After two chart-topping singles (初心LOVE and The Answer / Sachiare (サチアレ) Naniwa Danshi released their debut studio album 1st Love.
A CANDY-COATED EXPLOSION OF SUGAR-POP SWEETNESS!!
Released 13 July 2022 in 3 separate formats, the album contained 14 tracks of some of the catchiest bops in J-POP. To lead the album, the group chose one of their most popular Jr. Era tracks: Diamond Smile (ダイヤモンドスマイル) and if you thought “初心LOVE” was the epitome of candy-coated cuteness, buckle up, buttercup because this sparkling showstopper – complete with sequined costumes – is sweet enough to give you multiple cavities!
A DELECTABLE TRACK LIST
The entire album is a pastel-painted dream of sugar-sweet symphonies and confectionary orchestrations in a Candy-coated cornucopia of sweet sonic treats. Of course “初心LOVE” “The Answer ” and “Sachi-Are” are included on the album but so is Chuki Chuki Hurricane (ちゅきちゅきハリケーン) – which is one of my personal favorites.
The album also included “Sincere” which was the theme song to the ABC Drama I’ll Borrow Her (aka Rent-a-Girlfriend) starring group member Ryusei Onishi.
The drama, which aired on ABC from 3 July 2022 – 11 Sep 2022 stars Onishi stars as Kazuya Kinoshita, a young man who had the perfect girlfriend – until she breaks up with him. Heartbroken and lonely, he soothes the pain by hiring a rental girlfriend through an online app.
“Timeless Love” was the theme song to the Keshigomu o Kureta Joshi o Suki ni Natta (消しゴムをくれた女子を好きになった。/ English: I Fell in Love With the Girl Who Gave Me the Eraser)
Airing on NTV 26 July 2022 – 27 September 2022, the series not only starred group member Kazuya Ohashi but also featured Naniwa Danshi’s Joichiro Fujiwara and Ken Kojima from Ae! group.
Ohashi stars as Yu Fukuda, a young man who fell in love with a girl that gave him half of her eraser in the second year of junior high school. For the next 13 years the unrequited love took Fukuda on a journey filled with laughter and tears.
In addition to the tracks above, each version of the album was released with the same fourteen songs:
- Overture
- UBU LOVE (初心LOVE)
- Dreamin’ Dreamin’
- Sachiare (サチアレ)
- GETSU KA SUI MOKU KIMI YOUBI (月火水木君曜日)
- Mousoucchuu Discooooooo!! (妄想っちゅーDiscooooooo!!)
- Brand New Heroine
- Chuki Chuki Hurricane (ちゅきちゅきハリケーン)
- Welcome to I LOVE YOU (Welcome to アイラブユー)
- SINCERE (シンシア) (Only in regular edition)
- Timeless Love (Only in regular edition)
- The Answer
- Emerald
- DIAMOND SMILE (ダイヤモンドスマイル)
The Regular (CD Only) edition of 1st Love!
BOUNTIFUL BONUS FEATURES
A second disc (featured on Limited Edition 1) also included 10 bonus tracks from the group’s junior days.
“Soda Pop Love”
“2 Faced”
“Dream Me (夢わたし)” – which was also included as a coupling song on 初心LOVE
The bonus disc also includes the adorable “Timeview” which was written by group member Shunsuke Michieda – and sang by the group just after they learned of their debut. It’s an incredibly sweet and beautiful song.
The complete list of bonus tracks:
- NANIWA Lucky Boy!! (なにわLucky Boy!!)
- AOHARU -With U With Me- (アオハル -With U With Me-)
- Bokuzora ~Ashiato No Nai Mirai~ (僕空~足跡のない未来~)
- 2 Faced
- Seven Stars
- Shall we…？
- Soda Pop Love
- Time View ~Hatenaku Tsuzuku Michi~ (Time View ~果てなく続く道~)
- Yobaiboshi (夜這星)
- Yume Watashi (夢わたし)
Limited Edition 1 also included a video disc (DVD or Blu-ray) that featured both the music video for “DIAMOND SMILE” and a “Making Of” Featurette.
The video disc of Limited Edition 2 included “Naniwa Danshi First Live Tour 2019 ~Naniwa Danshi to Isshoni #AOHARU Shiyo?~”
Covers for Limited Edition 1 and 2
THE SWEET TASTE OF SUCCESS
Reaching number one on the World Music Charts, 1st love obtained triple platinum status and spent Seventy-seven weeks on the Oricon music charts in Japan. With their first album a tasty triumph, Naniwa Danshi was ready to get back into the studio to work their next hit!
More Naniwa Danshi soon so…
Stay tuned!
Life In Cartoon Motion 