Live Tour: Continues

"Continues" redirects here. For other uses, see Continue.
Live Tour: Continues
The live album's cover art. It features a crowd of sketch figures in white and pink clothing, holding signs with the text "Continues". Near the top is the text "Live Tour 2017" and "Continues" in a stylish font.
Live album / video by
Gen Hoshino
ReleasedJanuary 10, 2018 (2018-01-10)
RecordedSeptember 9–10, 2017
VenueSaitama Super Arena, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
Length4:02:00
LanguageJapanese
LabelSpeedstar
Gen Hoshino chronology
Music Video Tour 2010–2017
(2017) 		Live Tour: Continues
(2018) 		Pop Virus
(2018)

Live Tour: Continues (Japanese pronunciation: [ɾaibɯtsɯꜜaː kontiɲɯꜜːzɯ]) is the fourth live video album by Japanese singer-songwriter and musician Gen Hoshino. It was released on January 10, 2018, via Speedstar Records in DVD and Blu-ray formats. The album is a video release of the final show of Hoshino's Continues live tour, filmed at the Saitama Super Arena from September 9 to 10, 2017. The second disc includes the original tour documentary To Be Continue(s), following Hoshino throughout the tour's behind-the-scenes.

The tour shares its name with Hoshino's song "Continues", commissioned for SKY PerfecTV!'s broadcast of the 2016 Summer Paralympics. He wrote the song with themes of following and continuing, inspired by musician Haruomi Hosono of Yellow Magic Orchestra after he told Hoshino to take care of the future. Similarly, the live tour was conceived as a concept tour about connecting music history. As an example of this theme, the setlists included covers of Martin Denny's "Firecracker", the "Firecracker"-inspired Yellow Magic Orchestra song "Mad Pierrot", and the "Mad Pierrot"-inspired Hoshino song "Tokiyo". The tour featured an original voice drama written by Hoshino, depicting characterizations of kayōkyoku (Akio Otsuka) and J-pop (Mamoru Miyano) attending a concert of yellow music, Hoshino's description of his own music.

Performances of "Amaoto" and "Sun" were uploaded to YouTube to promote the album. The tour and video release were received positively by music critics, who praised the performance and theme. Live Tour: Continues reached first place on Oricon's Blu-ray and DVD charts, tying Hoshino for the record of most consecutive number ones on the charts as a solo male artist. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for surprassing 100,000 sales, and was named at numbers 16 and 25 on Oricon's year-end DVDs and Blu-rays charts, respectively.

Background and tour

[edit]
A photo of the Men's 100 meters during the 2016 Summer Paralympics.
The title song "Continues" was used for SKY PerfecTV! broadcast of the 2016 Summer Paralympics (Men's 100 meters pictured).

Ending his Yellow Voyage tour at the Osaka-jō Hall in March 2016, Hoshino announced that he would like to tour again in the near future.[1] On August 5, 2016, Hoshino unveiled his new song "Continues" via a video message and commercial showed at a press event by the television channel SKY PerfecTV!. It would be used as the theme song to the channel's broadcast of the 2016 Summer Paralympics, set to be hosted in September in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[2] A song about following (伝う, tsutau) and continuing (続く, tsuzuku), "Continues" was written in respect to musician Haruomi Hosono of Yellow Magic Orchestra after he told Hoshino: "Take care of the future for me" (未来をよろしく, Mirai o yorshiku).[3][4]: 1  "Continues" was included as a B-side on Hoshino's single "Koi" (2016) and also featured on his fifth studio album Pop Virus (2018).[5][6]

During the encore of his two-day concert Yellow Pacific at Pacifico Yokohama on January 24, 2017, Hoshino announced Hoshino Gen Live Tour 2017: Continues, his first arena tour, to visit venues across nine cities in Japan under the same name as the song.[7] A tenth show at the Saitama Super Arena was added to the performance list post-announcement.[8] A concept tour,[9] it focused on heritage in music and connecting music history. Setlists were opened with a cover of Martin Denny's instrumental "Firecracker" (1959), the song which inspired Hosono to write "Mad Pierrot" (1978) on Yellow Magic Orchestra's debut eponymous studio album. "Mad Pierrot" features as the thirteenth song, followed by Hoshino's "Mad Pierrot"-inspired "Tokiyo" (2015).[10] The theming of the tour made Hoshino feel comfortable including songs that had personally impacted him and those he would not usually perform live, such as a cover of Number Girl's "Tōmei Shōjo" (1999) or his own single "Gag" (2013).[11][12] "Family Song" (2017), written by Hoshino during the tour,[13]: 2  was exclusively featured in the Saitama show in its debut live performance.[11]

Continues opened at the Marine Messe Fukuoka on May 21, 2017, and ended at the Saitama Super Arena on September 10.[10][14] Among others, the tour featured Eiko Ishibashi on keyboard and marimba, tour bandleader Ryosuke Nagaoka on guitar, the troupe Elevenplay with background dance performance, and also saw Hoshino playing guitar or marimba on select tracks, such as the cover of "Firecracker".[10] The opening of shows featured a voice drama written by Hoshino, starring voice actors Akio Otsuka and Mamoru Miyano, the latter known for work as Rintaro Okabe in Steins;Gate (2011) and the former as Solid Snake in the Metal Gear Solid franchise, a personal favorite video game of Hoshino.[13]: 2 [15] The drama sees Kayōkyoku-senpai (Otsuka) and his music junior J-POP (Miyano) attending a concert of yellow music, the term used by Hoshino to describe his music. In its second part, TV writer Naoki Terasaki portrays the characterization of yellow music.[10] A writer for Billboard Japan described it as a drama about the past and present, and the music that connects to the future.[11] The tour also featured video messages by characters portrayed by comedians Ryūji Akiyama of Robert, Bakarhythm, and Bananaman members Yūki Himura and Osamu Shitara.[10]

Promotion and release

[edit]
External videos
video icon "Amaoto" (Live at Saitama Super Arena 2017)
video icon "Sun" (Live at Saitama Super Arena 2017)
In promotion of the live album, performances of "Amaoto" and "Sun" were uploaded to YouTube.

On October 24, 2017, it was announced that both days of Continues' show at the Saitama Super Arena would be released as a Blu-ray and DVD video album.[16] In promotion of the release, its performances of "Amaoto" and "Sun" were uploaded to YouTube throughout December 2017.[17][18] A trailer to the album was uploaded on December 28, previewing select songs from the album including "Family Song" and "Koi", as well as short clips from its second disc tour documentary.[19] Hoshino announced that the Nise Puppet Tour: Continues would be hosted through December to January to commemorate the release, displaying dolls of Hoshino's alter ego character Akira Nise at select Tower Records Japan stores.[20]

Live Tour: Continues was released via the Victor Entertainment label Speedstar Records on January 10, 2018.[21] The album's cover art was created by Yuni Yoshida, who had also designed the cover for "Family Song".[15] With the entirety of the Saitama show except the encore on the first disc, the second disc includes the original tour documentary To Be Continue(s), following Hoshino throughout the four month-long tour. It includes footage of the backstage and rehearsals, Hoshino chatting with his bandmates, and an interview he gave a month after the tour's conclusion.[13]: 1–2  Limited editions were bundled with a booklet of photos, an analysis of the tour by Musica  [ja] editor Arizumi Tomoko, and a three-way talk by Hoshino, Nagaoka, and Terasaki.[15]

In April 2020, three years after its release, the performances of "Yume no Soto e", "Family Song", and "Kimi wa Bara yori Utsukushī" were released to YouTube alongside videos from Hoshino's other tours/concerts.[22][23]

Reception

[edit]

Continues was received positively by music critics, who praised it in both live reports and reviews of the video release. Emi Sugiura at Rockin'On Japan described the Saitama show as a "miracle-like" performance – deep but enjoyable to anyone – "undoubtedly" born from Hoshino celebrating music.[12] She had wished for a home version after watching the tour in person and celebrated the release, praising the performance of Hoshino and the tour band as "wholeheartedly beautiful".[24] A reporter for Billboard Japan wrote that the Saitama performance "heated up" when Hoshino appeared on stage with marimba to play "Firecracker".[11] Both the Billboard writer and a reporter for Natalie.mu gave similar praise for the performances of "Gag" and "Sun".[10][11]

The tour's theme and direction was a recurring point of praise. Oguri, a staff reviewer for Tower Records Japan, complimented the tour for its unique elements – covers of YMO, Martin Denny, Number Girl, and a voice drama – making it a "performance [...] unexperiancable elsewhere".[9] Real Sound live reporter Yuki Wakata wrote that all aspects of Continues were carefully constructed with the theme of connecting music in mind, calling the lyrics sung on "Tokiyo" illustrative of this theme: "Time goes on, moving us forward" / "Without meaning".[4]: 1–2  Sugiura felt that the Saitama show showcased, through entertainment and a "fantastic" tour, exactly what Hoshino wanted and his present thoughts on music.[12]

Comercially, it was reported that Continues accumulated a total attendance of 200,000.[25][26] The video album sold 47,000 DVDs and 52,000 Blu-ray copies within four days, opening at first place on Oricon's DVD and Blu-ray charts dated January 22, 2018. Following Live Tour: Yellow Voyage (2016) and Music Video Tour 2010–2017 (2017), it was Hoshino's third consecutive video release to top the charts, tying him with Koichi Domoto as the solo male artist with most consecutive DVD and Blu-ray number-ones;[27] Hoshino would later take the record for himself with the release of Dome Tour: Pop Virus at Tokyo Dome (2018).[28] Combined sales climbed to 100,000 by the end of January 2018, receiving a Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ).[29] By the end of the year, Live Tour: Continues had reached 118,291 accumulative sales (58,880 DVDs and 59,411 Blu-rays), ranking on Oricon's year-end charts as the 16th best-selling DVD and as the 25th for Blu-rays.[30][31] For the music-specific video charts, it ranked at numbers 12 and 15 for Blu-rays and DVDs, respectively.[32][33]

Personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from Natalie.mu's report of the Saitama performance and Real Sound's article detailing the video album track listing.[10][15]

  • Gen Hoshino – vocals, marimba, guitar, voice drama script
  • Eiko Ishibashi – keyboard, marimba, flute
  • Ryosuke Nagaoka – bandleader, guitar
  • Noriyasu Kawamura – drums
  • Wataru Iga – bass
  • Yasuhiro Sakurada – piano, keyboard
  • Satoshi Takeshi – saxophone, flute
  • Motoi Murakami – trumpet
  • Mio Okamura – violin
  • Mikiyo Kikuchi – viola
  • Kaori Imai – cello
  • Elevenplay – background dancing
  • Akio Otsuka (as Kayōkyoku-senpai) – voice drama
  • Mamoru Miyano (as J-POP) – voice drama
  • Naoki Terasaki (as Yellow Music) – voice drama
  • Ryūji Akiyama (as Dragon) – video message
  • Hidetomo Masuno (as the Bakarhythm) – video message
  • Yūki Himura (as J-Tarō) – video message
  • Osamu Shitara (as J-Tarō) – video message

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Gen Hoshino expect where otherwise noted.

Disc one
  1. "Firecracker" (Martin Denny) – 2:36
  2. "Bakemono" – 2:52
  3. "Sakura no Mori" – 6:00
  4. "Night Troop" – 4:11
  5. "Amaoto" – 4:59
  6. "Kudaranai no Naka ni" – 4:23
  7. "Film" – 5:27
  8. "Yume no Soto e" – 4:01
  9. "Ichiryū Musician kara no O Iwai Message" – 3:32
  10. "Ana o Horu" – 2:43
  11. "Tōmei Shōjo" (Shutoku Mukai) – 4:04
  12. "Kuse no Uta" – 5:28
  13. "Mad Pierrot" (Haruomi Hosono) – 5:35
  14. "Tokiyo" – 4:43
  15. "Gag" – 4:43
  16. "Sun" – 4:00
  17. "Koi" – 4:11
  18. "Week End" – 5:43
  19. "Continues" – 5:24
Disc two
  1. "Kimi wa Bara yori Utsukushī" (Kenji Kadoya, Mickie Yoshino) (Encore) – 9:29
  2. "Drinking Dance" (Encore) – 4:12
  3. "Family Song" (Encore) – 5:35
  4. "Friend Ship" (Encore) – 7:09
  5. "Tour Documentary: To Be Continue(s)"
Total length: 4:02:00[34]

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for Live Tour: Continues
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[29] Gold 118,291[30][31]

Release history

[edit]
Release history for Live Tour: Yellow Voyage
Region Date Edition Format Label Catalogue code Ref.
Japan January 10, 2018 Standard Blu-ray Speedstar Records VIXL-206~207 [37]
DVD VIBL-873~874
Limited Blu-ray VIZL-1293
DVD VIZL-1294

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "星野源、約10万人動員の全国ツアーがファイナル。「また近々ツアーをしたい」" ["I Wish to Tour Again in the Near Future", Gen Hoshino Ends National Tour to Audience of 100,000]. Barks [ja] (in Japanese). March 22, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  2. ^ "星野源がリオパラリンピックの放送テーマソングを歌う" [Gen Hoshino Sings Theme Song to Paralympics Broadcast]. The TV [ja] (in Japanese). Kadokawa. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  3. ^ "星野源、パラリンピック放送テーマソングに新曲「Continues」" [Gen Hoshino Writes New Song "Continues" as Theme to Broadcast of the Paralympics]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). August 5, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Wakata, Yuki (September 28, 2017). "星野源は"音楽の歴史"をつないでいく　アリーナツアー『Continues』追加公演を観て" [(Live Report) Gen Hoshino Connects the History of Music in Arena Tour Continues]. Real Sound [ja] (in Japanese). Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  5. ^ "星野 源 / 恋" [Gen Hoshino / Koi]. CDJournal [ja] (in Japanese). Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  6. ^ "星野 源 / Pop Virus" [Gen Hoshino / Pop Virus]. CDJournal [ja] (in Japanese). Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  7. ^ "星野源が初のアリーナツアー　全国9都市巡る『Continues』" [Gen Hoshino To Tour 9 Cities in National Arena Tour Continues]. Cinra [ja] (in Japanese). January 25, 2017. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  8. ^ "星野源　全公演ソールドアウトの全国ツアーに、さいたまスーパーアリーナ公演2DAYSを追加発表" [Gen Hoshino Announces Two Day Show at Saitama Super Arena to Sold-Out National Arena Tour Continues]. Spice (in Japanese). EPlus [ja]. June 27, 2017. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Oguri (November 30, 2019). "Live Tour "Continues" [2DVD/Blu-ray+ブックレット] <初回限定盤>" [Live Tour: Contines (2 DVD / Blu-ray + Booklet) (First Limited Edition)] (in Japanese). Tower Records Japan. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g "星野源、自身の音楽ルーツ込めたツアー「Continues」6万人熱狂のたまアリで幕" [Gen Hoshino Expresses His Musical Roots in Tour Continues, Closed at the Saitama Arena to Audience of 60,000]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). September 11, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d e "星野源、初の全国アリーナツアー完走、「Family Song」をライブ初披露" [Gen Hoshino Gives Debut Performance of "Family Song" During First National Arena Tour]. Billboard Japan (in Japanese). September 11, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c Sugiura, Emi (September 10, 2017). "星野源 / さいたまスーパーアリーナ" [Gen Hoshino / Saitama Super Arena]. Rockin'On Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c Sugiura, Emi (January 18, 2018). "星野源のツアー「Continues」のコンセプトはなぜ生まれたか? その答えがドキュメンタリー映像の中にある" [How Did Gen Hoshino Conceive the Continues Tour? The Answer Lies in the Video Documentary]. Rockin'On Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  14. ^ "星野源アリーナツアーが福岡で開幕、会場では「恋」MV衣装展示も" [Gen Hoshino Opens Arena Tour Continues in Fukuoka, Featuring Display of Costume from "Koi" Music Video]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). May 22, 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  15. ^ a b c d "星野 源、初のアリーナツアー『Continues』映像作品詳細発表　特典は"ポラロイド風のニセ"" [Gen Hoshino Reveals Details to Video Release of First Arena Tour Continues, To Feature "Polaroid-Style Nise" as Bonus]. Real Sound [ja] (in Japanese). November 28, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  16. ^ "星野源、20万人を動員した初の全国アリーナツアーより たまアリ追加公演を映像化" [Gen Hoshino Announces Video Release of Saitama Arena Show from National Arena Tour]. Rockin'On Japan (in Japanese). October 24, 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  17. ^ "星野源、ライブ映像作品『Live Tour 'Continues'』より'雨音'を公開＆特設サイトもオープン" [Gen Hoshino Opens Special Site and Releases Performance of "Amaoto" from Live Video Album Live Tour: Continues]. Rockin'On Japan (in Japanese). December 13, 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
  18. ^ "星野源 J-Popシーンを変えた楽曲「Sun」ライブ映像フル公開" [Gen Hoshino Releases Full Performance of J-Pop-Scene Changing Song "Sun"]. Billboard Japan (in Japanese). December 21, 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
  19. ^ "'一流ミュージシャン'からのお祝いも、星野源ライブDVD/BDダイジェスト" [Trailer to Gen Hoshino's Live DVD/Blu-ray Album Features Wishes from "Top Musicians"]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). December 28, 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
  20. ^ "星野源、たまアリ映像作品リリース記念して全国タワレコを"ニセパペット"が巡る" [Gen Hoshino Commemorates Release of Saitama Super Arena Video Album By Touring Tower Records Stores with Nise Puppets]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). December 8, 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
  21. ^ "星野源 - Live Tour 'Continues'" [Gen Hoshino - Live Tour: Continues]. Victor Entertainment. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  22. ^ "星野源、'恋'・'アイデア'・'Family Song'・'夢の外へ'などのライブ映像公開" [Gen Hoshino Releases Live Footage of "Koi", "Idea", "Family Song", "Yume no Soto e", and Others]. Rockin'On Japan (in Japanese). April 9, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  23. ^ Hoshino, Gen (April 9, 2020). Akira Nise - Kimi wa Bara yori Utsukushi. Retrieved June 26, 2024 – via YouTube.
  24. ^ Sugiura, Emi (January 9, 2018). "「音楽は続く」という強い思い" [The Strong Desire of Continuing Music]. Rockin'On Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved June 13, 2024.
  25. ^ "星野源、20万人を動員した初の全国アリーナツアーが映像化" [Gen Hoshino Announces Video Release to First Arena Tour, Accumulated an Attendance of 200 Thousand]. Billboard Japan (in Japanese). October 24, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  26. ^ "星野源、20万人ツアー大団円 壮観な3万人'恋ダンス'" [Gen Hoshino Ends Arena Tour with Attendance of 200,000, Putting 30,000 Into the Koi Dance] (in Japanese). Oricon. September 11, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  27. ^ "1/22付週間Blu-ray総合ランキング1位は星野源の『Live Tour 'Continues'』" [Gen Hoshino's Live Tour: Continues Takes First Place on January 22 Combined Blu-ray Chart] (in Japanese). Oricon. January 18, 2018. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  28. ^ "星野源、最新ライブ映像が4作連続通算4作目「映像3部門同時1位」【オリコンランキング】" [Gen Hoshino Reaches Four Consecutive Tops of Video Charts with Newest Video Album, Tops All Three Charts] (in Japanese). Oricon. August 15, 2019. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  29. ^ a b "Japanese video certifications – 星野 源 – Live Tour 'Continues'" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 2018年01月 on the drop-down menu
  30. ^ a b c "DVD年間30 - 2018年付" [Yearly Top 30 DVDs - 2018] (in Japanese). Oricon. 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2024 – via the You Taiju service.
  31. ^ a b c "BD年間30 - 2018年付" [Yearly Top 30 Blu-ray Discs - 2018] (in Japanese). Oricon. 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2024 – via the You Taiju service.
  32. ^ a b "音楽DVD年間20 - 2018年付" [Yearly Top 20 Music DVDs - 2018] (in Japanese). Oricon. 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2024 – via the You Taiju service.
  33. ^ a b "音楽BD年間20 - 2018年付" [Yearly Top 20 Music Blu-ray Discs - 2018] (in Japanese). Oricon. 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2024 – via the You Taiju service.
  34. ^ "星野源 / Live Tour 'Continues' <通常盤>" [Gen Hoshino / Live Tour: Continues (Regular Edition)] (in Japanese). Tower Records Japan. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  35. ^ "Live Tour: Continues (DVD)" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  36. ^ "Live Tour: Continues (BD)" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  37. ^ "星野源『Live Tour "Continues"』" [Gen Hoshino: Live Tour: Continues]. HoshinoGen.com. Amuse Inc. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Live_Tour:_Continues&oldid=1243722953"