19-sai no Uta
Encyclopedia
is a song by Japanese singer-songwriter
Mao Abe
, released on November 3, 2010.
," which were much more pop-rock).
The song was written by Abe in 2009, when she was 19, however was recorded and released when she was 20. During this time, Abe was dealing with the stresses of being a musician, such and was performing on her tour Mao Abe Live No. 1 and in recording sessions for her album Pop
. During this time, Abe found she could not write songs she considered good since her debut, as opposed to those written in high school.
The lyrics of the song are autobiographical, about Abe's state of mind at 19. The song deals with her feelings of insecurity, impatience and conflict of not being considered a child or an adult. Abe considers the song a condensation of the resentment and chaos she felt while under stress as a musician.
The single also features the B-sides "Ai ni Iku" and "Morning," though initially four songs were planned for the single. Abe described "Ai ni Iku" as a "painful pop tune" and a "straightforward love song." It was based on real experiences, where Abe was trying to keep up a long-distance relationship
while having no money. During the writing process, Abe wrote the music and lyrics entirely separately. The self-guitar backed track "Morning" was described by Abe as being about a man's other connections outside of love, such as work and friends. Abe started the song from the lyric which she wrote down while visiting a friend's house. At the end of 2008 she wrote the song properly, finishing writing the lyrics spontaneously, something she had never done before.
Abe was featured in many music and fashion magazines to promote the single. These included publications such as CD&DL Data, Hanachu, Junon
, Musica, Ori Star
, Papyrus, R25, Rockin' On Japan, What's In? and Zipper. She also went on the Tokyo FM
radio show School of Lock! on November 1 to promote the single.
Abe's fourth tour, the 16 date Mao Abe Live No. 2, began on the same day as the physical release of the single. On the first date at Ōita
, she performed the song live for the first time.
s and klieg light
s light the band as they perform.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Mao Abe
Mao Abe
is a Japanese singer-songwriter. She debuted in 2009 with the album Free.- Biography :Abe started learning the piano from age three, and from junior high school she had begun to want to be a singer. She stopped learning the piano in favour of the guitar, wanting to be an acoustic pop...
, released on November 3, 2010.
Composition and inspiration
The song is an upbeat rock song, arranged by music producer Takamune Negishi. This was Abe's first time to work with Negishi. Abe chose this song to become a single because of its stronger rock sound compared to her previous works (especially in comparison to songs such as "FreeFree (Mao Abe song)
is a song by Mao Abe. It was released as the main promotional track from her debut album, Free, in January 2009. Free is an upbeat pop rock song...
," which were much more pop-rock).
The song was written by Abe in 2009, when she was 19, however was recorded and released when she was 20. During this time, Abe was dealing with the stresses of being a musician, such and was performing on her tour Mao Abe Live No. 1 and in recording sessions for her album Pop
Pop (Mao Abe album)
-DVD Track list:-Singles:-Japan Sales Rankings:*Currently still charting.- Various charts :...
. During this time, Abe found she could not write songs she considered good since her debut, as opposed to those written in high school.
The lyrics of the song are autobiographical, about Abe's state of mind at 19. The song deals with her feelings of insecurity, impatience and conflict of not being considered a child or an adult. Abe considers the song a condensation of the resentment and chaos she felt while under stress as a musician.
The single also features the B-sides "Ai ni Iku" and "Morning," though initially four songs were planned for the single. Abe described "Ai ni Iku" as a "painful pop tune" and a "straightforward love song." It was based on real experiences, where Abe was trying to keep up a long-distance relationship
Long-distance relationship
A long-distance relationship is typically an intimate relationship that takes place when the partners are separated by a considerable distance....
while having no money. During the writing process, Abe wrote the music and lyrics entirely separately. The self-guitar backed track "Morning" was described by Abe as being about a man's other connections outside of love, such as work and friends. Abe started the song from the lyric which she wrote down while visiting a friend's house. At the end of 2008 she wrote the song properly, finishing writing the lyrics spontaneously, something she had never done before.
Promotion
For promotion of the single a special cellphone-only site abema-rally.jp was set up. The site was a social networking game, in which people received points for sending messages to their friends. The top 50 posters were invited to a special exclusive live event.Abe was featured in many music and fashion magazines to promote the single. These included publications such as CD&DL Data, Hanachu, Junon
Junon (magazine)
Junon is a monthly Japanese fashion magazine primarily directed towards teenage girls and women. It began circulation in June 1973.-External links:* *...
, Musica, Ori Star
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
, Papyrus, R25, Rockin' On Japan, What's In? and Zipper. She also went on the Tokyo FM
Tokyo FM
Tokyo FM Broadcasting Co., Ltd. is a radio station in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the flagship station of the Japan FM Network .-Program:*Countdown Station** DHC Countdown jp** cosmo Pops Best 10...
radio show School of Lock! on November 1 to promote the single.
Abe's fourth tour, the 16 date Mao Abe Live No. 2, began on the same day as the physical release of the single. On the first date at Ōita
Oita, Oita
is the capital city of Ōita Prefecture located on the island of Kyushu, Japan.- Demographics and geography :Ōita is the most populous city in Ōita Prefecture...
, she performed the song live for the first time.
Music video
The music video was directed by Choku, and shot on October 6, 2010. It features Abe performing the song with a band in a darkened, smoky room. As they perform, different types of lights such as strobe lightStrobe light
A strobe light or stroboscopic lamp, commonly called a strobe, is a device used to produce regular flashes of light. It is one of a number of devices that can be used as a stroboscope...
s and klieg light
Klieg light
A Klieg light is an intense carbon arc lamp especially used in filmmaking. It is named after inventor John H. Kliegl and his brother Anton Tiberius Kliegl. Modern Klieg lights use a tungsten-halogen filament...
s light the band as they perform.
Tracklist
Chart rankings
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Japan Adult Contemporary Airplay |
6 |
| Billboard Japan Hot 100 Japan Hot 100 The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com .... |
8 |
| Oricon Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... daily singles |
13 |
| Oricon weekly singles | 20 |
| RIAJ Digital Track Chart RIAJ Digital Track Chart The is chart ranks the best selling digital singles in Japan, provided by the Recording Industry Association of Japan since April 2009. The chart measures cellphone downloads .... Top 100 |
68 |
Reported sales
| Chart | Amount |
|---|---|
| Oricon physical sales | 6,000 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | Ringtone | |
| Digital download | ||
| CD Single CD single A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s... , rental CD |