| "Namida no Niji/Save Me" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Aya Ueto | ||||
| from the album Happy Magic: Smile Project | ||||
| Released | May 30, 2007 | |||
| Format | CD single, digital download | |||
| Recorded | March 2007 | |||
| Genre | Pop, pop rock | |||
| Length | 4:22 ("Namida no Niji") 5:31 ("Save Me") |
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| Label | Flight Master | |||
| Writer(s) | Aya Ueto, Izumi Sakaki, Yoo, Hiroaki Hayama | |||
| Producer | Akihisa Matzura, Hayama | |||
| Aya Ueto singles chronology | ||||
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"Namida no Niji/Save Me" (涙の虹/SAVE ME, lit. "Rainbow of Tears/Save Me") is the fifteenth single by Japanese recording artist Aya Ueto. It was released on May 30, 2007.
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"Namida no Niji" was included on the standard edition of Ueto's fifth studio album Happy Magic: Smile Project. It served as theme song for the TV Asahi drama Hotelier, starring Ueto herself.[1] The song, which she co-wrote with singer-songwriter Izumi Sakaki, marks Ueto's first foray into songwriting.[1]
In a press release, Ueto commented, "The song was composed by a Korean producer. We couldn't quite find the right Japanese lyrics to go with the music, so I decided that perhaps I should write the words myself."[2] About the title of the song, she commented, "When it's raining, people's faces are hidden by their umbrellas. Without an umbrella, you get to experience a world that no one else at that moment can."[2]
Ueto explained in an interview with Oricon Style her reasons for not writing her own lyrics before "Namida no Niji":
I had always said I would never write the lyrics to my songs because it would feel like people were peeping into my heart, but after deciding on the theme for the song and once I started writing, I realized it wasn't so bad after all. I worked with Izumi Sakaki on this song, she took my lyrics and polished them. I'm happy it turned out so well.[3]
The second A-side, "Save Me," was written, composed, and produced by Tourbillon keyboardist Hiroaki Hayama. It was used in the TBS sports program J Spo. Despite being an A-side, "Save Me" was not included in Ueto's succeeding studio album Happy Magic: Smile Project.
"Namida no Niji/Save Me" debuted on the Oricon Daily Singles chart at number 12 on May 29, 2007 and climbed to number 11 the following day.[4][5] It peaked at number 17 on the Oricon Weekly Singles chart, with 8,904 copies sold in its first week.[6] The single charted for five weeks and has sold a total of 14,858 copies.[7][8]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arranger(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Namida no Niji" (涙の虹 "Rainbow of Tears") | Aya Ueto, Izumi Sakaki | Yoo | Akihisa Matzura | 4:22 |
| 2. | "Save Me" | Hiroaki Hayama | Hayama | Hayama | 5:31 |
| 3. | "Way to Heaven (100db Mix)" | Shoko | Shōichirō Hirata | Hirata | 4:41 |
| 4. | "Namida no Niji (Instrumental)" | Yoo | Matzura | 4:21 | |
| 5. | "Save Me (Instrumental)" | Hayama | Hayama | 5:32 | |
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Total length:
|
24:43 | ||||
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Oricon Daily Singles[4] | 11 |
| Oricon Weekly Singles[6] | 17 |
| SoundScan Japan Weekly Singles[9] | 18 |
| Taiwan Five Music J-pop/K-pop Chart[10] | 20 |
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan[11] | May 30, 2007 | CD, digital download | Pony Canyon |
| Taiwan[12] | June 1, 2007 | CD |
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