Photo/Illutration Masako Masuda, an executive of The Orchard Japan (Takeshi Komiya)

(This is part two in a three-part series on how one short conversation between two salarymen led to the creation of global pop superstars.)

“This is awesome.”

Masako Masuda remembers thinking this after hearing Yoasobi’s debut single “Yoru ni Kakeru” (“Into the Night”) back in November 2019. “I was instantly convinced that this would sell,” she said. 

Masuda held dual roles as part of corporate planning at Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. and at The Orchard, a U.S. music distribution company that provides media to streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music.

At this point, the song had already exceeded its producers’ expectations; Yohei Yashiro and Shuya Yamamoto were mulling over paid distribution options after “Yoru ni Kakeru” achieved a million views on YouTube. 

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From left: Yoasobi’s producers Yohei Yashiro and Shuya Yamamoto of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. with The Orchard executive and Yoasobi marketing lead Masako Masuda in Tokyo. (Takeshi Komiya) 

The Orchard, which was founded in 1997 and acquired by Sony Group in 2015, mainly handles independent music artists.  

It was also new to the Japanese market—its Japan office opened in August 2019, shortly before Yoasobi’s autumn debut, and the company was on the hunt for marquee-worthy talent. 

On top of Yoasobi being an in-house project at SME, Masuda was already acquainted with Yashiro, one of the unit's producers, so she quickly set up a meeting. 

Both Yashiro and Yamamoto jumped at her offer. 

They recognized that speed was crucial to channeling the song’s unexpected momentum into actual revenue, and a smaller label such as The Orchard meant fewer hurdles in their race to paid distribution. 

The risk of going through a major label was the implication of a costly promotional campaign that would require waiting for management to sign off on the campaign and budget. No matter how smoothly this went, the in-house team's fire would likely dwindle before everything was officially approved. 

The Orchard also had two additional strengths. A staff spread out across 50 locations internationally gave it extensive reach in different markets.

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Yoasobi’s “Idol” hits No. 1 on the “Billboard Global Excl. US” chart in June 2023. It was the first Japanese track to top the chart that excludes the United States. (Captured from Billboard’s website)

Even sexier was the guarantee of data analytics that showed which tracks were selling in a specified country in real time. 

The choice paid off. 

Once “Yoru ni Kakeru” made it to streaming services in December 2019, it became an instant hit in Japan.

It also took off overseas. The catchy single reached No. 1 on Indonesia’s J-pop chart at the beginning of 2020 and The Orchard's data showed numerous plays in Taiwan and other parts of Asia that spring and summer. 

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The cover art for Yoasobi’s debut single “Yoru ni Kakeru” (“Into the Night”)

As Ayase and ikura focused on music and interviews, success did not slow Yamamoto, Yashiro and Masuda. The three doubled down on pitching Yoasobi to multiple overseas markets. 

They prepared presentation materials in English to send to The Orchard’s operations in Asia in time for the distribution of Yoasobi’s fourth single “Tabun” (localized as “Haven’t”) in the summer of 2020. 

Masuda asked staff in Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore to also bolster efforts to pitch the new track. 

Speed continued to play a major role. Whenever Yoasobi’s tracks saw a spike in streaming somewhere abroad, the local office was immediately asked to find the cause and the three explored ways to boost plays even more. 

Their lightning response times to The Orchard’s data made it possible for calculated growth in an age where CDs and records had solidly given way to borderless streaming. 

It is also an age where even the best of artists can fizzle out without effective marketing. The Orchard’s U.S. office believed the unit had a shot at breaking into the American market and suggested Yoasobi record English versions of their songs. 

Yoasobi took on the challenge. Ikura did not have much trouble singing in English having lived with her family in Chicago until she was 3.

Starting in July 2021, the pair produced English renditions of eight of their nine tracks over the course of about five months. This culminated in “E-side,” the first of their currently three English EPs.

“Those months were when we made every effort possible to get international media outlets and audiences to recognize Yoasobi as artists with global appeal,” Masuda said.

In some ways, their work was just beginning.

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