Spring of Life (song)

"Spring of Life"
Single by Perfume
from the album LEVEL3
B-side "Communication"
Released April 11, 2012
Format CD single, digital download
Recorded 2012
Genre Dance, pop
Length 3:49
Label Universal J
Writer(s) Yasutaka Nakata
Producer(s) Yasutaka Nakata
Perfume singles chronology
"Spice"
(2011)		 "Spring of Life"
(2012)		 "Spending All My Time"
(2012)

"Spring of Life" is a song by Japanese girl group Perfume from her fourth studio album Level 3 (2013). The song was released as the album's lead single on 11 April 2012. It was written, composed and produced by Yasutaka Nakata. The song is a dance track, which features instrumentation of synthesizers and keyboards. The track was their first offering after departing from Tokuma Japan Communications and signed with Universal Music Japan.

"Spring of Life" received positive reviews from music critics, whom complimented the songs production and composition. Despite peaking at number two on the Oricon Singles Chart, it became the groups third single to top the Billboard Hot 100 in Japan. An album version of the track was re-composed and re-arranged by Nakata for the parent album. Yusuke Tanaka commissioned the accompanying music video for the single, which shows Perfume as robots and dancing with fairy lights around them. Perfume have performed the song through live performances throughout Japan.

Background and composition

Japanese girl group Perfume have released three studio albums. All three albums, Game (2008), Triangle (2009) and JPN peaked at number one in Japan.[1] The albums were certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) with shipments of 250,000 units; the first was awarded double platinum.[2][3][4] While working on their third album, Perfume departed from Tokuma Japan Communications and signed a deal with Universal Music Japan in order to release their work through global markets.[5] They begun work on their fourth studio album not long after.

As with the rest of Level 3, Japanese producer and Capsule musician Yasutaka Nakata had written, arranged and composed the song.[6] Nakata has collaborated with all of Perfume's records and songs from 2003 onwards.[7] It was recorded in Tokyo, Japan and was mixed and mastered by Nakata.[6] It is a dance song that fuses musical elements of techno, electronic music and pop music,[8][9] and incorporates instrumentation of a drum machine, synthesizer and keyboards.[6] This was Nataka's first single to be produced within the label since Meg's single "Passport/Paris" in 2010.[10]

Reception

"Spring of Life" received favorable reviews from most music critics. Writing for Land of Rising, Alex Shenmue likened the "well-done" mix of the album version and felt it was a "clear improvement that you’ll hardly come back to the single version after hearing this new mix."[9] Patrick St. Michael, writing for The Japan Times, said the composition wasn't an "improvement" but commented that it was "simple, catchy pop."[8] Selective Hearing's writer Nia selected "Spring of Life" as an album standout, favoring the bridge section of the song.[11] Ian Martin, who had written their extended biography at Allmusic, had highlighted the song as an album standout and career standout.[12]

The song only charted in Japan. Reaching number two on the Oricon Singles Chart,[1] it became the groups sixth consecutive single to stall at number two. The following singles "Spending All My Time" and "Mirai no Museum" peaked at two, while the fourth single "Magic of Love" reached number three.[13] The track peaked at number one on the Japan Hot 100, making it the groups third single to reach the top spot and their first since their 2009 single "One Room Disco".[14][15] In April 2012, "Spring of Life" was certified gold by RIAJ in for shipments of 100,000 units in Japan.[16]

Release and promotion

Selected as the lead single of Level 3, the song was distributed digitally at Chaku-Uta on February 29.[17] Two CD singles were issued; a standalone CD which included the b-side "Communication" and a bonus DVD version.[17] The title track had already been chosen as the CM song for ‘Kirin Chu-hai Hyouketsu‘.[18] The b-side "Communication" was chosen as the CM song for ‘Kanro Pure Gummy‘ candy.[19]

The official music video was directed by Japanese director Yusuke Tanaka. The members stated that they found it interesting to try and imitate the image of themselves as robots and dolls and found the choreography to be the most powerful that they've done so far.[20] The video shows the group coming to life as robots while being controlled by an automated-computer to perform human-like interactions such as eating, dancing, smiling and crying.[21] Near the end of the video, the message "Love" is uploaded onto the computer's program and the group begins to act more human-like. It then ends with member Nocchi pulling the power-plug off A-chan's back out of curiosity resulting in her shutting down along with the other members and the computer.[21] The video is the groups fifth highest viewed music video on Youtube as of April 2015.[22]

Perfume had included the album version of the track to their Perfume 4th Tour in DOME: LEVEL3 tour, which features the girls in blue dresses. It was featured on the DVD version of the concert and uploaded on their Youtube channel.[23]

Credits and personnel

Details adapted from the liner notes of the "Spring of Life" CD single.[6]

Song credits

Visual credits

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Yasutaka Nakata. 

CD
No. Title Length
1. "Spring of Life"   3:49
2. "Communication" (コミュニケーション; Komyunikēshon) 3:57
3. "Spring of Life" (instrumental) 3:49
4. "Communication" (instrumental) 3:57
Total length:
 15:34

Charts & Certifications

Charts

Chart Peak
position
Japan (Oricon)[1] 2
Japan Yearly (Oricon)[24] 65
Japan (Billboard)[15] 1
Japan Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[25] 2
Japan Hot Airplay (Billboard)[26] 1
Japan Hot Singles Sales (Billboard)[27] 1

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Japan (RIAJ)[28] Gold 115,756^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

Release history

Country Date Format Label Ref.
Japan 11 April 2012 CD single Universal Music Japan, Perfume Records [17]
CD/DVD [29]
Taiwan [29]
Japan Digital download [30]
United States [31]
Australia [32]
New Zealand [33]
Canada [34]
United Kingdom [35]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Perfumeの作品 [Perfume Products]. Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  2. ↑ "ゴールド等認定作品一覧　2009年3月" [Works Receiving Certifications List (Gold, etc) (March 2009)] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. April 10, 2009. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
  3. ↑ "ゴールド等認定作品一覧　2009年7月" [Works Receiving Certifications List (Gold, etc) (July 2009)] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. August 10, 2009. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
  4. ↑ "ゴールド等認定作品一覧　2011年11月" [Works Receiving Certifications List (Gold, etc) (November 2011)] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. December 10, 2011. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Perfume世界展開に向けレーベル移籍！今春CM曲リリース" (in Japanese). Natalie. February 29, 2012. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "Level 3" (Album). Perfume. Universal Music Japan; Universal J; Perfume Records. 2013.
  7. ↑ "Perfume" (in Japanese). Tokuma Japan Communications. Archived from the original on March 16, 2007. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 St. Michael, Patrick (22 October 2015). "Perfume "Level 3"". The Japan Times. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Shenmue, Alex (29 October 2014). "Perfume - Level 3 album review". Land of Rising. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  10. ↑ ' + response.user_name + '. "ナタリー - Perfume世界展開に向けレーベル移籍！今春CM曲リリース". Natalie.mu. Retrieved 2012-05-27.
  11. ↑ Nia (29 November 2013). "Perfume - Level 3 album review". Selective Hearing. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  12. ↑ Martin, Ian (29 November 2013). "Perfume - Songs, Highlights, Awards and Credits". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  13. ↑ "「Magic of Love（初回限定盤）」 Perfume" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  14. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). April 1, 2009. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). November 9, 2011. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  16. ↑ "ゴールド等認定作品一覧　2012年4月" [Works Receiving Certifications List (Gold, etc) (April 2012)] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. May 10, 2012. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 "Perfume Official Site｜INFORMATION | RELEASE". Perfume-web.jp. Retrieved 2012-05-27.
  18. ↑ ' + response.user_name + '. "ナタリー - Perfume移籍第1弾シングル「Spring of Life」発売". Natalie.mu. Retrieved 2012-05-27.
  19. ↑ "Coupling Song “Communication” Revealed at Kanro Pure Gummy Press Con". Perfume City. 2012-04-04. Retrieved 2012-05-27.
  20. ↑ ' + response.user_name + '. "ナタリー - 最高にダンサブル！Perfumeが新曲PVでアンドロイド化". Natalie.mu. Retrieved 2012-05-27.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "[MV] Perfume「Spring of Life」". Youtube.com. 18 June 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  22. ↑ "Perfume - Click the 'Most Popular' button on top-right". Youtube.com. 18 June 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  23. ↑ "Perfume「Spring of Life (Album-mix)」 from LIVE DVD". Youtube.com. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  24. ↑ "Oricon reveals their yearly single ranking for 2012". toykohive. 6Theory Media, LLC. December 20, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
  25. ↑ "Japan Billboard Adult Contemporary". Billboard (in Japanese). April 23, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  26. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot Airplay". Billboard (in Japanese). April 23, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  27. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot Singles Sales". Billboard (in Japanese). April 23, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  28. ↑ "Japanese single certifications – Perfume – Spring of Life" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 "Spring of Life" (CD and DVD single). Perfume. Universal Music Japan; Universal J; Perfume Records. 2012.
  30. ↑ "Spring of Life - Single - Perfume". iTunes Store (JP). 11 April 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  31. ↑ "Spring of Life - Single - Perfume". iTunes Store (US). 11 April 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  32. ↑ "Spring of Life - Single - Perfume". iTunes Store (AU). 11 April 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  33. ↑ "Spring of Life - Single - Perfume". iTunes Store (NZ). 11 April 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  34. ↑ "Spring of Life - Single - Perfume". iTunes Store (CA). 11 April 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  35. ↑ "Spring of Life - Single - Perfume". iTunes Store (GB). 11 April 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2015.

External links