"Gag"
The single's cover. It features a sketched Gen Hoshino, above a yellow background, wearing a white shirt. His eyes are Gs and his mouth is an A, spelling "GAG". Above Hoshino is the text "Hoshino Gen Gag" in red-pink.
Single by Gen Hoshino
LanguageJapanese
B-side"Dust"
ReleasedMay 8, 2013 (2013-05-08)
Genre
Length4:42
LabelSpeedstar
Songwriter(s)
Gen Hoshino singles chronology
"Shiranai"
(2012)		 "Gag"
(2013)		 "Why Don't You Play in Hell?"
(2013)
Music video
"Gag" (Official Video) on YouTube

"Gag" (Japanese: ギャグ, Hepburn: Gyagu, lit. "Gag" as in visual gag) is a song by Japanese musician Gen Hoshino. It was released by Speedstar Records on May 8, 2013, as Hoshino's fifth single. A J-pop rock song, "Gag" was written by Hoshino for the film adaption of the manga Saint Young Men, starring Hoshino as the Buddha. The song was arranged by Seiji Kameda, marking Hoshino's only single to not be self-arranged.

Upon release, "Gag" took No. 4 on the Oricon singles chart and No. 8 on Billboard Japan's Hot 100. A runner-up for the Grand Prix at the 2014 Music Jacket Awards, the single was enjoyed by reviewers, who commented on its composition, the participating musicians, and the B-side "Dust". The music video to the song, self-directed and edited by Hoshino using materials from the Saint Young Men film, was released to YouTube the same day as the single.

Background and composition

During the production of his third album Stranger (2013), Gen Hoshino felt worried about several aspects and ended up "aimlessly" putting much of himself into the work. Upon the album's completion, Hoshino gained a great feeling of accomplishment and believed he had, for the moment, overcome uncertainty in his music. Advancing from the album he wanted to ignore small details and focus on doing exciting and fun projects, which led the production process of "Gag" and its B-side "Dust".[2]

"Gag" was written and performed by Hoshino as the main theme to the anime film adaptation of the comedy manga Saint Young Men, starring Hoshino in a lead role as the Buddha. It is a Japanese rock and pop song[1] with light, swingy rock and roll composition,[3] created by Hoshino through attempting to blend his own pop and alternative styles. In a press comment, he stated the song was born from reading the "manga that he loves", and dedicated it to the manga artist and anime staff.[4] At a later film release event, he said that he created the song with respect to the production team that backed him and co-star Mirai Moriyama, voice of Jesus Christ, during recording.[5] Arrangement was handled by Seiji Kameda, marking Hoshino's only single to not self-arranged.[6] Other musicians participating on the track include drummer Diachi Ito (co-member with Hoshino in the band Sakerock) and keyboardist Takuji Nomura.[1] The song is the first work by Hoshino to feature guitarist Ryosuke Nagaoka, since a frequent collaborator.[6]

Release and promotion

Gen Hoshino at the Space Shower Awards in June 2016
Hoshino in 2016

The principal cast of Saint Young Men, including Hoshino, was announced in October 2012.[7] Later on March 14, 2013, "Gag" was unveiled as the film's theme song.[4] The song was announced for a single release on March 22,[8] followed by usage in a trailer released to the Saint Young Men official website April 4.[9]

The "Gag" single was released by the Victor Entertainment label Speedstar Records on May 8, 2013,[1] two days before the premiere of Saint Young Men and on the same day as the film score.[10] With "Dust" as its B-side, "Gag" is Hoshino's fifth single overall, released only a week after Stranger, though it is not included in the album.[11] The single's cover art was created by Daijirō Ōhara, previously the cover editor for the 2012 singles "Yume no Soto e" and "Shiranai", and features a sketched Hoshino's facial features swapped to spell "GAG".[12] Though early editions of the single were bundled with a sticker by Saint Young Men manga artist Hikaru Nakamura,[13] "Gag" separates from Hoshino's usual release format of including a special DVD with initial prints.[2]

A short music video for "Gag" was uploaded to Victor Entertainment's YouTube channel on the same day as the single's CD release. The video was directed and edited by Hoshino utilizing footage from the Saint Young Men film, including materials of its animation process.[14][15] The video was included as an extra on second disc of the video album Music Video Tour 2010-2017 (2017).[16] In 2020, "Gag" and "Dust" were re-released on the box set Gen Hoshino Singles Box: Gratitude.[17]

Critical reception

Writers for CDJournal, Tower Records, and Rockin'On Japan gave favorable reviews of "Gag". CDJournal called "Gag" a "catchy" song that could easily get stuck in peoples' heads, and praised Seiji Kameda's "unique" arrangement and drummer Diachi Ito and keyboardist Takuji Nomura for providing the song with a nice atmosphere.[1] Tower Record Japan's Oguri described it as a fun pop song, supported by Hoshino's sweet yet strong vocals.[6] Hirokazu Koike of Rockin'On Japan felt that "Gag" shows Hoshino's respect for the Saint Young Men writers; he wrote that the track's "fun" swingy rock and roll musicality covered part of its "honest" theming, which he believed was commentary on the tempo of anime and manga.[3] Emi Sugiura, also for Rockin'On, praised the guitar phrase of Ryosuke Nagaoka on the track as strangely distorted yet warming, which she thought provided for an effective hook to the tempo.[18] Tied with Maximum the Hormone's album Yoshū Fukushū, the "Gag" single was the runner-up for the Grand Prix at the 2014 Music Jacket Awards, beaten by Miwa's Delight.[19]

Enjoyment was also directed towards the B-side "Dust". Oguri (Tower Records) wrote that "Dust" is a "total change" from "Gag", as the B-side is the type of song "you would want to listen to alone in your room,"[6] and CDJournal called it a song to not discard.[1] Koike (Rockin'On Japan) praised the track as "amazing"; he wrote that its scales remind of the Buddha and gives a feeling of Buddhist reincarnation / saṃsāra through a "soft touch" of blue funk.[3]

Commercial performance

"Gag" opened on Oricon's Singles Chart dated May 20, 2013, with 19,198 sales, taking its peak position of No. 4.[20] On the Billboard Japan Hot 100, the single opened May 15, at a peak of No. 8.[21] It debuted on Billboard's contemporary airplay chart the same week at No. 36, and rose to No. 6 the next week.[22] As an anime song, it peaked at No. 4 on the Hot Animation chart.[23] It finished at No. 17 on Oricon's monthly ranking of May with 27,380 units.[24] In total, "Gag" charted in Oricon's weekly top 100 for five weeks; with resurgences in 2016 through 2020, it has appeared in the top 200 for a total of 32 weeks. By April 2020, its most recent appearance on the chart, Oricon had accounted 35,308 lifetime sales.[20]

Track listing

  1. "Gag" (ギャグ, Gyagu) – 4:42
  2. "Dust" (ダスト, Dasuto) – 3:47
Total length: 8:29

Charts

2013 weekly chart performance for "Gag"
Chart (2013) Peak
position
Japan (Oricon)[25] 4
Japan (Billboard Japan Hot 100)[21] 8
Japanese Adult Contemporary (Billboard Japan)[22] 6
Japan Hot Animation (Billboard Japan)[23] 4
2016–18 weekly chart performance for "Gag"
Chart (2016–18) Peak
position
Japan (Oricon)[20] 107
2020 weekly chart performance for "Gag"
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Japan (Oricon)[20] 157

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Gag"
Region Date Format Label Catalogue code Ref(s).
Japan May 8, 2013 CD Speedstar Records VICL-36780 [1]
Worldwide Digital download — [26]
June 23, 2015 Streaming — [27]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "星野 源 / ギャグ" [Gen Hoshino / Gag]. CDJournal (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 17, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Hoshino, Gen (May 2013). "Interview - 星野源" [Interview - Gen Hoshino]. Skream! (in Japanese). Interviewed by Ishizumi, Yuka. p. 3. Archived from the original on December 18, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Koike, Hirokazu (May 6, 2013). "ブッダ＝星野 源のシングル" [Buddha = Gen Hoshino's Single]. Rockin'On Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  4. 1 2 "「聖☆おにいさん」主題歌は星野源書き下ろし「ギャグ」" [Gen Hoshino writes main theme "Gag" for Saint Onī-san]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). March 14, 2013. Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  5. ↑ "星野源＆森山未來「聖☆おにいさん」舞台挨拶で続編に意欲" [Gen Hoshino and Mirai Moriyama express desire for sequel during Saint Onī-san stage greetings]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). May 10, 2013. Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Oguri. "ギャグ" [Gag] (in Japanese). Tower Records Japan. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  7. ↑ "星野源＆森山未來「聖☆おにいさん」でブッダとイエス熱演" [Gen Hoshino and Mirai Moriyama to star in Saint Onī-san as Buddha and Jesus]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). October 16, 2012. Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  8. ↑ "星野源、映画「聖☆おにいさん」主題歌"ギャグ"を5月にシングル化" [Gen Hoshino's theme song "Gag" for Saint Onī-san film to receive single release in May] (in Japanese). Tower Records Japan. March 22, 2013. Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  9. ↑ "星野 源の"ギャグ"が主題歌の映画『聖☆おにいさん』の新規予告編が公開" [Gen Hoshino's "Gag", theme to Saint Onī-san film, previewed in new trailer]. Rockin'On Japan (in Japanese). April 4, 2013. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  10. ↑ "鈴木慶一＆白井良明「聖☆おにいさん」音楽裏話披露" [Keiichi Suzuki and Ryōmei Shirai talk behind-the-scenes of the music to Saint Onī-san]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). April 22, 2013. Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  11. ↑ "星野 源、アニメ映画「聖☆おにいさん」主題歌『ギャグ』を5/8にリリース" [Gen Hoshino will release Saint Onī-san theme song "Gag" May 8]. Rockin'On Japan (in Japanese). March 22, 2013. Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  12. ↑ "星野源「ギャグ」をダイレクトに表現したジャケ公開" [Cover art directly expressing Gen Hoshino's "Gag" unveiled]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). April 11, 2013. Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  13. ↑ "星野 源「ギャグ」のジャケットが公開、『聖☆おにいさん』描き下ろしステッカー封入!" [Cover art revealed for Gen Hoshino's "Gag"! Saint Onī-san sticker included!]. CDJournal (in Japanese). April 12, 2013. Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  14. ↑ "星野源、新曲PVは映画「聖☆おにいさん」映像が満載" [PV for Gen Hoshino's new song takes use of footage from Saint Onī-san film]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). May 8, 2013. Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  15. ↑ "星野 源、自ら編集・ディレクションしたMVを公開!" [Music video directed and edited by Gen Hoshino released!]. CDJournal (in Japanese). May 9, 2013. Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  16. ↑ "MUSIC VIDEO TOUR 2010-2017" (in Japanese). Tower Records Japan. Archived from the original on September 21, 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  17. ↑ <生産限定盤> "星野源/Gen Hoshino Singles Box "GRATITUDE" [12CD+10DVD+Blu-ray Disc] <生産限定盤>" [Gen Hoshino / Gen Hoshino Singles Box: Gratitude [12CD + 10DVD + Blu-ray Disc] (Limited Version)] (in Japanese). Tower Records Japan. Archived from the original on September 21, 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  18. ↑ Sugiura, Emi (October 10, 2017). "【知りたい】長岡亮介という人は、なぜこんなにも必要とされ、愛されるのか?" [Why is Ryosuke Nagaoka so needed and loved?]. Rockin'On Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 14, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  19. ↑ "「ミュージック・ジャケット大賞2014」、受賞作品を発表" [Recipient works at the 2014 Music Jacket Awards announced]. Rockin'On Japan (in Japanese). August 6, 2014. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  20. 1 2 3 4 "ギャグ" [Gag] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  21. 1 2 "Billboard Japan Hot 100". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). May 15, 2013. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  22. 1 2 "Billboard Japan Adult Contemporary Airplay". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). May 22, 2015. Archived from the original on December 18, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  23. 1 2 "Billboard Japan Hot Animation". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). May 15, 2013. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  24. ↑ "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" [Oricon Ranking Information Service "You Taiju"] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  25. ↑ "ギャグ" [Gag] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on December 17, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Gag - Single". Apple Music. Archived from the original on December 18, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  27. ↑ "星野 源、最新シングル「SUN」など全楽曲を一斉配信" [All of Gen Hoshino's songs, including new single "Sun", released for streaming]. CDJournal (in Japanese). June 23, 2015. Archived from the original on December 15, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
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