"Start Over" is the fourth single by Japanese rock band
Band-Maid
Band-Maid (stylized as BAND-MAID® until 2016) is a Japanese rock band formed in 2013, consisting of singer Saiki Atsumi, guitarist/singer Miku Kobato, lead guitarist Kanami Tōno, bassist Misa, and drummer Akane Hirose. The band combines a rock ...
, released in Japan on July 25, 2018, by
Crown Stones.
Composition and lyrics
"Start Over" was written in a more pop oriented style, as opposed to their usual
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
.
Lead guitarist Kanami Tōno, plays the piano in the song. It was lead vocalist Saiki Atsumi's idea to include piano, as well as to not have a guitar solo.
The lyrics were written to be easy to sing in
karaoke
Karaoke (; ; , clipped compound of Japanese ''kara'' "empty" and ''ōkesutora'' "orchestra") is a type of interactive entertainment usually offered in clubs and bars, where people sing along to recorded music using a microphone. The music is ...
, as many of their fans expressed difficulty in singing their songs.
There were originally more English lyrics, but Atsumi told rhythm guitarist/vocalist Miku Kobato, to cut down on them.
For the lyrics, Kobato had in mind a theme of contradictory love and that she didn't want to make the lyrics too dark or too cute.
Kobato included the lyrics "I don't give a fuck" at the end of the song because she didn't want the song to end poppy.
For "Screaming", they wanted to make a song that was more like Band-Maid's previous songs.
It was originally going to be included on their album ''
Conqueror'', but ultimately, a new song, "Dilemma", was chosen instead. The
tempo
In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
is 215. It originally had a slower tempo.
In 2019, as Band-Maiko, they released an alternate version with
traditional Japanese instruments and lyrics rewritten in the
Kyoto dialect
The is a group of Japanese dialects in the Kansai region (Kinki region) of Japan. In Japanese, is the common name and it is called in technical terms. The dialects of Kyoto and Osaka are known as , and were particularly referred to as suc ...
.
Background and release
The single was released in three versions: a limited edition which contains the CD, a Blu-ray of a concert recorded at
Zepp
The Zepp music halls are a group of Japanese music venues covering every area of the country. They play host to many international tours and are a popular stop among Japanese musicians. Each venue takes the Zepp name, along with the city in which ...
Tokyo on April 13, 2018, a postcard and an additional CD containing "Secret Maiko Lips", a second limited edition which contains the CD and a DVD of the aforementioned concert, and a standard edition which only contains the CD.
Critical reception
Marc Bowie of J-Generation said that the title track is "catchy as hell, the song blends jazzy piano, palm-muted guitar and sinuous bass work with a crunchy chorus."
Trent Cannon of Rice Digital said that the title track "...is a great track that is a little bit slower, featuring a bit of piano to lighten the mood."
Music video
The music video for "Start Over" was released on July 3, 2018.
French model
Mitsugi appeared in the music video.
Live performances
Live versions of "Screaming" were later released on their video albums ''Band-Maid World Domination Tour
hinka
Chinka ( el, Χίνκα) is a village in the municipal unit of Molossoi, Ioannina regional unit, Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip o ...
at Line Cube Shibuya (
Shibuya Public Hall
is a theatre located in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. It was completed in 1964 to host the weightlifting events in the 1964 Summer Olympics.
The theatre was sponsored by Dentsu and Suntory, which paid 80 million to rename it C.C. Lemon Hall (after the ...
)'' and ''Band-Maid Online Okyu-Ji (Feb. 11, 2021)''.
Track listing
;CD
;DVD/Blu-ray
Credits and personnel
Band-Maid members
* Misa – bass
* Miku Kobato – vocals, guitar
* Saiki Atsumi – vocals
* Akane Hirose – drums
* Kanami Tōno – guitar
Recording and management
* Recorded at Nasoundra Palace Studio
* Recording engineer: Masyoshi Yamamoto
* Mixed at Mix Forest
* Mix engineer: Masahiko Fukui
* Mastered by Masahiko Fukui
* Art Direction: Satoshi Kohno
* Photography: Kaori Uemura
Charts
Release history
References
External links
Discography– Band-Maid official website
{{Authority control
2018 singles
Band-Maid songs
Japanese-language songs