Yasashii Kimochi
"Yasashii Kimochi" (やさしい気持ち, Kind Feelings) is a song by Chara, released as the first single from her 1997 album Junior Sweet.[1] The song was used in a Shiseido commercial for their 'Tessera J' range. The B-side of this single, Junior Sweet, was also used in these commercials.
| "Yasashii Kimochi" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Chara | ||||
| from the album Junior Sweet | ||||
| B-side | "Junior Sweet" | |||
| Released | April 23, 1997 | |||
| Genre | Trip hop, alternative pop | |||
| Length | 3:29 | |||
| Label | Sony Music Japan | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Chara | |||
| Producer(s) | Zentarō Watanabe | |||
| Chara singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The song debuted at #10 on Oricon charts.[2] Four weeks later, it reached its peak of #7.[3] It stayed on the charts for 16 weeks,[4] eventually selling approximately 520,000 copies.[5]
When the Junior Sweet was released, the song featured as a different version with a drawn-out introduction, labelled the Shiawase Version (しあわせ・ヴァージョン, Happy Version).
In 2009, the pop/hiphop duo Halcali heavily sampled Yasashii Kimochi in their single Re:Yasashii Kimochi[6] The new lyrics written by Halcali and their producer Pal@pop,[7] act as an 'answer song' to the original lyrics.
Music video
The music video was shot by directorial pair Blaine & Justin.[8] It centres around three differently dressed Charas. One is a white haired 'mannequin' who bangs a drum, one is a regularly dressed one who rides a merry-go-round, and the other is a dark-haired official who operates the ride. The video ends with the white haired Chara lit in blue with green antlers behind her.
As of August 24, 2019 the music video for Yasashii Kimochi has been viewed more than 3,400,000 times on popular video-sharing website YouTube.[9]
Track listing
Single
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Arranger | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Yasashii Kimochi (やさしい気持ち, Kind Feelings)" | Chara | Zentarō Watanabe | 3:29 |
| 2. | "Junior Sweet" | Chara, Shinichi Osawa | Shinichi Osawa | 6:27 |
Chart Rankings
Oricon Charts (Japan)
| Release | Chart | Peak Position | First Week Sales | Sales Total | Chart Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 23, 1997 | Oricon Daily Singles Chart | ||||
| Oricon Weekly Singles Chart | 7 | 65,500 | 878,150 | 16 weeks | |
| Oricon Yearly Singles Chart | 56 |
Cover versions
- Halcali (2009, single Re:Yasashii Kimochi) (heavily sampled)
- Marié Digby (2009, album Second Home)
- Noelle (2008, album Love Electro)
- Nao Toyama (2018, Tsuki ga Kirei, insert song)
- Rie Takahashi (2019, Teasing Master Takagi-san 2 ending theme)[10]
References
- ""Sony Music Online Japan : Chara : やさしい気持ち"". Retrieved 2009-11-14.
- "1997年05月第1週のシングルランキング情報". Retrieved 2009-11-14.
- "1997年05月第4週のシングルランキング情報". Retrieved 2009-11-14.
- ""やさしい気持ち/Chara"". Retrieved 2009-11-14.
- "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」". Oricon. Retrieved 2009-11-14. (subscription only)
- ""Sony Music Online Japan : HALCALI : Re:やさしい気持ち"". Retrieved 2009-11-14.
- ""JBOOK：Ｒｅ：やさしい気持ち：ＨＡＬＣＡＬＩ：CD"". Retrieved 2009-11-14.
- ""Chara やさしい気持ち"". Retrieved 2009-11-14.
- ""# やさしい気持ち - CHARA"". Retrieved 2009-12-10.
- "高木さん（CV：高橋李依）が歌うEDテーマ、"CHARA"の「やさしい気持ち」フルサイズの配信がスタート！". Takagi3.me (in Japanese). September 23, 2019. Retrieved September 25, 2019.