September 14th, 2026 – YAO, the newly formed Japanese music collective bringing together Awich, CHICO CARLITO, ONE OK ROCK, and Paledusk, has reached No. 1 on Apple Music Japan’s All-Genre Songs Chart with its second single, “FOR OKINAWA”. The track also topped LINE MUSIC’s real-time Top 100 Songs chart and is at no. 18 on the Apple Music global charts, marking a major milestone for the collective just two months after its debut.
Released on September 4, “FOR OKINAWA” has also extended YAO’s reach beyond music, featuring in the Netflix series 'Badly in Love 2', which stars YAO members Awich and Taka of ONE OK ROCK. The placement further connects the collective’s music with audiences across different forms of entertainment. The latest achievements come just two months after YAO made its debut with its first single, “777”, on July 7. With “FOR OKINAWA” becoming a No. 1 hit across two major Japanese music charts, YAO has already achieved a significant milestone with only its second release.
For its latest release, YAO turned toward something deeper and more personal: Okinawa. “FOR OKINAWA” grew out of conversations between the members, particularly around the experiences and perspectives of Awich and CHICO CARLITO, who were both born and raised in Okinawa. With its distinct culture and complex history, Okinawa became the starting point for a wider conversation about how people with different histories, values, and perspectives can understand one another. What began as a song rooted in one place ultimately evolved into something more universal — a reflection on what connects us when we look beyond the differences that often divide us.
While “FOR OKINAWA” begins with Okinawa, its message extends far beyond any single place. It is about understanding where we come from, listening to experiences different from our own, acknowledging different histories and perspectives, and considering the kind of world we want to leave for the next generation. In this sense, the song reflects the philosophy at the heart of YAO, inspired by “Yaoyorozu no Kami” and its belief in coexistence across different identities, values, and perspectives. Different sounds, different histories, different perspectives — not becoming the same, but learning how to exist together.
Listen to "FOR OKINAWA" here
About YAO
YAO is a new collaborative project uniting Awich, CHICO CARLITO, ONE OK ROCK, and Paledusk. The collective takes its name and inspiration from “Yaoyorozu no Kami,” an ancient Japanese concept that recognizes the sacred as existing in countless forms throughout the world. Rather than being centered around a single absolute belief, the concept has inspired YAO’s own philosophy of coexistence — that different people, perspectives, and values can exist alongside one another without having to become the same.
That philosophy sits at the heart of YAO. Bringing together four artists from distinct musical worlds, backgrounds, and perspectives, the collective embraces their differences as a source of creativity. Awich and CHICO CARLITO have emerged as distinctive voices in Japanese hip-hop, both carrying deep roots in Okinawa; ONE OK ROCK has built one of the most internationally recognised careers in Japanese rock; while Paledusk has developed a boundary-pushing sound from Japan’s alternative and heavy music scene.
Rather than coming together for a conventional feature or one-off collaboration, YAO was created as a collective with its own identity and purpose — exploring what becomes possible when different voices recognise, respect, and build alongside one another. It is a project rooted in connection, coexistence, and the belief that something entirely new can emerge when boundaries are transcended and differences are embraced.
Their debut single, “777,” introduced YAO through an explosive collision of their distinct musical identities, setting the stage for a project that continues to explore the possibilities of creative collaboration.
FOUR ARTISTS. DIFFERENT WORLDS. ONE PROJECT.
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