Keep the Faith (KAT-TUN song)
Encyclopedia
"Keep the faith" is the fifth overall single by Japan
ese boy band
, KAT-TUN
, and the second from their third studio album, KAT-TUN III: Queen of Pirates
. It was released in three editions with three different covers; the regular edition contains all the songs and its instrumental versions, the first press edition came with a bonus track entitled "Lovin'U" and its instrumental track and the second limited edition was packaged with a DVD with the single's music video
and a short film about the making of the music video.
The single was released on November 21, 2007 and became KAT-TUN's fifth consecutive number 1 on the Oricon weekly singles chart.
lead vocalist and lyricist Kyosuke Himuro
(who would later release a cover of the song on a 2008 compilation of his) and SPIN, a frequent songwriter for the group. Koki Tanaka also provided his own rap verses whilst ha-j arranged
the track. A hard rock number, the song was used as the theme song to Jin Akanishi
and Junnosuke Taguchi's school comedy series, Yukan Club
, which aired on NTV
.
on November 14, 2007 and on their own late-night variety/talk show Cartoon KAT-TUN
on November 21, the same day the single was released. The group made their third appearance on Utaban
on November 29, performed on Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ on December 3 and on NTV
's "Best Artists 2007" special on December 11. KAT-TUN also visited Shounen Club Premium and Music Lovers on December 16 before returning to Music Station on December 21 to perform a medley of the single and "Yorokobi no Uta
".
's official debut single "Ultra Music Power" from the top spot. It stayed on the charts for 16 weeks and was certified as the fifth best-selling single of 2007 with total reported sales of over 459,919 units by the end of its chart-run. With the single's ascent to the top of the charts, KAT-TUN became only one of two artists in Japanese music history to sell more than 300,000 copies of five or more consecutive singles in the first week; the other artist in question being fellow JE
boy band and senpai, KinKi Kids
. The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan
in November 2007 denoting more than 250,000 shipments.
The song was honored at the 22nd Japan Gold Disc Awards when it placed on the "Best 10 Music Singles (Domestic)" list alongside "Yorokobi no Uta".
|-
! Country
! Provider
! Sales
! Certification
|-
| Japan
| RIAJ
| 459,919+
| Platinum
|-
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese boy band
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
, KAT-TUN
KAT-TUN
KAT-TUN is a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates in 2001. The group's name is an acronym based on the first letter of each member's family name until the departure of Jin Akanishi in 2010. As of 2010, KAT-TUN stands for Kazuya KAmenashi, Junnosuke Taguchi, Koki Tanaka, Tatsuya Ueda,...
, and the second from their third studio album, KAT-TUN III: Queen of Pirates
KAT-TUN III: Queen of Pirates
KAT-TUN III: Queen of Pirates is the third studio album by Japanese boy band KAT-TUN and was released in Japan on June 4, 2008 by J-One Records...
. It was released in three editions with three different covers; the regular edition contains all the songs and its instrumental versions, the first press edition came with a bonus track entitled "Lovin'U" and its instrumental track and the second limited edition was packaged with a DVD with the single's music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
and a short film about the making of the music video.
The single was released on November 21, 2007 and became KAT-TUN's fifth consecutive number 1 on the Oricon weekly singles chart.
Song information
"Keep the faith" was co-written by former BoøwyBoøwy
Boøwy was a Japanese rock group consisting of Kyosuke Himuro , Tomoyasu Hotei , Tsunematsu Matsui and Makoto Takahashi . They were a rock band that reached legendary status in Japan during the 1980s...
lead vocalist and lyricist Kyosuke Himuro
Kyosuke Himuro
is a popular Japanese singer. He was a member of the rock group Boøwy from 1981 to 1988. After the group disbanded he started a successful solo career. In 2003, HMV Japan ranked Himuro at number 76 on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts...
(who would later release a cover of the song on a 2008 compilation of his) and SPIN, a frequent songwriter for the group. Koki Tanaka also provided his own rap verses whilst ha-j arranged
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
the track. A hard rock number, the song was used as the theme song to Jin Akanishi
Jin Akanishi
is a Japanese idol, singer-songwriter, actor, seiyū, and former radio host. Akanishi is a former member of the J-pop group, KAT-TUN, and was one of the two lead vocalists...
and Junnosuke Taguchi's school comedy series, Yukan Club
Yūkan Club
is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Yukari Ichijo. It is serialized in Shueisha's Bessatsu Margaret. Yūkan Club received the 1986 Kodansha Manga Award for the shōjo category. The manga was adapted into an original video animation by Madhouse Studios...
, which aired on NTV
Nippon Television
is a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...
.
Promotion
KAT-TUN first performed the song live on Music StationMusic Station
is a Japanese music television program. It began broadcasting on October 24, 1986 and continues to be broadcast weekly in High-definition from 8PM-9PM on tv asahi...
on November 14, 2007 and on their own late-night variety/talk show Cartoon KAT-TUN
Cartoon KAT-TUN
was a Japanese variety show hosted by KAT-TUN, a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates. The show began airing on April 4, 2007, and ended on March 24, 2010. It aired every Wednesday from 11:55 pm to 12:26 am on NTV for 3 years...
on November 21, the same day the single was released. The group made their third appearance on Utaban
Utaban
was a long running Japanese music variety show, broadcast weekly from October 15, 1996 until March 23, 2010 on TBS. The name of the show is an abbreviation of , meaning "music program"...
on November 29, performed on Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ on December 3 and on NTV
Nippon Television
is a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...
's "Best Artists 2007" special on December 11. KAT-TUN also visited Shounen Club Premium and Music Lovers on December 16 before returning to Music Station on December 21 to perform a medley of the single and "Yorokobi no Uta
Yorokobi no Uta
"Yorokobi no Uta" is the fourth overall single by Japanese boy band, KAT-TUN, and the first from their third studio album, KAT-TUN III: Queen of Pirates...
".
Chart performance and reception
In its first week of release, "Keep the faith" debuted at number 1 with 350,863 copies sold in its first week knocking off Hey! Say! JUMPHey! Say! JUMP
Hey! Say! JUMP is a ten-member Japanese boy band under the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates. The name Hey! Say! refers to the fact that all the members were born in the Heisei period and JUMP is an acronym for Johnny's Ultra Music Power...
's official debut single "Ultra Music Power" from the top spot. It stayed on the charts for 16 weeks and was certified as the fifth best-selling single of 2007 with total reported sales of over 459,919 units by the end of its chart-run. With the single's ascent to the top of the charts, KAT-TUN became only one of two artists in Japanese music history to sell more than 300,000 copies of five or more consecutive singles in the first week; the other artist in question being fellow JE
Johnny & Associates
is a talent agency formed by Johnny Kitagawa in 1962. Johnny & Associates trains and promotes groups of male idols, collectively known as , in Japan.-1962–1989:...
boy band and senpai, KinKi Kids
KinKi Kids
is a Japanese duo consisting of Koichi Domoto and Tsuyoshi Domoto under the talent agency Johnny & Associates. Although the members share the same surname, the only relation they have to each other is that they both hail from the Kinki region, hence the duo's name....
. The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan
Recording Industry Association of Japan
The Recording Industry Association of Japan is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved the music industry...
in November 2007 denoting more than 250,000 shipments.
The song was honored at the 22nd Japan Gold Disc Awards when it placed on the "Best 10 Music Singles (Domestic)" list alongside "Yorokobi no Uta".
Track listing
- Normal Edition
- First Press Edition
- DVD
Sales and certifications
{| class="wikitable" border="1"|-
! Country
! Provider
! Sales
! Certification
|-
| Japan
| RIAJ
Recording Industry Association of Japan
The Recording Industry Association of Japan is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved the music industry...
| 459,919+
| Platinum
|-