White (Superfly album)

White (stylized as WHITE[1]) is the fifth studio album by Japanese band Superfly. It was released on May 27, 2015.

White
Studio album by
Superfly
ReleasedMay 27, 2015 (2015-05-27)
Recorded2014—2015
GenrePop, rock
Length62:25
LanguageJapanese
LabelWarner Music Japan
Superfly chronology
Superfly Best
(2013)		 White
(2015)		 Coupling Songs: 'Side B'
(2015)
Singles from White
  1. "Live"
    Released: May 14, 2014
  2. "Ai o Karada ni Fukikonde"
    Released: November 19, 2014
  3. "White Light"
    Released: January 21, 2015
  4. "On Your Side"
    Released: July 29, 2015

Background and development

After the release of Superfly's fourth album Force in 2012, the group released Superfly Best (2013), a two CD album compiling singles released since 2007, as well as three new compositions, including the theme song for the second series of the Asahi TV drama, Doctor X. The album was commercially successful, becoming Superfly's sixth consecutive number one album.[2]

In 2014, Superfly released two singles, "Live" and "Ai o Karada ni Fukikonde". The former was used as the theme song for the film Ushijima the Loan Shark, while the latter was used as the theme song for the third season of the drama Doctor X.[3][4] This was followed by a digital single in January 2015 called "White Light", a song written for the game Tales of Zestiria.[5] Of the three preceding singles, "Ai o Karada ni Fukikonde" was the most commercially successful, becoming certified gold by the RIAJ for 100,000 paid downloads.[6]

The album's concept was one of change, which was illustrated in the cover artwork, where vocalist Shiho Ochi wears a white-colored wig and is smeared with different colors of paints. The white color of the album is intended to symbolize Superfly's past standards and colors, with the colored paint representing the new possibilities in Superfly's future music.[7]

White took a year to create.[7] In early February, Ochi traveled to Los Angeles to record "A Ha Ha" at EastWest Studios, a song produced by Chris Cester, the former lead singer of Australian Jet, who Superfly collaborated with in 2007 on the single "I Spy I Spy".[8] Other Western collaborators on the album include Jason Hill of the American band Louis XIV, and singer-songwriter Bonnie McKee, who wrote many of the singles from Katy Perry's Teenage Dream (2010) and Prism (2013) albums.[7] Japanese musicians Yuji Nakada of the band Tsubakiya Shijūsō, Tomoya.S and Sally#Cinnamon of Heavenstamp and singer-songwriter Bonnie Pink worked on the album, as well as poet Bin Sugawara.[7]

Promotion and release

"Live" was a song released as the theme song for the 2012 film Ushijima the Loan Shark Part 2, while "Ai o Karada ni Fukikonde" was used as the theme song of season three of the drama by TV Asahi, Doctor-X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon''.[9] The single's B-side, "You You", was used in a radio campaign for Japan FM League, entitled JFL Presents For the Next.[9] This campaign meant that the song reached number 29 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.[10]

The album was first announced in January 2015, four months before the planned release.[5] In late March, a music video featuring recording footage for the song "A Ha Ha" was uploaded to YouTube.[8] The song "Beautiful" was used as the theme song of the drama Mother Game: Kanojo-tachi no Kaikyū, which began airing on April 14. Drama producer Junko Arai asked Superfly to perform the theme song, because she felt that Ochi's bold voice would be able to create a powerful and exhilarating fight song she wanted for the series.[11] The song was released digitally on May 8 as a promotional single, and managed to reach number five on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart.[12][13]

The album features fourteen original songs, as well as a bonus extended play featuring five covers of songs by Japanese artists.[14] The song "Sweetest Music" features vocals by Mariya Takeuchi, the original singer of the song, who released it in 1980.[15] On May 13, Superfly performed on the NHK music program Songs, performing several songs from White, while also collaborating with boyband SMAP on their television program SMAP x SMAP on May 25 to perform songs from the album.[16][17] Her annual album release free live concert was held at the Nishinomaru Garden next to Osaka Castle on May 30, her first free concert held in Osaka.[18] Superfly embarked on a national tour of Japan, entitled Superfly White Tour 2015. The tour began on July 4 at the Kawaguchi Lilia Cultural Center and featured 39 performances until December, including two performances at the Nagoya Congress Center, the Niigata Prefectural Civic Center, Festival Hall, Osaka and the Tokyo International Forum.[19] Superfly's performance at the Nitori Culture Hall in Sapporo on October 8 was postponed due to the effects of Severe Tropical Storm Choi-wan, and was held two months later on December 14 instead.[19][20]

The song "On Your Side" was used to promote the Japanese High School Baseball Championship in 2015 on Asahi Broadcasting Corporation TV and radio programs.[21] It was released as a single from the album on July 29.[22]

Track listings
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."White Light"Shiho Ochi, JamS. Ochi, Kōichi Tsutaya4:44
2."Beautiful"S. OchiS. Ochi, K. Tsutaya4:54
3."Iro o Hagashite" (色を剥がして, "Strip Off the Colors")ChihiroTomoya.S, S. Ochi, K. Tsutaya4:45
4."On Your Side"S. Ochi, JamBonnie McKee, Michelle McCord5:36
5."A Ha Ha"Junji IshiwatariChris Cester3:06
6."Woman"Bonnie PinkBonnie Pink3:55
7."Datsugoku no Kisetsu" (脱獄の季節, "Prison Break Season")Sally#CinnamonC. Cester4:16
8."Libido ni Tsugu" (リビドーに告ぐ, "Announce My Libido")Yuji NakadaY. Nakada4:22
9."Ai o Karada ni Fukikonde" (愛をからだに吹き込んで, "Breathe Love into Your Body")J. IshiwatariTomoya.S, S. Ochi4:20
10."Live"S. Ochi, Bun OnoeKōichi Tabo4:44
11."Space"Tomoya.STomoya.S5:46
12."Gokusaishiki Heartbeat" (極彩色ハートビート, "Deeply Colored Heartbeat")Sally#CinnamonS. Ochi3:51
13."You You"S. Ochi, JamS. Ochi, K. Tsutaya4:36
14."Itsuka Watashi wa Uta o Utau" (いつか私は歌をうたう, "One Day I'll Sing a Song")Bin SugawaraK. Tsutaya3:30
Total length:62:25
Limited edition cover disc
No.TitleLyricsMusicOriginal artistLength
1."Blue (Konna Yoru ni wa Odorenai)" (Blue ～こんな夜には踊れない, "I Can't Dance on Nights Like This")K. KuwataK. KuwataKeisuke Kuwata (1988)5:29
2."Sweetest Music"David LasleyPeter AllenMariya Takeuchi (1980)3:49
3."Kaerenai Futari" (帰れない二人, "Us, Who Can't Go Back")Y. Inoue, Kiyoshiro ImawanoY. Inoue, K. ImawanoYōsui Inoue (1973)4:14
4."Slow Ballad (Live at Rising Sun Rock Festival 2012)" (スローバラード Surō Barādo)K. Imawano, MikanK. Imawano, MikanRC Succession (1976)5:36
5."Tanoshii Toki (Fun Time)" (楽しい時 -Fun Time)M. SanoM. SanoMotoharu Sano (1996)3:46
Total length:22:54

Chart rankings
Charts (2015) Peak
position
Japan Billboard Japan Hot Albums[23] 1
Japan Oricon daily albums[24] 1
Japan Oricon weekly albums[25] 2

Sales and certifications
Chart Amount
Oricon physical sales[26] 171,000
RIAJ physical certification[27] Gold (100,000+)

Release history
Region Date Format Distributing Label Catalog codes
Japan May 27, 2015 (2015-05-27)[9] CD, 2CD, digital download Warner Music Japan WPCL-12089~90, WPCL-12091
June 13, 2015 (2015-06-13)[28] Rental CD
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References
  1. "Superfly's new album is "WHITE"… "My heart is white right now"". Barks. January 23, 2015. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  2. "【オリコン】Superfly、1stから6作連続首位 ソロ＆女性歌手史上2人目の快挙". Oricon.co.jp. 2013-10-01. Retrieved 2013-10-01.
  3. "ナタリー - Superfly「万華鏡と蝶」が盛り上げるウシジマくん予告編". Natalie.mu. 2014-03-04. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  4. Natasha, Inc. (September 24, 2014). "Superfly、米倉主演「ドクターX」主題歌続投". Retrieved November 29, 2014.
  5. "Superfly、2年8カ月ぶり新作アルバムは何色にも染まる「WHITE」" (in Japanese). Natalie. January 21, 2015. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  6. "レコード協会調べ　2月度有料音楽配信認定" [Record Association Investigation: February Digital Music Download Certifications] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. March 20, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  7. "Superfly、白ウィッグ＋カラフルメイクのAL『WHITE』ジャケット公開。". Barks. April 1, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  8. "Superflyのイメージを覆すアバンギャルドな新曲「A・HA・HA」のPV公開＆アルバム初回盤はカバー曲収録". Barks. March 27, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  9. "Superfly / WHITE [2CD] [限定]" (in Japanese). CDJournal. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  10. "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). October 1, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
  11. "Superflyの新ロックナンバー「Beautiful」が、木村文乃主演ドラマの主題歌に。". Barks. April 3, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  12. "「Beautiful」（TBS火曜ドラマ『マザー・ゲーム～彼女たちの階級～』主題歌）のデジタル配信がスタート！". Warner. May 8, 2015. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  13. "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). June 10, 2015. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  14. "Superflyが桑田、陽水、RC、まりや、元春をカバー！新作初回盤で". Natalie. April 17, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
  15. "Superfly、竹内まりやと「Sweetest Music」でデュエット". Natalie. May 1, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
  16. "SuperflyがNHK「SONGS」出演、スタジオライブ観覧募集中". Natalie. April 13, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  17. "Superfly、来週「スマスマ」でSMAPとコラボ". Natalie. May 23, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
  18. "Superflyニューアルバム記念フリーライブ、今回は初の大阪". Natalie. May 5, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  19. "Superfly WHITE TOUR 2015". Warner Music. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  20. "Superfly、台風の影響により本日の札幌公演中止". Natalie. October 8, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  21. "Superfly、100年迎える夏の高校野球に壮大バラード提供". Natalie. May 20, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
  22. "Superfly、高校野球応援ソング「On Your Side」を新曲入りでシングル化". Natalie. June 10, 2015. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  23. "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). June 3, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  24. "デイリー　CDアルバムランキング 2015年05月28日付" [Daily CD album rankings: May 28, 2015] (in Japanese). Oricon. May 29, 2015. Archived from the original on May 30, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  25. "WHITE". Oricon. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  26. "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" [Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Big Tree']. Oricon. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  27. "ゴールド等認定作品一覧　2015年5月" [Works Receiving Certifications List (Gold, etc) (May 2015)] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. June 10, 2015. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  28. ＷＨＩＴＥ (in Japanese). Tsutaya. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
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