Why (Gen Hoshino Song)

() is a song by Japanese singer-songwriter and musician Gen Hoshino. The song was released through Speedstar Records on December 27, 2023, as a double A-sided single with " Life", theme to the 2022 Asian Games and 2023 World Athletics Championships on Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS). It was written and produced by Hoshino, who co- arranged and programmed it with . The song was used as the ending theme to the anime film '' Spy × Family Code: White'' (2023), following the song " Comedy" (2022) which Hoshino wrote for the film's preceding TV-series. Musically, it is a mid-tempo Japanese rock and pop ballad with a nostalgic-like sound that lyrically questions why people make memories despite the fragility of life.

Hoshino traveled to Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, to find inspiration for the song. Upon returning home, he fell into a depressed state where he was unable to write the song's lyrics. He decided to attempt to write about his current worries and struggles, which he believed began to match with the plot of ''Spy × Family''. Hoshino wanted "Why" to follow the lyrical content on "Comedy", but decided to go backwards for the sound, seeking inspiration from 1980s rhythm and blues and 90s hip-hop. Stylistically, the song is themed around the word , meaning traces of a moving light.

"Why" was surprise revealed as the ending theme to ''Spy × Family Code: White'' on the day of the film's premiere. The song was received positively by music critics, who primarily enjoyed its lyrics. Upon release, it reached number three on the '' Billboard Japan'' Hot 100, and the double A-side single peaked at number two on Oricon's physical singles chart and ''Billboard Japan'' Top Singles Sales ranking. The song was also successful in airplay, taking first place on Plantech's Japanese radio chart. An accompanying music video, directed by , was released on the same day as the song, and intersects various scenes with Hoshino singing.

Background

In April 2022, Gen Hoshino released the song " Comedy" as the ending theme to the first season of the anime TV-series '' Spy × Family''. The song's sound drew from early 2000s hip-hop influences, and lyrically aimed to represent a family that cares for each other without regard to connection by blood, something similar to what Hoshino believed had been represented by the Forger family in the ''Spy × Family'' manga. Alongside the opening theme " Mixed Nuts" by Official Hige Dandism, "Comedy" was commercially successful and ranked within the top 15 of '' Billboard Japan'' 2022 year-end anime song chart. It became Hoshino's second song to surpass 100 million streams after "Fushigi" (2021), and debuted Hoshino on the ''Billboard'' Global 200.

Hoshino released the song " Life" as a digital-exclusive single in August 2023, used for broadcast of the 2022 Asian Games and 2023 World Athletics Championships on Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) channels. Hoshino announced in November that the song would be released as a double A-side single, and later unveiled the Japanese title of its partner track , but did not elaborate on further details. It was surprise revealed on December 22 that the song had been written as the ending theme to '' Spy × Family Code: White'' (2023), a film continuation of the ''Spy × Family'' TV-series, which had premiered the same day as the announcement. Official Hige Dandism were also brought back for the film, and recorded the main theme " Soulsoup".

Writing and inspiration

Hoshino wrote "Why" as a continuation of "Comedy"; he thought the lyrics to "Why" should move forward from its predecessor, but decided to instead go backwards for the musical era of the sound. Unlike the 2000s hip-hop influences on "Comedy", Hoshino looked at 1980s rhythm and blues and the 90s hip-hop, which he described as the sound of his youth. He wanted to let these Western influences into the song alike much of the anime music he listened to growing up, such as Ushio Hashimoto's "Romantic Ageru yo" (1986) for ''Dragon Ball'' (1986–89). To focus on achieving his own type of sound, Hoshino aimed to have the sound vaguely represent a feeling from a particular point in time, instead of directly recreating genres.

Before writing "Why", Hoshino traveled to Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, to put himself into the film's plot of the Forger family going on a trip. During his trip, Hoshino was inspired by sights such as Kanazawa's sunsets or the ripples of water at the D. T. Suzuki Museum. Upon his return home, he had already finished the song's composition and thought to directly write the lyrics. However, he found himself in a depressed state of "nothingness" where everything he wrote felt out of place. In an interview with '' Billboard Japan'', Hoshino theorized that the fatigue may have stemmed from a form of personal backlash after he had worked for three years during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eventually, Hoshino decided to forget about the song's tie-up to ''Spy × Family'' and tried to write a song based on his current worries. He wondered why, despite life's fragility, people make memories they don't want to forget, such as the photos they take on trips, or the rainy town lined with trees he had walked in Kanazawa. He quickly finished the song's first verse, which he felt fit, and found that his own situation and troubles thereafter naturally connected to the film. He based the song's motif on the word , meaning traces of a moving light. Hoshino had viewed such a trail on the sea in Kanazawa, and a similar sunset was filmed for the song's music video. Hoshino had not initially planned to release the song as a double A-side with "Life", but believed upon the completion of "Why" that the songs' themes connected.

Composition and lyrics

"Why" was written and produced by Hoshino, who co- arranged and programmed it with . Hoshino performs on vocals, synthesizer, and Rhodes piano; Mabanua plays Rhodes and synth; Ryosuke Nagaoka features on electric guitar and backing vocals; Hirotaka Sakurada plays piano, upright piano, and Rhodes. Musically, "Why" is a Japanese rock and pop song, with a runtime of four minutes and ten seconds (4:10). It is a warm mid-tempo ballad above programmed beats. The song features a nostalgic-like sound brought out by the synths and piano, and is a modern rendition of 1980s rhythm and blues and 90s hip-hop genres according to ''Real Sound'' Tomoyuki Mori. A writer for ''Drums & Rhythm Magazine'' called the sound to "Why" reminiscent to sampled music and more straightforward than the laid-back "Comedy".

Lyrically, "Why" reminisces about the sights that will be forgotten with death and questions why people create memories despite life being fleeting: "''Kiete yuku noni naze''" / "''Tada wasuretakunai omoide o''" / "''Fuyasu no darō''" ("If they're going to fade away" / "Why make memories we just don't want to forget?"). Emi Sugiura for '' Rockin'On Japan'' wrote that "Why" is not a lament for lack of meaning in life, but instead a song that does not seek out meaning. Despite their different musical styles, Sugiura believed that "Why" continues the story of "Life", which urges listeners to start running before seeking meaning. According to Mori, the lyrics on "Why" are an attempt by Hoshino to express his emotions straighforwardly.

Promotion and release

The same day of its announcement as the ending theme to ''Spy × Family Code: White'', "Why" was previewed in a video of film snippets released to Toho Animation's YouTube channel, and the song was made available to national radio in Japan. "Why" / "Life" was released via the Victor Entertainment label Speedstar Records on December 27, 2023, marking Hoshino's first CD single in almost two years following "Fushigi" / "Create" in 2021. On its B-side, the single features "Odd Couple" – a song written by Hoshino for the comedy duo Audrey's radio festival at the Tokyo Dome – and the instrumental "Beyond the Sequence", used in a commercial for UCC Ueshima Coffee starring Hoshino. Hoshino gave a debut performance of "Why" during a two-hour special of '' Count Down TV'' on January 22, 2024.

First editions of the single were released in DVD and Blu-ray editions, featuring live footage from March 2023 comprising Hoshino's one-time online concert YP Live Streaming: Enkai Hōō-hen, a new accompanying documentary, and his appearance at Speedstar Records' Live the Speedstar festival. Enkai Hōō-hen was a part of his online Enkai concert series, livestreamed to subscribers of Hoshino's ''Yellow Magazine'' whilst physical venues were closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Live the Speedstar was a festival at the Marine Messe Fukuoka organized by Speedstar Records to celebrate their 30th anniversary. Hoshino's appearance saw seven acoustic performances of his own songs and a cover of Crazy Cats' "" (1961). Two thousand people who purchased the first edition received tickets to the exclusive event , hosted by Hoshino with director in Tokyo and Osaka. Hoshino announced plans to hold similar events in the future, and temporarily released the Tokyo show via his ''Yellow Magazine+'' website.

directed the music video to "Why", which was premiered to YouTube on the day of the single's release, at 21:00 JST. The video features footage meant to engrave memories into listeners despite the fragility of life, intersected by scenes of Hoshino singing. It was promoted with a teaser video and a livestream featuring Hoshino, the latter hosted half an hour before the full premiere. A behind-the-scenes video was released on January 24, 2024, showing Hoshino discussing with Hayashi during the music video's creation.

Reception

"Why" was received positively by Japanese music critics, who praised its lyrics. Mori for ''Real Sound'' wrote that the song "certainly" reflects Hoshino's thoughts and called it a successful attempt at straight-forwardly conveying his emotions. Sugiura, writing for ''Rockin'On'', said it "embraces erwith a warmth and loneliness" and made her think of the lives that have passed on, praising the song as honorable for not seeking meaning. Mori also enjoyed the musicality, describing Hoshino's vocals as fragile, elegant, and appealing above the R&B and hip-hop composition. A writer for ''Drums & Rhythm Magazine'' described the song's drumming as lively.

Commercially, the double A-side single sold 48,122 physical copies in Japan upon release, debuting as the 8th best-selling single of December 2023 on Oricon's monthly chart. Powered by sales from the previous year, the single opened at number two on the weekly '' Billboard Japan'' Top Singles Sales and Oricon Singles Charts dated January 8, 2024, behind only KinKi Kids' "Schrödinger", which had outsold it by over 100,000 units. As an individual song, "Why" peaked at number three on the ''Billboard Japan'' Hot 100, beating "Schrödinger" by one spot but placing behind the long-time charting songs " Idol" by Yoasobi and "Show" by Ado. An anime song, it reached second place on ''Billboard'' Hot Animation chart, behind only "Idol" as the opening theme to '' Oshi no Ko'' (2023). The double A-side reached first place on Oricon's Anime Singles Chart, a physical sales-only chart. "Why" was also successful on Japanese radio, peaking at first place on Plantech's weekly airplay chart. A reporter for the chart described "Why" as a "landslide victory" for Hoshino, noting airplay on both FM and AM channels, spanning several regions.

Personnel

Credits adapted from Hoshino's website.
* Gen Hoshino vocals, background vocals, Rhodes piano (MK-80), synthesizer (Minimoog, Matrix-12, 3rd Wave), programming, songwriting, arrangement, producer, recording
*Mabanua Rhodes piano (MK-80), synthesizer (Minimoog, DX7, Prophet-5), programming, co-arrangement
*Hirotaka Sakurada Rhodes piano (MK-80), piano, upright piano
* Ryosuke Nagaoka electric guitar, background vocals, background vocals arrangement
*Shojiro Watanabe mixing, recording
*Shu Saida recording
*Takahiro Uchida mastering
*Satoshi Goto assistance

Track listing

All tracks are written by Gen Hoshino expect where otherwise noted.

Charts

Release history

Notes

References

External links

* on Gen Hoshino's official website

{{Subject bar, portal1=Japan, portal2=Pop music, portal3=Rock music, portal4=Anime, portal5=2020s, d=y

2023 songs
2023 singles
Double A-side singles
Gen Hoshino songs
Songs in Japanese
Speedstar Records singles
Anime songs
Songs written for animated films
Songs written for Japanese films
Songs about death
Spy × Family