Lovers in Japan
Encyclopedia
"Lovers in Japan" is a song by English alternative rock
band Coldplay
. It was written by all members of the band for their fourth album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
. The song is built around an introductory tack piano
sound, then followed by chiming guitars and soaring choruses, supported by the pianos and rhythms that accompany the song's lyrics. "Lovers in Japan" also includes the track "Reign of Love" on the album.
It was released on 4 November 2008 as the fourth single from Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends and has reached number 10 in Billboard
's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
chart. The song has also appeared on Billboard's Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks
on the number 19 peak position. "Lovers in Japan" was well-received by music critics, who noted the track's general sound. Although the single is seen as the fourth single from the album, the version on the single is the Osaka Sun Mix, which is featured on Prospekt's March EP, which thus made "Lovers in Japan" also the first single from the mentioned EP.
said:
In an interview with Q
magazine, when asked about why "Lovers in Japan" had an additional track, bassist Guy Berryman explained that the band couldn't make up their minds about the tracklisting, because they had discussed that they did not want an extra song on the album, and instead they wanted to keep the album concise with a total of ten tracks (and a intended length of under 42 minutes). Champion followed with, "We just preferred to have less titles and more stuff. The album as a whole has got the most on it, but it’s the shortest. We wanted to make it almost impossible for you to not listen to it all in one go." In addition, vocalist Chris Martin
revealed that the band had always wanted a song title which was two in one. He added that the reason for having two titles in the track listing of Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
was due to American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake
doing it for his last album, FutureSex/LoveSounds
(2006).
The song's musicscape features an introductory detuned tack piano sound, then followed by an upbeat guitar sound and soaring choruses. Towards the end, it builds into a rhythmically soaring, U2
sound. Martin sings about runners who must run until the race is won and soldiers who must soldier on in the second and third verse of the song. The song also makes mentions of time being short.
Prospekt's March
, entitled as "Lovers in Japan (Osaka Sun Mix)", when it was released on 21 November 2008. Chris Martin in discussion about the song, said: "We've been playing it live better than it is on the record. So the live version has informed this Osaka Sun version, which is just a bit more lively."
"Lovers in Japan" appeared on Billboard
's Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks
chart in the peak position of 32 on 29 November 2008. The track peaked at number 10 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
chart. The song appeared in Billboard's Pop 100
chart, in the peak position of 65. Although the song did not chart on the UK Singles Chart, as it was released as a radio-only song in the United States, the song peaked at number 41 on the Japan Hot 100 Singles chart.
Critics were positive towards the song. Alexis Petridis of The Guardian
review of the album, wrote: "Chris Martin's melodies ... shine: even his loudest detractor could hardly deny his way with a tune as evidenced here by '42' and 'Lovers in Japan'." Evan Sawdey of PopMatters
noted that the song is "stunning, jaw-dropping highlight". He added that "Martin pounds away at a bouncy toy-piano melody ... leading into a chorus where guitarist Jonny Buckland gets to unleash what might be the catchiest guitar riff he's written... (and yes, he absolutely bathes in the moment)." Joey Guerra
of the Houston Chronicle
added that "Lovers in Japan" was a "joyous, romantic anthem that combines wistful rock riffs and gorgeous piano". He also wrote that the song is one of "the disc's best moments". Jed Gottlieb of the Boston Herald
reported that the piano sound in "Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love" hints at the 1968 song "Lady Madonna
" by The Beatles
, "before taking a neo-classical, Chopin-does-Britpop route". Jeff Crawford of the City Messenger
wrote, "...'Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love' and 'Strawberry Swing' rank among the band's best work". Josh Hathaway from The Plain Dealer wrote that "Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love" works "in just the opposite direction with 'Lovers' playing like an update of vintage Simple Minds
, an almost anthem that never fully takes flight, before giving way to the gentle 'Reign of Love'".
for the single, directed by Mat Whitecross in London, was released on 31 October 2008 through iTunes Store
, where it was available free for a week on the American and Canadian iTunes. The video utilises the "Osaka Sun Mix" version of the song.
The first half of the video shows the band playing in a courtyard while each member writes certain words from the lyrics in glowing neon on the screen. During the chorus, the camera spins around in circles to go along with the lines "They are turning my head out". The video ends with butterfly-shaped confetti raining on the band, as happens when each chorus is played at live concerts, along with the words "The End" on the screen behind the band, as they take a bow.
Promotional CD
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
. It was written by all members of the band for their fourth album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, often referred to as simply Viva la Vida is the fourth studio album by British rock band Coldplay, released on 11 June 2008 on Parlophone. The album was named after a Spanish phrase that translates in English as "long live life"...
. The song is built around an introductory tack piano
Tack piano
In music, the tack piano is a permanently altered version of an ordinary piano, in which tacks or nails are placed on the hammers of the instrument at the point where the hammers hit the strings, giving the instrument a tinny, more percussive sound...
sound, then followed by chiming guitars and soaring choruses, supported by the pianos and rhythms that accompany the song's lyrics. "Lovers in Japan" also includes the track "Reign of Love" on the album.
It was released on 4 November 2008 as the fourth single from Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends and has reached number 10 in 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...
's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100...
chart. The song has also appeared on Billboard's Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks
Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks
Adult Top 40 is a variation on the United States Billboard charts...
on the number 19 peak position. "Lovers in Japan" was well-received by music critics, who noted the track's general sound. Although the single is seen as the fourth single from the album, the version on the single is the Osaka Sun Mix, which is featured on Prospekt's March EP, which thus made "Lovers in Japan" also the first single from the mentioned EP.
Writing and composition
When asked about the development of the song, during a track-by-track reveal, drummer Will ChampionWill Champion
William "Will" Champion is an English musician and the drummer of rock band Coldplay.-Early life:William Champion was born in Southampton, Hampshire, England, and was brought up in Highfield, Southampton, where his father, Timothy Champion, is a professor of archaeology...
said:
We were in a studio in New York, this place called the Magic Shop, and it had this thing called a tack pianoTack pianoIn music, the tack piano is a permanently altered version of an ordinary piano, in which tacks or nails are placed on the hammers of the instrument at the point where the hammers hit the strings, giving the instrument a tinny, more percussive sound...
there, which sounds like an old honky-tonk piano, where you put little tacks in the hammers, so it sounds like more of a harpsichordHarpsichordA harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
almost. And so we wanted to use that kind of sound, but we didn't have a tack piano, so rather than sample it, we went and bought an old piano from the shop up the road from our studio, and we bought a load of tacks, and me and GuyGuy BerrymanGuy Rupert Berryman is a Scottish musician known as the bassist for the groups Coldplay and Apparatjik. Berryman is left-handed but chooses to play the bass right-handed.-Coldplay:...
and JonJonny BucklandJonathan Mark "Jonny" Buckland is an English guitarist and musician, best known as the lead guitarist of the band Coldplay.-Early life:...
spent a couple of hours pushing tacks into the piano hammers.
In an interview with Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
magazine, when asked about why "Lovers in Japan" had an additional track, bassist Guy Berryman explained that the band couldn't make up their minds about the tracklisting, because they had discussed that they did not want an extra song on the album, and instead they wanted to keep the album concise with a total of ten tracks (and a intended length of under 42 minutes). Champion followed with, "We just preferred to have less titles and more stuff. The album as a whole has got the most on it, but it’s the shortest. We wanted to make it almost impossible for you to not listen to it all in one go." In addition, vocalist Chris Martin
Chris Martin
Christopher Anthony John "Chris" Martin is an English song-writer, who is the lead vocalist, pianist and rhythm guitarist of the band Coldplay. He is married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow.-Early life:...
revealed that the band had always wanted a song title which was two in one. He added that the reason for having two titles in the track listing of Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, often referred to as simply Viva la Vida is the fourth studio album by British rock band Coldplay, released on 11 June 2008 on Parlophone. The album was named after a Spanish phrase that translates in English as "long live life"...
was due to American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
doing it for his last album, FutureSex/LoveSounds
FutureSex/LoveSounds
In 2005, Timberlake felt inspired to record songs again. Motivated by the "sad state" of pop radio, he decided he needed to experiment with music. Reportedly, it was not until Timberlake turned to producer Timbaland "that he figured out the direction he wanted the record to take"...
(2006).
The song's musicscape features an introductory detuned tack piano sound, then followed by an upbeat guitar sound and soaring choruses. Towards the end, it builds into a rhythmically soaring, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
sound. Martin sings about runners who must run until the race is won and soldiers who must soldier on in the second and third verse of the song. The song also makes mentions of time being short.
Release and reception
Coldplay released "Lovers in Japan" in the United States on 4 November 2008 as the fourth single of their fourth album. The song is also featured in the band's 2008 EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Prospekt's March
Prospekt's March
-Personnel:*Andy Rugg – assistant engineer, engineer*Andy Wallace – mixing*Bob Ludwig – mastering*Brian Eno – producer, sonic landscapes*Brian Thorn – assistant engineer, engineer*Chris Martin – performer*Dan Green – assistant engineer, engineer, photography...
, entitled as "Lovers in Japan (Osaka Sun Mix)", when it was released on 21 November 2008. Chris Martin in discussion about the song, said: "We've been playing it live better than it is on the record. So the live version has informed this Osaka Sun version, which is just a bit more lively."
"Lovers in Japan" appeared on 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...
's Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks
Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks
Adult Top 40 is a variation on the United States Billboard charts...
chart in the peak position of 32 on 29 November 2008. The track peaked at number 10 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100...
chart. The song appeared in Billboard's Pop 100
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...
chart, in the peak position of 65. Although the song did not chart on the UK Singles Chart, as it was released as a radio-only song in the United States, the song peaked at number 41 on the Japan Hot 100 Singles chart.
Critics were positive towards the song. Alexis Petridis of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
review of the album, wrote: "Chris Martin's melodies ... shine: even his loudest detractor could hardly deny his way with a tune as evidenced here by '42' and 'Lovers in Japan'." Evan Sawdey of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
noted that the song is "stunning, jaw-dropping highlight". He added that "Martin pounds away at a bouncy toy-piano melody ... leading into a chorus where guitarist Jonny Buckland gets to unleash what might be the catchiest guitar riff he's written... (and yes, he absolutely bathes in the moment)." Joey Guerra
Joey Guerra
Joey Guerra is the pop music critic for the Houston Chronicle, one of the ten largest papers in the U.S. Born June 16, 1974 in Houston, Texas. He is a prolific writer, covering the major genres and the Houston/Texas music scene...
of the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
added that "Lovers in Japan" was a "joyous, romantic anthem that combines wistful rock riffs and gorgeous piano". He also wrote that the song is one of "the disc's best moments". Jed Gottlieb of the Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
reported that the piano sound in "Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love" hints at the 1968 song "Lady Madonna
Lady Madonna
"Lady Madonna" is a song by The Beatles, primarily written by Paul McCartney . In March 1968, it was released as a single, backed with "The Inner Light." The song was recorded on 3 and 6 February 1968 before the Beatles left for India...
" by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, "before taking a neo-classical, Chopin-does-Britpop route". Jeff Crawford of the City Messenger
City Messenger
City Messenger is a weekly suburban newspaper in Adelaide, part of the Messenger Newspapers group. The City covers the Adelaide CBD and surrounding suburbs and has recently experimented with targeting public transport commuters, similar to mX, also owned by News Limited.The newspaper generally...
wrote, "...'Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love' and 'Strawberry Swing' rank among the band's best work". Josh Hathaway from The Plain Dealer wrote that "Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love" works "in just the opposite direction with 'Lovers' playing like an update of vintage Simple Minds
Simple Minds
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single "Don't You ", from the soundtrack of the...
, an almost anthem that never fully takes flight, before giving way to the gentle 'Reign of Love'".
Music video
A music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the single, directed by Mat Whitecross in London, was released on 31 October 2008 through iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
, where it was available free for a week on the American and Canadian iTunes. The video utilises the "Osaka Sun Mix" version of the song.
The first half of the video shows the band playing in a courtyard while each member writes certain words from the lyrics in glowing neon on the screen. During the chorus, the camera spins around in circles to go along with the lines "They are turning my head out". The video ends with butterfly-shaped confetti raining on the band, as happens when each chorus is played at live concerts, along with the words "The End" on the screen behind the band, as they take a bow.
Track listing and variations
- "Lovers in Japan" – 3:57 (albumViva la Vida or Death and All His FriendsViva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, often referred to as simply Viva la Vida is the fourth studio album by British rock band Coldplay, released on 11 June 2008 on Parlophone. The album was named after a Spanish phrase that translates in English as "long live life"...
version)- "Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love" – 6:51 (as included on the album)
- "Lovers in Japan" (acoustic version) – 3:44 (digital-only pre-order bonus track)
- "Lovers in Japan" (Osaka Sun Mix) – 3:58 (reworked version with a quicker tempo released on Prospekt's MarchProspekt's March-Personnel:*Andy Rugg – assistant engineer, engineer*Andy Wallace – mixing*Bob Ludwig – mastering*Brian Eno – producer, sonic landscapes*Brian Thorn – assistant engineer, engineer*Chris Martin – performer*Dan Green – assistant engineer, engineer, photography...
EP)
Promotional CD
- "Lovers in Japan" (Osaka Sun Mix) – 3:57
Charts
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
77 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
12 |
| Italian Airplay Chart | 5 |
| Japan Hot 100 Singles | 41 |
| US 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... Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100... |
10 |
| US Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks Adult Top 40 is a variation on the United States Billboard charts... |
19 |
| US Billboard Pop 100 Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... |
65 |
| US Billboard Triple A Adult album alternative Adult album alternative is a radio format. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots trace to the 1960s and 1970s from the earlier freeform and progressive formats.... |
3 |
| Venezuela International Airplay Chart | 16 |