1:03:01 (re-release)"},"label":{"wt":"[[Pony Canyon]]"},"producer":{"wt":"[[Toshifumi Hinata]]"},"prev_title":{"wt":""},"prev_year":{"wt":""},"next_title":{"wt":"[[Trip Trip]]"},"next_year":{"wt":"2002"},"misc":{"wt":"{{Extra chronology\n | artist =\n | type =\n | prev_title = [[The Voice (Kokia album)|The Voice]]\n | prev_year = 2008\n | title = Kokia Complete Collection 1998–1999\n | year = 2008\n | next_title = [[Fairy Dance: Kokia Meets Ireland]]\n | next_year = 2008\n}}\n{{Extra album cover\n | header = Kokia Complete Collection 1998–1999\n | type = studio\n | cover = Kokia_complete.jpg\n | border =\n | alt =\n | caption = Re-release cover.\n}}\n{{Singles\n | name = Songbird\n | type = studio\n | single1 = Aishiteiru Kara\n | single1date = April 29, 1998\n | single2 = Arigatō...\n | single2date = June 17, 1999\n}}"}},"i":0}}]}" id="mwAg">1999 studio albumby Kokia
Songbird | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | July 16, 1999 | |||
Recorded | 1998–1999 | |||
Genre | J-pop | |||
Length | 48:18 1:03:01 (re-release) | |||
Label | Pony Canyon | |||
Producer | Toshifumi Hinata | |||
Kokia chronology | ||||
| ||||
| ||||
Kokia Complete Collection 1998–1999 | ||||
![]() Re-release cover. | ||||
Singles from Songbird | ||||
|
Songbird (stylised as songbird) is Kokia's debut album,released on July 16, 1999 . [1] It is her only album released under Pony Canyon,the rest being released with Victor Entertainment or Wasabi Records. [2]
The album was re-released in 2008,as Kokia Complete Collection 1998–1999,featuring the album as well bonus tracks from her Pony Canyon singles,"Aishiteiru Kara," "Tears in Love" and "Arigatō..." [3]
Kokia considers the lead single from the album,"Arigatō...," to be one of her favourite songs. [4] She wrote the song in the mid 1990s,about the death of her family's pet dog. [5] She has re-recorded it three times:on her 2006 greatest album, Pearl:The Best Collection ,on the 2007 Japanese release of Aigakikoeru:Listen for the Love and on the limited edition of her 2009 second greatest hits album, Coquillage:The Best Collection II .
In 2003,the songs "I Catch a Cold" and "Shiroi Yuki" were used in the soundtrack for the popular Chinese drama At the Dolphin Bay. [6]
Kokia released three singles before her album:"Ai no Field" (愛の輪郭(フィールド),Field of Love),"Tears in Love" and "Arigatō...". [7] "Ai no Field" was the anime Brain Powerd's ending theme song,and was produced by Yoko Kanno (however,it was released through Victor Entertainment and not Pony Canyon). [8] "Tears in Love" was released in November. The B-side from this single,"Blue Night," was played as a theme song for a radio show Kokia had on FM Hokkaido,Kokia Innocent Time. [9] This is the first release Kokia worked on personally,as she wrote the lyrics on both tracks. [9] Seven months later in June 1999,the final single,"Arigatō...," was released.
|
The album did not chart on the Japanese Oricon albums charts. [12]
The album was released in Asia (Taiwan,Hong Kong,etc.) in October. [13] In Hong Kong,the album saw much more success. It was released simultaneously with Sammi Cheng's album "Arigatou," which featured a cover of the lead single. [14] Cheng's cover was a hit in Hong Kong. [2] Kokia's version of the song was later awarded third in the 1999 Hong Kong International Popular Song Award (香港國際流行音樂大赏). [2]
Reception by critics was positive. Music critic Shunta Tanizaki praised the album for Kokia's clear voice and described the songs as "kind" and "tearing down the everyday." [11] CDJournal praised the album for its beautiful melodies,and felt that producer Toshifumi Hinata's production fitted well with Kokia's music. Special note was taken of her falsetto vocals,which were described as elegant,impressive and "overflowing with clarity." [10]
In 2008,after Kokia had focused working with her new label Victor Entertainment for eight years,Pony Canyon re-released the album for her 10th anniversary. It was retitled Kokia Complete Collection 1998–1999,and featured three tracks not present on the original disc,but on Pony Canyon singles:"Blue Night," "Tears in Love" and the original version of "Aishiteiru Kara." Also featured was a DVD that included the music videos for "Aishiteiru Kara" and "Tears in Love."
The re-release charted at #254 on Oricon's album charts. [12]
All songs arranged by Toshifumi Hinata.
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Watashi wa Utau Kotori Desu (私は歌う小鳥です, I'm a Little Songbird)" | Kokia | Kokia | 2:53 |
2. | "Soyokaze ga Sōgen o Naderu Yō ni (そよ風が草原をなでるように, Like a Gentle Breeze Stroking the Grasslands)" | Kokia | Kokia, Toshifumi Hinata | 5:06 |
3. | "I Catch a Cold" | Kokia | Kokia | 3:08 |
4. | "Shiroi Yuki (白い雪, White Snow)" | Kokia | Kokia | 4:21 |
5. | "River" | Kokia | Kokia | 4:21 |
6. | "Hirusagari no Toki (昼下がりの時, Early Afternoon)" | Kokia | Kokia | 4:05 |
7. | "You" | Hinata | Hinata | 5:05 |
8. | "Live Alone" | Kokia | Kokia | 5:52 |
9. | "Arigatō... (ありがとう・・・, Thank You...)" | Kokia | Kokia | 4:08 |
10. | "Erika (エリカ)" | Kokia | Kokia | 4:04 |
11. | "Aishiteiru Kara (Sincerely Version) (愛しているから, Because I Love You)" | Yukiyo Mizuno | Hinata | 4:54 |
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Arigatō..." | Kokia | Kokia | 4:08 |
2. | "River" | Kokia | Kokia | 4:21 |
3. | "Live Alone" | Kokia | Kokia | 5:52 |
4. | "Aishiteiru Kara" | Yukiyo Mizuno | Hinata | 5:08 |
5. | "Tears in Love" | Kokia | Hinata | 5:02 |
6. | "Watashi wa Utau Kotori Desu" | Kokia | Kokia | 2:53 |
7. | "Hirusagari no Toki" | Kokia | Kokia | 4:05 |
8. | "Soyokaze ga Sōgen o Naderu Yō ni" | Kokia | Kokia, Hinata | 5:06 |
9. | "Blue Night" | Kokia | Hinata | 4:15 |
10. | "Shiroi Yuki" | Kokia | Kokia | 4:21 |
11. | "Erika" | Kokia | Kokia | 4:04 |
12. | "I Catch a Cold" | Kokia | Kokia | 3:08 |
13. | "You" | Hinata | Hinata | 5:05 |
14. | "Aishiteiru Kara (Sincerely Version)" | Yukiyo Mizuno | Hinata | 4:54 |
|
|
Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
---|---|---|---|---|
Japan | July 16, 1999 [1] | Pony Canyon | CD | PCCA-1351 |
Asia | October 1, 1999 [13] | Pony Canyon (HK) | CD | ACCA-1351 |
Japan re-release | September 17, 2008 [3] | Pony Canyon | CD+DVD | PCCA-2748 |
"First Love" is a song by the Japanese-American singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada. It was released on April 28, 1999, as the third Japanese language single from her second studio album, First Love, which was issued a month previously. It was certified double platinum for 800,000 copies shipped to stores in Japan.
"Ai no Tame ni." is the seventh single by Japanese recording artist Aya Ueto. It was released on February 4, 2004 as the fourth and final single from Ueto's second studio album Message. The single was released in two formats: limited and standard editions, both issued with different covers.
Akiko Yoshida is a Japanese singer and songwriter performing under the stage name Kokia. Her most well known songs are "Arigatō..." and "The Power of Smile" (which topped at No. 8 in the singles chart). She is also recognized for her numerous contributions to anime/game soundtracks, the most notable being "Ai no Melody/Chōwa Oto " for the film Origin: Spirits of the Past, "Follow the Nightingale" for the game Tales of Innocence, "Tatta Hitotsu no Omoi" for the anime Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino, "Dance of the Spirits" for the anime “The Ancient Magus' Bride” and "For Little Tail" for the game Tail Concerto.
Umui Kaji is Rimi Natsukawa's fifth original album, released on March 9, 2007. According to Natsukawa, title was chosen for the album as it gave an image of "so many thoughts put into song. Of course, it's not a strong wind, but a fresh wind I want to reach the listeners."
The discography of Japanese singer Kokia consists of fourteen studio albums, five compilations albums, four extended plays and 35 singles. Kokia has also released several music videos, mostly centred on her Mother Land management era with Victor Entertainment. Kokia has contributed to many soundtracks, mostly for games and anime. She has written several songs for other artists, most notably "Inori", a song sung by Mobile Suit Gundam 00 voice actor Ayahi Takagaki in the role of her character Feldt Grace.
Trip Trip is Kokia's second album, released in January 2002. It was her first album released with Victor Entertainment, and her only released under Gai Records management. Unlike Songbird, the album was self-produced.
Uta ga Chikara is Kokia's fourth album, released in July 2004, eight months after her last album, "Remember Me." The album centres on inspirational songs, including the official song for the Japan team at the 2004 Summer Olympics, "Yume ga Chikara."
Aigakikoeru: Listen for the Love is Japanese singer Kokia's fifth album. It was originally released under Wasabi Records in France in November 2006, however was eventually released in Japan six months later. "Aigakikoeru" means "Love Can Be Heard."
Christmas Gift is Kokia's eighth studio album, released in October/November 2008. It is her first full-length Christmas album, though she had released a special Christmas EP for fans, A Piece of Christmas, in November 2006. It is the final of four albums released in 2008 to celebrate her 10th anniversary as a singer.
Coquillage: The Best Collection II is Kokia's second greatest hits album, released on December 2, 2009.
Pearl: The Best Collection is Kokia's first greatest hits album, released on February 1, 2006. It was released simultaneously with her first video clips collection, Jewel: The Best Video Collection.
Lovebox is Beni's fifth studio album, and second original album under the mononym Beni released through Nayutawave Records. It was released on June 2, 2010. Natuyawave describes the album as "fully loaded with different feelings of love: happy love, painful love..."
"Lonely" is Japanese singer-songwriter Mao Abe's fourth physical single, released on June 9, 2010. Unlike her previous singles and albums, this release is only released in one version.
"The Power of Smile/Remember the Kiss" is Kokia's 10th single, released on September 24, 2003. It is currently Kokia's most commercially successful single, after being used as the Kao Essential Damage Care shampoo commercials in 2003, featuring actress Yūko Takeuchi.
"Kawaranai Koto " is Kokia's 9th single, released on May 21, 2003. It is Kokia's second most commercially successful single after "The Power of Smile/Remember the Kiss," due to being used as the daytime TV drama Itoshiki Mono e's theme song.
Musique à la Carte is an album released by Kokia, on September 15, 2010. It is an album composed entirely of covers of songs by Western artists.
Maiko Nakamura is a Japanese R&B singer who debuted as a musician in 2008 with the song "Because...," a collaboration with LGYankees. Since then, she has collaborated on a number of singles with R&B musicians. In 2011, she broke into the top 10 on the RIAJ Digital Track Chart with her two collaborations with the group Cliff Edge: "The Answer" from her second album Answer, as well as "Endless Tears" from the group's greatest hits album Best of Love.
Full of Love is the fourteenth studio album by Japanese singer Shizuka Kudo. It was released on June 2, 1999, through Pony Canyon. The album features a contemporary R&B sound, produced by the likes of Chokkaku, Ichirō Hada and Seishirō Kusunose. It has been described as the perfect driving album for the summer.
20th Anniversary B-side collection is the twelfth compilation album by Japanese singer Shizuka Kudo. It was released in honor of Kudo's 20th anniversary on March 5, 2008, through Pony Canyon.
Euro Shizuka Kudo is the first and only remix album by Japanese singer Shizuka Kudo. It was released on September 20, 2000, through Pony Canyon. The EP features four of Kudo's hit songs remixed into Para Para-ready Eurobeat numbers. It was released as part of the Euro series by Pony Canyon, which only includes one other release, the EP Euro Onyanko, which gives the Eurobeat treatment to four songs by Onyanko Club. The EP was released after Kudo left Pony Canyon and moved to Extasy Japan and is not considered an official release on her side.