Mirror Ball (song)
Encyclopedia
"Mirror Ball" is a single by Alice Nine, released on March 26, 2008. The title track is the theme song of the live-action adaption of collectible card game
and anime
Aquarian Age
(specifically, one of the stories, Juvenile Orion), in which the band also appears.
The single was released in three versions: two limited editions and one regular edition. The limited editions contain a second B-side
, "Kiseki," and an additional DVD
with a single music video
. The DVD for Type A includes the music video for "Mirror Ball," and the DVD for Type B includes the music video for "Eraser -Memoire d'une Fleur-."
The song "Eraser -Memoire d'une Fleur-" is a remade version of the song "Eraser" (イレイザー) from the band's Alpha
album. The song "Mirror Ball" was later rearranged with piano accompaniment for the band's third album, Vandalize
.
The single reached #6 on the Oricon
weekly rankings, selling 13,801 copies in its first week.
" single, approached the band in request of a theme song for the movie.
After reading the film's script, the band decided that the theme for the song would be "human's light and shadow." The base concept for the song was then adjusted in accordance with this theme, and it reflects in the song's lyrics and title, as vocalist Shou stated, "The title, 'Mirror Ball,' is also one of my expressions of 'human’s light and shadow'. A mirror ball can’t shine by itself, it needs shadows to shine. I compared that to life."
Version 2 (CD and DVD)
Version 3 (CD only)
which is gold when the band is performing in a circle around it and changes to silver as they perform in front of it in the water.
The "Eraser -Memoire d'une Fleur-" music video has the band fully dressed in white, performing the song in some scenes while others have a single member of the band lying down, standing up, or sitting down on a flower bed. The music video shows some focus on singer Shou, who acts as a jaded prisoner with gray colored hair. As a prisoner, he watches a television on which the band performs, along with scenes of flowers and skylines.
Collectible card game
thumb|Players and their decksA collectible card game , also called a trading card game or customizable card game, is a game played using specially designed sets of playing cards...
and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
Aquarian Age
Aquarian Age: Sign for Evolution
is a 13-episode television anime series based on the Aquarian Age collectible card game. The show was co-produced by Broccoli and Madhouse and aired in early 2002 on TV Tokyo. VHS and DVD copies of the Japanese editions are currently on sale, and ADV Films has released the show in the United States...
(specifically, one of the stories, Juvenile Orion), in which the band also appears.
The single was released in three versions: two limited editions and one regular edition. The limited editions contain a second B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
, "Kiseki," and an additional DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
with a single music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
. The DVD for Type A includes the music video for "Mirror Ball," and the DVD for Type B includes the music video for "Eraser -Memoire d'une Fleur-."
The song "Eraser -Memoire d'une Fleur-" is a remade version of the song "Eraser" (イレイザー) from the band's Alpha
Alpha (Alice Nine album)
Alpha is the second full-length studio album from visual kei rock band Alice Nine. It was released on the November 28th, 2007. Alpha includes 12 tracks, 4 of which were previously released as singles...
album. The song "Mirror Ball" was later rearranged with piano accompaniment for the band's third album, Vandalize
Vandalize (album)
Vandalize is the third studio album from visual kei rock band Alice Nine. It was released on January 14, 2009.The album contains eleven tracks, compiling the band's three previous singles and eight new songs...
.
The single reached #6 on the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
weekly rankings, selling 13,801 copies in its first week.
Development history
The song "Mirror Ball" came into conception before the release of Alice Nine's second album, Alpha. However, it did not become a full-fledged single until the director of the Aquarian Age film, who also directed the music video for the band's "JewelsJewels (song)
"Jewels" is the title of the eighth physical and ninth overall maxi single from alice nine. It was officially released on March 21, 2007...
" single, approached the band in request of a theme song for the movie.
After reading the film's script, the band decided that the theme for the song would be "human's light and shadow." The base concept for the song was then adjusted in accordance with this theme, and it reflects in the song's lyrics and title, as vocalist Shou stated, "The title, 'Mirror Ball,' is also one of my expressions of 'human’s light and shadow'. A mirror ball can’t shine by itself, it needs shadows to shine. I compared that to life."
Track listing
Version 1 (promotional CD and DVD)- "Mirror Ball" – 4:42
- "Kiseki" – 3:57 (奇跡; Miracle)
- "Eraser -Memoire d'une Fleur-" – 5:07 (イレイザー -Memoire d'une Fleur-; Eraser -Memory of a flower-)
- "Mirror Ball" music video
Version 2 (CD and DVD)
- "Mirror Ball" – 4:42
- "Kiseki" – 3:57 (奇跡; Miracle)
- "Eraser -Memoire d'une Fleur-" – 5:07 (イレイザー -Memoire d'une Fleur-; Eraser -Memory of a flower-)
- "Eraser -Memoire d'une Fleur-" music video
Version 3 (CD only)
- "Mirror Ball" – 4:42
- "Kiseki" - 3:57 (奇跡; Miracle)
Music video
The "Mirror Ball" music video depicts the band performing their song in a mostly black room. A lot of the scenes are in slow motion and there is a water effect, with inches of water covering the floor, dripping from the ceiling, and splashing onto each member's instruments. In the background is a disco ballDisco ball
A disco ball is a roughly spherical object that reflects light directed at it in many directions, producing a complex display...
which is gold when the band is performing in a circle around it and changes to silver as they perform in front of it in the water.
The "Eraser -Memoire d'une Fleur-" music video has the band fully dressed in white, performing the song in some scenes while others have a single member of the band lying down, standing up, or sitting down on a flower bed. The music video shows some focus on singer Shou, who acts as a jaded prisoner with gray colored hair. As a prisoner, he watches a television on which the band performs, along with scenes of flowers and skylines.