Snow Man Retrospective 7: Brother Beat

After the softness of ｢Secret Touch｣, Snow Man’s sixth single 『ブラザービート』 (English: Brother Beat) arrived like a sugar rush detonating in the middle of a family food fight. Released on 30 March 2022 as the theme to the group’s live-action adaptation of 『おそ松さん』 (English: Mr. Osomatsu), the track exploded with cartoon chaos, rapid-fire banter, and the kind of gleeful sibling energy that feels completely natural to the group. Dripping with a catchy rock-and-roll bounce, the song’s chorus ricochets off the walls like a pinball trapped inside a convenience store microwave.

If you’re unfamiliar with Mr. Osomatsu, the franchise began in 1962 with Fujio Akatsuka’s gag manga Osomatsu-San, a chaotic comedy following six identical troublemaking brothers. Since its original release, the series has received multiple anime adaptations and evolved into a beloved cornerstone of Japanese pop culture. In 2015, the property exploded into a full-blown phenomenon when a modern reboot reimagined the sextuplets as hopelessly dysfunctional adults, which is ultimately the version the members of Snow Man were cast to bring to life.

Loud, ridiculously charming, and impossibly tight, ｢ブラザービート｣ was a perfect fit for the film and proves that Snow Man can weaponize fun without sacrificing an ounce of their precision or charisma which is one of the many reasons this song is my absolute favorite from the group.

Not only is the title track an absolute banger, but every single coupling song hits just as hard. ｢REFRESH｣ was used as part of Mintia’s “Instant Mint That Moves Us” campaign, which saw Snow Man appointed as the brand’s commercial ambassadors. The campaign featured a series of stylish cyberpunk-inspired commercials centered around the group’s explosive “瞬感ミント打法” (“Instant Mint Technique”) dance choreography, created by group leader Hikaru Iwamoto specifically for the campaign.

Alongside the main group CM, special individual-member versions aired throughout the campaign, giving each member a moment to shine while perfectly matching the track’s cool, high-energy atmosphere.

｢From today｣ is a sweet and uplifting track about new beginnings and received a music video exclusive to the single’s video release. Meanwhile, ｢イチバンボシ｣ (English: The First Star), which was featured on the regular edition, slows the single’s momentum into something warmer and more sentimental, wrapping the group’s vocals in an almost dreamlike atmosphere. While the track did not receive a full music video, a special recording video was later uploaded to Snow Man’s official YouTube channel, allowing the song’s gentle emotional pull to shine even brighter.

The original physical release of『ブラザービート』came in three different formats:

Edition A (with DVD)
💿｢ブラザービート｣
💿 ｢REFRESH｣
📼 ｢ブラザービート｣ (Music Video)
📼 ｢REFRESH｣ (Dance Video)
📼 Behind the Scenes

The First-Press edition came with a unique clear folder (A5) and a serial number for exclusive video A.

Edition B (with DVD)
💿｢ブラザービート｣
💿 ｢From today｣
📼 ｢ブラザービート｣ (Multi-Angle Video)
📼 ｢From today｣ (Lip Sync Video)💿 ｢From today｣
📼 Special Bonus Footage

The First-Press edition also came with a unique clear folder (A5) and a serial number for exclusive video B.

Regular (CD Only) Edition
💿｢ブラザービート｣
💿 ｢REFRESH｣
💿 ｢From today｣
💿 ｢イチバンボシ｣
💿 ｢ブラザービート｣ (Original Karaoke)
💿 ｢REFRESH｣ (Original Karaoke)
💿 ｢From today｣ (Original Karaoke)
💿 ｢イチバンボシ｣ (Original Karaoke)

The first-press edition included a sleeve, photo book, sticker set, and a serial number for exclusive video C.

Commercially, 『ブラザービート』 was another monster success for the group. Debuting at number one on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart, the single sold more than 800,000 physical copies in its first week alone, making it one of the best-selling Japanese singles of 2022, and would eventually go on to surpass the million-sales mark. Critically, the release was praised for the successful synergy of sonic chaos with the razor-sharp chemistry and undeniable charisma the group had become known for.

In short, it’s an incredibly well done track.