Again (Shizuka Kudo song)

"Again" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Shizuka Kudo for her debut solo studio album, Mysterious. Pony Canyon released the track as the second single from Mysterious on December 2, 1987, in both 12-inch vinyl and maxi single format.

"Again"
Single by Shizuka Kudo
from the album Mysterious
Released	December 2, 1987
Genre	Pop
Length	4:15
Label	Pony Canyon
Songwriter(s)	Yasushi Akimoto Tsugutoshi Gotō
Producer(s)	Tsugutoshi Gotō
Shizuka Kudo singles chronology
"Kindan no Telepathy" (1987) "Again" (1987) "Daite Kuretara Ii no ni" (1988)
Audio sample
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Background

"Again" was Kudo's first solo release following the disbandment of the idol girl group Onyanko Club, which she joined in 1986.[1] The song was the ending theme for the CX teen drama and variety television series Momoiro Gakuen Toshi Sengen!!, of which Kudo herself was a cast member.[2]

Composition

"Again" was put together by the same songwriting duo as Kudo's debut single: it was written by Yasushi Akimoto and composed, arranged and produced by Tsugutoshi Gotō. The song is composed in the key of E minor and set to a tempo of 140 beats per minute.[3] Kudo's vocals span one octave, from B₃ to B₄. Lyrically, the song talks about a woman breaking off a romantic relationship because of her feelings of inadequacy.

Critical reception

The song is described by CDJournal as a bouncy midtempo track with a funky and unusually complicated melody line for an idol singer's second single.[4] Kudo was praised for matching the song with an effortless vocal performance, and for showcasing potential for breaking out of the idol mold.[4]

Chart performance

The single debuted at number three on the Oricon Singles Chart, selling 61,000 copies in its first week.[5] It dropped to number seven the following week, with 20,000 copies sold.[5] "Again" stayed in the top 100 for a total of twelve weeks and ranked number 53 on the year-end Oricon Singles Chart for 1987.[6]

Track listing

All music is composed by Tsugutoshi Gotō.

12" vinyl

No.	Title	Lyrics	Arranger(s)	Length
1.	"Again"	Yasushi Akimoto	Tsugutoshi Gotō	4:15
2.	"If"	Yoshiko Miura	Gotō	3;48
Total length:				8:03

Maxi single

No.	Title	Lyrics	Arranger(s)	Length
3.	"Ai ga Itai Yoru" (愛が痛い夜 "Nights When Love Hurts")	Akimoto	Gotō	4:05
Total length:				12:08

Charts

Chart (1987–88)	Peak position	Sales
Japan Weekly Singles (Oricon)[7]	3	159,000[6]
Japan Monthly Singles (Oricon)[8]	4
Japan Yearly Singles (Oricon)	53

References

1. "あれから29年──今も続く「おニャン子クラブ解散記念イベント」参戦レポート". T-Site. September 28, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
2. "工藤静香「Again」【dミュージック】". dMusic. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
3. "Again 楽譜:メロディ譜 工藤 静香 提供:全音楽譜出版社". @Elise. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
4. "工藤静香 / Shizuka Kudo 20th Anniversary the Best [2CD]". CDJournal. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
5. "1987.08.31 工藤静香 アイドル・ポップ・データベース". Retrieved December 25, 2017.
6. "工藤静香 - アーティスト別シングル売上補完". @wiki. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
7. "Again 工藤静香". Oricon. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
8. "オリコン(oricon)「1987年12月」の月間シングルCDランキング". Retrieved January 18, 2018.