Each year, the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) releases a Global Artist Chart recognizing the world’s best-selling artists of the previous year. This year’s report dropped in February, and Taylor Swift — whose album The Life of a Showgirl debuted with the largest week for an album and spent 12 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — was named the most successful global artist of 2025.
With globally recognized names like Stray Kids, Drake, The Weeknd and Bad Bunny rounding out the upper tiers of the chart, MGA (outside Japan, Mrs. GREEN APPLE goes by MGA) stood out as the only Japanese act to appear, landing at No. 13.
On the IFPI’s Global Album Chart, which ranks individual releases, Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl took No. 1, while MGA’s 10th-anniversary best-of album 10 landed at No. 10; the album also reached No. 19 on the Global Album Sales Chart and No. 11 on the Global Streaming Album Chart, underscoring the band’s strength across both sales and streaming.
10 is packed with MGA’s recent hits, including “Lilac,” which topped Billboard Japan’s 2025 year-end song chart; “Darling,” which brought the band its third consecutive Grand Prix of Japan’s most famous music prize; and “Dance Hall,” whose music video went viral for its elaborate choreography. It recorded the highest first-week sales for a band in Billboard Japan history and has since surpassed one million copies sold. The group’s total streaming count in Japan has exceeded 16 billion plays, with multiple songs maintaining long runs on the charts.
MGA formed in 2013 and made their major-label debut on Universal Music Japan in 2015. From the beginning, listeners have been drawn to the quality of their songwriting, the power of their live performances, the extraordinary vocal ability of frontman Motoki Ohmori (vocals/guitar), and lyrics that speak directly to the human experience. The band has pushed well beyond the boundaries of conventional rock act, incorporating dance into their performances, staging theatrical concert productions, and pursuing individual careers such as hosting and acting. Alongside this, their dynamic fan club evolved into a massive platform that goes beyond a simple membership service, shaping how they manage scale, scarcity, and communication, while offering fans early access to announcements and a closer connection to the band’s evolving vision. With a primetime television variety program hosted by the band members themselves launched in April, MGA has grown into a pop icon that transcends music fandom — they are now a household name across generations in Japan.
Each of the three members brings a distinct personality to the group. Motoki Ohmori serves as the band’s all-encompassing producer, overseeing songwriting, composition, arrangement, and visual direction, and has topped Billboard Japan’s Top Composers and Lyricists charts for three consecutive years. Widely acclaimed for his exceptional expressive power as a vocalist, he has also expanded into acting. Guitarist Hiloto Wakai brings the technical skill to realize the band’s intricate sound, earning attention for his playing and broader activities across music and media. Keyboardist Ryoka Fujisawa adds a distinct sonic character through his versatile musicianship, occasionally contributing on flute, helping shape the mood and texture of MGA’s music.
2025 was the year MGA sprinted through their 10th anniversary under the banner “MGA MAGICAL 10 YEARS,” with months of releases and live events building into their largest-ever five-dome tour, “BABEL no TOH,” which drew approximately 550,000 attendees across 12 dates. Despite the scale, tickets were nearly impossible to secure, reinforcing their reputation as one of Japan’s most in-demand live acts, with a concert film also announced.
This year, the band opened January with “lulu.,” the opening theme for Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 2, an anime with a strong following across Asia, North America, and Europe. April brings the start of a six-date stadium tour including four nights at one of Japan’s largest venues, MUFG Stadium in Tokyo. Of these, four shows were exclusive to fan club members, marking a first-ever achievement at the venue.
As their latest release, MGA provides the theme song “Kaze to Machi” for NHK’s new morning drama Kaze, Kaoru, a major national TV slot, following Ohmori’s appearance in last year’s installment Anpan. Written during that time, the track has been described by the show’s chief producer Takehiro Matsuzono as “a song that conveys the things that matter and never change, even as eras shift and relationships and environments evolve.”
New music, stadium shows, and the first original full-length album in roughly three years arriving in the fall — MGA is hitting this next chapter at full speed, and all eyes are on what comes next.
—This article by Tomohiro Ogawa and Mariko Ikitake first appeared on Billboard Japan and was edited with the help of Chrissy Borsellino
