"Romance no Kamisama" (ロマンスの神様, Romansu no Kamisama, "The Cupid of Romance", lit. "The God of Romance") is a song recorded by Japanese singer-songwriter Kohmi Hirose, from her third studio album, Success Story. It was released on December 1, 1993, by Victor Entertainment as the album's second single. It is Hirose's most successful single to date, selling two million copies in Japan alone. Romance no Kamisama was also the first of Hirose's songs to be featured by the Alpen company, a Japanese winter sports store, in their winter advertisements, resulting in the Japanese public affectionately naming Hirose the "Queen of Winter" (冬の女王, Fuyu no Joō).[1]

"Romance no Kamisama"
Single by Kohmi Hirose
from the album Success Story
ReleasedDecember 1, 1993 (1993-12-01)
Genre
Length4:29
LabelVictor Entertainment
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Hirose
Kohmi Hirose singles chronology
"Futari no Birthday"
(1993)
"Romance no Kamisama"
(1993)
"Dramatic ni Koishite"
(1994)
Audio sample
"Romance no Kamisama"

Appearances

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Although the song was initially included on her third album Success Story, "Romance no Kamisama" has also been featured on the compilation albums The Best "Love Winters" (which has sold 2.4 million copies),[2] Alpen Best,[1] and Tie-Up Collection: Hirose Kohmi no Terebi de Kīta Ano Kyokutachi.[3] Alpen Best also featured a piano-only arrangement of the song; this same version was later featured on Hirose's eleventh studio album Making My Life Better (2008).[4]

Covers

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Several artists have covered "Romance no Kamisama", including the Exit Trance DJ Starving Trancer, featuring Maki on vocals.[5] Haruko Momoi recorded a cover for her album More & More Quality RED: Anime Song Cover (2008).[6] Marty Friedman recorded a version for his album Tokyo Jukebox (2009).[7] In 2001, Italian vocalist Judy Crystal recorded an English-language cover titled "God of Romance" for the Dance Dance Revolution video game series, more specifically Dance Dance Revolution 5th Mix. Japanese idol and VTuber Tokino Sora recorded a version for her album Re:Play released on November 24, 2021.[8]

Chart performance

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"Romance no Kamisama" entered the Oricon Singles Chart at number six, with 88,000 copies sold.[9][10] The song hit number one on its third week on the chart, selling 139,000 copies.[11] "Romance no Kamisama" remained in the number-one spot for three straight weeks,[12][13] before getting edged out by Dreams Come True's "Winter Song" for a week.[14] It returned to the top of the chart on its seventh charting week,[15] bringing its total weeks atop the list to four. Oricon also recognized it as the number-one song of January 1994,[16] the number one song for the first half of 1994, and the number two song for the whole of 1994,[17] bested only by Mr. Children's "Innocent World". "Romance no Kamisama" ultimately sold 1.75 million physical copies.[18] In an October 16, 2010, Ustream.tv recording of her Hirose Kohmi Radio de Follow Me radio show (later broadcast by JOLF on October 21),[19] Hirose stated that before the song was released the Victor Entertainment president jokingly promised that if the single sold a million copies, he would take the entire recording staff to Disney World in Florida. Once it sold 1.7 million copies, the president followed through on his promise and sent ten staff members to Florida for nine days.

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Kohmi Hirose

No.TitleArranger(s)Length
1."Romance no Kamisama" (ロマンスの神様, "The Cupid of Romance")
4:29
2."Na Na Na..."
  • Hirose
  • Konishi
4:15
3."Romance no Kamisama" (Original Karaoke)
  • Hirose
  • Konishi
4:29
4."Na Na Na..." (Original Karaoke)
  • Hirose
  • Konishi
4:15
Total length:17:38

Charts

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Chart (1993–94) Peak
position
Japan Weekly Singles (Oricon)[20] 1
Japan Monthly Singles (Oricon)[16] 1
Japan Yearly Singles (Oricon)[17] 2

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[21] 4× Platinum 1,600,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[22]
Digital single
Platinum 250,000*
Streaming
Japan (RIAJ)[23] Gold 50,000,000

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "[広瀬香美] 冬の女王が贈るアルペンCMベスト". Natalie. October 2, 2007. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  2. ^ "今月の音遊人:広瀬香美さん「毎日練習したマライア・キャリーの曲が、私を少し上手にしてくれました」". Yamaha Corporation. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  3. ^ "広瀬香美がアルペンCMシングル&タイアップベスト同時発売". Natalie. November 11, 2009. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  4. ^ "広瀬香美、今年の冬を盛り上げる新作アルバム発表". Natalie. September 26, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  5. ^ "Perfume、BUMP、ゆず、YUKIのCM曲をトランスカバー". February 13, 2009. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  6. ^ "モモーイがカバーアルバム2作&電波系CDリリース". Natalie. November 11, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  7. ^ "ナタリー - マーティがPerfume、ホルモン、ミスチルを激烈カバー". Natalie. April 23, 2009. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  8. ^ "Tokino Sora's doing more than being a VTuber, and her popularity's growing with it". November 22, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  9. ^ "1993年12月13日付 CDシングル/アルバムランキング". Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  10. ^ "オリコン シングル 1993.12.13". Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  11. ^ "オリコン シングル 1993.12.27". Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  12. ^ "オリコン シングル 1994.1.10". Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  13. ^ "オリコン シングル 1994.1.17". Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  14. ^ "オリコン シングル 1994.1.24". Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  15. ^ "オリコン シングル 1994.1.31". Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  16. ^ a b "オリコン(oricon)「1994年01月」の月間シングルCDランキング". Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  17. ^ a b "オリコン 1994年TOP100". Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  18. ^ "【1994年1月】ロマンスの神様/広瀬香美 クラシックから誕生した冬の定番ソング". Sports Nippon. January 21, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  19. ^ "広瀬香美 ラジオdeフォロ〜ミ〜 - AMラジオ 1242 ニッポン放送". Nippon Broadcasting System. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
  20. ^ "ロマンスの神様 広瀬香美". Oricon. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  21. ^ "Japanese single certifications – ロマンスの神様" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved September 14, 2021. Select 1994年8月 on the drop-down menu
  22. ^ "Japanese digital single certifications – ロマンスの神様" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 2014年2月 on the drop-down menu
  23. ^ "Japanese single streaming certifications – Kohmi Hirose – ロマンスの神様" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved December 27, 2022. Select 2022年11月 on the drop-down menu