Sayonara Memories
Encyclopedia
is a J-pop
song by the Japanese band Supercell
, written by Ryo. Supercell released it as their second single
in February 2010 by Sony Music
. A music video
was produced for "Sayonara Memories", directed by Takahiro Miki and Taiki Ueda. Lyrically, the song deals with an unrequited love
. The single peaked at No. 7 on Japan's weekly Oricon
singles chart.
", it took Ryo about a month to compose a demo
of "Sayonara Memories". Continuing from "Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari", Supercell again employed the vocalist Nagi to sing "Sayonara Memories", though officially Nagi is not a member of Supercell. After becoming a fan of the music composed by Ryo of Supercell, Nagi contacted him and the two talked about someday collaborating together. After being offered to be the singer for "Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari", it was decided that Nagi would be the singer for Supercell's second album Today Is A Beautiful Day
(2011). Previously, Ryo had used the Vocaloid
singing synthesizer Hatsune Miku
as the vocalist of Supercell's debut album Supercell
(2009). In switching to a human singer, Ryo said "that although he loses absolute control over the tone of each and every phrase, working with a singer adds a human element that resonates better with listeners."
song with instrumentation
from electric
and bass guitar
s, drums
, piano
and violin
. According to a book of sheet music
published by Yamaha Corporation, it is set in common time, and moves at a quick tempo
of 160 beats per minute in the B major
key
throughout the song. The introduction
starts with only piano accompanying Nagi's vocals, and uses a bridge
with added guitar, drums and violin to transition into the first verse. The song continues with the second and third verses, which also serves as the chorus
melody, before employing another bridge. The musical structure used in the first three verses is repeated for the next three with different lyrics. After a short seventh verse, a break
is employed, followed by the eighth verse. After a short instrumental outro, the song ends with Nagi singing , referring to a love confession at the end of the eighth verse.
Since "Sayonara Memories" was released in February, Ryo used February as the song's theme for the lyrics. Ryo commented that "in Japan, this is the graduation season, so I tried to express those farewells, the anxiety for the future, as well as hope for the future." Ryo described February as the time of year when people are reminded of farewells they made the previous year, as well as the time when people think about meeting others for the first time. He attempted to write a song with that sentiment. Ryo especially likes this time of year. The lyrics tell the story of a girl with an unrequited love
who was never able to convey her feelings to the person she loved.
The cover artwork features an illustration by Redjuice, and Nagi is credited as helping on part of the butterfly. The art direction and designs were handled by Yoshiki Usa. Redjuice and Usa received a rough mix of the song near the end of October 2009 and they began work on the artwork from there. Redjuice got much inspiration from the introduction of the song, which sounded similar to a school song
to him. Despite "school" not appearing in the lyrics, Redjuice got a strong "school" impression from the song. Ryo likened Redjuice's illustrations to a shōjo manga style and Usa felt they had a nostalgic and retro feeling to them.
by Sony Music in Japan. The limited edition came bundled with a DVD containing the music video
and TV commercial advertisement for "Sayonara Memories". The song peaked at No. 7 on Japan's weekly Oricon
singles chart, selling about 20,000 copies in its first week of sales; it charted 16 weeks. "Sayonara Memories" debuted and peaked on the Billboard
Japan Hot 100
at No. 31.
, directed by Takahiro Miki and Taiki Ueda, features a singer and four band members, who are not the studio band
that plays the song. The band members in the video include: Yoshiya Hizawa on guitar, Tatsuhiro Endo on bass, Yu Watanabe on drums, and Jun Imai on piano. The video follows actress Ema Sakura who plays a girl who was not able to hand over a love letter
to a boy she liked in her class, played by Hiroki Ino, before they graduated high school. At the beginning of the video, Sakura is awakened to find an astral projection
of her past self (when she was still in high school) taking her love letter. Sakura runs through the city chasing after her projection and eventually comes to her high school where she is led to her classroom. Upon entering, she finds herself back in time with the letter in hand and only herself and Ino in the classroom. She hands over the letter and he thanks her for it, which brings her back to the present. She exits the school satisfied that she was finally able to convey her feelings. Throughout the song, the video shifts back and forth between shots of Nagi and the band members and Sakura. Ryo and Yoshiki Usa were actively involved in the creation of the music video, including during the audition process for who would play the girl in the video.
Additional musicians
Production
J-pop
, an abbreviation for Japanese pop, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in 1960s music, such as The Beatles, and replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene...
song by the Japanese band Supercell
Supercell (band)
Supercell is a Japanese 11-member music group led by composer and lyricist Ryo which formed in 2007 as a dōjin music group. Supercell started out by making use of the Hatsune Miku singing synthesizer to produce vocals for songs submitted to the Nico Nico Douga video sharing website...
, written by Ryo. Supercell released it as their second single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in February 2010 by Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment Japan
is Sony's music arm in Japan. SMEJ is directly owned by Sony Corporation and independent from the United States-based Sony Music Entertainment due to its strength in the Japanese music industry....
. A 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...
was produced for "Sayonara Memories", directed by Takahiro Miki and Taiki Ueda. Lyrically, the song deals with an unrequited love
Unrequited love
Unrequited love is love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such, even though reciprocation is usually deeply desired. The beloved may or may not be aware of the admirer's deep affections...
. The single peaked at No. 7 on Japan's weekly 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...
singles chart.
Background
From August 2009 when Supercell released their debut single "Kimi no Shiranai MonogatariKimi no Shiranai Monogatari
is a J-pop song by the Japanese band Supercell, written by Ryo. Supercell released it as their debut single in August 2009 by Sony Music. The title track was the ending theme song to the 2009 Bakemonogatari anime series, and the B-side track "Love & Roll" was the theme song for the 2009 Cencoroll...
", it took Ryo about a month to compose a demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
of "Sayonara Memories". Continuing from "Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari", Supercell again employed the vocalist Nagi to sing "Sayonara Memories", though officially Nagi is not a member of Supercell. After becoming a fan of the music composed by Ryo of Supercell, Nagi contacted him and the two talked about someday collaborating together. After being offered to be the singer for "Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari", it was decided that Nagi would be the singer for Supercell's second album Today Is A Beautiful Day
Today Is A Beautiful Day
Today Is A Beautiful Day is the second studio album by the Japanese J-pop band Supercell, released on March 16, 2011, by SME. The album contains 13 music tracks written by Ryo, and sung by Nagi Yanagi, though officially Yanagi is not a member of Supercell. Five of the tracks were previously...
(2011). Previously, Ryo had used the Vocaloid
Vocaloid
is a singing synthesizer application, with its signal processing part developed through a joint research project between the Pompeu Fabra University in Spain and Japan's Yamaha Corporation, who backed the development financially—and later developed the software into the commercial product...
singing synthesizer Hatsune Miku
Hatsune Miku
is a singing synthesizer application with a female persona, developed by Crypton Future Media. It uses Yamaha Corporation's Vocaloid 2 synthesizing technology. The name of the character comes from a fusion of the Japanese for , and future , referring to her position as the first of Crypton's...
as the vocalist of Supercell's debut album Supercell
Supercell (album)
Supercell is the eponymous debut studio album of Japanese J-pop band Supercell, released on March 4, 2009, by Sony Music. Supercell had originally released a dōjin version at Comiket 74 on August 16, 2008, before the band signed a record deal with Sony Music...
(2009). In switching to a human singer, Ryo said "that although he loses absolute control over the tone of each and every phrase, working with a singer adds a human element that resonates better with listeners."
Composition
"Sayonara Memories" is a J-popJ-pop
, an abbreviation for Japanese pop, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in 1960s music, such as The Beatles, and replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene...
song with instrumentation
Instrumentation (music)
In music, instrumentation refers to the particular combination of musical instruments employed in a composition, and to the properties of those instruments individually...
from electric
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
s, drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
. According to a book of sheet music
Sheet music
Sheet music is a hand-written or printed form of music notation that uses modern musical symbols; like its analogs—books, pamphlets, etc.—the medium of sheet music typically is paper , although the access to musical notation in recent years includes also presentation on computer screens...
published by Yamaha Corporation, it is set in common time, and moves at a quick tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 160 beats per minute in the B major
B major
In music theory, B major is a major scale based on B. The pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A are all part of the B major scale. Its key signature has five sharps....
key
Key (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
throughout the song. The introduction
Introduction (music)
In music, the introduction is a passage or section which opens a movement or a separate piece. In popular music this is often abbreviated as intro...
starts with only piano accompanying Nagi's vocals, and uses a bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
with added guitar, drums and violin to transition into the first verse. The song continues with the second and third verses, which also serves as the chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
melody, before employing another bridge. The musical structure used in the first three verses is repeated for the next three with different lyrics. After a short seventh verse, a break
Break (music)
In popular music, a break is an instrumental or percussion section or interlude during a song derived from or related to stop-time – being a "break" from the main parts of the song or piece....
is employed, followed by the eighth verse. After a short instrumental outro, the song ends with Nagi singing , referring to a love confession at the end of the eighth verse.
Since "Sayonara Memories" was released in February, Ryo used February as the song's theme for the lyrics. Ryo commented that "in Japan, this is the graduation season, so I tried to express those farewells, the anxiety for the future, as well as hope for the future." Ryo described February as the time of year when people are reminded of farewells they made the previous year, as well as the time when people think about meeting others for the first time. He attempted to write a song with that sentiment. Ryo especially likes this time of year. The lyrics tell the story of a girl with an unrequited love
Unrequited love
Unrequited love is love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such, even though reciprocation is usually deeply desired. The beloved may or may not be aware of the admirer's deep affections...
who was never able to convey her feelings to the person she loved.
The cover artwork features an illustration by Redjuice, and Nagi is credited as helping on part of the butterfly. The art direction and designs were handled by Yoshiki Usa. Redjuice and Usa received a rough mix of the song near the end of October 2009 and they began work on the artwork from there. Redjuice got much inspiration from the introduction of the song, which sounded similar to a school song
School song
A school song, alma mater, school hymn or school anthem is the patronal song of a school. In England, this tradition is particularly strong in public schools and grammar schools.-Australia:*Melbourne High School - Honour the Work...
to him. Despite "school" not appearing in the lyrics, Redjuice got a strong "school" impression from the song. Ryo likened Redjuice's illustrations to a shōjo manga style and Usa felt they had a nostalgic and retro feeling to them.
Release and reception
"Sayonara Memories" was released in limited and regular editions on February 10, 2010 as a CDCompact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
by Sony Music in Japan. The limited edition came bundled with a DVD containing the 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...
and TV commercial advertisement for "Sayonara Memories". The song peaked at No. 7 on Japan's weekly 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...
singles chart, selling about 20,000 copies in its first week of sales; it charted 16 weeks. "Sayonara Memories" debuted and peaked on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Japan Hot 100
Japan Hot 100
The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com ....
at No. 31.
Music video
The music videoMusic 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...
, directed by Takahiro Miki and Taiki Ueda, features a singer and four band members, who are not the studio band
Studio band
A studio band is a musical band that is in regular employment of a Music Recording business for the purpose of playing music on recordings featuring a separate performer. The term may also refer to a band that does not perform live....
that plays the song. The band members in the video include: Yoshiya Hizawa on guitar, Tatsuhiro Endo on bass, Yu Watanabe on drums, and Jun Imai on piano. The video follows actress Ema Sakura who plays a girl who was not able to hand over a love letter
Love letter
A love letter is a romantic way to express feelings of love in written form. Delivered by hand, by mail or romantically left in a secret location, the letter may be anything from a short and simple message of love to a lengthy explanation of feelings...
to a boy she liked in her class, played by Hiroki Ino, before they graduated high school. At the beginning of the video, Sakura is awakened to find an astral projection
Astral projection
Astral projection is an interpretation of out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it...
of her past self (when she was still in high school) taking her love letter. Sakura runs through the city chasing after her projection and eventually comes to her high school where she is led to her classroom. Upon entering, she finds herself back in time with the letter in hand and only herself and Ino in the classroom. She hands over the letter and he thanks her for it, which brings her back to the present. She exits the school satisfied that she was finally able to convey her feelings. Throughout the song, the video shifts back and forth between shots of Nagi and the band members and Sakura. Ryo and Yoshiki Usa were actively involved in the creation of the music video, including during the audition process for who would play the girl in the video.
Track listing
Personnel
Supercell- Ryo – writerSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
- Yoshiki Usa – art direction, design
- Redjuice – illustrations
Additional musicians
- Nagi – vocals
- Susumu Nishikawa – guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
- Masato Ishinari – guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
- Yuichi Takama – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Shinsuke Nozaki – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, shaker - Shunsuke Watanabe – pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
- Crusher Kimura – violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
Production
- Shunsuke Muramatsu – executive producer
- Yu Tamura – executive producer
- Keiji Kondo – mixerAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
- Yuji Chinone – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Masami Hatta – products coordination
- Eiichi Maruyama – director
- Taishi Fukuyama – vocal direction
- Madoka Yanagi – A&R
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japan Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Japan Hot 100 Japan Hot 100 The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com .... |
31 |
| Japan 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 Singles |
7 |
External links
- "Sayonara Memories" at Sony MusicSony Music Entertainment Japanis Sony's music arm in Japan. SMEJ is directly owned by Sony Corporation and independent from the United States-based Sony Music Entertainment due to its strength in the Japanese music industry....