Ai wa Katsu

"Ai wa Katsu" (愛は勝つ, literally "Love will win") is a song composed and recorded by Japanese singer-songwriter Kan, released as the artist's eighth single in September 1990. It was initially featured on his album Yakyū Senshu ga Yume datta, issued a month before the single came out.[1] The song became the performer's first charting hit and the most successful single with sales of over 2 million copies, and has been regarded as his signature song.

"Ai wa Katsu"
Single by KAN
from the album Yakyū Senshu ga Yume datta
B-side"Soredemo Furarete shimau Yatsu"
ReleasedSeptember 1, 1990 (Japan)
Recorded1990
GenreJ-Pop
Length4:07
LabelPolydor
Songwriter(s)KAN
KAN singles chronology
"Kenzen Anzen Kōseinen"
(1990)		 "Ai wa Katsu"
(1990)		 "In the Name of Love"
(1991)

Song Information

Release and reception

"Ai wa Katsu" is the lead-off track of Yakyu Senshu ga Yume datta, the composer's fifth studio album which was released on July 25, 1990. Inspired by one of his most respected American singer Billy Joel, KAN wanted to compose a song that had similar upbeat like Billy Joel's Uptown Girl. The whole song was quartered and has many transpositions. It was difficult, and it required multiple recordings in the studio to complete.

It was used as the opening theme of a quiz show aired on TV Asahi during summer 1990, and released as the second single from the album.

Kan had previously released seven singles at the time, but none of them entered the chart. Polydor Records had not anticipated it would be a big hit, and issued only 10,000 copies of CD singles at the first pressing.[2] Therefore, "Ai wa Katsu" had not attained immediate chart success upon its release.

To promote his new album, "Ai wa Katsu" first obtained intensive airplay on radio stations of the Kansai district. The song had gradually captured more attention in the country's other regions, providing the artist with the first chart entry. It was also featured on the popular variety show Yamada Katsutenai TV aired on Fuji Television, lifting the single to the summit of the Japanese Oricon sales chart by the end of 1990.

"Ai wa Katsu" spent 8 weeks atop on the Oricon chart, ranking at number three on the country's best-selling singles list of 1991. Sales of the single surpassed 2 million during its chart stay of 52 weeks.

Cover Versions

Other Media
  • The song was performed by the main character Jiro Suzuki during episode 6 of 1994–1995 anime カラオケ戦士マイク次郎 (Karaoke Senshi Mike Jirou).
  • On May 6, 2020, Japanese teachers and staffs from a local prefecture Suruga-ku, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Gakuen Junior and Senior High School joined forces and performed the song altogether as a form of inspiration to 'let's overcome the Coronavirus together' for their students. The video has been uploaded to its official YouTube channel.

Track listing

All songs composed by KAN

No.TitleArrangerLength
1."Ai wa Katsu (愛は勝つ)"KAN, Shingo Kobayashi4:07
2."Soredemo Furarete Shimau Yatsu (それでもふられてしまう男)"Jun Sato3:42
3."Ai wa Katsu (愛は勝つ)" (Karaoke)KAN, Kobayashi4:07
Total length:11:57

Personnel

Credits adapted from Yakyū Senshu ga Yume datta album sleeve notes.[3]

  • KAN: lead vocals
  • Shingo Kobayashi: Piano, synthesizer
  • Eiji Shimamura: Drums
  • Tsuyoshi Kon: guitar
  • Kenji Takamizu: bass
  • Wornell Jones: chorus
  • J.T. Jamm: chorus

Accolades

Japan Record Awards
Year Nominee / work Award Result
1991"Ai wa Katsu"[4]Japan Record Award – Pop/RockWon
Gold Disc Prize – Pop/RockWon

Japan Gold Disc Awards
Year Nominee / work Award Result
1991"Ai wa Katsu"[5]The Best 5 Singles of YearWon

Charts

Certifications
Country Provider Title Certification
(sales thresholds)		 Format Date
Japan RIAJ "Ai wa Katsu" 2× Million[10] CD Single 1991

References
  1. "KAN Official Web Site > Discography". KAN オフィシャルウェブサイト 【ディスコグラフィー】 (in Japanese). October 21, 2012.
  2. 芸能 > ３６５日 あの頃ヒット曲ランキング > 1991年1月 > 愛は勝つ／ＫＡＮ ＦＭから200万枚超のセールス 友人の恋愛相談がヒント. Sports Nippon (in Japanese). January 16, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  3. Yakyū Senshu ga Yume datta (CD liner notes). KAN. Polydor Records. 1990. POCH-1015.CS1 maint: others (link)
  4. 第33回日本レコード大賞 [The 33rd Record Awards Winners]. jacompa.jp (in Japanese). Japanese Composers Association. Archived from the original on June 15, 2008. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
  5. "Recording Industry Association of Japan – List of the 5th Gold Disc Award Winners". 第5回日本ゴールドディスク大賞 (in Japanese). October 21, 2012. Archived from the original on November 10, 2007.
  6. "Highest position and charting weeks of Ai wa Katsu by KAN". oricon.co.jp. KAN-リリース-ORICON STYLE-ミュージック (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  7. "Oricon Year-end Singles (1991)". 1991年 シングル年間TOP100 (in Japanese). Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
  8. "All-Time Best-selling Singles Ranking". 歴代シングルランキング (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 27, 2010. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
  9. Okamoto, Satoshi (2011). Single Chart Book: Complete Edition 1968–2010 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. ISBN 978-4871310888.
  10. "一般社団法人 日本レコード協会 > 各種統計 > その他のデータ > 年度別ミリオンセラー一覧 > 1990年" [(RIAJ – Statistics – Others – Million-Certified Singles – 1990)]. riaj.or.jp (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
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