Luv is the ninth studio album by Japanese rock band Luna Sea, released on December 20, 2017. The album reached number 4 on both the Oricon Albums Chart and Billboard Japan.[1][2]
| Luv | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 20, 2017 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 60:45 | |||
| Label | Universal | |||
| Producer | Luna Sea | |||
| Luna Sea chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Luv | ||||
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Overview
editAt their May 5, 2017 concert at the Nippon Budokan, Luna Sea announced that a then untitled new album would be released within the year.[3] Ryuichi also said that the theme of the album is "Love."[4] The album cover was designed by graphic artist YOSHIROTTEN.[5] The album's eighteen-date The Luv -World Left Behind- tour was set to begin with two concerts on January 27 and 28, 2018 at Mori no Hall 21 in Chiba, but these shows were rescheduled to May 23 and 24 due to Sugizo having the flu. Instead the tour began on February 3.[6]
The opening track "Hold You Down" was originally composed by Inoran, who compared it to "Absorb" from A Will.[7] Maki Ohguro provides backing vocals on "Chikaibumi", "The Luv" and "Black and Blue".[8]
"Piece of a Broken Heart" and "So Sad" were originally composed by Ryuichi with arrangements by Sugizo.[9] Ryuichi and Inoran's Tourbillon bandmate Hiroaki Hayama provides piano on "Piece of a Broken Heart" and "The Luv".
"Ride the Beat, Ride the Dream" is Luna Sea's first instrumental track, originally composed by Inoran.[10] "Black and Blue" was temporarily titled "Persian Cat" (ペルシャ猫, Perusha Neko) after the film No One Knows About Persian Cats which greatly inspired Sugizo.[9]
The song "Limit" was released as a single over a year before Luv. A music video was also made for the opening track "Hold You Down" directed by Shuichi Tan, who last worked with the group on the video for 2000's "Love Song".[11]
Release
editThree limited editions of Luv were released. The normal limited edition came with a DVD of the music videos for "Limit" and "Hold You Down". An edition limited to members of the band's fan club, Slave, came with a live album of their May 29, 2017 concert and a DVD or Blu-ray of their September 24, 2016 concert in addition to a photobook and other goods. The third was only sold at their December 23 and 24, 2017 concerts at the Saitama Super Arena and included a live album recorded at that same venue the previous year on December 23 and 24, 2016.[12]
Luv and the band's seven other major label studio albums released at the time were released on vinyl record for the first time on May 29, 2019.[13]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Luna Sea
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hold You Down" (Originally composed by Inoran.) | 4:21 |
| 2. | "Brand New Days" (Originally composed by J.[14]) | 3:41 |
| 3. | "Chikaibumi (誓い文)" (Originally composed by Sugizo.[9]) | 4:55 |
| 4. | "Piece of a Broken Heart" (Originally composed by Ryuichi.) | 6:27 |
| 5. | "The Luv" (Originally composed by Sugizo.[9]) | 5:01 |
| 6. | "Miss Moonlight" (Originally composed by J.[14]) | 4:51 |
| 7. | "Yamibi (闇火)" (Originally composed by Sugizo.[9]) | 6:10 |
| 8. | "Ride the Beat, Ride the Dream" (Originally composed by Inoran and Shinya.) | 5:32 |
| 9. | "Thousand Years" (Originally composed by Inoran.[10]) | 4:45 |
| 10. | "Limit" (Originally composed by J.) | 3:45 |
| 11. | "So Sad" (Originally composed by Ryuichi.) | 5:01 |
| 12. | "Black and Blue" (Originally composed by Sugizo.[9]) | 6:16 |
Personnel
edit- Luna Sea
- Other
- Daisuke "d-kiku" Kikuchi – sound effects and programming
- Yumi Kawamura – female chorus on "Hold You Down", "Yamibi", "Thousand Years" and "Black and Blue"
- Maki Ohguro – female chorus on "Chikaibumi", "The Luv" and "Black and Blue"
- Hiroaki Hayama – acoustic piano and electric piano on "Piece of a Broken Heart" and "The Luv"
- U-Key Zone – chorus arrangement on "Thousand Years"
- Ikurō Fujiwara – strings arrangement and conductor on "Yamibi" and "Black and Blue"
References
edit- ^ "LUNA SEAのアルバム売り上げランキング" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
- ^ "Billboard Japan Top Albums│Charts│Billboard JAPAN". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 2017-12-30.
- ^ ""町田発"LUNA SEA、結成記念日の日本武道館360°ライブに1万4000人熱狂". Natalie (in Japanese). 2017-05-30. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
- ^ "LUNA SEA、新作アルバム年内発売＆SSAでXmasライブ開催を発表". Natalie (in Japanese). 2017-05-30. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
- ^ "LUNA SEA新アルバムジャケ公開、特設サイトで5日連続インタビュー掲載". Natalie (in Japanese). 2017-11-22. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
- ^ "SUGIZOインフルエンザで中止のLUNA SEA千葉公演、5月に振替開催". Natalie (in Japanese). 2018-01-30. Retrieved 2018-03-18.
- ^ "INORAN Interview". Universal Music (in Japanese). 2017-11-23. Archived from the original on 2017-12-22. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
- ^ "「LUNATIC FEST.」にGLAY、back number、大黒摩季登場". Natalie (in Japanese). 2018-04-16. Retrieved 2018-04-16.
- ^ a b c d e f "SUGIZO Interview". Universal Music (in Japanese). 2017-12-17. Archived from the original on 2017-12-22. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
- ^ a b "INORAN Interview". Universal Music (in Japanese). 2017-12-16. Archived from the original on 2017-12-22. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
- ^ "LUNA SEA、5人向き合って鳴らす「Hold You Down」". Natalie (in Japanese). 2017-11-30. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
- ^ "LUNA SEA、愛のニューアルバム「LUV」詳細明らかに". Natalie (in Japanese). 2017-12-04. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
- ^ "LUNA SEA、結成30周年記念に『IMAGE』から『LUV』までの8作品をアナログレコード化". barks.jp (in Japanese). 2019-03-01. Retrieved 2019-04-13.
- ^ a b "J Interview". Universal Music (in Japanese). 2017-12-15. Archived from the original on 2017-12-22. Retrieved 2017-12-30.