| Cartoon KAT-TUN II You | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 18, 2007 (Japan) | |||
| Recorded | 2006–2007 | |||
| Genre | Pop,rock | |||
| Length | 1:00:42 (First Press & Regular Edition)[1][2] 01:22:11(Limited Edition)[3] | |||
| Label | J-One Records JACA-5055~5056 (Limited Edition) JACA-5057 (First Press) JACA-5058 (Regular) | |||
| Producer | Johnny H. Kitagawa (executive), Julie K. | |||
| KAT-TUN chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Cartoon KAT-TUN II You | ||||
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Cartoon KAT-TUN II You is the second studio album byJapaneseboy bandKAT-TUN, released inJapan on April 18, 2007 byJ-One Records. It is the group's first album that does not feature all six members, asJin Akanishi had taken a sabbatical to study overseas six months prior to recording the songs. The album was released in three editions; a regular version with all 14 tracks, a first press edition with the same track listing as its regular counterpart with a 40-page photo booklet, and a limited edition which came with extraextended play versions of seven bonus tracks. The limited edition did not feature the song "You".
With the release of this album, KAT-TUN became the first group in Japanese music history to have all of their collective releases (three singles, two albums, and five DVDs at the time) reach number 1 on the charts.[4] KAT-TUN went on aseven-city nationwide tour from April 3, 2007 to June 17, 2007 in support of the album. The last performance atTokyo Dome was filmed and released on DVD entitled "Tour 2007 Cartoon KAT-TUN II You" on November 21, 2007.[5]
The album's title is similarly named to the group's late-night talk show,Cartoon KAT-TUN, which began airing two weeks before the album's release onNippon Television. The album was recorded inTokyo and Bennett Studios inEnglewood, New Jersey, in theUnited States. Songwriters who presided over the group's debut album also contributed several tracks to the record. Ma-saya, who worked with KAT-TUN before, penned their second single, "Signal", and the third track, "Splash...".Kazumasa Oda, folk singer-songwriter formerly ofOff Course, wrote their third single, "Bokura no Machi de", a tender love ballad. Yoji Kubota, a prolific lyricist for many of Japan's contemporary pop artists, wrote "Movin on..." witharranger Nao Tanaka and also penned "Heartbreak Club". The group'ssenpai (peer mentor),Takizawa Hideaki ofTackey & Tsubasa, composed the music for "My Angel, You are Angel".[6] All tracks from the bonus CD are songs KAT-TUN had been performing in concerts andShōnen Club since their junior days. The second track, "Peak", was used in a commercial forNTTDoCoMo's 903iTV series of cellphones in whichKazuya Kamenashi starred.
KAT-TUN members also received a solo track each which they co-wrote themselves, with the exception ofKazuya Kamenashi andJunnosuke Taguchi. The fourteenth track, "You", was not officially released as a single but amusic video was shot markingJin Akanishi's return to the group. The song also served as atheme song to Kamenashi's drama,Suppli.[3] All rap lyrics featured in the album were also written byKoki Tanaka himself; he also co-wrote his rap verses in "Fight All Night" withTomohisa Yamashita ofNews and with bandmateYuichi Nakamaru for "No Matter Matter".[6]
In its first week of release,Cartoon KAT-TUN II You sold 270,976 copies in Japan, a sharp drop from the first-week sales of their debut album. Despite the stark difference in reported sales, the album's two singles which had been released months in advance had seen more than 1 million shipments altogether before the album's release in April 2007. The album's first week numbers were enough to grab the number 1 spot on the Oricon album charts, however, and it stayed on the charts for another 3 weeks before dropping off the top 30.
The album has sold more than 354,973 copies to date and was certified as the 30th best-selling album of 2007 byOricon at the end of the year and was later certified double platinum byRIAJ denoting over 500,000 shipments. KAT-TUN also won six awards at the 21stJapan Gold Disc Awards with "Signal" and "Bokura no Machi de" placing on "The Best 10 Singles (Domestic)" list.[7][8]
Regular and First Press edition
12345 Koki Tanaka, Yuichi Nakamaru, Tatsuya Ueda, Junnosuke Taguchi and Kazuya Kamenashi solo tracks, respectively.
6 Regular and First Press Edition only.
Limited edition bonus EP
| Country | Provider | Sales | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | RIAJ | 500,000 | Double Platinum |
