| "Blue Velvet" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byShizuka Kudo | ||||
| from the albumI'm Not | ||||
| Released | May 28, 1997 (1997-05-28) | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 3:57 | |||
| Label | Pony Canyon | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer |
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| Shizuka Kudo singles chronology | ||||
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| Audio sample | ||||
"Blue Velvet" is a song recorded by Japanese singerShizuka Kudo for her thirteenth studio album,I'm Not. It was released byPony Canyon as the album's leading single on May 28, 1997. It served as the third ending theme song to theFuji Televisionanime seriesDragon Ball GT, from episode 42 to episode 50.[1] Out of all the artists that have contributed to the series' soundtracks, Kudo is the only one who is unaffiliated with aBeing Inc. label. Kudo, who is a self-proclaimedDragon Ball fan, received an autographed hand-drawn illustration ofGoku from series creatorAkira Toriyama for her 28th birthday.
"Blue Velvet" is the second in a trilogy of singles with "Blue" in the title: "Blue Velvet" is preceded by "Blue Rose", and followed by "Blue Zone".
"Blue Velvet" is described as a scampering, pop-rock song.[2] The song was written by Shizuka Kudo, under the pseudonym Aeri, andSharam Q guitarist and leader Hatake. It is composed in the key ofE-flat minor and set to a tempo of 108beats per minute.[3] Kudo's vocals span from C4 to C♯5 in modal voice, and up to E♭5 in head voice. Her vocal performance was praised for its versatility, ranging from powerful belts to soft whispers.[2] Lyrically, the song describes a narrator falling madly in love and her efforts to pin down her lover.
When performing "Blue Velvet", Kudo sings the song while enthusiastically tapping thetambourine. In 2007, during her concert celebrating her 20th anniversary, she played the tambourine given by her friend, actressNaoko Iijima, who was in attendance that day.[4]
In 2013,Kumi Koda recorded a cover of the song for her cover album,Color the Cover. She performed the song in duet with Kudo on the CX music showBokura no Ongaku during the album's promotional cycle.[5] In 2017,Yūki Kaji recorded a cover for the tribute album,Shizuka Kudo Tribute.[6] Singer Brina Palencia recorded the English version of the song to use as the Season 3 credits music forDragon Ball GT.
The single debuted at number 15 on theOricon Singles Chart, selling 36,000 copies in its first week.[7] It slid to number 17 the following week, with 31,000 copies sold.[8] In its third charting week, the single rose nine positions to number eight, where it peaked and became Kudo's second consecutive solo single to break the top ten, selling 38,000 copies.[9] "Blue Velvet" charted for a total of eleven weeks, and with sales exceeding 200,000 copies, it was certified Gold by theRIAJ.[10][11]
All lyrics are written by Aeri.
| No. | Title | Music | Arranger(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Blue Velvet" |
| 3:57 | |
| 2. | "Break" |
|
| 5:00 |
| 3. | "Blue Velvet" (Original Karaoke) |
|
| 3:53 |
| Total length: | 12:50 | |||
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japan Weekly Singles (Oricon)[12] | 8 |
| Japan Monthly Singles (Oricon)[13] | 16 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Japan (RIAJ)[14] | Gold | 200,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
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