is a song recorded by Japanese singer

Shizuka Kudo , known by her maiden name , is a Japanese singer, actress and former idol, born in Hamura, Tokyo, Japan. She was a member of Onyanko Club between May 1986 and September 1987 and went on to have a successful solo career with 11 number-one hit ...

, released as a single through

Pony Canyon , also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese company, established on October 1, 1966, which distributes music, films, home video, and video games. It is affiliated with the Japanese media group Fujisankei Communications Group. Pony Canyo ...

on June 5, 1996. It featured as the theme song on the ninth and penultimate installment of the ''Gokudō no Onna-tachi''

Yakuza film is a popular film genre in Japanese cinema which focuses on the lives and dealings of ''yakuza'', Japanese organized crime syndicates. In the silent film era, depictions of '' bakuto'' (precursors to modern yakuza) as sympathetic Robin Hood- ...

series, ''Gokudō no Onna-tachi: Kiken na Kake'' (1996), starring Kudo herself. The coupling song "Luna (Tsuki no Megami)", which was first included on Kudo's album, '' Doing'', a month prior, is the theme song to the film ''Bakusō! Moon Angel: Kita e'' (1996), starring Kudo as a female truck driver in her first cinematic role since '' Future Memories: Last Christmas''. The song was recut as a

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

to "Yū" to promote the film. "Yū" is the third and last in a consecutive trilogy of singles with one-character titles: "Yū" is preceded by "

Chō is a Japanese actor and narrator. His former stage name was . He is a graduate of the Nishogakusha University Department of Literature and received training at Bungakuza's research establishment and the Seinenza Theater Company before attachi ...

" and " 7".

Background

"Yū" is a ballad co-written by Kudo, under the pseudonym Aeri, and Hideya Nagazaki. It is written in the key of

C-sharp minor C-sharp minor is a minor scale based on C, with the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature consists of four sharps. The C-sharp natural minor scale is: Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale ar ...

and set to a tempo of 70

beats per minute Beat, beats, or beating may refer to: Common uses * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of in ...

. Kudo's vocals span one octave, from B₃ to B₄. The song represents Kudo's heartfelt ode to her mother. Lyrically, it describes the strength of a mother and the greatness she brings to the narrator's life.

Critical reception

Kudo sings about needing her love and wanting to learn the workings of her mother's heart. Kudo was praised for her emotional vocal performance. TV personality

Ayako Nishikawa is a Japanese female TV star, tarento, comedian, and cosmetic surgeon. She is unusual in Japan in that she is willing to appear on television, as medical practitioners are generally hesitant to appear. Early years Ayako was born in Sagamiha ...

has listed the song as one of her personal favorites.

Chart performance

The single debuted at number 26 on the

Oricon Singles Chart The Oricon Singles Chart is the Japanese music industry-standard Single (music), singles popularity chart issued daily, weekly, monthly and yearly by Oricon. Chart rankings are based on physical singles' sales. Until 2017, Oricon did not track down ...

with 20,000 copies sold in its first week, becoming Kudo's first single to peak outside of the top 20. It stayed in the top 100 for a total of seven weeks.

Track listing

Charts

References

{{Authority control 1990s ballads 1996 songs 1996 singles Pop ballads Songs with lyrics by Shizuka Kudo Shizuka Kudo songs Pony Canyon singles