Can You Hear Me? (EP)

Can You Hear Me?
A close-up of the face of a woman with long brown hair. She holds her right hand up to her right ear. To the right of the photo are the words "Can You Hear Me" in white capital letters.
EP by IU
Released March 20, 2013 (2013-03-20)
(see release history)
Recorded 2012–13; DCH Studio, Tokyo; Loen Studio, Seoul; Flyte Tyme Studios, Santa Monica; Middle Chorus Studio, Beijing; Jackson's Lyric Studio, Birmingham, AL
Genre R&B, pop music, show tune
Length 19:36
Language Japanese, English
Label East World
Producer Kazuhiko Koike (exec.), Won-Soo Shin (exec.), Hidenobu Okira, Young-Chul Cho, Seong-Kean Jeong
IU chronology
Spring of a Twenty Year Old
(2012)		 Can You Hear Me?
(2013)		 Modern Times
(2013)
Singles from Can You Hear Me?
  1. "The Age of the Cathedrals"
    Released: February 6, 2013
  2. "New World"
    Released: February 27, 2013
  3. "Beautiful Dancer"
    Released: March 20, 2013

Can You Hear Me? is the second Japanese extended play (seventh overall) by South Korean singer-songwriter and actress IU. It was released on March 20, 2013, and was her first extended play released in Japanese.[1]

Background and development

IU made her Japanese debut under EMI Music Japan in March 2012, with the single "Good Day." Since then, she had been active in both South Korea and Japan. In South Korea, she released the extended play Spring of a Twenty Year Old and collaborated with Korean girl group Fiestar for the song "Sea of Moonlight." In July, she released a Japanese version of her 2011 single "You & I," and held her first Japanese concert, IU Friendship Special Concert: Autumn2012, on September 17, 2012. In October 2012, IU released two cover songs digitally, "Friend" by Japanese rock band Anzen Chitai and "Aishiteru" (愛してる, "I Love You") by Callin', one of the ending theme songs for the anime Natsume's Book of Friends.[2] Both of these were recorded at her first Japanese concert.

In support of the French musical Notre-Dame de Paris performed at the Tokyu Theatre Orb in Shibuya in February and March, IU covered a song from the English version of the musical, "The Age of the Cathedrals." This was released as a cellphone download on February 6, 2013, and later as a PC download on February 13.[3] This rendition was added to Can You Hear Me? as a bonus track.

The album was officially announced on January 25, 2013.[4]

Writing and production

The album was mostly recorded at DCH Studio, Tokyo, and Loen Studio in Seoul. Additional instrumental recording was recorded at Flyte Tyme Studios in Santa Monica, California and Jackson's Lyric Studio in Birmingham, Alabama. An orchestral sequence in the song "Beautiful Dancer" was performed by the China National Symphony Orchestra, which was recorded at Middle Chorus Studio in Beijing.[5]

The extended play features IU's first original Japanese songs. American R&B production team Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were enlisted to write two songs for the project, "Beautiful Dancer" and "Truth."[4][5] "Beautiful Dancer" was the first time for IU to sing an R&B song.[6] Hiro of the Japanese hip-hop unit LGYankees also served as a vocal producer for the album, and wrote lyrics to three songs on the album.[5]

The song "Voice-mail" was written and composed by IU, then translated into Japanese.[4][5] This is the fourth self-penned song by IU, after "Take My Hand" from the The Greatest Love soundtrack (2011), "A Stray Puppy" from Last Fantasy (2011) and "Peach" (2012). IU composed the song on her acoustic guitar, and completed it in two to three hours.[6]

The Korean version of the song was later put onto IU's third Korean-language studio album Modern Times as a bonus track.

Promotion and release

The first single released from the album was "New World," which was released digitally on February 20, 2013.[7] "Beautiful Dancer" was chosen as the leading track from the extended play. It was used as the March ending theme song for the Nippon TV music show Happy Music.[8] The music video was released on March 8, 2013, and was show over two days in Thailand.[9]

A week after the album on March 27, 2013, IU held her first fan meeting event, IU: The First Fan Meeting in Japan at the Tokyo International Forum.[9] IU was featured in magazines to promote the album, was as Haruhana, CanCam, Soup, Rolling Stone Japan and Mini.[10]

Chart reception

The album debuted at number 23 on Oricon's albums chart, selling 6,000 copies.[11][12] After charting for three weeks in the top 300 albums, the extended play sold a total of 8,000 copies.[12] This was less than her previous Japanese extended play, I□U, a compilation album of Korean songs released before her debut in 2011, and significantly less than her two Japanese singles, "Good Day" and "You & I," which were both top 10 releases.[12]

The first single "New World" reached a peak of 76 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, and the lead single "Beautiful Dancer" reached number 66.[13]

Track listing

No. TitleLyricsMusic Length
1. "Beautiful Dancer"  HiroJimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, John Jackson 4:29
2. "Truth"  HiroJam, Lewis, Jackson 3:37
3. "Fairytale"  HiroAndy Love, Niclas Kings 3:38
4. "Voice-mail"  IU, Yadako (translation)IU 4:06
5. "New World"  YadakoAli Thomson, Christoffer Wikberg, Alina Devecerski 3:49
Total length:
 19:36
CD+DVD edition bonus track
No. TitleLyricsMusic Length
6. "The Age of the Cathedrals"  Luc Plamondon, Will Jennings (translation)Riccardo Cocciante 3:06
Total length:
 22:47

Chart rankings

Charts (2013) Peak
position
Japan Oricon daily albums[14] 9
Japan Oricon weekly albums[11] 23
Taiwan G-Music J-pop/K-pop chart[15] 10

Sales and certifications

Chart Amount
Oricon physical sales[12] 8,000

Personnel

Personnel details were sourced from Can You Hear Me?'s liner notes booklet.[5]

Managerial

  • Soo-Hyun An – marketing for Loen
  • Jong-Han Bae – artist management for Loen
  • Chan Nam-Kung – management director for Loen
  • Young-Chul Cho – production
  • Seung-Min Choi – assistant management for Loen
  • Tom Coyne – mastering
  • Sung-Wook Chung – performance director for Loen
  • Yuki Funakoshi – contractor, sound coordination (Digz, Inc.), production direction (#3, #5)
  • Hyun-Jin Jang – marketing director for Loen
  • Han-Teo Jeong – assistant management for Loen
  • Hee-Yeon Jeong – marketing for Loen
  • Seong-Kwan Jeong – co-production, planning director for Loen
  • Choon-Ho Jo – artist management for Loen
  • Gae-Won Jo – assistant management for Loen
  • Woo-Kyung Jung – assistant management for Loen
  • Shuzo Kamide – marketing for EMI
  • Chang-Soo Kim – A&R
  • Hyo-Shin Kim – planning for Loen
  • Jin-Myoung Kim – A&R director
  • Jung-Min Kim – A&R
  • Sung-Kyung Kim – marketing for Loen
  • Young-Seok Kim – executive supervisor for Loen
  • Kazuhiko Koike – executive producer for EMI
  • Yoshiaki Kudo – contractor, sound coordination (Digz, Inc.)
  • Dong-Jin Kwon – performance arrangement for Loen
  • Chang-Hee Lee – assistant management for Loen
  • Jung-Min Lee – administration support for Loen
  • Sung-Woo Lee – A&R
  • Young-Soo Lim – executive supervisor for Loen
  • Michael T. Martin – contractor, sound coordination (UnderCover Inc.)
  • Shinya Nagai – management for EMI
  • Hidenobu Okira – A&R director, production
  • Junh-Hyun Park – assistant management for Loen
  • Si-Won Park – marketing for Loen
  • Yo-Han Park – performance arrangement for Loen
  • Yonh-Hoon Seo – A&R
  • Ryoichi Shimizu – sales promotion for EMI
  • Won-Soo Shin – executive producer for Loen
  • Yasuhiro Takeuchi – sales promotion for EMI
  • Naoshi Yamaguchi – management for EMI
  • Yoshifumi Yamaminami – sales promotion for EMI
  • Kwonsang Yang – management for EMI, Port One
  • Sang-Jae Yoo – marketing for Loen
  • Dong-Hwan Youn – performance arrangement for Loen
  • Won-Kyu Yun – A&R

Performance credits
  • Soon-Yong Lee – bass (#4)
  • Mitsu.J – all instruments (#6)
  • Ali Thomson – all instruments (#5)
  • Christoffer Wikberg – all instruments (#5)

Visuals and imagery

  • Hiroshi Kitta – design
  • Misato Kowaki – stylist, visuals producer
  • Shin-Ae Lee – make-up
  • Joo-Hee No – stylist assistant
  • Tomoya Takano – photography
  • Shinnosuke Yamada – hair and make-up supervisor
  • Yoon-Seo – hair

Technical and production

  • Richard Brown – assisting (#1)
  • G-Gorilla – arrangement (#4)
  • Gregory Germain – mixing (#6), vocal recording (#1—3, #5)
  • IU – arrangement (#4)
  • Masashi Hashimono – orchestra recording (#1)
  • Hiro for Digz, inc. – vocal production (#1—3)
  • Huang Li Jie – concert master (#1)
  • Seuah Hwang – "Beautiful Dancer" music video director
  • Tomoo Ichimura – DVD producer
  • John Jackson – co-production (#1), production (#2), recording (#2)
  • Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis – production (#1—2), recording (#1)
  • Matt Marrin – mixing (#1—2)
  • Atsushi Matsui – DVD recording, mixing
  • Mitsu.J – arrangement (#6)
  • Masaru Nishiyama – conductor, orchestra arrangement (#1)
  • Brian Paturalski – mixing (#3)
  • Q-TEC – DVD authoring
  • Andros Rodriguez – mixing (#5)
  • Myung-Kab Son – mixing (#4), recording (#4, #6)
  • Tak – DVD director
  • Atsushi Takahata – DVD producer
  • Ali Thomson – production (#5)
  • Christoffer Wikberg – production (#5)
  • Yadako – vocal production (#5)

Release history

Region Date Format Distributing Label Catalogue codes
Japan March 20, 2013[1] CD, CD+DVD, digital download EMI Music Japan TOCT-29128, TOCT-29129
Taiwan March 22, 2013[16] CD+DVD Golden Typhoon I5309
Japan April 6, 2013[17] Rental CD+DVD EMI Music Japan TOCT-29128

References

  1. 1 2 "Can You Hear Me ?(通常盤)". Amazon Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved November 15, 2013.
  2. ↑ "安全地帯の名曲「Friend」をIU(アイユー)がカバーし、本日よりデジタル配信!!" [Anzen Chitai signature song Friend covered by IU, released today digitally!!]. IU Official Fanclub. October 24, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  3. ↑ "ミュージカル「ノートルダム・ド・パリ」サポートソングを歌う!!" [Singing musical Notre-Dame de Paris' support song!!]. IU Official Fanclub. January 25, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 "IU待望の日本オリジナルMini-Album「タイトル未定」 3/20発売決定!!" [IU's long awaited Japan original mini-album (TBA) released on March 20!!]. IU Official Fanclub. January 25, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Can You Hear Me? (Media notes) (in Japanese). IU. Tokyo, Japan: EMI Music Japan. 2013.
  6. 1 2 "IU Special Interview". Ayano Hoshino. Oricon. March 30, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  7. ↑ "3/20発売 Mini-Album「Can You Hear Me?」より、『New World』本日より先行配信スタート!!" [New World from 3/20 release mini-album Can You Mean Me? released digitally today!!]. IU Official Fanclub. February 20, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  8. ↑ "「Beautiful Dancer」、日本テレビ系「ハッピーMusic」3月エンディングテーマ決定" [Beautiful Dancer used as Nippon TV's Happy Music March ending theme song!!]. IU Official Fanclub. February 26, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  9. 1 2 "冒頭82秒に隠された秘密とは、IU（アイユー）の新曲MV完全フルver.が公開！". CDJapan. March 8, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  10. ↑ "メディア情報" [Media Information]. IU Official Fanclub. March 21, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  11. 1 2 ＩＵのリリース一覧 [A look at IU's releases] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" [Oricon Ranking Information Service "You Big Tree"]. Oricon. Retrieved November 16, 2013. (subscription only)
  13. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard Japan. Retrieved November 17, 2013.
  14. ↑ "T-ara, Girls' Generation, IU, TVXQ & SHINee make it onto Oricon's Top 10". Allkpop. March 21, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  15. ↑ "G-Music 風雲榜 (東洋榜) 2013年 第12週　" [G-Music Billboard (East Asian) 29013 Week 12] (in Chinese). G-Music. April 5, 2013. Archived from the original on May 8, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  16. ↑ "IU/ Can You Hear Me?" (in Chinese). G Music. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  17. ↑ Ｃａｎ　Ｙｏｕ　Ｈｅａｒ　Ｍｅ　？／ＩＵ (in Japanese). Tsutaya. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
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