is the first solo single by the Japanese idol
Ryosuke Yamada
is a Japanese singer and actor. He is a member of Hey! Say! JUMP.[Hey! Say! JUMP Pr ...](_blank)
after his success as a member of the popular Japanese all-male band,
Hey! Say! JUMP
Hey! Say! JUMP (HSJ or JUMP) is an eight-member Japanese boy band under the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates. The group is split into two sub-groups: Hey! Say! BEST and Hey! Say! 7. In Japan they sold more than 10 million physical co ...
. The song was produced and written by Vandrythem, Erik Lidbom and Daichi.
It was released to mainstream radio on November 30, 2012, and was available for digital download on December 26, 2012. The song was physically released on January 9, 2013. "Mystery Virgin" was written as the ending theme song for the fourth season of the popular Japanese drama television series, ''
Kindaichi Case Files Neo SP1: Hong Kong Kowloon Treasure Murder Case'' in which Yamada also played the main role, Hajime Kindaichi.
In Japan, "Mystery Virgin" debuted at #1 on the
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 and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in Nov ...
chart, making him the first teenage male artist in 33 years to have a number one debut single and one of only two artists to achieve this milestone.
[山田涼介ソロデビュー曲初登場首位 マッチ以来32年ぶり快挙](_blank)
/ref> The fact that Yamada was only in his teens at the time the single reached #1 helped the singer set several new records in the Japanese music industry. In Japan, although many teen bands frequently top the charts, the industry lacked young solo male artists for over two decades and this is said to be a factor that contributed to the single's success.
Yamada performed the song in a number of live appearances including Best Artist 2012, Shounen Club
is a Japanese music variety show that airs on NHK BS Premium. The show premiered on NHK BS 2 on April 9, 2000 and continues to this day. Worldwide, it airs on NHK World Premium and TV Japan (US) as Pop Music Club
It features the juniors of Joh ...
, Johnnys’ World and Music Japan.
Background and composition
“Mystery Version” was specially written as the theme song for the fifth season of the popular Japanese television drama series, ''Kindaichi Case Files
is a Japanese detective fiction, mystery manga series based on the crime solving adventures of a high school student, Hajime Kindaichi, the supposed grandson of the famous (fictional) private detective Kosuke Kindaichi. Written ...
'', in which Yamada starred. In explaining the concept of the song, Yamada said, "I think the song is perfect for heKindaichi elevision series There are a lot of words and phrases that link to the story." The lyric, "In the name of the future…" is a pun for the character’s famous catch phrase, "In the name of my grandfather…". The show was broadcast on January 12, 2013, three days after the single’s release.
The song is predominantly upbeat, featuring Yamada’s unique dance style along with the dance infused beat.[J Storm official website](_blank)
/ref>
Yamada wrote the B-side, "Gin no Sekai ni Negai wo Komete", recorded in the Regular Edition. He started writing the song in 2011, essentially to be performed by Hey! Say! JUMP, but after his first solo single was decided, he changed the lyrics and transformed it into a song designed for a solo vocal.
Release
The single was originally set to be physically released on January 9, 2013, in three different formats: Limited Edition 1, Limited Edition 2 and Regular Edition, although it was later revealed a new version, NTV Limited Drama Edition, would be released for a limited period of time until January 31, 2013.KinKi Kids
is a Japanese duo consisting of Koichi Domoto and Tsuyoshi Domoto under the talent agency Johnny & Associates. KinKi Kids was formed in 1993 and officially debuted on July 21, 1997. With more than 30 million physical copies sold, they are one of ...
, who first released the song in 2001. The single also included instrumental versions of the three songs.
Promotion
Since Yamada was starring in the musical ''Johnnys’ World'' from November 2012 to January 2013, he was not able to actively promote the single live on television as he had with his previous singles. He premiered the song on November 28, 2012, on ''Best Artist 2012''. On December 31, 2012, Yamada performed the B-side track "Ai no Katamari" with KinKi Kids on ''Johnnys’ Countdown Live''. He performed "Mystery Virgin" on television twice in December 2012 and three times in January 2013.
From January 1, 2013, the Yamanote Line with a temporary "Mystery Virgin" wrap advertising started running to promote the single. The entire train was painted with the single’s cover art and title logo. All posters and advertisements inside the vehicle were removed and transformed into a promotion dedicated train. The television screens inside the vehicle were also changed. The commercials and weather reports that are usually broadcast were removed and the music video for "Mystery Virgin" and "Moonlight" were the only two clips shown.
Chart performance
In Japan, "Mystery Virgin" debuted at #1 on the 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 and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in Nov ...
chart, for the issue dated January 21, 2013,Heisei period
The is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of Emperor Emeritus Akihito from 8 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. The Heisei era started on 8 January 1989, the day after the death of the Emperor Hirohito, ...
with a #1 single.
"Mystery Virgin" sold 87,555 copies on the day of its release and 188,862 copies in its first week. The song remained at the top 10 the following week, selling another 13,592 copies. It had sold over 215,000 copies by February 2013.
Music video
Filming for the music video took place in November 2012. Yamada joined the director and participated in the composition of the concept. Two music videos were filmed, "Mystery Virgin" and "Moonlight", the former included in Limited Edition 1 and the latter in Limited Edition 2 on DVD.
The leather jacket Yamada wore in the "Mystery Virgin" music video was designed by the singer himself.
Live performances
Yamada premiered the song on November 28, 2012, live on ''Best Artist 2012''. He later performed the song on December 5 on ''The Shounen Club''. On December 9, 2012, Yamada performed the song on a weekly variety show he appears in, ''School Kakumei''. He guest starred in ''The Shounen Club'' again on January 9, 2013, on the day of its release. On January 13, 2013, he guest starred in ''Music Japan''.
From November 10, 2012, to January 27, 2013, Yamada starred in ''Johnnys’ World'', a musical performed at the Imperial Garden Theater
The , often referred to simply as the Teigeki (帝劇), and previously the Imperial Garden Theater, is a Japanese theater located in Marunouchi, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan operated by Toho.
History
Opened in 1911 as the first Western-style theater in ...
in Tokyo, created in celebration of Johnny Kitagawa
John Hiromu Kitagawa (Japanese name ; October 23, 1931 – July 9, 2019), known professionally as , was an American-born Japanese businessman and talent manager. He was the founder and president of Johnny & Associates, a production agency for nu ...
's certification by Guinness World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
for producing the most number of artists who have claimed number one in the charts. For three months, Yamada performed "Mystery Virgin" during the second act in a total of 103 stage performances.
Songs
*;Limited Edition 1 – single (CD＋DVD)
# "Mystery Virgin" – 4:26
# "Asia no Yoru" – 3:34
# "Mystery Virgin" (music video)
# "Mystery Virgin" (making of)
*;Limited Edition 2 – single (CD＋DVD)
# "Mystery Virgin" –4:26
# "Moonlight” – 3:23
# "Moonlight" (music video)
# "Moonlight" (making of)
*;Regular Edition – single (CD)
# "Mystery Virgin" – 4:26
# "Gin no Sekai ni Negai wo Komete” – 5:43
# "Ai no Katamari" – 4:48
# "Mystery Virgin" (instrumental) – 4:26
# "Gin no Sekai ni Negai wo Komete" (instrumental) – 5:43
# "Ai no Katamari" (instrumental) – 4:48
*;NTV Limited Drama Edition - sSingle (CD)
# "Mystery Virgin" – 4:26
# "Asia no Yoru Chinoiserie Ver." – 3:34
# "Mystery Virgin" (instrumental) – 4:26
# "Asia no Yoru Chinoiserie Ver." (instrumental) – 3:34
Credits and personnel
*Songwriting – Vandrythem, Takuya Watanabe, Atanegaku, Ryosuke Yamada, Tsuyoshi Domoto
*Production – Erik Kidbom, Daichi, Yasumasa Sato, Akira Mitake, Takuya Watanabe, QQ, Jun Suyama, Takugoro Moriyama, Taro Makido, Koichi Domoto, Ken Yoshida
Source[Ryosuke Yamada ''Mystery Virgin'' (CD booklet) ]J Storm
is a Japanese music and film company owned by Johnny & Associates. It was established on November 12, 2001, initially as a label for the Johnny's group, Arashi, after which it was named.
Aside from producing and releasing CDs and DVDs, the co ...
(2013)
Charts and certifications
References
External links
Mystery Virgin
{{authority control
2013 singles
Oricon Weekly number-one singles
Billboard Japan Hot 100 number-one singles
2013 songs
J Storm singles