"World Quest/Pokopon Pekōrya" (WORLD QUEST/ポコポンペコーリャ) is a double A-side by the Japanese idol group NEWS. It is their 15th single and was released in Japan on December 12, 2012, under Johnny & Associates in four editions: a CD-only edition, limited editions A and B, and a special edition.
| "World Quest/Pokopon Pekōrya" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 CD-only cover | ||||
| Single by NEWS | ||||
| Released | December 12, 2012 | |||
| Recorded | 2012 | |||
| Genre | J-pop | |||
| Length | 3:32 | |||
| Label | Johnny & Associates | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Mozza | |||
| NEWS singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"World Quest/Pokopon Pekōrya" debuted at number one on the weekly Oricon singles chart, selling over 130,000 copies in its first week. It being their fifteenth consecutive number-one single, NEWS became the third group in history to achieve this feat. On the Billboard Japan Hot 100, "World Quest" and "Pokopon Pekōrya" peaked at numbers one and six, respectively; NEWS became the first artist to simultaneously have two songs in the top ten of that chart.
Background
editOn October 5, 2012, it was reported that group member Shigeaki Kato would star in Tokyo Broadcasting System's (TBS) and Mainichi Broadcasting System's (MBS) Hana no Zubora-Meshi, a television series based on the manga of the same name, which would be begin airing on October 23. NEWS would sing the accompanying theme song "Pokopon Pekōrya", which was described as a "light, catchy" pop song "that would lingers in our ears".[1] On November 5, 2012, it was announced that NEWS would be releasing "World Quest/Pokopon Pekōrya" on December 12.[2]
Composition
edit"World Quest" was written by Mozza, composed by Heroism, and arranged by Taku Yoshioka and Heroism.[3] "Pokopon Pekōrya" was written by Hacchin' Maya, composed by Heroism, and arranged by Chokkaku. "Hello" was written and composed by Take4. "Quntastic!" was written by Zopp, composed by Erik Lidbom and Daichi, and arranged by Masaya Suzuki. "36°C" was written and composed by Ki Midori, and arranged by Shinjirō Inoue.[4]
Release and promotion
edit"World Quest/Pokopon Pekōrya" was released on December 12, 2012, in four editions: a CD-only edition, which includes the track "Hello"; limited edition A, which includes a DVD with the music video of "World Quest" and its making-of video; a limited edition B, which includes the tracks "Quntastic!" and "36°C", a 12-page booklet, and stickers illustrated by Mizusawa Etsuko; and a special edition, which includes a towel scarf and a misanga contained in a box.[4]
"World Quest" was used at the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup association football tournament in Japan, which was hosted by group member Yuya Tegoshi.[5]
Chart performance
edit"World Quest/Pokopon Pekōrya" debuted at number one on the weekly Oricon singles charts, selling 130,899 copies in its first week.[6] In doing so, NEWS became the third group in history to earn fifteen consecutive number-one singles on the chart; this feat was previously achieved by KinKi Kids in 2002 with "Kanashimi Blue" and by KAT-TUN in 2011 with "White".[5]
On the issue dated December 17, 2012, "World Quest" debuted at number 61 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.[7] The following week, NEWS became the first artist to simultaneously have two charting songs in the Japan Hot 100 top ten; "World Quest" topped the chart, while "Pokopon Pekōrya" debuted at number six.[8][9]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "World Quest" | Mozza | Heroism | 3:22 |
| 2. | "Pokopon Pekōrya (フルスイング)" | Hacchin' Maya | Heroism | 3:58 |
| 3. | "Hello" | Take4 | Take4 | 3:43 |
| 4. | "World Quest" (Instrumental) | Heroism | 3:32 | |
| 5. | "Pokopon Pekōrya (フルスイング)" (Instrumental) | Heroism | 3:58 | |
| 6. | "Hello" (Instrumental) | Take4 | 3:43 | |
| Total length: | 22:06 | |||
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "World Quest" | Mozza | Heroism | 3:22 |
| 2. | "Pokopon Pekōrya (フルスイング)" | Hacchin' Maya | Heroism | 3:58 |
| 3. | "World Quest" (music video and making-of) | |||
| Total length: | 7:20 | |||
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "World Quest" | Mozza | Heroism | 3:22 |
| 2. | "Pokopon Pekōrya (フルスイング)" | Hacchin' Maya | Heroism | 3:58 |
| 3. | "Quntastic!" | Zopp | Erik Lidbom, Daichi | 4:10 |
| 4. | "36°C" | Ki Midori | Ki Midori | 3:53 |
| Total length: | 15:23 | |||
Chart history
edit| Chart (2012) | Release | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| Billboard Japan Hot 100[9] | "World Quest" | 1 |
| "Pokopon Pekōrya" | 6 | |
| Oricon Weekly Chart[6] | "World Quest/Pokopon Pekōrya" | 1 |
References
edit- ^ "NEWS、新曲が加藤シゲアキ出演「花のズボラ飯」主題歌に" (in Japanese). Natalie. October 5, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
- ^ "NEWS、ニュー・シングル『WORLD QUEST／ポコポンペコーリャ』発売決定" (in Japanese). Tower Records. November 5, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
- ^ "WORLD QUEST／ポコポンペコーリャ" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e チャンカパーナ (in Japanese). Johnny & Associates. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
- ^ a b "【オリコン】NEWS、新体制第2弾でシングル15作連続首位". Oricon Style (in Japanese). Oricon. December 18, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
- ^ a b "2012年12月10日～2012年12月16日のCDシングル週間ランキング （2012年12月24日付）" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
- ^ "Billboard Japan Hot 100 2012/12/17 付け". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
- ^ "NEWSが首位獲得＆2作同時TOP10入りの快挙". Billboard (in Japanese). Nielsen Business Media. December 19, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
- ^ a b "Billboard Japan Hot 100 2012/12/24 付け". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Retrieved January 15, 2013.