When you’re at the top of your game, the only real competition left is yourself. YOASOBI just proved this point by breaking their own streaming record with Idol, the electrifying opening theme from Oshi no Ko’s first season, which has officially crossed the one billion streams milestone.
According to Oricon’s report this Wednesday, the track reached 1,000,126,379 streams in just 137 weeks since its April 24, 2023 release. That’s not just impressive—it’s historic. Idol now holds the title for the fastest song ever to hit this benchmark in streaming history, and the duo did it by beating their own previous record holder.
Breaking their own records
Here’s where it gets interesting: the record Idol just shattered belonged to YOASOBI’s 2019 breakout hit “Yoru ni Kakeru” (Racing Into the Night). Think about that for a moment—they’re literally competing against themselves and winning. Oricon confirms that YOASOBI is now the only artist to hold the distinction of having two different songs reach one billion streams at this unprecedented pace.
The momentum shows no signs of slowing down either. During the week of November 17-23 alone, Idol racked up an additional 1.7 million streams, proving that the song’s appeal remains as strong as ever.
A catalog of hits
But wait, there’s more to celebrate. Oricon also revealed that “Kaibutsu” (Monster), the opening theme for BEASTARS’ second season, has surpassed 700 million streams, making it the duo’s fourth song to cross that threshold. It’s becoming clear that YOASOBI has mastered the art of creating anime openings that resonate far beyond their original context.
The accolades keep piling up too. Back in May, Idol took home awards for Best Anime Song and Best Music Video at the inaugural Music Awards Japan, hosted by the Japan Culture and Entertainment Industry Promotion Association (CEIPA). When you’re setting records and collecting trophies at the same time, you know you’re doing something right.
What makes YOASOBI’s success particularly fascinating is how they’ve managed to capture lightning in a bottle not once, but multiple times. Each release seems to build on the last, creating a catalog that’s both consistent in quality and diverse in sound. For fans of anime music and J-pop alike, this duo has become essential listening.
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