But/Aishō

"But/Aishō" "But/愛証"
Single by Koda Kumi
from the album Kingdom
Released	March 14, 2007
Genre	J-pop, dance-pop, pop rock
Label	Rhythm Zone
Koda Kumi singles chronology
Cherry Girl/Unmei (2006) But / Aishō (2007) Freaky (2007)

But/愛証 (BUT/Aishou / BUT/Proof of Love) is Koda Kumi's 35th single and was released on March 14, 2007. It was her first single of 2007 and first to bring her new era, Kingdom. The single was a limited purchase, only being sold from March 2007 to May 2007. It charted #2 on Oricon and stayed on the charts for fourteen weeks.^[1] The single was released the same day as her third compilation album, BEST ~BOUNCE & LOVERS~, which was also of limited release.

BUT was used as the theme song to the Japanese editions of the film Step Up.^[2] Aishou became the theme to the drama Ai no Rukeichi.^[3]

A week after the single's release, an "Analog Version" was also released.^[4]

"But" is certified triple platinum as a ringtone and platinum as a digital download to cellphones by the RIAJ.(ringtone): 3× Platinum^[5](cellphone): Platinum^[6] "Aishō" is certified platinum for downloads, and the single is certified gold for 100,000 copies shipped to stores.^[7][8]

Track listing^[9]

CD version

All lyrics written by Koda Kumi. 

BUT <Analog Version>

A1. BUT

A2. BUT [Drum 'n Bass Remix]

B1. BUT [The Ghettobots Remix]

B2. BUT [Instrumental]

Music video

• The PV for But consisted of Kumi, at the beginning, sleeping in a large chair dressed in frivolous clothes, revealed to be chained to the ceiling by a pulley. She attempts to break out of the chain, and once she does, she runs around the room in a girlish manner. The mood changes from playful to more provocative as she descends an elevator into a new room. This room is full of men dressed in women clothing (two men) dressed in bellhop clothing, bowing there are hints of homosexuality involved between the men in a small portion of the music video. The video's scenes continue to alternate between the rooms as the song continues, and at the end, Kumi wakes up in the green room. Everything seems to have been a dream.
• The PV for Aishō is set in Feudal-era Japan, and in a large shiro. Kumi at the beginning is walking through a twilit hall in a shoulder-bare kimono, as she enters another room and proceeds to remove her upper layer of clothing. There are cut-scenes of her in a doorway against a moonlit night, and then her, ravaged on a bed. After this, there are scenes of her reclining in another room, smoking. There are also animated scenes of a bird flying through the night, as the video ends by going through the other rooms.

Charts

Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)

Alternate Versions

Currently, there are five rendition of BUT and three of Aishou:

BUT

1. BUT: Found on the single (2006) and corresponding album Kingdom (2007)
2. BUT [The Ghettobots remix]: Found on the single (2006)
3. BUT [Instrumental]: Found on the single (2006)
4. BUT [Drum n' Bass Remix]: Found on the "analog version" of the single (2006)
5. BUT [Mitomi Tokoto Big Room Remix]: Found on Koda Kumi Driving Hit's (2009)
6. BUT [KOZM® Remix]: Found on Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 4 (2012)

愛証

1. 愛証: Found on the single (2006) and corresponding album Kingdom (2007)
2. 愛証 [Instrumental]: Found on the single (2006)
3. 愛証 [Shohei Matsumoto & Junichi Matsuda Remix]: Found on Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 4 (2012)

References

External links

• BUT (Analog Version)