Alive/Physical Thing
| "Alive/Physical Thing" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Koda Kumi | ||||
| from the album Universe | ||||
| Released | September 16, 2009 | |||
| Recorded | 2009 | |||
| Genre | J-Pop, synthpop, dance-pop, R&B | |||
| Label | Rhythm Zone | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Koda Kumi, George Frideric Handel, Taro Iwashiro, Hugo Lira, Ian-Paolo Lira, Negin, Nosheen, Thomas Gustafsson | |||
| Koda Kumi singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Alive/Physical Thing is Japanese singer-songwriter Koda Kumi's forty-fifth single and was released on September 16, 2009. It debuted at No. 1 on Oricon, making it her eighth number-one single, and charted for seven weeks.
Information
Alive/Physical Thing is Japanese singer-songwriter Koda Kumi's forty-fifth single. It was released on September 16, 2009, and debuted at No. 1 on the Oricon Singles Charts, making it her eighth single to do so, and remained on the charts for seven consecutive weeks.[1]
The single was released as a standard CD and as a CD+DVD combo. Both songs garnered their own music videos, though only the video for "Physical Thing" was placed on the corresponding album, Universe.[2]
Contrasting each other, "Alive" was a slow ballad, while "Physical Thing" was a fast dance-pop track. "Physical Thing" was a cover of the song of the same name by British pop singer, Nosheen. Nosheen's version had been released a year prior on April 16, 2008.[3]
The instrumental to "Alive" was based on that of famous 1700s German baroque composer George Frederic Handel's aria "Lascia ch'io pianga." "Lascia ch'io pianga" was from his most well-known opera Rinaldo.[4] The original melody for the aria was found in Act III of Handel's 1705 opera Almira as a Sarabande.[5]
Promotional Advertisements
"Alive" was used as the theme song for the film adaptation of Kamui the Ninja: Kamui Gaiden.[6]
"Physical Thing'" was used in a commercial for music.jp.[7]
Music video
Both songs received music videos on the CD+DVD edition of the single; however, only the music video of "Physical Thing" made it to the corresponding album, Best ~third universe~ & 8th Al "UNIVERSE".
"Alive" carried a simple visual of an aurora in the sky above a deserted wasteland, symbolizing rebirth. Along with the aurora, Kumi was also seen in a forest against a backdrop of the sunrise. The overall theme was how sadness could bring about rebirth, whereas the song was about moving on after losing a loved one.
"Physical Thing" held a party theme, showing Kumi smoking and drinking red wine. These were themes Kumi had not previously performed and was the last music video showing her smoking until her 2012 music video "Boom Boom Boys" from Japonesque. The visuals for "Physical Thing" were heavily influenced by American pop singer-songwriter Lady Gaga's music video for her 2008 song "Just Dance."
Live Performances
- 2009.09.12: Music Station – Alive[8]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arranger(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Alive" | Koda Kumi | Taro Iwashiro | George Frideric Handel | 3:42 |
| 2. | "Physical Thing" | Koda Kumi | Hugo Lira • Ian-Paolo Lira • Negin • Nosheen • Thomas Gustafsson | Hugo Lira • Ian-Palo Lira • Thomas Gustafsson | 2:59 |
| 3. | "Alive" (Instrumental) | Taro Iwashiro | George Frideric Handel | 3:41 | |
| 4. | "Physical Thing" (Instrumental) | Hugo Lira • Ian-Paolo Lira • Negin • Nosheen • Thomas Gustafsson | 2:56 | ||
| 5. | "TRICK" (Live Version from Trick Tour 2009) | 3:06 | |||
| 6. | "Joyful" (Live Version from Trick Tour 2009) | 5:34 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Alive" (Music Video) | |
| 2. | "Physical Thing" (Music Video) | |
| 3. | "TRICK TOUR 2009 Live Trailer" |
Charts
Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)
| Release | Chart | Peak Position | First Day/Week Sales | Sales Total | Chart Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 16, 2009 | Oricon Daily Charts | 1 | 16,246 | ||
| Oricon Weekly Charts | 1 | 32,468 | 44,745 | 3 weeks | |
| Oricon Monthly Charts | 11 | ||||
| Oricon Yearly Charts |
Billboard Japan Sales chart
| Release | Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|---|
| September 16, 2009 | Billboard Japan Hot 100 | 4 |
| Billboard Japan Hot Top Airplay | 12 | |
| Billboard Japan Hot Singles Sales | 1 |
Alternate Versions
Alive
- Alive: Found on the single (2009) and corresponding album Universe (2010)
- Alive [Instrumental]: Found on the single (2009)
Physical Thing
- Physical Thing: Found on the single (2009) and corresponding album Universe (2010)
- Physical Thing [Instrumental]: Found on the single (2009)
- Physical Thing [FUTURE HOUSE UNITED Remix]: Found on Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 3 (2011)
References
- ^ "Alive/Physical Thing(with DVD) / KODA KUMI / ORICON STYLE". Oricon. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
- ^ "BEST -third universe- & 8th AL "UNIVERSE" (Jacket A)(ALBUM+DVD)". YesAsia. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
- ^ "NOSHEEN's Albums". MySpace. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
- ^ "George Frederic Handel – Lascia ch'io pianga". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
- ^ Dean and Knapp, pp. 176–78
- ^ "Koda Kumi, a challenge of Handel's opera composition to perform the "Kamui Gaiden" theme song". Oricon News. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
- ^ "Alive/Physical Thing (album)". Hikari TV. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
- ^ "Koda Kumi – Alive [Live – 12.09.2009]". DailyMotion. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
