" is

MAX Max or MAX may refer to: Animals * Max (dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog * Max (English Springer Spaniel), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of OBE) * Max (gorilla) ...

's 31st single under the

Sonic Groove is a Japanese entertainment conglomerate led by founder Max Matsuura and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1988, the company manages J-pop talents like Ayumi Hamasaki and internet sensation PikoTaro. It has also shifted into other busi ...

label. It was released on July 22, 2009 and was MAX's first single in three years. It was also the first single to be released since the departure of Aki and comeback of original lead singer, Mina. The title track was used as the theme song for

TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as and known colloquially as , is a television station headquartered in the Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, owned and operated by the subsidiary of listed certified b ...

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

, "Kariyushi Sensei Chibaru."

Release and promotion

The group mentioned plans for a new single in an interview with news publication, Chunichi on December 10, 2008. The single was confirmed on April 25, 2009 by their management company's official website. Media reports announcing a

tie-in A tie-in work is a work of fiction or other product based on a media property such as a film, video game, television series, board game, web site, role-playing game or literary property. Tie-ins are authorized by the owners of the original prope ...

between MAX and the drama series, "Kariyushi Sensei Chibaru" revealed the title of one of the songs included on the single to be "Rough Cut Diamond." Initial descriptions from online stores stated it would contain four tracks based on two original songs. During a concert stop in

Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancie ...

on May 5, the group debuted a new song titled, "The Power of Love." Reina confirmed the inclusion of the new song in the single on her personal blog. On May 30, 2009, the group performed "Rough Cut Diamond" for the first time at the final date of their tour at Kanagawa Kenmin Hall. The group held several promotional events for the single in

Chiba Chiba may refer to: Places China * (), town in Jianli County, Jingzhou, Hubei Japan * Chiba (city), capital of Chiba Prefecture ** Chiba Station, a train station * Chiba Prefecture, a sub-national jurisdiction in the Greater Tokyo Area on ...

and

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

where fans could come and watch a free mini concert. Handshake events were held after the mini-concerts and required the purchase of the single for participation.

Music video

The video began production on May 21, 2009 and filmed for two days in an undisclosed studio. The dance routine in the video was choreographed by Fuyuko Kubota. The video was directed by Ippei Morita.

Track list

CD

DVD

Charts

Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)

Personnel

* Art direction: Shinichi Hara, Hirotomi Suzumoto * Design: Hirotomi Suzumoto * Photographer: Sunao Ohmori (Secession) * Stylish: Akemi Mutoh * Hair: Azuma (Super Sonic) * Make-up: Mio (Juice)

References

{{MAX (band) 2009 singles MAX (band) songs 2009 songs