"Ai o Tomenaide" (愛を止めないで / Don't Stop the Love) is the 51st single by pop/R&B singer/songwriter Koda Kumi. It was released on September 21, 2011 in three separate editions: CD only, CD only [Second Virgin Edition] and CD+DVD. The single peaked at #6 on the Oricon Singles Charts. The "Second Virgin Edition" remained on the charts for fourteen weeks, while the standard edition remained on the charts for eight weeks.
| "Ai o Tomenaide" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Koda Kumi | ||||
| from the album Japonesque | ||||
| Released | September 21, 2011 | |||
| Recorded | 2011 | |||
| Genre | J-pop, ballad | |||
| Label | Rhythm Zone | |||
| Composer(s) | Naohisa Taniguchi | |||
| Lyricist(s) | Koda Kumi | |||
| Koda Kumi singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Ai o Tomenaide" on YouTube | ||||
The title track was used as the theme song to the film Second Virgin.
Background information
editAi o Tomenaide (愛を止めないで / Don't Stop the Love) is the fifty-first single by Japanese artist Koda Kumi and was used as the theme song to the film Second Virgin. The single was released in three editions on September 21. The single debuted at #6 on Oricon. The standard editions stayed on the charts for two months, while the "Second Virgin Edition" remained on the charts for fourteen weeks.[1][2]
Each edition carried a different track list on the CD portion. The "Second Virgin Edition" carried the strings and music box versions of "Anata Dake ga", while the standard editions contained the track "You are not alone," the latter of which garnered a music video on the DVD. The strings version of "Anata Dake ga" was composed by writer and composer Masaki Iehara, who had previously worked with Kumi for her songs "To be one" (2003), "Unmei" (2006), "Aishou" (2007), "Ai no Kotoba" (2009) and "Universe" (2010).[3][4]
The single was the number one digital single during the weeks of September 14 through September 20, and September 21 through September 27.[5][6] It was certified platinum for 250,000 downloads in January 2014.[7]
"You are not alone," which was released on the standard edition, was written by Kumi. She described the song to be a "national theme" or "hymn" to represent hope, and a way for her to reach out to her fans and those who were affected by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[8]
Packaging
editAi o Tomenaide was released in various editions: CD, CD+DVD and CD [Second Virgin Edition].
There were only two tracks released on the standard CD and CD+DVD editions: "Ai o Tomenaide" and "You are not alone." Neither track received an instrumental or a remix on the single. On the limited editions, there was the making video of "Ai o Tomenaide."[9]
On the "Second Virgin Editions," the track "You are not alone" was omitted and was replaced with two different renditions of "Anata Dake ga" from her single Suki de, Suki de, Suki de. - a strings version composed by Masaki Iehara and a music box version composed by YU.
Music video
editThe music video for "Ai o Tomenaide" carried a very soft and sensual theme, with much of the imagery being inspired by her 2006 video "Unmei." Much of the camera work and angles closely resembled the prior music video. In the video, Kumi is seen both alone and embraced by a man.
The video for "You are not alone" was compiled of clips from Kumi during a live performance, along with clips of her during rehearsals and in the writing and composing process for the song. The overall theme was to show support to her fans and for every to realize that "no matter the trifles in life, you are not alone."
Track list
edit| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arranger(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ai o Tomenaide" (愛を止めないで / Don't Stop the Love) | Koda Kumi | Naohisa Taniguchi | Hitoshi Munakata | 5:29 |
| 2. | "You are not alone" | Koda Kumi | Takuya Harada | Takuya Harada | 3:51 |
| Total length: | 9:20 | ||||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ai o Tomenaide" (Music Video) | 5:35 |
| 2. | "You are not alone" (Music Video) | 2:56 |
| 3. | "Ai o Tomenaide" (Making Video) |
Second Virgin Edition
edit| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arranger(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ai o Tomenaide" | Koda Kumi | Naohisa Taniguchi | Hitoshi Munakata | 5:29 |
| 2. | "Anata Dake ga" (Strings Version) | Koda Kumi | MARKIE • SiZK from ★STAR GUiTAR | Masaki Iehara | 4:45 |
| 3. | "Anata Dake ga" (Music Box Version) | YU | YU | 3:48 | |
| Total length: | 13:22 | ||||
*Making video of "Ai o Tomenaide" only available on limited editions
Chart rankings
editOricon Sales Chart
edit| Release | Chart | Peak position | First day/week sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 21, 2011 | Oricon Daily Charts | 5 | |
| Oricon Weekly Charts | 6 | 30,828 | |
| Oricon Monthly Charts | 19 | 43,969 | |
| Oricon Yearly Charts | 177 |
All figures pertain to "Ai o Tomenaide" or the single as a whole, unless stated.
| Charts (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Chaku-Uta Full (Digital Single) Monthly top 100 | 3 |
| Chaku-Uta (Ringtone) Monthly top 100 | 1 |
| Chaku-Uta Music Video Monthly top 100 | 3 |
| RIAJ Digital Track Chart weekly top 100 | 1 |
| Recochoku 2011 most downloaded full songs overall | 45 |
| Most downloaded chaku uta 2011 | 49 |
| Most downloaded melody call/RBT 2011 | 9 |
| Most downloaded full Videoclips 2011 | 42 |
| Most downloaded Chaku movies 2011 | 38 |
Certifications
edit| Chart | Number |
|---|---|
| RIAJ downloads[7] | Platinum (250,000+) |
Alternate Versions
editAi o Tomenaide
- Ai o Tomenaide: Found on the single (2011) and corresponding album Japonesque (2012)
- Ai o Tomenaide [World Sketch Remix]: Found on Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 4 (2012)
You are not alone
- You are not alone: Found on the single (2011)
- You are not alone [Acoustic Version]: Found on Japonesque (2012)
References
edit- ^ "Ai wo Tomenaide (Second Virgin Edition) / KODA KUMI / ORICON STYLE". Oricon. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
- ^ "Ai wo Tomenaide (with DVD) / KODA KUMI / ORICON STYLE". Oricon. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
- ^ "Masaki Iehara: creators: obelisk inc". Obelisk Inc. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "Relationships of Masaki Iehara". MusicBrainz. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "RIAJ Digital Track Chart: Chart issue September 20, 2011" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Archived from the original on 2012-04-30. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
- ^ "RIAJ Digital Track Chart: Chart issue September 27, 2011" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Archived from the original on 2012-05-07. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
- ^ a b レコード協会調べ 1月度有料音楽配信認定 [Record Association Investigation: January Digital Music Download Certifications]. RIAJ (in Japanese). February 28, 2014. Archived from the original on March 5, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
- ^ "Ayumi Hamasaki & Koda Kumi leave messages for Japan". Tokyo Hive. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
- ^ "Ai wo Tomenaide (SINGLE+DVD)(Hong Kong Version)(Out of print)". YesAsia. Retrieved March 25, 2017.