OLest

OLest
Two women standing between metallic sticks of green and red.
EP by
Charisma.com
ReleasedJuly 8, 2015 (2015-07-08)
Recorded2015
Genreelectropop, hip hop
Length30:44
LanguageJapanese
LabelWarner Music Japan
Charisma.com chronology
Distopping
(2014) 		OLest
(2015)
Singles from OLest
  1. "Kongara Girl"
    Released: April 15, 2015
  2. "Otsubone Rock"
    Released: June 5, 2015

OLest is the second extended play by Japanese musical group Charisma.com. It was released on July 8, 2015, as their first release through Warner Music Japan.[1]

Background and development

[edit]

After the release of the group's debut studio album Distopping in June 2014, the group performed a five city national tour of Japan, OL Joker. In early August, Charisma.com collaborated with dance troupe Tempura Kidz, who had been the opening act of their tour, to release the digital single "Mirra Killer".[2] In early 2015, Charisma.com performed the theme song for the live action film adaptation of Tomohiro Koizumi's manga Shinda Me o Shita Shōnen, entitled "Tongari Young".[3]

Writing and production

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The album's title is a neologism meaning "most office lady."[4] The extended play features similar themes to the group's first two releases, where Itsuka writes material inspired by the events of her life as an office lady, however Itsuka plans for OLest to be the last release of the group to be so strongly office lady-themed.[5]

Promotion and release

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In April 2015, the album's first digital single, "Kongara Girl", was released. The song was used to promote Tangle Teezer-brand hair brushes, and was the group's last release on the independent label Lastrum.[6] The song received minor radio airplay, reaching number 57 on the Billboard Japan Adult Contemporary Airplay chart.[7]

On June 5, the group released the music video for "Otsubone Rock", the leading promotional track from OLest.[8] After several weeks of radio play, the song peaked at number 33 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart.[9][10]

The iTunes edition of the extended play featured a bonus track, a remix of "Iinazuke Blue", the leading track from their first studio album Distopping (2014).[11] The Tower Records Japan online edition of the album featured a bonus CD with a remix of the song "Hate" from the group's extended play Ai Ai Syndrome (2013), remixed by OMSB from the hip-hop group Simi Lab.[12] Charisma.com performed on many television programs to promote the album, including Ongaku no Hi and Count Down TV on June 27,[13] Music Japan on June 28 and Premium Melodix! on July 6 to perform "Otsubone Rock",[14][15] The group also appeared for two weeks on Kansai Television's Mujack on June 26 and June 3,[16] and on Nippon Television's Buzzrhythm on June 10.[17]

The second promotional track from the extended play was "Around 30 Dreaming", which was chosen as the theme song for the second season of the LaLa TV drama Watashi-tachi ga Propose Sarenai no ni wa, Hyaku Ichi no Riyū ga Atte da na. The first episode was broadcast on September 2, 2015.[18] On August 26, a lyric video was uploaded to YouTube to promote the song.[18]

In October the group will perform a four-date solo-billed tour of Japan, performing in Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Tokyo.[8]

Critical reception

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Fumiaki Amano of Skream! praised Itsuka's ability to be simultaneously angry and calm, and felt that OLest showed Itsuka at her most kind. She praised songs such as the "gentle pop" "Around Thirty Dreamin'" for their emotion.[19]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Yare yo." (やれよ。, "Do It.")ItsukaItsuka, Takashi Morio3:52
2."Otsubone Rock" (お局ロック, "Court Woman Rock")ItsukaItsuka, Masaru Iwabuchi4:17
3."Mamemame Boy Gasatsu Girl" (マメマメBOYがさつGIRL, "Hard Working Boy, Crude Girl")ItsukaItsuka, The Lasttrak (TakachenCo)2:53
4."Around 30 Dreaming" (アラサードリーミン Arasā Dorīmin)ItsukaItsuka, Nagomu Tamaki4:22
5."Darii Dararin" (ダリぃだらりん)ItsukaItsuka, Koji Tsukada3:00
6."Kongara Girl" (こんがらガール, "Tangled Girl")ItsukaItsuka, Chrysanthemum Bridge4:28
7."Chōzetsu ni Mune ga Itandeiru Anata no Jōshi" (超絶に胸が痛んでいるあなたの上司, "Your Boss with Extreme Heartache")ItsukaItsuka, Mr. Bipolar4:29
8."Tasogare Kakui" (黄昏各位, "All the Twilights")ItsukaItsuka, Kikucchan3:19
Total length:30:44
iTunes bonus track
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
9."Iinazuke Blue (Luuxoor Hardest Mix)" (イイナヅケブルー, "Fiancé Blue")ItsukaItsuka, Morio3:55
Total length:34:39

Charts

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Charts (2015) Peak
position
Japan Oricon daily albums[20] 18
Japan Oricon weekly albums[21] 31

Sales

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Chart Amount
Oricon physical sales[22] 5,000

Release history

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Region Date Format Distributing Label Catalogue codes
Japan July 8, 2015 (2015-07-08)[1] CD, digital download Warner Music Japan WPCL-12163
July 25, 2015 (2015-07-25)[23] Rental CD

References

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  1. ^ a b "【CD】OLest Charisma.com" (in Japanese). Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  2. ^ "カリスマ×テンプラ、コラボ新曲初披露に吃驚" (in Japanese). Natalie. July 27, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  3. ^ "Charisma.com、映画「死んだ目をした少年」主題歌を配信" (in Japanese). Natalie. January 21, 2015. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
  4. ^ "Charisma.com「OLest」特集 Charisma.com×おかざき真里対談" (in Japanese). Natalie. July 8, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  5. ^ "Charisma.comが語る、新作『OLest』と会社勤めの危機「OLコンセプトは今回が"最高で最後"かも」" (in Japanese). Real Sound. July 8, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  6. ^ "Charisma.com、ヘアブラシ武器にしがらみ解消する痛快PV" (in Japanese). Natalie. April 3, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  7. ^ "Adult Contemporary Airplay". Billboard (in Japanese). April 22, 2015. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
  8. ^ a b "Charisma.com「お局ロック」MV公開、ワンマンツアーも決定" (in Japanese). Natalie. June 5, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  9. ^ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). July 15, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  10. ^ "Radio Songs". Billboard (in Japanese). July 8, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  11. ^ "メジャーデビューミニアルバム『OLest』 iTunes、レコチョク他主要サイトにて配信スタート！" (in Japanese). Warner Music Japan. July 8, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  12. ^ "「OLest / Charisma.com」豪華店舗別オリジナル特典決定！！" (in Japanese). Warner Music Japan. May 29, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  13. ^ "6月27日（土）放送のTBS「CDTVスペシャル」に生出演決定！！" (in Japanese). Warner Music Japan. June 12, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  14. ^ "次回「MJ」にゲス乙女、indigo、エビ中、Charisma.comら8組" (in Japanese). Natalie. June 23, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  15. ^ "今回のゲストは、SexyZone、Charisma.com、コアラモード．" (in Japanese). TV Tokyo. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  16. ^ "関西テレビ「ミュージャック」に出演！" (in Japanese). Warner Music Japan. June 22, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  17. ^ "7月10日（金）の日本テレビ「バズリズム」に出演決定！！" (in Japanese). Warner Music Japan. June 23, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  18. ^ a b "Charisma.com「アラサードリーミン」リリックビデオ公開" (in Japanese). Natalie. August 26, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  19. ^ Fumiaki Amano. "Charisma.com『OLest』" (in Japanese). Skream!. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  20. ^ "デイリー CDアルバムランキング 2015年07月08日付" (in Japanese). Oricon. July 9, 2015. Archived from the original on July 9, 2015. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  21. ^ "OLest". Oricon. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  22. ^ "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 July 14, 2015.
  23. ^ "ＯＬｅｓｔ" (in Japanese). Tsutaya. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
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