![]() | You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Japanese. Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
"Lemon" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Single by Kenshi Yonezu | ||||
from the album Stray Sheep | ||||
Language | Japanese | |||
B-side | "Cranberry & Pancake" "Paper Flower" | |||
Released | March 14, 2018 | |||
Recorded | 2017 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:16 | |||
Label | Sony Japan | |||
Songwriter(s) | Kenshi Yonezu | |||
Kenshi Yonezu singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Lemon" on YouTube |
"Lemon" is a song by Japanese singer-songwriter Kenshi Yonezu, released as a single through Sony Music Entertainment Japan on March 14, 2018. It is the theme song for the TV series Unnatural . It has sold more than 500,000 physical copies and 3,000,000 digital copies in Japan. [1] [2] [3]
Kenshi accepted several interviews about "Lemon", talked about the background of "Lemon" and others. The temporary title was "Memento." He said, "I think it came from somewhere in my memory, but I can't really explain it well either." Even the day before recording, he was still writing the lyrics, the last two sentences "Like one half of a fruit sliced in two, even now, you are my light" suddenly appeared in his brain and he said, "Ahh, so this song really was "Lemon."" He also did the cover illustration himself. He focused on liveliness and freshness of a lemon, giving it an image quite unlike what's typically associated with death. [4] For the song, he wanted to go for a ballad, but a simple ballad is not very interesting for him, and he did not want it to be purely gloomy. As a result, he made a hybrid of sorts, with sad words over a dancing, skipping rhythm. [5] He made the song while on his nationwide tour, during which his grandfather died. He agonized over it a lot, so it took even longer to finish than usual. [6]
On February 27, 2018, the music video was published on YouTube. [7] It was filmed in a church and has over 900 million views, making it the most-viewed Japanese music video. [8]
On December 31, 2018, Yonezu gave his first performance on television, singing the track on 69th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen . [9]
All tracks are written by Kenshi Yonezu.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Lemon" | 4:16 |
2. | "Cranberry & Pancake" | 3:30 |
3. | "Paper Flower" | 4:35 |
Total length: | 12:21 |
Credits adapted from the liner notes.
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
All-time charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Japan (RIAJ) [26] physical sales | 2× Platinum | 500,000^ |
Japan (RIAJ) [27] digital sales | 3× Million | 3,000,000* |
Streaming | ||
Japan (RIAJ) [28] | 3× Platinum | 300,000,000† |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Year | Ceremony | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | MTV Video Music Awards Japan | Best Video of the Year | Won |
Best Male Video | Won | ||
96th Television Drama Academy Awards | Best Theme Song | Won | |
International Drama Festival in Tokyo | Theme Song Award | Won | |
Billboard Japan Music Awards | Hot 100 of the Year | Won | |
2019 | Won | ||
Space Shower Music Awards | Song of the Year | Won | |
2020 | JASRAC Awards [29] | Gold Award | Won |
2025 | Music Awards Japan [30] | Top Japanese Song in Asia | Won |