Watashi wa Knife
| "Watashi wa Knife" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Shizuka Kudo | ||||
| Released | June 2, 1993 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:27 | |||
| Label | Pony Canyon | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Shizuka Kudo singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio sample | ||||
"Watashi wa Knife" | ||||
"Watashi wa Knife" (わたしはナイフ, lit. "I'm a Knife") is a song recorded by Japanese singer Shizuka Kudo. It was released as a single through Pony Canyon on June 2, 1993. It made its first album appearance on the compilation album, Super Best, released later that same year.
Background[edit]
"Watashi wa Knife" was written by Gorō Matsui and composed and produced by Tsugutoshi Gotō. It is a pop song reminiscent of Kudo's earlier material.[1] Lyrically, the song describes a protagonist proclaiming herself to be a metaphorical knife "starved" for love and willing to measure up to a rough lover. During the promotional cycle for Super Best, Kudo revealed she doesn't like the title of the song. "I'm more of a saw", she said, half-joking. "Watashi wa Knife" received acclaim for Kudo's upfront vocals, as well as the song's "hard" hook culminating in an "epic" chorus, which were noted for producing an efficient change of pace and making the song memorable.[1] Matsui and Gotō were praised for their practiced collaborative songwriting abilities.[1]
Chart performance[edit]
The single debuted at number six on the Oricon Singles Chart, selling 75,000 copies in its first week.[2] It charted in the top 100 for a total of nine straight weeks. With reported sales of 187,000 copies, "Watashi wa Knife" became Kudo's first single since her solo debut to not place in the top 100 of the year-end Oricon Singles Chart.[3]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Arranger(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Watashi wa Knife" (わたしはナイフ, "I'm a Knife") |
| 4:27 | |
| 2. | "Shūmaku" (終幕, "The End") |
|
| 5:12 |
| 3. | "Watashi wa Knife" (Original Karaoke) |
|
| 4:27 |
| Total length: | 14:07 | |||
Charts[edit]
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japan Weekly Singles (Oricon)[4] | 6 |
| Japan Monthly Singles (Oricon)[5] | 15 |
Certification[edit]
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Japan (RIAJ)[6] | Gold | 200,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "工藤静香 / ミレニアム・ベスト". CDJournal. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
- ^ "1993年6月14日付 CDシングル/アルバムランキング". Retrieved December 18, 2017.
- ^ "オリコン 1993年TOP100". Retrieved December 18, 2017.
- ^ "わたしはナイフ 工藤静香". Oricon. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
- ^ "オリコン(oricon)「1993年06月」の月間シングルCDランキング". Retrieved January 18, 2018.
- ^ "Japanese single certifications – 工藤 静香 – わたしはナイフ" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 1993年6月 on the drop-down menu
