Kiss & Cry (song)

"Kiss & Cry"

A woman sitting on a ledge at the bottom of a concrete garage building while motion-blurred school children walk past

"Beautiful World" / "Kiss & Cry" cover
Single by Hikaru Utada
from the album Heart Station
Released May 31, 2007
(see release history)
Format CD Single, digital download
Recorded 2007
Genre Pop, R&B
Length 5:06
Label EMI Music Japan
Writer(s) Hikaru Utada
Producer(s) Hikaru Utada, Akira Miyake, Teruzane Utada
Hikaru Utada singles chronology
"Flavor of Life"
(2007)		 "Kiss & Cry"
(2007)		 "Beautiful World"
(2007)

"Kiss & Cry" is a song by Japanese musician Hikaru Utada. It was released as a digital single in May 2007, and later as a double A-side single along with "Beautiful World" on August 29, 2007.[1][2] Used as a part of Nissin Foods' Freedom Project advertising campaign, the song was used in commercials for Nissin's Cup Noodles.

Background and development

In 2006, Utada released her fifth studio album, Ultra Blue, led by the digital single "This Is Love". This song was the first of Utada's to be used in the Freedom Project campaign.[3] In February 2007, Utada released "Flavor of Life", the theme song for the drama Hana Yori Dango Returns, which became one of her most commercially successful singles, selling over eight million downloads and becoming the second most digitally successful song of 2007 globally.[4][5]

"Kiss & Cry" was originally temporarily named 'Dancing Leah' by Utada, due to her fascination with entertainer Leah Dizon. "Kiss & Cry" features a strong beat in the verses that melds into synthetic elements in the bridge and chorus. The bridge of the song samples the melody from the verse of "Hotel Lobby", the seventh track off her 2004 English language album Exodus.

Promotion and release

The song was first announced on April 20, 2007, when it was simultaneously debuted in commercials for Nissin as well as released as a ringtone.[3] It was debuted on Japanese radio on May 21.[6] During the physical single's release promotional activities, Utada performed the song live at Music Station on August 31.[7]

Music video

An animated music video was produced for the song, directed by Toshitaka Shinoda.[8] It was unveiled on August 2, when it was uploaded to Utada's EMI Music Japan website.[9] The video featured animation in the style of Nissin's Freedom OVA and commercials, including major characters such as the protagonist Takeru lip-synching to the song.[10]

Critical reception

CDJournal reviewers noted the song's "surprising introduction", and described the song as an "impressive R&B tune with a heavy beat" and having "a theme of frankly expressing happiness and sadness". They praised the song's "heavy beats", the "doubled chorus of high and low vocals", and felt that the song mentioning Nissin cup noodles was a very "Utada-like idea".[11][12]

Track listings

All songs written and composed by Hikaru Utada. 

"Kiss & Cry" digital download
No. Title Length
1. "Kiss & Cry"   5:07
Total length:
 5:07
"Beautiful World" / "Kiss & Cry" single
No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Beautiful World"  Utada 5:18
2. "Kiss & Cry"  Utada 5:07
3. "Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words) (2007 Mix)"  Bart Howard 3:24
4. "Beautiful World (Original Karaoke)"  Utada 5:15
5. "Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words) (2007 Mix) (Original Karaoke)"  Howard 3:23
Total length:
 27:35

Personnel

Personnel details were sourced from "Beautiful World" / "Kiss & Cry"'s liner notes booklet.[13]

  • Goetz B. for 365 Artists – mixing
  • Atsushi Matsui – recording
  • Akira Miyake – production
  • Yuzuru Tomita – additional programming
  • Hikaru Utada – arrangement, keyboards, programming, production, songwriting, vocals
  • Teruzane Utada – production

Chart rankings

Charts (2007) Peak
position
Japan Oricon weekly singles[14]
  • "Beautiful World" / "Kiss & Cry"
 2
Japan Oricon yearly singles[15]
  • "Beautiful World" / "Kiss & Cry"
 20
Japan RIAJ Reco-kyō ringtones Top 100[16] 11

Sales and certifications

Chart Amount
Oricon physical sales[17]
  • "Beautiful World" / "Kiss & Cry"
 235,000
RIAJ ringtone certification[1] 2× Platinum (500,000)
RIAJ physical certification[18]
  • "Beautiful World" / "Kiss & Cry"
 Platinum (250,000)
RIAJ cellphone download certification[19] Gold (100,000)
RIAJ PC download certification[20] Gold (100,000)

Release history

Region Date Format Distributing Label Catalog codes
Japan April 20, 2007[3] ringtone Toshiba EMI
May 21, 2007[6] radio debut
May 31, 2007[19] Cellphone download
June 1, 2007[20] PC download
August 29, 2007[2] CD single EMI Music Japan TOCT-40120
South Korea August 30, 2007[21] Digital download Universal Music Korea
Taiwan August 31, 2007[22] CD single Gold Typhoon 5099950581924

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 レコード協会調べ　10月度有料音楽配信認定 [Record Association Investigation: October Digital Music Download Certifications] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. November 20, 2007. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Beautiful World / Kiss & Cry". Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "宇多田ヒカルが新記録を樹立！さらに新曲も発表" (in Japanese). Barks. April 20, 2007. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  4. ↑ AFP (January 24, 2008). "Online music sales grow 40 percent in 2007: IFPI" (in Japanese). Google. Archived from the original on April 19, 2008. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
  5. ↑ 宇多田ヒカル、デビュー以来全アルバムがミリオン達成 [Hikaru Utada has her first digitally million album] (in Japanese). Barks. March 13, 2008. Archived from the original on August 29, 2014. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "宇多田ヒカルの新曲、いよいよオンエア開始！" (in Japanese). Barks. May 21, 2007. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  7. ↑ 主演者ライナップ 2007/08/31 (in Japanese). TV Asahi. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Kiss & Cry" (in Japanese). Space Shower. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  9. ↑ 「Kiss & Cry」PV　O.Aスタート! ["Kiss & Cry" music video released!] (in Japanese). EMI Music Japan. August 2, 2007. Archived from the original on October 31, 2007. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  10. ↑ "宇多田ヒカル、最新PVはあのCMのアニメが全編に！" (in Japanese). Barks. August 3, 2007. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  11. ↑ "宇多田ヒカル / Beautiful World / Kiss&Cry" (in Japanese). CDJournal. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  12. ↑ "宇多田ヒカル / HEART STATION" (in Japanese). CDJournal. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  13. ↑ Beautiful World / Kiss & Cry (Media notes) (in Japanese). Hikaru Utada. Tokyo, Japan: EMI Music Japan. 2007.
  14. ↑ 宇多田ヒカルのシングル売り上げランキング [Hikaru Utada single sales ranking] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  15. ↑ シングル 年間ランキング (in Japanese). Oricon. December 2007. Archived from the original on December 29, 2007. Retrieved September 18, 2010.
  16. ↑ "レコード協会調べ　5月度有料音楽配信チャート（「着うた（R）」）＜略称：9月度レコ協チャート（「着うた（R）」）＞" (in Japanese). RIAJ. 2007-10-20. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  17. ↑ "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 December 18, 2014. (subscription required (help)).
  18. ↑ ゴールド等認定作品一覧　2007年8月 [Works Receiving Certifications List (Gold, etc) (August 2007)] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. September 10, 2007. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 レコード協会調べ　6月度有料音楽配信認定 [Record Association Investigation: June Digital Music Download Certifications] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. July 20, 2007. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 レコード協会調べ　9月度有料音楽配信認定 [Record Association Investigation: September Digital Music Download Certifications] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. October 20, 2007. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Beautiful World / Kiss & Cry" (in Korean). Bugs. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  22. ↑ "Beautiful World - Kiss & Cry". Books.co.tw. Retrieved December 23, 2014.