Sakura Hitohira

"Sakura Hitohira"
Single by Misia
from the album Love Bebop
ReleasedFebruary 18, 2015 (2015-02-18)
GenrePop
Length3:52
LabelAriola Japan
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • her0ism
Misia singles chronology
"Boku wa Pegasus Kimi wa Polaris"
(2014) 		"Sakura Hitohira" / "Shiroi Kisetsu"
(2015) 		"Nagareboshi" / "Anata ni Smile :)"
(2015)

"Sakura Hitohira" (桜（さくら）ひとひら, lit. "Cherry Blossom Petal") is a song recorded by Japanese singer Misia, from the album Love Bebop. It was released as the album's second single digitally on February 11, 2015, through Ariola Japan.[1] It was released as a limited double A-side CD single alongside the song "Shiroi Kisetsu" a week later, on February 18, 2015.[2] The song was written by Misia, composed by her0ism and Shirose, from the band White Jam, and arranged and produced by her0ism. It was written specifically for the three-night TX drama The Eternal Zero, adapted from the film by the same name and starring Osamu Mukai, for which it serves as theme song.[3]

Background and release

"Sakura Hitohira" was promoted as being Misia's first Sakura song, a longstanding thematic in Japanese music.[4] On January 22, a trailer for the single was uploaded on Misia's official YouTube channel.[5] The single features three B-sides: the Shiro Sagisu-produced "Mayonaka no Hide-and-seek", "Candle of Life", which Misia first performed during the 2014 installment of her Misia Candle Night concert series, and lastly a remix of the latter track. The CD single cover artwork was designed by longtime collaborator Mitsuo Shindō and photographed by Kristian Schmidt.[2]

Composition

"Sakura Hitohira" is written in the key of F-sharp minor with a common time tempo of 82 beats per minute.[6] Misia's vocals span from A3 to C♯5.

Chart performance

"Sakura Hitohira" debuted at number 9 on the weekly Recochoku Singles chart.[7] The CD single made its debut at number 24 on the Oricon Singles Chart, with 4,000 copies sold in its first charting week.[8] It charted for nine consecutive weeks and sold a reported total of 9,000 copies.[9]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Shiroi Kisetsu"
  • her0ism
5:19
2."Sakura Hitohira" (桜ひとひら, "Cherry Blossom Petal")
  • her0ism
3:52
3."Mayonaka no Hide-and-seek" (真夜中のHIDE-AND-SEEK, "Midnight Hide-and-seek")
  • Sagisu
4:44
4."Candle of Life"
  • her0ism
4:15
5."Candle of Life" (Make a Wish Remix)
  • Misia
  • her0ism
  • Niceforo
  • Öberg
  • Fatale
  • DJ Gomi
5:03
Total length:23:13
Limited CD single hidden track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Shiroi Kisetsu" (Piano Version)
  • her0ism
  • Idei
4:12
Total length:27:25

Credits and personnel

Personnel[10]

Charts

Chart (2015) Peak
position 		Sales
Japan Daily Singles (Oricon)[11] 20 9,000[9]
Japan Weekly Singles (Oricon)[12] 24
Japan Hot Singles Sales (Billboard)[13] 21
Japan Weekly Singles (Recochoku)[7] 9

References

  1. ^ "「時代を超えた名曲」MISIA渾身の「永遠の0」主題歌を向井理が絶賛". Natalie. January 24, 2015. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  2. ^ a b "MISIA、両A面シングル「白い季節/桜ひとひら」ジャケデザイン公開". Musicman-Net. January 9, 2015. Archived from the original on February 23, 2018. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  3. ^ "MISIA、平和への願い込めた新曲「桜ひとひら」がドラマ『永遠の0』主題歌に". Barks. December 16, 2015. Archived from the original on February 23, 2018. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  4. ^ "MISIA 初の桜ソングがドラマ「永遠の０」主題歌に". Dwango. December 16, 2014. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  5. ^ "MISIA、両A面シングル「白い季節/桜ひとひら」全曲試聴スタート". Musicman-Net. January 22, 2015. Archived from the original on February 23, 2018. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  6. ^ "「桜ひとひら / MISIA」のピアノ・ソロ譜（中級）". Archived from the original on February 23, 2018. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  7. ^ a b "シングルランキング 週間 2/11～2/17". Recochoku. February 18, 2015. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  8. ^ "週間 CDシングルランキング 2015年03月02日付". Oricon. February 25, 2015. Archived from the original on February 26, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  9. ^ a b "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" [Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Taiju']. Oricon. Archived from the original on April 21, 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  10. ^ Shiroi Kisetsu / Sakura Hitohira (Booklet). Misia. Chiyoda, Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan: Ariola Japan. 2015. 4988017691847. Archived from the original on 2018-02-23. Retrieved 2018-02-23.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ "デイリー CDシングルランキング 2015年02月17日付". Oricon. February 18, 2015. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  12. ^ "白い季節/桜ひとひら(初回生産限定盤) MISIA". Oricon. Archived from the original on February 23, 2018. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  13. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Singles Sales". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 23, 2018. Retrieved February 20, 2018.