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AKB48

AKB48 (derived from Akihabara 48) is a female Japanese idol group produced by Akimoto Yasushi. They have their own theater in Akihabara (a district in Tokyo) where they perform regularly. AKB48 has sold more records than any other female musical act in Japanese history. AKB48's producer, Akimoto Yasushi, wanted to form a girl group with its own theater (unlike pop groups performing occasional concerts and seen on television) and performing daily so fans could always see them live. This "idols you can meet" concept includes teams which can rotate performances and perform simultaneously at several events and "handshake" events, where fans can meet group members. Akimoto has expanded the AKB48 concept to several sister groups within Japan, and internationally in Mainland China, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Philippines, and Malaysia.

AKB48 have been characterized as a social phenomenon. The group is one of the highest-earning musical performers in Japan, and is the seventh best-selling girl group worldwide. As of April 2019, the group has sold over 60 million records, including over 6 million albums. At least 35 AKB48's singles have topped the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart, with at least 30 singles selling over a million copies each, making the group the highest selling musical act in Japan in terms of singles sold. Their highest selling single, "Teacher Teacher", sold over 3 million in 2018 according to Billboard / Soundscan. In 2010, "Beginner" and "Heavy Rotation" placed first and second, respectively, on the list of Japan's best-selling singles for the year. From 2010 to 2019, AKB48's singles have occupied the top two spots of the Oricon Yearly Singles Chart.

Their 66th major single, "Oh my pumpkin!", is released this week on August 13th.

Current August Releases

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