Ashita e

"Ashita e" (明日（あした）へ, lit. "Toward Tomorrow") is a song recorded by Japanese singer Misia, from her tenth studio album Soul Quest. A live version of the song was released as a charity single to benefit relief efforts following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami through Ariola Japan on April 27, 2011.[1]

"Ashita e"
Song by Misia
from the album Soul Quest
ReleasedApril 27, 2011 (2011-04-27) (Live Version)
RecordedApril 8, 2011 (2011-04-08) (Live Version)
Studio
  • Crescente Studio
  • RMT Studio
VenueNHK Hall (Live Version)
GenrePop
Length4:43 (Album Version)
5:11 (Live Version)
LabelAriola Japan
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Toshiaki Matsumoto

Composition and release

After the events of the March 11, 2011 earthquake, Misia recalls feeling powerless and not knowing how to resume her music-related activities.[2] After about a week, she found the motivation to resume touring and decided to set up a relief campaign called Hope for Japan through the non-profit organization Mudef.[2] With a few shows postponed for safety measures, Misia found herself with two to three unscheduled weeks.[2] It is within that bracket of time that she wrote "Ashita e" with Toshiaki Matsumoto.[2] On April 8, 2011, Misia held a concert, her third since resuming touring, at the NHK Hall as part of her The Tour of Misia Japan Soul Quest concert tour.[1] Before performing "Ashita e", she addressed the audience:

Before resuming the tour, I put all my wishes together and wrote a song. I first sang this song in Hiroshima, the city of peace. Everyday, I hear about more people concerned for the future as they follow the coverage of events. I want to sing this song to lift up your spirits. Let's walk towards tomorrow together ... I wrote this song to convey this feeling. There's no studio version yet, but, I would like to record this performance and release it as a charity song.[3]

Her live performance of "Ashita e" was recorded and released as a digital single, with proceeds going toward the Hope for Japan campaign.[1] The live version was featured as ending theme to the ANN coverage program Tsunagarō! Nippon: Terebi ga Tsutaeta Koto, Tsutaetai Koto.[4] "Ashita e" was eventually recorded in studio and released as the closing track to Soul Quest.

Performances

Misia first performed the "Ashita e" on her first concert following the March 11 earthquake, on April 1, 2011 at the Alsok Hall in Hiroshima.[5] This performance was uploaded to Misia's official YouTube channel four days later.[6] Her May 4, 2011 performance was also later upload to the channel.[7] On December 31, 2012, Misia performed "Ashita e" at Dune 40 of the Namib Desert in Namibia,[8] with temperatures reaching 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius).[9] The performance was broadcast live as part of a two-song medley on the 63rd NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen,[9] marking Misia's first appearance on the show.[10] The performance style of "Ashita e" has evolved since Misia first performed the song, most notably with Misia ending the song with a sustained Tenor C, often for more than twenty seconds.

Credits and personnel

Personnel[11]

References
  1. "MISIA、復興応援ソング配信決定 「明日へ向かって歌っていきます」". Oricon (in Japanese). April 11, 2011. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  2. "TRACK LIST MISIA SOUL QUEST". Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  3. "MISIA、復興応援メッセージソング「明日へ」を配信". Barks (in Japanese). April 13, 2011. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
  4. "MISIA 10th フルアルバム！". HMV (in Japanese). June 6, 2011. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
  5. "MISIA ＠ ALSOKホール (広島県) (2011.04.01)". March 3, 2018. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  6. MISIA - 明日へ（復興応援メッセージソング）. YouTube. April 5, 2011. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  7. MISIA - 明日へ (HOPE FOR JAPAN@神奈川県民ホール MAY 4TH, 2011 WED). YouTube. June 12, 2011. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  8. "【紅白】MISIA、アフリカ"灼熱"砂漠から熱唱". Natalie (in Japanese). December 13, 2012. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  9. "MISIA、世界最古の砂漠から「紅白歌合戦」特別出演". Oricon (in Japanese). December 31, 2012. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  10. "MISIA、アフリカから紅白初出場 歌番組出演も15年で初". Oricon (in Japanese). December 13, 2012. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  11. Soul Quest (Booklet). Misia. Chiyoda, Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan: Ariola Japan. 2011. 4988017677391.CS1 maint: others (link)
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