Sakura (Ayaka song) explained

Sakura
Cover:	Ayaka - Sakura.png
Type:	Single
Artist:	Ayaka
Recorded:	2017^[1]
Label:	A Station
Producer:	Satoru Shionoya
Prev Title:	Kotonoha
Prev Year:	2017
Next Title:	Heart Up
Next Year:	2018

is a song recorded by Japanese singer-songwriter Ayaka. It was officially released nationwide as a digital single through A Station on February 12, 2018.^[2] A limited physical release was initially made available through Ayaka's official fan club Room Ayaka and at concert venues for her Acoustic Live Tour 2017-2018 3-Star Raw concert tour on October 14, 2017.^[3]

Background and composition

Ayaka wrote "Sakura", while Japanese pianist Satoru Shionoya arranged and produced the track, in the spring of 2017, as her first graduation song.^[2] She began performing the song on tour in September 2017, and due to fan demand, recorded and released it as a CD single a month later through concert venues and her fan club.^[4] Ayaka states that the song came about because she wanted to write a song for "people of all ages" to "reminisce about memories of their youth".^[2] "Sakura" is written in the key of B-flat major with a common time tempo of 72 beats per minute.^[5] Ayaka's vocals span from F₃ to B₄ in modal voice, and up to D₅ in head voice.

Chart performance

"Sakura" debuted at number 87 on the Billboard Japan Download Songs chart.^[6] The song peaked at number 33 on the weekly Mora singles chart. It ranked at number 59 on the weekly RecoChoku Singles Chart and at number 19 on the RecoChoku High-Resolution singles chart.^{[7] [8]} In late March, "Sakura" soared to number 2 of the RecoChoku high-resolution singles chart and at number 23 on the Billboard Japan Download Songs chart. The song also made its debut on the Oricon Digital Singles Chart at number 20, with sales of 6,000 downloads, and entered the Billboard Japan Hot 100 at number 78.

Charts

Chart (2018)	Peak position
Japan Weekly Digital Singles (Oricon)^[9]	20
Japan Hot 100 (Billboard)^[10]	78
Japan Download Songs (Billboard)^[11]	23
Japan Weekly Hi-Res Singles (RecoChoku)^[12]	2
Japan Weekly Singles (Mora)^[13]	33

Notes and References

1. Web site: 絢香 初の卒業ソング『サクラ』の公式合唱楽譜が発売決定！！. February 21, 2018.
2. Web site: 絢香の卒業ソング「サクラ」本日配信リリース. Natalie. February 12, 2018. February 21, 2018.
3. Web site: 絢香の卒業ソング「サクラ」、ファンの声に応えてシングル化. Natalie. October 12, 2017. February 21, 2018.
4. Web site: 絢香、初の卒業ソングをツアー会場限定リリース. Barks. October 12, 2017. February 21, 2018.
5. Web site: 【合唱楽譜】サクラ（絢香）〔混声３部合唱/女声３部合唱〕. February 21, 2018.
6. Billboard Japan Download Songs . Billboard. February 21, 2018.
7. Web site: シングルランキング 週間【レコチョク】音楽ダウンロード. https://archive.today/20180221030513/https://recochoku.jp/ranking/single/weekly/. Recochoku. February 21, 2018. February 21, 2018. dead.
8. Web site: ハイレゾシングルランキング 週間【レコチョク】音楽ダウンロード. https://archive.today/20180221045047/https://recochoku.jp/ranking/hires_single/weekly/. RecoChoku. February 21, 2018. February 21, 2018. dead.
9. Web site: オリコン週間 デジタルシングル（単曲）ランキング 2018年03月19日〜2018年03月25日 11〜20位. https://archive.today/20180328163439/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/dis/w/2018-04-02/p/2/. Oricon. March 28, 2018. March 28, 2018. dead.
10. Billboard Japan Hot 100 . Billboard. March 28, 2018.
11. Billboard Japan Download Songs . Billboard. March 28, 2018.
12. Web site: シングルランキング 週間【レコチョク】音楽ダウンロード. https://archive.today/20180328163032/https://recochoku.jp/ranking/hires_single/weekly/. Recochoku. March 28, 2018. March 28, 2018. dead.
13. Web site: ランキング（総合）Weekly 音楽ダウンロード・音楽配信サイト. https://archive.today/20180220055707/http://mora.jp/ranking?genre=all&term=weekly&month=curMonth&year=2017&period=yearly. Mora. February 20, 2018. February 21, 2018. dead.