Friends III
Friends III is the sixth mini-album by the Japanese rock duo B'z. It was released on December 8, 2021.[1] It's a concept album and is a sequel to their previous mini-album, Friends II, released in 1996.
| Friends III | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| EP by | ||||
| Released | December 8, 2021 | |||
| Recorded | 2021 | |||
| Genre | Soft rock | |||
| Length | 24:57 | |||
| Label | Vermillion | |||
| Producer | Tak Matsumoto | |||
| B'z chronology | ||||
| ||||
The mini-album came in three editions: a standard edition, a first press edition with a DVD featuring a re-recording of their song "Itsuka no Merry Christmas" from their fourth mini-album, Friends, and a special Live Friends box featuring the standard edition with a glass, which was only available to those who purchased live tickets and was only sold through B'z Club-Gym.[1]
The mini-album debuted at number one on both the Oricon weekly albums chart and on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart.[2][3]
Background
During the COVID-19 pandemic, guitarist Tak Matsumoto went back and forth between Japan and the United States. During a mandatory isolation after returning to Japan, he decided to make one song a day. The songs produced matched up to the style of the past Friends mini-albums, which led Matsumoto to propose producing a third entry into the series, to which vocalist Koshi Inaba agreed.[4][5]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Koshi Inaba; all music is composed by Tak Matsumoto
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Harunohi" | 0:35 |
| 2. | "Season End (シーズンエンド, Season End)" | 4:38 |
| 3. | "Midarechiru (ミダレチル, Scatter in Pieces)" | 3:53 |
| 4. | "Friends III" | 2:02 |
| 5. | "Butterfly" | 3:54 |
| 6. | "Konna Toki Take Anata ga Koishii (こんな時だけあなたが恋しい, I Miss You Only at Such Times)" | 4:40 |
| 7. | "Grow & Glow" | 5:19 |
| Total length: | 24:57 | |
Limited Edition DVD
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Itsuka no Merry Christmas (いつかのメリークリスマス, That One Merry Christmas)" (Friends III Edit) |
Charts
| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[6] | 1 |
| Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[3] | 1 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Japan (RIAJ)[8] | Gold | 100,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- "B'z、コンセプトアルバム『FRIENDS III』収録詳細およびアートワーク公開". BARKS (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-10-27.
- "2021年12月06日～2021年12月12日 オリコン週間 アルバムランキング". ORICON NEWS (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-12-22.
- "Billboard Japan Hot Albums 2021/12/20". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- "B'z、25年ぶりコンセプトアルバム『FRIENDS III』を今冬リリース＋＜LIVE FRIENDS＞を11月2DAYS開催". BARKS (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-10-27.
- "B'z、25年ぶり続編『FRIENDSIII』今冬発売 『LIVEFRIENDS』開催も決定". ORICON NEWS (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-10-27.
- "FRIENDS III | B'z". ORICON NEWS (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-12-22.
- 編集部. "レコ協12月ゴールドディスク認定発表、トリプル・プラチナ認定にSnow Man". MusicVoice (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-12-20.
- "Japanese album certifications – B'z – Friends III" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan.