TWS Just Became the First K-pop Act to Top Billboard Japan's Hot 100 This Year

"SODA SODA" hit No. 1 on Billboard Japan's Hot 100 on the chart published Wednesday, covering the tracking week of August 3 to 9. Pledis Entertainment confirmed the milestone Thursday, noting it's the first K-pop title to top the chart in 2026. The Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, streaming, radio airplay, video views, and karaoke data - Billboard Japan's most comprehensive songs ranking, and a harder chart to lead than a pure sales count.

It's TWS's second No. 1 on the chart, following Japanese debut single "Hajimemashite." "SODA SODA," released August 4 as the six-member group's second Japanese single, sold 225,853 copies in its first week - the group's best first-week sales total in Japan to date, and enough to land No. 2 on both Oricon's Weekly Single Ranking and Billboard Japan's own Top Singles Sales chart. On release day alone, it moved 161,253 copies, immediately topping Oricon's Daily Single Ranking.

The title track - a city pop-inflected song about the rush of infatuation, co-written by members Kyungmin, Youngjae, and Jihoon - also hit No. 1 in the Dance category on Japan's iTunes and Apple Music the day after release, and topped AWA's real-time rising chart. TWS previewed the song at a Tokyo showcase on August 3, streamed globally on Weverse and the group's TikTok, where members shook Ramune soda bottles in time with the choreography - the image driving the single's now-viral hand gesture challenge, picked up by Japanese actor Nakajima Kento and girl group CUTIE STREET.

TWS enters the milestone off real momentum in Japan rather than a single breakout hit: fifth mini album "NO TRAGEDY" ranked No. 9 on Oricon's Album Ranking and No. 10 on Billboard Japan's first-half 2026 Top Album Sales chart, both drawn from the December 2025-to-June 2026 half-year period. "SODA SODA" was also selected as the theme song for a national ABC-Mart commercial in Japan, giving the group mainstream exposure well outside the K-pop fan ecosystem.

TWS is booked to perform at Summer Sonic 2026 on August 14 and 16, followed by the Japan leg of its "24/7: FOR: YOU" tour - Fukuoka August 28 to 30, Hyogo September 4 to 6, and Kanagawa September 12 and 13 - meaning the group will be performing "SODA SODA" live in Japan within days of the song reaching No. 1.