Magic (Dreams Come True album)

Magic is the sixth studio album by Japanese pop band Dreams Come True. It was released on December 4, 1993 by Epic Records Japan. Musically, it is a pop album with funk, jazz, R&B and doo-wop influences from Western music. Lyrics were solely provided by frontwoman Miwa Yoshida while its songs were arranged by her alongside her bandmate Masato Nakamura.

Magic
Studio album by
ReleasedDecember 4, 1993 (1993-12-04)
Recorded1993
Studio
Genre
Length45:35
LabelEpic Records Japan
Producer
Dreams Come True chronology
The Swinging Star
(1992)
Magic
(1993)
Delicious
(1995)
Singles from Magic
  1. "Go for It!"
    Released: September 9, 1993

Commercially, Magic was a huge success, reaching number one on Oricon and selling over two million copies, while receiving a double million certification by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). It also became the first album in nine years to top the Oricon Albums Chart for seven weeks. The album's commercial success won the band numerous awards in their motherland Japan. To promote this album, they held the concert tour Dreams Come True Concert Tour Magic Journey.

Background

edit

The only single to be released from Magic is "Go for It!", which was released on September 9, 1993.[1] This was the only single released by Dreams Come True in 1993. The song was used in Shiseido's "Rescente" commercial in the fall of 1993,[2] and was also an insert song for the film July 7th, Sunny Day (1996). The single reached number one on the weekly Oricon Singles Chart and charted for fourteen weeks,[3] selling 1,052,000 copies.[4] Because it sold 1,043,290 copies in 1993, it finished as the sixteenth best-performing single of the year.[5] Following "Kessen wa Kinyōbi," this was their second single to sell over a million copies.[6]

Yoshida's vocals for the album Magic were recorded at various studios throughout 1993, recording at studios in Japan and London.[7] The album was mastered by Tim Young at Metropolis Mastering.[7]

Reception

edit

Commercially, Magic was very successful in Japan. It debuted at number one on the Oricon Albums Chart, with 1,140,460 copies sold in its first week.[8] It topped the Oricon weekly rankings for seven consecutive weeks,[9] the first time an album accomplished this in about nine years since Southern All Stars' Kamakura (1985).[10] By June 1994, Epic Records Japan reported that the album had sold over 2.6 million copies across the country.[11] Magic was certified double million by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for selling over two million copies.[12] Dreams Come True won the number one album ranking in 1994 with this album,[13] followed by the next album, Delicious, in 1995,[14] making it their second consecutive album ranking victory. Magic is the band's third highest-selling LP according to Oricon Style.[15] It is also the twenty-fifth best-selling album in Japan for the 1990s decade.[16] The album won the Best Album and Best Female Album awards at the 8th Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards.[17]

Track listing

edit

All tracks are written by Miwa Yoshida. All arrangements are by Masato Nakamura.

Magic track listing
No.TitleArrangerLength
1."...And Then?"Masato Nakamura1:11
2."Lovetide"Masato Nakamura4:14
3."Go for It!"Miwa Yoshida and Masato Nakamura4:14
4."Fuyuzōmi ni wa Mada Tooi (冬三昧にはまだ遠い, It's Still a Long Way from Winter)"Miwa Yoshida and Masato Nakamura4:07
5."I'm a Liar"Masato Nakamura4:14
6."A Little Waltz"Miwa Yoshida3:26
7."Hanagumori no Nichiyōbi (花曇りの日曜日, Sunday of the Hazy Weather in Spring)"Masato Nakamura4:09
8."Iron na Kimochi (いろんな気持ち, Various Feelings)"Masato Nakamura5:07
9."Aishiteru Aishiteta (愛してる 愛してた, I Love You, I Loved You)"Miwa Yoshida4:29
10."Ame no Owaru Basho (雨の終わる場所, The Place Where the Rain Stops)"Masato Nakamura4:35
11."Fantasia #1"Masato Nakamura4:34
12."Happy Happy Birthday"Miwa Yoshida1:15

Charts

edit

Certifications and sales

edit
Certifications and sales for Magic
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[21] 2× Million 2,578,000[4]

References

edit
  1. ^ go for it! (liner notes). DREAMS COME TRUE. Japan: Epic Records Japan. 1993. ESDB-3456.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ "資生堂レシェンテCM 90年代①". Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  3. ^ "go for it! - DREAMS COME TRUE" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  5. ^ "オリコン 1993年TOP100". Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  6. ^ "DREAMS COME TRUE ミリオンセラー". Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Magic (CD album; Liner notes). Dreams Come True. Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. 1993. ESCB-1450.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ^ Oricon Style Staff (December 13, 1993). "Oricon Albums Chart – Chart Week December 13, 1993". Oricon; published through Yahoo! GeoCities (in Japanese). Archived from the original on November 6, 2018. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  9. ^ "歴代アルバム1位 401~500". Archived from the original on June 12, 2019. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  10. ^ "歴代アルバム1位 201~300". Archived from the original on April 11, 2005. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  11. ^ ヒットのツボ―ミリオンセラーはいかにして生まれたか. 麻生香太郎. Japan: Nikkei Business Publications. 1994. ISBN 4822740080.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  12. ^ "GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 1996年09月度" [Gold Albums, and other certified works. September 1996 Edition] (PDF). The Record (Bulletin) (in Japanese). Chūō, Tokyo: Recording Industry Association of Japan. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 16, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  13. ^ a b "1994年 アルバム年間TOP100". Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  14. ^ "1995年 アルバム年間TOP100". Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  15. ^ "Dreams Come Trueのアルバム売上TOP20作品". oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  16. ^ "1990年代アルバム売上ランキング" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  17. ^ "第8回 日本ゴールドディスク大賞". Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  18. ^ "MAGIC DREAMS COME TRUE". oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  19. ^ "1990年代アルバム売上ランキング" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  20. ^ "歴代アルバムランキング" [All-time album ranking]. musictvprogram.com. Archived from the original on 2012-01-03.
  21. ^ "Japanese album certifications – Dreams Come True – Delicious" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved July 31, 2023. Select 1993年12月 on the drop-down menu