Lakuen Explained

Lakuen
Cover:HiraiKenLakuen.jpg
Alt:The face of a man looking upwards, against a New York apartment building as a background
Type:single
Artist:Ken Hirai
Album:The Changing Same
Recorded:1999
Genre:contemporary R&B
Length:5:34
Label:Sony Music Records
Prev Title:Love Love Love
Prev Year:1998
Next Title:Why
Next Year:2000

, stylised as "LAKuEN", is a song by Japanese singer Ken Hirai. It was released on January 19, 2000 as his eighth single, and became his biggest hit since his debut in 1995.[1]

Background and development

"Lakuen" was Hirai's first release in two years, since the single "Love Love Love" in 1998. Hirai's debut single "Precious Junk" in 1995 charted at number 50 on Oricon's singles charts, but since then he had not charted on Oricon's singles chart.[1] [2] The popularity of this song managed to revitalise Hirai's career.[3]

Promotion and release

The song became popular after intense radio play from FM stations across Japan.[4] Hirai's follow-up album The Changing Same, released in June 2000, debuted at number one on Oricon's albums chart, and became certified for over one million copies sold.[4] [5]

Hirai performed the song three times on TV Asahi's Music Station: first on March 10, 2000, followed by on the 2000 New Year's special on December 29, and a week before the release of his sixth album Sentimentalovers on November 19, 2004.[6] [7] [8] Hirai performed the song at the 51st Kōhaku Uta Gassen New Year's TV song contest on December 31, 2000.

Critical reception and covers

CDJournal reviewers described the song as a "mellow soul number" that was "an emotionally moving good quality work". They noted Hirai's strong use of falsetto in the song not present in his previous works. They further praised the lyrics for the strong imagery of "pure love" that they create for the listener.[9] [10]

In 2007 on her extended play Sings: Winter, and Luv, Satomi' covered the song, and in 2010 Nami Tamaki covered the song on her single "Omoide ni Naru no?" (2010).[11] [12] In 2012, bilingual singer Beni covered the song in English for her album Covers 2. She wrote the new English lyrics in collaboration with lyricist Seiji Motoyama.[13]

Chart rankings

Sales and certifications

Chart Amount
Oricon physical sales[15] 549,000<--537,810 copies sold in initial press with Sony, 10,910 copies sold in DefStar re-release on 2000/10/01-->
RIAJ physical certification[16] Platinum (400,000+)
RIAJ digital certification[17] Gold (100,000+)

Release history

RegionDateFormatDistributing LabelCatalogue codes
Japan[18] CD singleSony Music RecordsSRCL-4720
Taiwan[19] CD singleLinfair Records Ltd.SRCL4720A
Japan[20] CD singleDefstar RecordsDFCZ-1014
[21] Digital download

Notes and References

  1. Web site: http://www.sanspo.com/geino/top/gt200509/gt2005090801.html. ja: 平井堅、全シングル収録の初ベストアルバムが発売決定！. Ken Hirai to release his first best-of album containing all his singles. 8 September 2005. Sanspo.com. Sankei Sports. Japan. Japanese. https://web.archive.org/web/20051224172958/http://www.sanspo.com/geino/top/gt200509/gt2005090801.html. 24 December 2005. 10 December 2014.
  2. Web site: http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/248066/ranking/cd_single/ . ja: 平井堅のシングル売り上げランキング . Ken Hirai Single Sales Ranking . Oricon . https://web.archive.org/web/20101013042833/http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/248066/ranking/cd_single/ . 2014 . October 13, 2010 . Japanese . December 12, 2014.
  3. Web site: http://natalie.mu/music/pp/kenhirai . ja: 純国産R&Bの金字塔「JAPANESE SINGER」 . Natalie . May 20, 2011 . Japanese . December 12, 2014.
  4. Web site: http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/interview/051122_01.html . ja: インタビュー初登場!ダブルミリオンのアルバムを語る! . Oricon . November 22, 2005 . Japanese . December 12, 2014.
  5. GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 2000年8月度 . Gold Albums, and other certified works. September 2000 Edition . The Record . Bulletin . Japanese . . . October 10, 2000 . 491 . 8 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140122032445/http://www.riaj.or.jp/issue/record/2000/200010.pdf . January 22, 2014 . January 22, 2014.
  6. Web site: http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/music/contents/m_lineup/0587/ . ja: 主演者ラインップ . Performer line-up . TV Asahi . December 12, 2014.
  7. Web site: http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/music/contents/m_lineup/0621/ . ja: 主演者ラインップ . Performer line-up . TV Asahi . December 12, 2014.
  8. Web site: http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/music/contents/m_lineup/0779/ . ja: 主演者ラインップ . Performer line-up . TV Asahi . December 12, 2014.
  9. Web site: http://artist.cdjournal.com/d/lakuen/3199120104 . ja:平井堅 / 楽園 . Ken Hirai: Lakuen . CDJournal . Japanese . December 12, 2014.
  10. Web site: http://artist.cdjournal.com/d/ken-hirai-10th-anniversary-complete-single-collec/4105092110 . ja:平井堅 / Ken Hirai 10th Anniversary Complete Single Collection '95-'05“歌バカ” [2CD+DVD] [限定] . CDJournal . Japanese . December 12, 2014.
  11. Web site: SINGS ~Winter, and Luv~ . 5 December 2007 . iTunes . Japanese . December 12, 2014.
  12. Web site: http://tower.jp/item/2655710/%E6%80%9D%E3%81%84%E5%87%BA%E3%81%AB%E3%81%AA%E3%82%8B%E3%81%AE- . ja:思い出になるの? . Tower Records . Japanese . December 12, 2014.
  13. Web site: http://tower.jp/item/3151634/COVERS%EF%BC%9A2-%5bCD%EF%BC%8BDVD%5d%EF%BC%9C%E5%88%9D%E5%9B%9E%E9%99%90%E5%AE%9A%E7%9B%A4%EF%BC%9E . ja:COVERS:2 ［CD+DVD］＜初回限定盤＞ . Tower Records . Japanese . December 12, 2014.
  14. Web site: http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/248066/ranking/cd_single/ . ja: 平井堅のシングル売り上げランキング . Ken Hirai Single Sales Ranking . Oricon . https://web.archive.org/web/20140221104739/http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/248066/ranking/cd_single/ . 2014 . February 21, 2014 . Japanese . December 12, 2014.
  15. Web site: ja: 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' . http://ranking.oricon.co.jp . . subscription . December 12, 2014.
  16. ja: GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 2000年5月度 . Gold Albums, and other certified works. May 2000 Edition . http://www.riaj.or.jp/issue/record/2000/200007.pdf. The Record . Bulletin . Japanese . . . July 10, 2000 . 488 . 8 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131229020125/http://www.riaj.or.jp/issue/record/2000/200007.pdf . December 29, 2013 . January 17, 2014.
  17. Web site: 有料音楽配信認定 . . Japanese . December 18, 2015 . December 18, 2015.
  18. Web site: http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/248066/products/230279/1/ . ja: 楽園 . Lakuen . Oricon . 2014 . Japanese . December 12, 2014.
  19. Web site: 平井堅- 樂園 . Ken Hirai - Lakuen. G-Music . 2000 . Chinese . December 12, 2014.
  20. Web site: http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/248066/products/95673/1/ . ja: 楽園 . Lakuen . Oricon . 2014 . Japanese . December 12, 2014.
  21. Web site: https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B00G0I4SC2/ . ja: 楽園 . Lakuen . Amazon.co.jp . 2014 . Japanese . December 12, 2014.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Lakuen".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.