Keep the Faith (KAT-TUN song)

Infobox Single
Name = Keep the faith


Artist = KAT-TUN
from Album = KAT-TUN III -QUEEN OF PIRATES-
A-side = Keep the faith
B-side = Crazy Love
Lovin'U (first press edition only)
Released = November 21, 2007 (Japan)
Format = CD
Recorded = 2007
Genre = J-Pop, J-Rock
Length = 3:47
Label = J-One Records JACA-5076~5077 (CD & DVD Limited Edition) JACA-5078 (First Press Limited Edition) JACA-5079 (Regular Edition)
Writer = Kyosuke Himuro, SPIN, JOKER, ha-j
Last single = "Yorokobi no Uta" (2007)
This single = "Keep the faith"
(2007)
Next single = "LIPS" (2008)
Misc =

"Keep the faith" is the fifth overall single by Japanese 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. [ [http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=JACA-5078 Keep the faith (Regular Edition First Press)] , CD Japan; retrieved on July 29, 2008.] [ [http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=JACA-5076 Keep the faith (w/ DVD, Limited Edition)] , CD Japan; retrieved on July 29, 2008.]

The single was released on November 21, 2007 and became KAT-TUN's fifth consecutive number 1 on the Oricon weekly singles chart. [http://wiki.theppn.org/Keep_the_Faith Keep the faith] , Wiki.theppn; retrieved on July 29, 2008.]

ong information

"Keep the faith" was co-written by former Boøwy lead vocalist and lyricist Kyosuke Himuro 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. [ [http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Yukan_Club Yukan Club] , Wiki.theppn; retrieved on August 9, 2008.]

Promotion

KAT-TUN first performed the song live on "Music Station" 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".

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! JUMP's official debut single "Ultra Music Power" from the top spot. [ [http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-2098 Charts: Hey! Say! JUMP, KinKi Kids, Nana Mizuki] , Tokyograph, Oricon. Retrieved on August 9, 2008.] 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. [ [http://wiki.theppn.org/2007_Oricon_Top_100_Singles 2007 Oricon Top 100 Singles] , Wiki.theppn; retrieved on July 29, 2008.] 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. [http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-2141 Charts: KAT-TUN sets 2007 record, L'Arc returns to top] , Tokyograph. Retrieved on July 29, 2008.] The song also achieved the highest debut of any Japanese music artist on the United World Chart in 2007 with its debut at number 6 before dropping to number 20 in its second week. Only Hikaru Utada's "Flavor of Life" managed another Top 10 debut on the chart. [ [http://www.mediatraffic.de/tracks-week49-2007.htm week 49 / 2007 - December 8] , United World Chart; retrieved on September 28, 2008.] [ [http://www.mediatraffic.de/tracks-week50-2007.htm week 50 / 2007 - December 15] , United World Chart; retrieved on September 28, 2008.] [ [http://www.mediatraffic.de/tracks-week11-2007.htm week 11 / 2007 - March 17] , United World Chart; retrieved on September 28, 2008.] The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan in November 2007 denoting more than 250,000 shipments. [(Japanese) [http://www.riaj.or.jp/data/others/gold/200711.html Recording Industry Association of Japan: November 2007 certifications] ; retrieved on August 9, 2008.]

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". [http://www.riaj.or.jp/e/data/gdisc/2008.html Recording Industry Association of Japan - 22nd Japan Gold Disc Awards] ; retrieved on July 29, 2008.]

Track listing

* Normal EditionTracklist
writing_credits = yes
title1 = Keep the faith
writer1 = Kyosuke Himuro (music & lyrics), SPIN (lyrics), JOKER (rap), ha-j (arrangement)
length1 = 3:47
title2 = Crazy Love
writer2 = SPIN (lyrics), Yoshinao Mikami (music & arrangement), ha-j (arrangement)
length2 = 4:36
title3 = Keep the faith (Instrumental)

length3 = 3:47
title4 = Crazy Love (Instrumental)

length4 = 4:36
* First Press EditionTracklist
writing_credits = yes
title1 = Keep the faith

length1 = 3:47
title2 = Crazy Love

length2 = 4:36
title3 = Lovin'U
writer3 = kodamax (music, lyrics & arrangement)
length3 = 4:56
title4 = Keep the faith (Instrumental)

length4 = 3:47
title5 = Crazy Love (Instrumental)

length5 = 4:36
title6 = Lovin'U (Instrumental)

length6 = 4:56
*DVDTracklist
writing_credits = no
title1 = Keep the faith (music video)
length1 =
title2 = Keep the faith (making of PV)
length2 =

References