AKB48

Favoring the bright, affectionate side of pop, AKB48 are an all-female Japanese theater troupe/musical unit. Created by producer Yasushi Akimoto, "AKB" is short for Akihabara, a Tokyo district where the group performs daily in their own theater, and "48" was meant to refer to the number of members, although it operates more as an approximation. They made their recording debut with 2008's Set List: Greatest Songs 2006-2007, which collected earlier stage songs. The group then went to number one in Japan with their first proper studio album, 2010's Kamikyokutachi. By 2018, they had released their eighth straight chart-topper, Bokutachi Wa, Ano Hi No Yoake Wo Shitteiru, which continued their tradition of sparkling, warmly accessible J-pop. It was followed by a long string of number one non-album singles, among them 2018's "Teacher Teacher," 2019's "Sustainable," and 2023's "Doushitemo Kimi Ga Suki Da" ("I Really Like You").