Mars & Roses
Encyclopedia
Mars & Roses is the fifth studio album by Japanese
R&B
singer Misia, released on February 11, 2004. It debuted at #3 with 151,087 copies sold. The album was recorded in London
, New York
and Tokyo
. The song Little Rose, the title and theme of the album were inspired by Antoine de Saint Exupéry's The Little Prince
. Mars & Roses was produced by American songwriter
Keith Crouch and includes a duet with Erykah Badu
. The first pressing of the album includes a bonus live version of "Snow Song", whose simple piano arrangement was created by Misia's band leader and pianist, Tohru Shigemi, during one of their tour rehearsals.
The album is certified Platinum for shipment of 250,000 copies.
" was recorded, with the assistance of the London Philharmonic Orchestra
. The B-side, "Namida no Present", was penned by Misia and depicts a movie-like scene. After reading the lyrics, Shiro Sagisu composed the melody, which revolves around the sound of a camera shutter
.
"Diamond" was also recorded in London. After hearing about how the studio they were using was once a stable
, Misia came up with lyrics that resembled the story of a Western
. The line refers directly to the scenery she witnessed outside a window of the building.
fashioned the universe, chance encounters can give birth to love. "Snow Song" was inspired by the snowy landscapes of Tokyo.
"Challenger", which features a percussion ending, is described by Crouch as being "like a match", with lyrics that tell the story of a "fighting girl in love". "Sunshine" was another demo by Crouch, in which he himself takes part in the chorus. The song tells the story of a boy who gives a girl a ride on the back of his bicycle to go see the morning sun.
"Akai Inochi" is a duet with Erykah Badu
(whom Misia affectionately refers to as the voice of Mother Earth
). The idea to team up both singers for a song was first brought up by Broderick D. Morris in May 2003, after introducing them to each other while they were both recording in New York. Badu contributed to the chorus and ad lib of "Akai Inochi", an anti-war
song which speaks about how the events of 9/11 turned the "seemingly distant existence of war into the reality of now".
Mars & Roses includes Misia's first interlude since the 2001 album, "Marvelous
". Composed by Sakoshin, "Interlude: When Misia was 7" samples recordings of 7 year old Misia's voice, credited as Little Misia. Sakoshin also made his first foray into songwriting for this album, co-writing the lyrics of "Groovin'", which are about "being able to express yourself in as many ways as possible". "Eyes on Me" is another song produced by Misia herself. She explained, "During my last tour, melodies would come to me in my sleep, and that's how "Eyes on Me" came about". To her demand, the song features the use of the spanish guitar, performed by Kazumi Watanabe
.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
singer Misia, released on February 11, 2004. It debuted at #3 with 151,087 copies sold. The album was recorded in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. The song Little Rose, the title and theme of the album were inspired by Antoine de Saint Exupéry's The Little Prince
The Little Prince
The Little Prince , first published in 1943, is a novella and the most famous work of the French aristocrat writer, poet and pioneering aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry ....
. Mars & Roses was produced by American songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
Keith Crouch and includes a duet with Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
. The first pressing of the album includes a bonus live version of "Snow Song", whose simple piano arrangement was created by Misia's band leader and pianist, Tohru Shigemi, during one of their tour rehearsals.
The album is certified Platinum for shipment of 250,000 copies.
London recordings
The first recordings for Mars & Roses took place in London, where the single "Kokoro HitotsuKokoro Hitotsu
is Misia's 12th single. It was released on August 27, 2003. It peaked at #7 selling 36,771 copies in its first week. The song served as theme song for the movie Dragon Head, starring Satoshi Tsumabuki and Sayaka.-Track list:-Charts:-External links:...
" was recorded, with the assistance of the London Philharmonic Orchestra
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
. The B-side, "Namida no Present", was penned by Misia and depicts a movie-like scene. After reading the lyrics, Shiro Sagisu composed the melody, which revolves around the sound of a camera shutter
Shutter (photography)
In photography, a shutter is a device that allows light to pass for a determined period of time, for the purpose of exposing photographic film or a light-sensitive electronic sensor to light to capture a permanent image of a scene...
.
"Diamond" was also recorded in London. After hearing about how the studio they were using was once a stable
Stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals...
, Misia came up with lyrics that resembled the story of a Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
. The line refers directly to the scenery she witnessed outside a window of the building.
New York recordings
Misia also recorded a slew of songs with Keith Crouch in New York. The first songs recorded were "Snow Song" and "Challenger", however upon hearing a demo of "In My Soul", Misia was adamant about recording it too. She wrote lyrics about the "time axis" and how, much like the Big BangBig Bang
The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological model that explains the early development of the Universe. According to the Big Bang theory, the Universe was once in an extremely hot and dense state which expanded rapidly. This rapid expansion caused the young Universe to cool and resulted in...
fashioned the universe, chance encounters can give birth to love. "Snow Song" was inspired by the snowy landscapes of Tokyo.
"Challenger", which features a percussion ending, is described by Crouch as being "like a match", with lyrics that tell the story of a "fighting girl in love". "Sunshine" was another demo by Crouch, in which he himself takes part in the chorus. The song tells the story of a boy who gives a girl a ride on the back of his bicycle to go see the morning sun.
"Akai Inochi" is a duet with Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
(whom Misia affectionately refers to as the voice of Mother Earth
Mother Nature
Mother Nature is a common personification of nature that focuses on the life-giving and nurturing aspects of nature by embodying it in the form of the mother. Images of women representing mother earth, and mother nature, are timeless...
). The idea to team up both singers for a song was first brought up by Broderick D. Morris in May 2003, after introducing them to each other while they were both recording in New York. Badu contributed to the chorus and ad lib of "Akai Inochi", an anti-war
Anti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
song which speaks about how the events of 9/11 turned the "seemingly distant existence of war into the reality of now".
Japan recordings
The song "Little Rose", penned and composed by Misia, was inspired by the famous "important things in life are sometimes visible only to the heart" message from the novel, The Little Prince. Misia's demo, which was initially a slower mid tempo ballad, was rearranged by Sakoshin to give it a more upbeat and overall "happy" feel.Mars & Roses includes Misia's first interlude since the 2001 album, "Marvelous
Marvelous (Misia album)
Marvelous is Misia's third studio album and first self-produced album, released on April 25, 2001. It sold 881,150 copies in its first week, peaked at #1 for two consecutive weeks, and spent five weeks in the Top 5. The first pressing of the album came in sleeve case packaging. Marvelous is the...
". Composed by Sakoshin, "Interlude: When Misia was 7" samples recordings of 7 year old Misia's voice, credited as Little Misia. Sakoshin also made his first foray into songwriting for this album, co-writing the lyrics of "Groovin'", which are about "being able to express yourself in as many ways as possible". "Eyes on Me" is another song produced by Misia herself. She explained, "During my last tour, melodies would come to me in my sleep, and that's how "Eyes on Me" came about". To her demand, the song features the use of the spanish guitar, performed by Kazumi Watanabe
Kazumi Watanabe
Kazumi Watanabe is a jazz and jazz fusion guitarist, from Tokyo, Japan. He was born on October 14, 1953 Kazumi learned to play guitar from Sadanori Nakamure, one of Japan's grandmaster guitarists. Kazumi released his first recording in 1971, and quickly became a promising guitarist in his own right...
.
Track listing
Oricon Sales Chart
| Release | Chart | Peak Position | Debut Sales | Sales Total | Chart Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 11, 2004 | Oricon Daily Albums Chart | 1 | 249,719 | 13 weeks | |
| Oricon Weekly Albums Chart | 3 | 151,087 | |||
| Oricon Monthly Albums Chart | 4 | ||||
| Oricon Yearly Albums Chart | 58 |
Physical Sales Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Oricon Daily Albums Chart | 1 |
| Oricon Weekly Albums Chart | 3 |
| Oricon Monthly Albums Chart | 4 |
| Oricon Yearly Albums Chart | 58 |
| Soundscan Albums Chart (CD-Only) | 2 |