Can You Hear Me? (EP) explained

Can You Hear Me?
Type:EP
Artist:IU
Cover:IUcanyouhearme.jpg
Alt: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.
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.), Shin Won-Soo (exec.), Hidenobu Okira, Jo Yeong-Cheol, Jeong Seong-Kean
Prev Title:Spring of a Twenty Year Old
Prev Year:2012
Next Title:Modern Times
Next Year:2013

Can You Hear Me? is the second Japanese extended play by South Korean singer-songwriter IU. It was released on March 20, 2013.

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 by Callin', one of the ending theme songs for the anime Natsume's Book of Friends.[1] 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.[2] This rendition was added to Can You Hear Me? as a bonus track.

The album was officially announced on January 25, 2013.[3]

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.

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."[3] "Beautiful Dancer" was the first time for IU to sing an R&B song.[4] 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.

The song "Voice-mail" was written and composed by IU, then translated into Japanese.[3] This is the fourth self-penned song by IU, after "Take My Hand" from 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.[4]

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

"Beautiful Dancer" was chosen as the leading promoted track from the extended play and released to radio. It was used as the March ending theme song for the Nippon TV music show Happy Music.[5] The music video was released on March 8, 2013, and was shot over two days in Thailand.[6] 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.[6] IU was featured in magazines to promote the album, was as Haruhana, CanCam, Soup, Rolling Stone Japan and Mini.[7]

"The Age of the Cathedrals" and "New World" were released as promotional singles as album previews in Japan digital outlet, which were released digitally on February 6, 2013 and February 20, 2013.[8]

Chart reception

The album debuted at number 23 on Oricon's albums chart, selling 6,000 copies. After charting for three weeks in the top 300 albums, the extended play sold a total of 8,000 copies. 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.

"New World" reached a peak of 76 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, and the lead single "Beautiful Dancer" reached number 66.[9]

Chart rankings

Charts (2013)Peak
position
Japan Oricon daily albums[10] 9
Japan Oricon weekly albums[11] 23
Taiwan G-Music J-pop/K-pop chart[12] 10

Sales and certifications

Personnel

Personnel details were sourced from Can You Hear Me?s liner notes booklet.[14]

Managerial

Performance credits

Visuals and imagery

Technical and production

Release history

RegionDateFormatDistributing LabelCatalogue codes
Japan[15] CD, CD+DVD, digital downloadEMI Music JapanTOCT-29128, TOCT-29129
Taiwan[16] CD+DVDGolden TyphoonI5309
Japan[17] Rental CD+DVDEMI Music JapanTOCT-29128

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 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 . November 16, 2013.
  2. Web site: 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 . November 16, 2013.
  3. Web site: 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 . November 16, 2013.
  4. Web site: IU Special Interview . Ayano Hoshino . Oricon . March 30, 2013 . November 16, 2013.
  5. Web site: 「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 . November 16, 2013.
  6. Web site: 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 . November 16, 2013.
  7. Web site: メディア情報 . Media Information . IU Official Fanclub . March 21, 2013 . November 16, 2013.
  8. Web site: 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 . November 16, 2013.
  9. Web site: Japan Billboard Hot 100 . Billboard Japan . November 17, 2013.
  10. Web site: T-ara, Girls' Generation, IU, TVXQ & SHINee make it onto Oricon's Top 10 . . March 21, 2013 . November 16, 2013.
  11. Web site: http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/532521/products/release/ . ja:ＩＵのリリース一覧 . A look at IU's releases . Oricon . Japanese . November 16, 2013.
  12. Web site: G-Music 風雲榜 (東洋榜) 2013年 第12週 . G-Music . G-Music Billboard (East Asian) 29013 Week 12 . Chinese . April 5, 2013 . November 16, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110512195411/http://www.g-music.com.tw/GMusicBillboard3.aspx . May 12, 2011 . dead.
  13. Web site: 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" . . November 16, 2013. (subscription only)
  14. Can You Hear Me? . . 2013 . Japanese . . Tokyo, Japan.
  15. Web site: Can You Hear Me ?(通常盤) . Amazon Japan . Japanese . November 15, 2013.
  16. Web site: IU/ Can You Hear Me? . G Music . Chinese . November 16, 2013 .
  17. Web site: http://www.tsutaya.co.jp/works/20507432.html . ja:Ｃａｎ Ｙｏｕ Ｈｅａｒ Ｍｅ ？／ＩＵ . Tsutaya . Japanese . November 25, 2013.

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