Music critics enjoyed "Fushigi" for its interpretation of love. Some also noted its composition, which a few found nostalgic. Commercially, the song debuted at number two on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, and later rose to number one upon the release of the double A-side single. "Fushigi" peaked at number 71 on the Bilboard Global Excl. US – Hoshino's second international chart entry – and reached number 9 on the Oricon Combined Singles Chart. The song was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan for streaming and gold for physical sales.
Kyōtarō Hayashi [ja] directed the music video to "Fushigi", which was released on May 30, 2021. The video sees Hoshino and a dog companion going about daily life in an otherwise unpopulated world. It won Best Solo Artist Video at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards Japan and Video of the Year at the 2022 Space Shower Music Awards. Hoshino performed "Fushigi" at various events, including the 72nd NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen on New Year's Eve 2021, and featured it on his Reassembly tour in 2023. An acoustic arrangement of the song was used in a 2023 commercial by Kirin Brewery, which starred Hoshino and actress Mikako Tabe.
Background and writing
Gen Hoshino's early career consisted of acoustic-centered records. From his third album Stranger (2013), he began to incorporate greater use of synthesizers and string arrangements,[1] but continued to compose songs with the guitar.[2] Around the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Hoshino sought to upgrade his composition style. He found time in quarantine to practice using digital audio workstations and keyboard,[3] aided by drummer and producer Mabanua, who gave Hoshino a lecture on digital music composition over a phone call.[4] This resulted in the songs "Halfway" (2020) and "Create" (2021),[3][5] the latter co-arranged by Mabanua.[6]
Why I Dress Up for Love [ja] director Ayuko Tsukahara and producer Junko Arai [ja] — who had collaborated with Hoshino as an actor on the series MIU404 [ja] (2020) — worked with him as an artist on the television drama's theme song.[7] At a briefing, Arai explained that the show would be a "heartache" and told Hoshino to create a "very touching love song".[8] Hoshino viewed the offer as an opportunity to write a love song with intention, describing his previous attempts as unintended results. In an interview with Oricon, Hoshino said that on these previous tracks, he had always been careful to keep the lyrics fictional; however, he was encouraged to explore his own interpretation of love on "Fushigi" after finding fulfillment with autobiographical writing on tracks like "Dancing on the Inside" (2020).[8]
"Fushigi" was written and produced by Hoshino, who co-arranged and programmed it with Mabanua.[9] Hoshino cited various influences for the song's heartaching theme. He intersected his writing sessions with viewings of the Kyoto Animation anime series Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions (2012–14) and Tamako Market (2013),[10] and also mentioned reading the Okinawan novels Hadashi de Nigeru (2017) and Umi o Ageru (2020) by Yōko Uema [ja].[11] Sonically, he based the song around synthesizer-heavy R&B songs from the 1970–80s, like Toshinobu Kubota's "Missing" (1986) and Aska's "Hajimari wa Itsu mo Ame" (1991); Hoshino recalled hearing the intro to the former at an ice rink when in elementary school, which had brought on a feeling of heartache.[2][8]
Composition and lyrics
"Fushigi" has a runtime of 4 minutes and 50 seconds.[12] The instrumentation consists of analog synthesizers (played by Hoshino, Mabanua, Hirotaka Sakurada, and manipulated by Naoyuki Honzawa), pianos (Hoshino and Sakurada), Rhodes piano (Sakurada), drums (Shun Ishiwaka), electric guitar (Ryosuke Nagaoka), and electric bass (Hama Okamoto). Shojiro Watanabe and Shigeharu Nakauchi recorded the song at Onkio Haus and Victor Studio in Tokyo, Watanabe mixed it, and Takahiro Uchida mastered it.[9]
"Fushigi" is a mellow J-popballad,[13][14] driven by warm analog synthesizers like the Minimoog and the Prophet-5, which are layered on top of each other.[15][16] It has a "steady" funk groove according to The Quietus' Joshua Minsoo Kim,[17] and soulful touches of R&B and urban contemporary music from the 80s to early 90s according to Azuki Ogiwara at Real Sound; the latter called its keyboard composition a departure from the ensemble sound found on Hoshino's previous works like Yellow Dancer (2015) and "Koi" (2016).[13] Emi Sugiura, writing for Rockin'On Japan, described the sound as "unrestrained", progressing from a generation of J-pop music that had prioritized universality.[14]
Lyrically, "Fushigi" is a love song where Hoshino describes the "ineffable miracle he's grateful for experiencing", according to Kim.[17] Sugiura called it a head-on verbalization of romance that serves as a hint to listeners.[14]
Release and commercial performance
It was announced that Hoshino would perform the theme song to Why I Dress Up for Love on March 30, 2021, but further details were withheld until its appearance on the show's first episode, broadcast on April 20. Upon the premiere, Hoshino revealed the song's title, "Fushigi", and announced that he would release it digitally as a single on April 27, 2021.[7][18] On the scheduled date, the song was made available for streaming and digital download by Speedstar Records, a subsidiary of Victor Entertainment.[19] With 41,578 downloads and enough streams to place it at number 21 on the Top Streamings Songs sub-chart, "Fushigi" debuted at number two on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 issue dated May 5, 2021, behind only "Born to Be Wild" by the boy band JO1.[20][21] On the Oricon Combined Singles Chart, the song opened at number nine.[22] Interntionally, it entered the Bilboard Global Excl. US at number 71 and stayed for four weeks, becoming Hoshino's second appearance on the chart after "Create" in February of the same year.[23]
"Fushigi" was re-released by Speedstar as the lead track of a double A-sided CD single with "Create" and two B-sides on June 23, 2021. Two limited editions, Kansha (感謝, lit.'Gratitude') and Enkai (宴会, lit.'Party'), were released with Blu-ray/DVD recordings of Hoshino's online concerts of the same names.[24][25] The support of 136,665 first-week CD sales from the double A-side helped "Fushigi" rise to the number one spot of the Japan Hot 100 chart dated June 30, 2021.[26] Meanwhile, "Fushigi" / "Create" opened at number two on the Oricon Singles and Billboard Japan Top Singles Sales charts, defeated for the top spot on both by Kanjani Eight's "Hitori ni Shinai yo".[27][28]
Writing for Billboard, Hitoshi Kurimoto stated that "Fushigi" was "clearly" engineered as a long-hit.[29] When it later climbed to number one of the Hot 100, Kurimoto opined that the song has a subtle quality – as opposed to an overtly catchy melody – which he thought helped it achieve longevity on the charts.[30] On the 2021 Billboard Japan year-end charts, "Fushigi" ranked at number 50 on the Hot 100,[31] number 25 on the Top Download Songs,[32] and number 92 on the Top Streaming Songs;[33] "Fushigi" / "Create" ranked at number 51 for Top Singles Sales.[34] The song was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan for streaming numbers exceeding 100,000,000, becoming Hoshino's first song to achieve this feat,[35][36] and the double A-side was certified gold for physical sales above 100,000.[37]
Critical reception
Some music critics praised the lyrical interpretation of love on "Fushigi". Azuki Ogiwara for Real Sound wrote that the text has the "warmth of human skin",[13] and Rockin'On Japan's Emi Sugiura believed that Hoshino managed to create a J-pop song more personal than the norm by setting out to express the difficult yet important concept of romance.[14] Reviewing international pop music for The Quietus, Joshua Minsoo Kim found Hoshino's message endearing and called "Fushigi" the best love song of 2021; he wrote that the song is defined by a "poetic potency [where] not a single word is wasted", which he felt was matched by the vocal delivery.[17]
"Fushigi" also received some positive reception for its music production. Einosuke Suzuki for Mikiki complimented its progression and use of analog synthesizers.[16] Ogiwara and Sugiura both found parts of the song nostalgic; Ogiwara particularly attributed this to the synths, whereas Sugiura believed the track in general mixed the nostalgic quality with innovation.[13][14] Ogiwara, who reviewed all four tracks on the CD single, noted "Fushigi" as contrasting to "Create";[13] similarly, Daisuke Sawada (a different writer for Mikiki) described "Fushigi" as a "smooth mellow" track, but "Create" as charming and up-beat.[38]
Promotion and other usage
Some scenes in the "Fushigi" music video were filmed at Haneda Airport in Tokyo.
To commemorate the announcement of the song's release, Hoshino opened an official TikTok account where he posted footage of when he completed the track in a recording studio.[39] He teased the song's music video via a snippet, and premiered the full video to YouTube on May 30, 2021. Directed by Kyōtarō Hayashi [ja] – who previously worked on the videos to Hoshino's "Pop Virus" (2018) and "Ain't Nobody Know" (2019) – it features Hoshino as he goes about daily life in a strange, unpopulated world, accompanied only by a dog companion (played by the animal actor Selene-chan).[40][41] Areas featured include an airport, which was filmed at the Haneda Airport in Tokyo.[42][43] The video surpassed three million views within four days,[42] and was the recipient of Best Solo Artist Video at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards Japan[44] and Video of the Year at the 2022 Space Shower Music Awards.[45] Behind-the-scenes clips were released on June 4, 2021.[42]
Hoshino has performed "Fushigi" during various events and concerts. He gave its debut performance via a ninety-minute special of Count Down TV on June 7, 2021,[46] and sang the song from the Tokyo International Forum for the 72nd NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen on New Year's Eve.[47] In March 2022, "Fushigi" served as the penultimate closer to Hoshino's second Enkai online concert, where it was arranged in a band sound.[48] Via the video game Fortnite, he performed it for a Soundwave Series concert in June 2022,[49] and, in August, recorded a live video for the Spotify Go Video series, in a set that also included "Comedy" and "I Wanna Be Your Ghost" (both 2021).[50] "Fushigi" appeared in Hoshino's Reassembly tour in January 2023;[51] a live video of its performance from the tour's final show, held at the Yokohama Arena, was released in June.[52]
In April 2023, an acoustic arrangement of "Fushigi" appeared in a commercial for Kirin Brewery's Green Label product line of beer. The commercial features Hoshino and actress Mikako Tabe in a lushful area, sitting on a swing within a house constructed out of ivy, as Hoshino sings and plays the song on guitar.[53] While Natalie.mu reported that the commercial was filmed on Okinawa Island,[54] Oricon wrote that the recording took place somewhere within Miyazaki Prefecture.[53] Interviewed by Wired Japan, Hoshino said that he greatly enjoyed the process of rearranging one of his keyboard-composed songs using the guitar.[3]
^Japanese CD sales for "Fushigi" / "Create" as of January 2024, compiled by Oricon from the single's chart history.[59]
References
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^ abHoshino, Gen (June 23, 2021). 星野源、これまでとは違う音楽の地平へ 「創造」と「不思議」で語る"新しい星野源" [Gen Hoshino Heads Into a New Grounds of Music — The 'New Gen Hoshino' on "Create" and "Fushigi"]. Real Sound [ja] (Interview) (in Japanese). Interviewed by Takahashi, Yoshiaki. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
^ abcHoshino, Gen (September 8, 2023). Takimoto, Daisuke (ed.). 星野源が語る"対話からの創造"と、Netflix「LIGHTHOUSE」で挑んだ新たな曲づくりのかたち [Gen Hoshino Talks "Creating from Conversation" and New Writing Style Tackled on Netflix's Lighthouse]. Wired Japan (Interview) (in Japanese). Interviewed by Hasegawa, Tomoko. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
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^ abSakai, Masataka; Amano, Ryūtarō; Tanaka, Ryōta; Komine, Takashi; Suzuki, Einosuke (April 27, 2021). DEKISHI × 荒井優作、NEE、星野源、A_o、E.scene... Mikiki編集部員が選ぶ今週の邦楽5曲 [Dekishi × Yūsuke Arai, Nee, Gen Hoshino, A_o, E.scene... The Writers of Mikiki Chose Their Top Five Japanese Songs of the Week]. Mikiki (in Japanese). Tower Records Japan. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
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^関ジャニ∞『ひとりにしないよ』が初週20万枚でシングル・セールス首位 [Kanjani Eight's "Hitori ni Shinai yo" Secures Top Spot of Singles Sales Chart with 200,000 First-Week Copies]. Billboard Japan (in Japanese). June 28, 2021. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
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^星野源「不思議」ストリーミング累計1億回再生突破 [Gen Hoshino's "Fushigi" Surpasses Hundred Million Streams]. Billboard Japan (in Japanese). June 15, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
^星野源ニューシングルにバナナマン設楽に捧げたあの曲を収録、「不思議」MVプレミア公開決定 [Gen Hoshino to Include Tribute Song to Bananaman's Shitara in New Single, Premieres "Fushigi" Music Video]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). September 15, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
^星野源「不思議」MVのメイキング公開、犬のセレネちゃんとの触れ合いシーンも [Gen Hoshino Interacts with Dog Model Selene-chan in Behind-the-Scenes to "Fushigi" Video]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). June 4, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
^ abc星野源、公開4日間で早くも300万回再生突破した「不思議」MVのメイキング映像公開 [Gen Hoshino Shares Behind-the-Scenes to "Fushigi" Music Video, Which Received Three Million Views Within Just Four Days]. Skream! (in Japanese). June 4, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
^Terasaka, Naoki (June 1, 2021). 第242回「来週は米津玄師さん登場」 [Episode 242: "Kenshi Yonezu to Guest Appear Next Week"]. Hoshino Gen no All Night Nippon (blog) (in Japanese). Retrieved January 16, 2025.
^Official髭男dism「VMAJ」で最優秀ビデオ賞を含む3冠達成 [Official Hige Dandism Win Video of the Year and Two Other Accolades at Video Music Awards Japan]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). November 25, 2021. Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
^「CDTVライブ」90分SPに星野源、あいみょん、乃木坂46、V6 [CDTV Live 90-Minute Special to Feature Gen Hoshino, Aimyon, Nogizaka46, V6]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). May 24, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
^【紅白】星野源「今年は怒涛の1年だった」 改めて結婚報告 [(Kōhaku) Gen Hoshino Reflects: "This Was a Turbulent Year", Reiterates Marriage Announcement] (in Japanese). Oricon. December 31, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
^星野源、1年ぶりの「宴会」開催! スペシャルアレンジでレア曲続々 [Gen Hoshino Holds Enkai Concert For First Time in a Year! Rare Songs Continously Appear with Special ArrangementS]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). March 9, 2022. Archived from the original on December 24, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
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^星野源、本日ソロデビュー13周年。横浜アリーナ公演から"不思議"ライブ映像を21時にプレミア公開 [Gen Hoshino Celebrates 13th Anniversary of Solo Debut, to Premiere "Fushigi" Live Video from Yokohama Arena Today at 21:00]. Cinra (in Japanese). June 23, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
^星野源「不思議」が「淡麗グリーンラベル」新CMソングに [Gen Hoshino's "Fushigi" to Feature in New Commercial for Kirin Green Label]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). April 27, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
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