wardrobe | Five New Old |
| 7 | Caramel Guerrilla | Kenichi Asai |
| 7 | Kyū | Kizu |
| 7 | Wonderland | Lyrical School |
| 7 | Odds and Ends | Nishina |
| 7 | The World | Regal Lily |
| 7 | Uya Muya | ShishiShishi |
| 7 | 3 | Six Lounge |
| 8 | A Ballads 2 | Ayumi Hamasaki |
| 14 | Walpurgis | Aimer |
| 14 | Yosuga | Ayano Kaneko |
| 14 | Only One / Guerrilla's Way | Boom Trigger |
| 14 | "Detective Conan: The Scarlet Bullet" Original Soundtrack | Katsuo Ōno |
| 14 | Kotoba to Ongaku | Sakanamon |
| 14 | Acoustique Electrick Sessions 2020 | Toru Kitajima |
| 14 | Yesworld | Toru Kitajima |
| 15 | Tsukiyo no Ongakkai | Akiko Shikata |
| 17 | Love Live! Sunshine!! Watanabe You First Solo Concert Album | Shuka Saitō |
| 21 | Talk About Everything | Airblue |
| 21 | Radiant Memories | Ayahi Takagaki |
| 21 | Joyful Style | Bradio |
| 21 | Mystere | Haruka Yamazaki |
| 21 | "Jujutsu Kaisen" Original Soundtrack | Hiroaki Tsutsumi, Yoshimasa Terui, Alisa Okehazama |
| 21 | Bouquet | Hololive Idol Project |
| 21 | SadaDon ShinJibunFudoki III | Masashi Sada |
| 21 | Etc.works3 | Mongol800 |
| 21 | Best Album "Myōjō" | Mucc |
| 21 | New Gravity | Nulbarich |
| 21 | Enchant | Orbit |
| 21 | Sukima Switch Tour 2020-2021 Smoothie | Sukima Switch |
| 21 | Fly! Fly! Fly! | T-Square |
| 21 | Colorless | Taichi Mukai |
| 21 | Eguism | Takuya Eguchi |
| 21 | Latte | Tsubasa Sakiyama |
| 21 | Big Jumbo Jet | Umeda Cypher |
| 21 | Fruitful | Yasuyuki Horigome |
| 21 | SDR | Ziggy |
| 28 | 25 Years After All Time Best | Chihiro Yonekura |
| 28 | Girls Revolution / Party Time! | Girls² |
| 28 | One Love Anthology | Glay |
| 28 | Oneway Generation | Kishidan |
| 28 | Diabolik Lovers Daylight Vol.2 Sakama Shuu | Kōsuke Toriumi |
| 28 | "Dear Vocalist Raving Beats!!!" Jet Rat Fury Vo.Yuu | Natsuki Hanae |
| 28 | Opening Declaration | Novelbright |
| 28 | Genius Love | Quruli |
| 28 | Piofiore no Banshō Evening Bell Character Drama CD Vol.1 Nikola Francesca | Ryōhei Kimura |
| 28 | Be Brave | Shinya Kiyozuka |
| 28 | Forced Shutdown | Tomori Kusunoki |
| 28 | Ai Kotoba. | Yukari Tamura |
| 28 | Terminal | Yuki |

### May

| Date | Album | Artist |
| 5 | Flavors of Love | Monsta X |
| 12 | Zenbu, Naisho. | =Love |
| 12 | Tasogare-Resonance | Calmera |
| 12 | Atarashī Seikatsu | Cubers |
| 12 | Utai tsugu! Nihon no hayariuta Part 2 | Hiroshi Miyama |
| 12 | Moving Days | Homecomings |
| 12 | Anataninaritakatta | Ken Hirai |
| 12 | Off | Nao Tōyama |
| 12 | "Girls und Panzer" Original Soundtrack | Shiro Hamaguchi |
| 12 | Electric Jellyfish | Tokusatsu |
| 12 | Will Never Die | You the Rock |
| 12 | Ainodeban + Thanks to | Yu Sakai |
| 18 | Love Virus | Yurimental |
| 19 | Battle & Message | Angela |
| 19 | BanMon! Best goku nakayoshi teki sekai | Band Ja Naimon! |
| 19 | Ladybug | Lisa |
| 19 | This is Youth | Longman |
| 19 | Freak | Necry Talkie |
| 19 | Title Idol | Pastel*Palettes |
| 19 | Musicaloud #38 Act.3 | Sayaka Kanda |
| 21 | Wink | Chai |
| 21 | Aoppella -aoppella!?- | Riruhapi, FYA'M' |
| 24 | Ame*Sta EP | Ame*Sta |
| 25 | Kitto Anohi Bokuha Shinda | =Conect |
| 25 | Oneday Everyday | Dan Dan |
| 26 | Setsuzoku | Ajico |
| 26 | Anal Sex Penis | ASP |
| 26 | 2nd Step | Camellia Factory |
| 26 | Wakainagara mo rekishi ari 96.3.2@新宿Liquid Room | Fishmans |
| 26 | Atarashii Kajitsu | Grapevine |
| 26 | Gekokujō | Hanasaki Morinaka |
| 26 | 4Wheels 9Lives | Ken Yokoyama |
| 26 | "Tengaramon" Original Soundtrack | Kow Otani |
| 26 | Superspin | Kuzira |
| 26 | Utamonogatari | Mai Mizuhashi |
| 26 | Nonochan 2sai Kodomo Uta | Nonoka Murakata |
| 26 | Sekirara | Polkadot Stingray |
| 26 | Piofiore no Banshō Character Drama CD Vol.2 Gilbert Redford | Showtaro Morikubo |
| 26 | OT Works II | Taiiku Okazaki |
| 26 | Mass | The Gazette |
| 26 | "Dear Vocalist Raving Beats!!!" Veronica Vo. Momochi | Toshiyuki Toyonaga |
| 26 | Flight | Win Morisaki |
| 26 | Overseas Highway | Wolpis Carter |
| 29 | XXV | Mitsuhiro Oikawa |

### June

| Date | Album | Artist |
| 2 | Simple is Best | Aoi Teshima |
| 2 | Save Your Life Ayaka Hirahara All Time Live Best | Ayaka Hirahara |
| 2 | Parade Shon | BabyKingdom |
| 2 | Toumei | Civilian |
| 2 | Aru Nitsu... eien mitai ni! | Cyaron! |
| 2 | Trinity | Future Foundation |
| 2 | Love Person | Hideaki Tokunaga |
| 2 | Mask a Raid | Kamen Joshi |
| 2 | Playful | Koichi Domoto |
| 2 | Lovely Best Complete Lovely2 Songs | Lovely² |
| 2 | Auguries | The Songbards |
| 6 | Tokyo Invader | Iginari Tohoku San |
| 9 | Starlight | Wagakki Band |
| 9 | PvP | ZOC |
| 14 | Do or Not | Pentagon |
| 16 | BTS, the Best | BTS |
| 18 | Zutto Zutto Zutto | Ryokuoushoku Shakai |
| 28 | Superstar | Shinee |

### July

| Date | Album | Artist |
| 11 | Pontoon | Asaka |
| 21 | Re:Sense | King & Prince |
| 28 | Perfect World | Twice |

### August

| Date | Album | Artist |
| 4 | Aoi Inochi | Hiroko Moriguchi |
| 4 | Bubble Up! | Rocket Punch |
| 18 | Editorial | Official Hige Dandism |

### September

| Date | Album | Artist |
| 1 | DIALOGUE+1 | Dialogue |
| 1 | What'z Itzy? | Itzy |
| 1 | Beside You | Ran Itō |
| 8 | Gacharic Spin | Gacharic Spin |
| 27 | Self Selection "Piano Ballad" | Ai |
| 29 | Mary's Blood | Mary's Blood |
| 29 | With Me Again | 2PM |

### October

| Date | Album | Artist |
| 27 | Scorpion Moon | Thelma Aoyoma |
| 27 | Unconditional Love | Mai Kuraki |
| 27 | Candy Racer | Kyary Pamyu Pamyu |
| 27 | Outsider | BtoB |

### November

| Date | Album | Artist |
| 10 | Bright Future | Empire |
| 10 | Chaotic Wonderland | Tomorrow X Together |
| 23 | Forever Daze | Radwimps |
| 24 | U | NiziU |
| 24 | Absolute 6ix | AB6IX |

### December

| Date | Album | Artist |
| 1 | The Book 2 | Yoasobi |
| 6 | Best: 2000-2020 | Koda Kumi |
| 8 | Human | Max Changmin |
| 8 | Friends III | B'z |
| 15 | Revive | Nemophila |
| 15 | Time Flies | Nogizaka46 |
| 22 | It'z Itzy | Itzy |
| 22 | 30 | Uverworld |

## Disbanding and retiring artists
### Disbanding

* 100%
* AŌP
* Ayumikurikamaki
* Blu-Billion
* Cellchrome
* CY8ER
* Desurabbits
* GFriend
* Hotshot
* Iz*One
* Maison Book Girl
* OnePixcel
* Pink Cres.
* Sakura Gakuin
* V6

### Retiring

* Saki Shimizu
* Chinami Tokunaga
* Nana Yamada
* Mika Sakaki as a member of Sweet Pop Candy

### Going on hiatus

* Gackt
* Rikiya Higashihara
* Kariyushi58
* Maon Kurosaki
* Silent Siren
* Suchmos
* Tokyo Performance Doll