Why male solo is not as succesful as their female counterpart in Japan?

[Surreal17]

This is a topic that has kept me interested for a while. I mean, I've never heard of a Japanese male singer as succesful as Ayu, Namie, Kuu, Utada, YUI, Shiina Ringo etc. Or someone with a huge relevance or always changing image.
I know that Ken Hirai had some nice sales at some point but his music is a no for me. Anyone else?
Its really weird because Korea has successful male solos alongside other categories but Japan is mainly interested in female solos (I know, not so much now), girl & boy groups and rock bands.

[Marcelo]

Fukuyama Masaharu is also very popular male soloist, the most successful one, but his sales overall are not close to Ayu, Utada or Namie for example. But his sales are much higher than for example Ayus atm, don't know how long it has been this way though.

[terra]

This is also what I want to know, I mean there are several male soloist that I know and are great. Why are they're not as famous that what left me wonder.

[CoriKaru]

Because Japanese men are horny.

[Gustavopc]

Tbh I guess its kinda global. Look all female singers we have in the US... And then look at the guys. There are like 100 girls for a boy

[adantatu2]

Yamapi
Fukuyama Masaharu
Ken Hirai
Shota Shimizu

I think there are more singers in rock bands than solos.

[Miichan]

There are lots of male vocalists but the most popular ones are usually bands or groups, and when a male solo artist is doing well they're rarely talked about on foreign J-pop forums. There are also several duos like Kobukuro, B'z, Future Boyz and Yuzu.

A list of a few various male solo artists if anyone is interested in them (completely random order):
Masayoshi Yamazaki, Tomohisa Yamashita, Keisuke Kuwata, Masaharu Fukuyama, Zeebra, SoulJa, Shota Shimizu, Daichi Miura, Miyavi, Ken Hirai, Hiromi Go, Motohiro Hata, Yusuke, Gackt, KEN THE 390, Hideaki Tokunaga, Eikichi Yazawa, TEE, EXILE ATSUSHI, EXILE TAKAHIRO, Noriyuki Makihara, T.M.Revolution, Naoto Inti Raymi, Yu Takahashi, Kaname Kawabata, Kazumasa Oda, Dohzi-T, Jin Akanishi, SEAMO, WISE, Yoshikuni Dohchin, Yuya Matsushita, Toshinobu Kubota, Tatsuro Yamashita, Yutaka Ozaki, KREVA

[tbarnes10]

It's hardly a Japan only thing. Seriously, what solo artist could compete with artists like Madonna or Whitney Houston. Even if you take contemporary artists, you have Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, etc. For most of history, males have been most successful in band (the beatles, rolling stones, metallica, The Police etc.) and women have been better as solo artists.

The biggest and only exceptions I can think of is "Elvis Presley" for a solo male and "Spice Girls" for female group.

Because seriously who could compete with Madonna?

People love their DIVAS and BOY BANDS

[Surreal17]

Interesting response and I agree with the band thing. But US and the world still had Michael Jackson. And Justin Bieber is kinda huge these days.

[Cahz-]

Originally Posted by tbarnes10

It's hardly a Japan only thing. Seriously, what solo artist could compete with artists like Madonna or Whitney Houston. Even if you take contemporary artists, you have Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, etc. For most of history, males have been most successful in band (the beatles, rolling stones, metallica, The Police etc.) and women have been better as solo artists.

The biggest and only exceptions I can think of is "Elvis Presley" for a solo male and "Spice Girls" for female group.

Because seriously who could compete with Madonna?

People love their DIVAS and BOY BANDS

Michael Jackson?

[Chibi-Chan]

I think the reason why there are more pop divas out there than big male pop stars is quite sexist. When it comes to rock bands there are like 99% all male groups and it's just very few all female or mixed bands. Frankly speaking: when artists are considered real musicians and seen as individual people with talent, the majority thinks of men and all male rock bands who make (objectively) better composed music than a manufactured pop star. Pop divas are seen as puppets who are sexualized objects and have no clue when it comes to things like music theory. Most people aren't interested in all female rock bands or female rock soloists.
For example, one of Germany's biggest rock festivals again had a line up with not a single female act at all. It's not like every band in the line up was a successful major one and that there aren't any big female acts out there. People just don't care for female musicians, women in music only have a right to exist when they either are sexualised as hell or in Japan's case at least cute and innocent looking.

But if you're looking for a male soloist who's successful atm, there would be Acid Black Cherry, his album is with around 150k copies the 15th best selling album on oricon so far - but again he's not making pop music but rock.

[BlackSilence]

i guess because chicks can appeal to both genders? I dunno it's just how i feel.

Though um GACKT? The guy has a record for most songs in top 10 for a male soloist in Japan. The dude isn't even doing anything musically these days, yet he still hits magazines,has a dumb game show where he just plays video games in episodes, CMs and interviews and TV appearances. Somehow he's still relevant.