Spice (Perfume song)

"Spice"
Single by Perfume
from the album JPN
B-side "Glitter"
Released November 2, 2011
Format CD single, digital download
Recorded 2011
Genre J-pop, electronica, R&B (Spice)
J-pop, dance-pop (GLITTER)
Length 3:54
Label Tokuma Japan Communications
Writer(s) Yasutaka Nakata
Producer(s) Yasutaka Nakata
Perfume singles chronology
"Laser Beam/Kasuka na Kaori"
(2011)		 "Spice"
(2011)		 "Spring of Life"
(2012)

"Spice" (スパイス, Supaisu) is the nineteenth single of Japanese girl group Perfume. It was released on November 2, 2011, as the lead single to the group's third studio album, JPN. It was also the group's last single to be released under Tokuma Japan Communications as the group moved to Universal Music Japan (as announced February 28, 2012) for their future releases.[1]

Background

The B-side song, "Glitter", was first used in the commercial for Kirin.[2][3] Then on September 5, 2011, the group released information on their website about a new single and album, both slated for release for November. The new single will be released on November 2 and will contain two songs including "Glitter" which was featured as a “Kirin Chu-Hi Hyouketsu” CM song. The group also announced that their third studio album will be released on November 30.[4]

The name of the single was finally announced on September 26. It was also chosen as the theme song for the upcoming TBS drama “Sengyo Shufu Tantei ~Watashi wa Shadow“, starring actress Kyoko Fukada making it the group’s first single to tie-in with a drama series. The group's producer Yasutaka Nakata was heavily influenced by the image of the drama when he wrote “Spice”. It’s also the first time that he produced a soundtrack for them.[5]

Music video

The music video for Spice was released on October 27, 2011, through TOKUMA JAPAN’s official YouTube channel.[6] A music video for the B-side song, "GLITTER", was also included on the single's special DVD edition.

Synopsis

The video starts off with clear shots of the room (especially the dining table) showing that the place is monochromatic and dull. Then, the three girls appear dancing in a ripple pattern during the verse. It also appears that the girls are wearing outfits similar to the entire setting of the video. After the verse, the chorus begins with the girls calling, eating, signifying their habitual actions in the room or area. After the chorus, blurry shots of an entirely new area appears. The new area is more vibrant and brights while shots of water, a fish swimming in its bowl, and a martini glass of candy. The verse returns with the girls dancing again with the same choreography as the one in the first verse. During the first half of the chorus, the girls appear dancing on top of the dining table filled with food and other dining materials. While they dance, they knock down different things on top of the dining table. After the first half, it slides down to the 3 girls looking dull and bored, realizing that they are not content and are bored with their place. After a shot where Kashiyuka throws an a pink apple away, Nocchi notices the apple, and then she notices there's a secret, small door. Curious, Nocchi opens the door and inside that door was a whole new vibrant world/area. The 3 girls look and they notice a clear shot of the glass filled with candy; so the girls eat the candy. While the girls pose (referencing to the three wise monkeys, their clothes slowly change color into something more vibrant signifying the candy had an effect on the girls. The girls had entered the different world and on the chorus, shots of them dancing in the "dull" world and the "vibrant" world alternate. After the chorus, the 3 girls decide to move to the more vibrant world, and once again peek out of the door that led them to the vibrant world to the old world they used to be in. During the final shot, the camera zooms in to a martini glass, only opaque and the candy are as well uncolored and vibrant as the song ends.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Yasutaka Nakata. 

CD
No. Title Length
1. "Spice" (スパイス) 3:54
2. "Glitter"   5:10
3. "Spice" (Original Instrumental) 3:54
4. "Glitter" (Original Instrumental) 5:06
Total length:
 18:03

Oricon Charts (Japan)

Release Oricon Singles Chart Peak Position Debut Sales (copies) Sales Total (copies) Chart Run
November 2, 2011 Daily Chart 2 37,542 92,289 10 weeks
Weekly Chart[7] 2 75,688
Monthly Chart 8 87,335
Yearly Chart (2011)[8] 82 90,471

References

  1. ↑ http://natalie.mu/music/news/65241
  2. ↑ http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/confidence/89765/full/
  3. ↑ http://www.tokyohive.com/2011/07/check-out-perfumes-houketsu-sparkling-cm-for-kirin/
  4. ↑ http://www.tokyohive.com/2011/09/perfume-to-release-a-new-single-and-album/
  5. ↑ http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/confidence/2002134/full/
  6. ↑ http://www.tokyohive.com/2011/10/perfume-reveals-the-full-pv-for-spice/
  7. ↑ http://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/js/w/2011-11-14/
  8. ↑ http://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/js/y/2011/more/5/

External links