Love Bebop
Studio album by
Misia
ReleasedJanuary 6, 2016 (2016-01-06)
RecordedMarch 2014 – October 2015[1]
Genre
Length57:33
LabelAriola Japan
Producer
Misia chronology
New Morning
(2014)		 Love Bebop
(2016)		 Misia Hoshizora no Live Song Book: History of Hoshizora Live
(2016)
Singles from Love Bebop
  1. "Shiroi Kisetsu"
    Released: February 18, 2015
  2. "Sakura Hitohira"
    Released: February 18, 2015
  3. "Nagareboshi"
    Released: July 8, 2015
  4. "Anata ni Smile :)"
    Released: July 8, 2015
  5. "Orphans no Namida"
    Released: November 25, 2015

Love Bebop (stylized as LOVE BEBOP) is the twelfth studio album by Japanese singer Misia. It was released on January 6, 2016, through Ariola Japan.[2] The title, which is synonymous with love freestyle, was inspired by the evolving LGBT movement in Japan, leading Misia to draw a parallel between the growing societal recognition for all forms of love and the various messages of love depicted on the album.[1] On the album's eponymous title track, Misia quotes former American president Barack Obama, who declared "love is love" in a speech given in the aftermath of the Supreme Court of the United States's landmark decision to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide.[3] The album yielded five singles, "Shiroi Kisetsu" / "Sakura Hitohira", "Orphans no Namida" and the digital exclusive double A-side single "Nagareboshi" / "Anata ni Smile :)".

Background and release

Misia began working on her next material immediately following the release of her eleventh studio album New Morning, and the conclusion of the Hoshizora no Live VII: 15th Celebration concert tour, in March 2014.[1] She scheduled studio sessions with Shirō Sagisu, whom she had not collaborated with since Soul Quest (2011).[1] The writing and recording process wrapped in October 2015, with Misia holding her final sessions with Sakoshin, another producer she had missed.[1] The pair last worked together on "Catch the Rainbow" (2008). For Love Bebop, she collaborated once again with DJ Gomi, Takayuki Hattori, Hiroshi Matsui and Tohru Shigemi, and brought along new collaborators, including the songwriters her0ism, Ki-Yo, Andreas Öberg, Rica and Shirose, from the band White Jam. The album was primarily recorded in Japan but also internationally, including in London, Dallas and Atlanta.

Love Bebop was released almost two years after her last studio album, New Morning (2014). The first pressing of the record came housed in a digipak and included various album-related stickers and a bonus remix.[4] The album was reissued in limited numbers of 1,000 copies on the eve of Misia's thirty-eighth birthday, July 6, 2016, in 12-inch vinyl format.[5] The analog edition includes three additional remixes, of which two were previously unreleased.[6]

Critical reception

CDJournal praised Misia's voice on the record as "expressive", and stated that her "knock-down" vocal performance "left no stone unturned".[7] Writing for Bounce,[8] Koji Dejima gave Love Bebop a warm review, describing himself as "pleasantly surprised" by the "rhythmic" uptempo tracks on the album, especially in the wake of Misia's performance of "Orphans no Namida" at the 66th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, which Dejima describes as "in line with the image of the powerful diva".[8] He noted the presence of early collaborators of Misia and praised their "lively and emotive" contributions. Dejima remarked that the "exciting charm" of Misia makes Love Bebop an "album to lose yourself in".[8]

Commercial performance

Love Bebop entered the daily Oricon Albums Chart at number 4, where it also peaked.[9] It debuted at number 5 on the weekly Oricon Albums Chart, with sales of 14,000 copies,[10] making it Misia's first studio album since "Just Ballade" (2009) to debut in the top five. The album debuted on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart at number 7 and at number 8 on the Top Albums Sales chart.[11][12] Love Bebop charted for twelve non-consecutive weeks on the Oricon Albums Chart, selling a reported total of 27,000 copies during its run.[13]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Anata ni Smile :)"
  • Hiroshi Matsui
4:16
2."Butterfly Butterfly"
  • Misia
  • Sakoshin
  • Sakoshin
4:01
3."Love Bebop"
  • Misia
  • Sakoshin
  • Sakoshin
3:14
4."Orphans no Namida" (Long Version)
  • Sagisu
5:42
5."Mayonaka no Hide-and-seek" (真夜中のHIDE-AND-SEEK, "Midnight Hide-and-seek")
  • Misia
  • Sagisu
  • Sagisu
4:42
6."Shiroi Kisetsu"
  • her0ism
5:20
7."Hana" (花, "Flower")
  • Rica
  • Tohru Shigemi
4:27
8."Ashita wa Motto Suki ni Naru" (明日はもっと好きになる, "Love You More Tomorrow")
  • Misia
  • her0ism
  • her0ism
3:42
9."Oh Lovely Day"
  • Misia
  • Toshiaki Matsumoto
  • Matsui
4:57
10."Freedom"
3:33
11."Sakura Hitohira"
  • Misia
  • her0ism
  • Shirose
  • her0ism
3:49
12."Candle of Life"
  • her0ism
4:13
13."Nagareboshi"
  • Rica
5:37
Total length:57:33
Limited edition bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Remixer(s)Length
14."Love Bebop" (Love Is All Remix)
  • Gomi
3:30
Total length:1:01:15
Analog edition side four bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Remixer(s)Length
14."Love Bebop" (DJ Watarai & DJ Hazime Remix)
  • Misia
  • Sakoshin
  • DJ Watarai
  • DJ Hazime
 
15."Nagareboshi" (Gomi's Lair Anthem Mix)
  • Rica
  • DJ Gomi
 
16."Candle of Life" (Make a Wish Remix)
  • Misia
  • her0ism
  • Niceforo
  • Oberg
  • Fatale
  • DJ Gomi
 

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Love Bebop.[14]

Locations
  • Recorded at Orange Peel Recordings, Atlanta; Luminous Sound Studio, Dallas; Abbey Road Studios, London; Eastcote Studios, London; MSR Studios, New York; Germano Studios, New York; Gomi's Lair Recording Studio, New York; Bass Hit Studio, New York; Beethoven Studio, Paris; Rhythmedia Studio, Tokyo; Sony Music Studios Tokyo, Tokyo; Sound Inn, Tokyo
  • Mixed at Rhythmedia Studio, Tokyo; Mirrorball Entertainment Studios, Los Angeles; Bass Hit Studio, New York;
  • Mastered at Powers Mastering Studio, New York
Personnel

Charts

Chart (2016) Peak
position
Japan Daily Albums (Oricon)[9] 4
Japan Weekly Albums (Oricon)[10] 5
Japan Monthly Albums (Oricon)[13] 18
Japan Hot Albums (Billboard)[11] 7
Japan Top Albums Sales (Billboard)[12] 8
Japan Weekly Albums (Recochoku)[15] 6


Sales

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Japan — 27,000[13]

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
Japan January 6, 2016
  • CD
  • digital download
 Ariola Japan [16][17][18]
July 6, 2016 [19]
Taiwan January 8, 2016
  • CD
 Sony Music Taiwan [20]
Various January 22, 2016
  • Digital download
 [21]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "MISIA「LOVE BEBOP」インタビュー (1/3)". Natalie. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  2. ↑ "MISIA、2016年の幕開けとともに12thアルバム「LOVE BEBOP」をリリース". Musicman-Net. December 10, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  3. ↑ "'Love is love': Obama lauds gay marriage activists in hailing 'a victory for America'". The Guardian. June 26, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  4. ↑ "注目の新譜：MISIA「LOVE BEBOP」　世界各地で一流ミュージシャンと制作". Mantanweb. January 6, 2016. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  5. ↑ "MISIA最新アルバムが1000枚限定アナログ化、未発表音源も収録". Natalie. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  6. ↑ "MISIA 未発表Remix音源入り『LOVE BEBOP』アナログ盤リリース". Billboard Japan. June 2, 2016. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  7. ↑ "MISIA / LOVE BEBOP". CDJournal. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 "MISIAの2年ぶり新作は自身の初期に寄与した敏腕が躍動感注ぐリズミックなアップが充実、本来の弾むような魅力に聴き惚れるべし". Mikiki. February 1, 2016. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  9. 1 2 "オリコンデイリー CDアルバムランキング 2016年01月05日付". January 6, 2016. Archived from the original on January 6, 2016. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  10. 1 2 "オリコン週間 CDアルバムランキング 2016年01月04日〜2016年01月10日". January 13, 2016. Archived from the original on January 13, 2016. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  11. 1 2 "Billboard Japan Hot Albums". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  12. 1 2 "Billboard Japan Top Albums Sales". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  13. 1 2 3 "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" [Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Taiju']. Oricon. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  14. ↑ Misia (2016). Love Bebop (Booklet). Misia. Tokyo, Japan: Ariola Japan. pp. 14–17. 4988017695609.
  15. ↑ "シングルランキング 週間【レコチョク】音楽ダウンロード". Recochoku. Archived from the original on January 12, 2016. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  16. ↑ "LOVE BEBOP【初回生産限定盤】･MISIA". Sony Music Entertainment. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  17. ↑ "LOVE BEBOP【通常盤】･MISIA". Sony Music Entertainment. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  18. ↑ "MISIA「LOVE BEBOP」をApple Musicで". JP: iTunes Store. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  19. ↑ "LOVE BEBOP【アナログ盤】･MISIA". Sony Music Entertainment. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  20. ↑ "美聲愛神 – 台灣索尼音樂娛樂股份有限公司". Sony Music Taiwan. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  21. ↑ "米希亞在 Apple Music 上的《Love Bebop》專輯". TW: iTunes Store. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
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