A.S.A.P. (Little Kiss song)

"A.S.A.P."
Single by Little Kiss
ReleasedFebruary 14, 1997 (1997-02-14)
Genre
Length4:59
LabelPony Canyon
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Tsugutoshi Gotō
Takaaki Ishibashi singles chronology
"A.S.A.P."
(1997) 		"Freedom"
(1997)
Shizuka Kudo singles chronology
"Gekijō"
(1996) 		"A.S.A.P."
(1997) 		"Blue Velvet"
(1997)

"A.S.A.P." is a song recorded by Japanese comedian Takaaki Ishibashi and Japanese singer Shizuka Kudo, under the unit name, Little Kiss, as part of an act for the AX variety show Tunnels no Nama de Daradara Ikasete!!, co-headed by Ishibashi. It was released as a single through Pony Canyon on Valentine's Day 1997. The song was featured on TV commercials for Ginza Jewelry Maki's exclusive jewelry brand Rhapsoamo.[1]

Background

The unit name Little Kiss was inspired by the names of bands popular at the time, including Every Little Thing and My Little Lover, from which the word "little" is lifted.[2] The song was written by Yasushi Akimoto and Tsugutoshi Gotō, the latter of which produced Kudo's first eight albums. It is Kudo's first collaboration with Akimoto since he wrote the B-side to "Daite Kuretara Ii no ni".

Live performances

Ishibashi and Kudo performed the song on the EX music show Music Station. Their performance is remembered most notably for their reenactment of the kissing scene from the song's music video.[3] Their passage on the show attracted intense media attention and given the intimate nature of their act, dating rumors started circulating.[3] In addition to performing the song on various music shows during its promotional cycle, Ishibashi was a special guest on Kudo's 1997 Dress Concert Tour, where the pair sung the song together. Unmarried at the time, Kudo performed the song with her husband-to-be, Takuya Kimura, when she appeared on the CX variety show, SMAP×SMAP.[4]

Chart performance

The single debuted at number three on the Oricon Singles Chart with 143,000 copies in its first week, marking Kudo's second consecutive top ten entry.[5][6] It stayed in the top five for the next two weeks, ranking at number six and number five, respectively.[7][8] The song charted for eleven consecutive weeks, and with over 400,000 copies sold, it was certified Platinum by the RIAJ and became Ishibashi's best-selling single.[9] "A.S.A.P." ranked at number 63 on the year-end Oricon Singles Chart for 1997.[10]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Yasushi Akimoto; all music is composed by Tsugutoshi Gotō

No.TitleArranger(s)Length
1."A.S.A.P."
4:59
2."Fusawashī Futari" (ふさわしい2人, "Perfect Couple")
  • Mitsuji Horikawa
  • Otohiko Tahara
4:44
3."A.S.A.P." (Original Karaoke)
  • Gotō
4:59
Total length:14:42

Charts

Chart (1997) Peak
position
Japan Weekly Singles (Oricon)[11] 3
Japan Monthly Singles (Oricon)[12] 12
Japan Yearly Singles (Oricon)[10] 63

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[9] Platinum 400,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "A.S.A.P.／Little Kiss-カラオケ・歌詞検索". Joysound. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  2. ^ "キムタクも嫉妬!? 石橋貴明と工藤静香、濃厚キス連発の過去 (1)". Excite. June 14, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "キムタクも嫉妬!? 石橋貴明と工藤静香、濃厚キス連発の過去 (2)". Excite. June 14, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  4. ^ "キムタクも嫉妬!? 石橋貴明と工藤静香、濃厚キス連発の過去 (3)". Excite. June 14, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  5. ^ "1997年2月24日付 CDシングル/アルバムランキング". Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  6. ^ "1987.08.31 工藤静香 アイドル・ポップ・データベース". Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  7. ^ "1997年3月3日付 CDシングル/アルバムランキング". Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  8. ^ "1997年3月10日付 CDシングル/アルバムランキング". Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  9. ^ a b "Japanese single certifications – Little Kiss – A.S.A.P." (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 1997年2月 on the drop-down menu
  10. ^ a b "オリコン 1997年TOP100". Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  11. ^ "A.S.A.P. Little Kiss". Oricon. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  12. ^ "オリコン(oricon)「1997年03月」の月間シングルCDランキング". Retrieved January 18, 2018.