Star (Mika Nakashima album)
Star is the eleventh sixth studio album (eleventh overall) by Japanese singer Mika Nakashima. It was released via Sony Music Japan on October 27, 2010, and was distributed in two formats: a CD-only standard version and a CD+DVD limited edition. Five singles were spawned from the record, including "Candy Girl", "Always" and "Ichiban Kirei na Watashi o".
| Star | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 27, 2010 | |||
| Recorded | 2009–10 | |||
| Genre | J-pop | |||
| Length | 1:10:02 | |||
| Label | Sony Music Japan | |||
| Mika Nakashima chronology | ||||
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Commercially, Star peaked at number three on the Oricon Albums Chart and had first week sales of 92,962 copies, a somewhat lower figure compared to her previous records. It went on to sell 155,457 copies within a month upon its release and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). Since then, the album has sold over 180,000 copies in Japan.
Singles
"Over Load" was released as the record's first single on May 13, 2009. "Over Load" was used in a Lipton Limone Commercial May 2009 where Mika starred as the model. Along with the B-side track "No Answer," the release exhibits a bright pop sound with oriental string-based instrumentations.
"Candy Girl" is a collaboration with Japanese women's fashion company Sly. Released on September 30, 2009, four editions of Candy Girl were made available with each having a different CD cover and design. Three of the versions are limited edition releases, with each containing a different T-shirt sporting the message: "Wake Up, Travelling Circus is Coming," in different colors. Musically, "Candy Girl" is a jazz-inflected soft pop song revolving around circus themes. Its B-side "Smiley" utilizes acoustic instrumentals with a jazz-tinged arrangement.
"Nagareboshi" is a pop-infused ballad with the track "Memory" as the B-side. The next single, "Always", is the theme to the film Sayonara Itsuka starring Miho Nakayama. The first press of "Always" came with a 2010 calendar, featuring photoshoots designed by Nakashima herself. The B-sides "Baby Baby Baby" and "Spiral" were featured in several commercials in Japan.
"Ichiban Kirei na Watashi o" (trans. "The Most Beautiful Me") is the record's fifth single and Nakashima's thirty-second overall. Released on August 25, 2010, it was the theme song for the TBS TV series, Unubore Deka (trans. Conceited Detective).[1] Nakashima played the supporting role of Rie Hagurashi in the series. Musically, the is characterized for its "old-sounding" tune reminiscent of 20th-century Japanese pop songs.
| Release date | Title | Chart peaks | Certifications (RIAJ)[lower-alpha 1] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oric. | Hot | Gaon | |||
| May 13, 2009 | "Over Load" | 8 | 6 | — | Gold |
| September 30, 2009 | "Candy Girl" | 4 | 13 | — | — |
| November 4, 2009 | "Nagareboshi" | 10 | 9 | — | Gold |
| January 20, 2010 | "Always" | 3 | 2 | 13[lower-alpha 2] | Platinum |
| August 25, 2010 | "Ichiban Kirei na Watashi o" | 10 | 10 | 22[lower-alpha 2] | Platinum |
Track listing
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arranger(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Always" | Rui Momota | Rui Momota | Kenji Tamai, Rui Momota | 5:13 |
| 2. | "Ichiban Kirei na Watashi o" (一番綺麗な私を) | Katsuhiko Sugiyama | Katsuhiko Sugiyama | Katsuhiko Sugiyama | 4:30 |
| 3. | "Baby Baby Baby" | Mika Nakashima | Ryosuke Sakai | Shin Kono | 5:42 |
| 4. | "Over Load" | Mika Nakashima | Kosuke Morimoto | Kazuto Okawa | 4:42 |
| 5. | "Game" | Mika Nakashima | Kaoru Kami, Tomokazu Matsuzawa | Tomokazu Matsuzawa, The Hot Pantz (P.G.L.M) | 4:14 |
| 6. | "Smiley" | Mika Nakashima | Atsushi Kimura | Kota Hashimoto | 4:43 |
| 7. | "Candy Girl" | Ayumi Miyazaki | Hipjoint | Icedown | 4:06 |
| 8. | "Lonely Star" | Mika Nakashima | Shinya Fujiwara | Tomokazu Matsuzawa | 4:33 |
| 9. | "No Answer" | Mika Nakashima | Kenichi Takemoto | Yoshito Tanaka | 4:14 |
| 10. | "Spiral" | Ayumi Miyazaki, Mika Nakashima | Red-T | Yoshito Tanaka | 4:40 |
| 11. | "Memory" (feat.Daishi Dance) | Lori Fine (from Coldfeet) | Daishi Dance, Tomoharu Moriya | Daishi Dance, Tomoharu Moriya | 6:51 |
| 12. | "16" | Mika Nakashima | Yoko Kuzuya | Makoto Saito | 4:37 |
| 13. | "Nagareboshi" (流れ星) | Kenji Kubo, Yusuke Tanaka | Yusuke Tanaka | Yusuke Tanaka | 6:07 |
| 14. | "Song for a Wish" | Ryoichi Higuchi | Ryoichi Higuchi | Shinya Kiyozuka | 5:50 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Always" (Music video) | |
| 2. | "Ichiban Kirei na Watashi o" (Music video) | |
| 3. | "Over Load" (Music video) | |
| 4. | "Game" (Music video) | |
| 5. | "Candy Girl" (Music video) | |
| 6. | "Nagareboshi" (Music video) |
Charts and sales
Sales and certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Japan (RIAJ)[5] | Gold | 180,066[6] |
Notes
- All four certifications are for chaku-uta full (full-length ringtone sales).
- Charted in South Korea on the Gaon International Digital Chart.
References
- "Mika Nakashima to perform two shows at Budokan". Oricon. Tokyograph. July 7, 2010. Retrieved September 4, 2010.
- "中島美嘉の作品" [Mika Nakashima albums list]. Oricon. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
- "2010년 46주차 Album Chart". Gaon Music Chart (in Korean). October 31 – November 6, 2010. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
- "2010년 46주차 국외 Album Chart". Gaon Music Chart (in Korean). October 31 – November 6, 2010. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
- "Japanese album certifications – Mika Nakashima – Star" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 2010年10月 on the drop-down menu
- "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" [Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Big Tree']. Oricon. Retrieved January 17, 2014. (subscription only)