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I Wanna Be Your Ghost

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"I Wanna Be Your Ghost"
The single's cover. It features a real shot of a Japanese seaside city centered by a pylon, scattered with illustrated ghosts. The ghosts are incorporated into the scenery; several hang like curtains on the power line, others sit on top of rooftops, and some peek out of windows.
Single by Gen Hoshino
LanguageJapanese
ReleasedJuly 18, 2022 (2022-07-18)
Genre
Length3:45
LabelSpeedstar
Songwriter(s)Gen Hoshino
Producer(s)Gen Hoshino
Gen Hoshino singles chronology
"Comedy"
(2022) 		"I Wanna Be Your Ghost"
(2022) 		"Why" / "Life"
(2023)
Music video
"I Wanna Be Your Ghost" (feat. Ghosts) on YouTube

"I Wanna Be Your Ghost" (Japanese: 異世界混合大舞踏会, Hepburn: Isekai Kongō Dai-butōkai, lit. 'Grand Stage of Parallel Worlds')[note 1] (Japanese pronunciation: [iseꜜkai koŋgoː daꜜi bɯtoꜜːkai]) is a song by Japanese singer-songwriter and musician Gen Hoshino, released as a digital-exclusive single through Speedstar Records on July 18, 2022. It was written and produced by Hoshino, who co-arranged and programmed it with Mabanua. A J-pop and dance track with electronic instrumentation, the song was used as the main theme to the film Yokaipedia  [ja] (2022), a live-action adaptation of a children's book series by Kodansha. Lyrically, Hoshino sings of breaking the barriers of the worlds of humans and ghosts. The song features background vocals performed by Yokaipedia actors Rie Kugimiya, Hiro Shimono, and Tomokazu Sugita, who voice the film's ghosts.

"I Wanna Be Your Ghost" was received positively by Japanese music critics for its production style and drew comparisons to Hoshino's preceding single "Comedy" (2022). Upon release, the song debuted at first place on the digital download component charts of both Billboard Japan and Oricon with 12,000 sales, while it reached numbers six and twenty-six on the parent Japan Hot 100 and Combined Singles charts, respectively. The animated music video—featuring a boy dancing with ghosts—was produced by the studio Outline, led by director Yūki Igarashi, who had previously worked on the first ending sequence to the anime series Jujutsu Kaisen (2020–23). Its choreography gained popularity on the video sharing service TikTok, which made the song Hoshino's only entry onto the Billboard Japan TikTok Weekly Top 20. Throughout 2022, he promoted the song with performances on the Spotify video series Go Stream and on the Christmas special of CDTV Live! Live!. Dressed as his alter ego character Akira Nise, Hoshino first sang it in front of a live audience as the closing song of his Reassembly tour in 2023.

Background and composition

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"I Wanna Be Your Ghost" was written as the main theme to the film Yokaipedia  [ja] (2022), a Takashi Yamazaki-directed live-action adaptation of a Kodansha children's books series. Its plot follows three friends who are transported to an alternate universe of ghosts after a spirit guides them to find the "Ghost Book" at a mysterious second-hand bookstore.[1][2] During the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020—two years before the film's premiere—the production team contacted Gen Hoshino with a request to write the film's theme song. They asked that the song represent the otherworld explored by the kids in the movie, but still remain accessible to a wider audience.[3][4]

"I Wanna Be Your Ghost"
The first chorus to "I Wanna Be Your Ghost". The song has a J-pop and dance music sound with electronic instrumentation. In the lyrics, Hoshino sings of connecting the worlds of humans and ghosts.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Musically, "I Wanna Be Your Ghost" is a J-pop and dance song,[3][5] with a runtime of three minutes and forty-five seconds (3:45).[6] The song was written, arranged, and produced by Hoshino, who programmed and co-arranged it with recurring collaborator Mabanua. Apart from vocals, the song's instrumentation consists solely of electronic instruments: electric bass, Rhodes piano, and Clavinet (performed by Mabanua); fourteen types of analog synthesizer (Hoshino, Mabanua, and Tadataka Unno); theremin (Hoshino and Mabanua); and electric guitar (Ryosuke Nagaoka). It was recorded by Mabanua, Shojiro Watanabe, and Shu Saida. Mixing was handled by Watanabe and mastering by Takahiro Uchida. Satoshi Goto and Hiroshi Manabe are credited with assistance.[5][7]

Lyrically, Hoshino sings of connecting the worlds of humans and ghosts; in a press release, he said that he wanted "I Wanna Be Your Ghost" to break the barriers of different worlds and allow humans and ghosts to dance together.[3] A reporter for Oricon wrote that the scary-but-funny theme of Yokaipedia is followed in the song, in which Hoshino sings "Obake ga deru zo" (transl. "Ghosts will emerge").[3][note 2] The word urameshiya (lit. 'roeful') also appears in the lyrics, which signifies the emergence of ghosts.[3][8] Background vocals are performed by Hoshino, Nagaoka, and voice actors Rie Kugimiya, Hiro Shimono, and Tomokazu Sugita, who portray the ghosts in the Yokaipedia film. According to Hoshino, the voice actors visited him during production, which resulted in their addition to the song's chorus. On his official website, the actors are credited under their character names.[3][7]

Release and promotion

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Voice actor Rie Kugimiya at the 2013 Tokyo International Film Festival, dressed in accordance to the character Aguri Madoka from the DokiDoki! PreCure franchise, who she voices.
Yokaipedia voice actors Rie Kugimiya (pictured in 2013), Hiro Shimono, and Tomokazu Sugita provided background vocals for "I Wanna Be Your Ghost" and appeared on Hoshino's radio show.

Alongside its announcement on May 25, 2022, "I Wanna Be Your Ghost" was showcased in a trailer over scenes from Yokaipedia.[3] On July 13, Hoshino announced that the song would be released as single,[9] and two days later unveiled its cover art: a mixture of illustrations onto a real-life photograph.[10] "I Wanna Be Your Ghost" was released as a digital-exclusive single by the Victor Entertainment subsidiary Speedstar Records on July 18, 2022, four days before the premiere of Yokaipedia.[11][1] To promote the release, Kugimiya, Shimono, and Sugita – the film voice actors featured in the song's background vocals – were announced as guests for the July 26 broadcast of Hoshino's All Night Nippon radio program.[12] Yokaipedia technically marked Hoshino's first on-screen appearance with his wife Yui Aragaki since their marriage in 2021, since Aragaki portrays the film protagonist's schoolteacher.[13]

The animated music video to "I Wanna Be Your Ghost" was one of the earliest projects of animation studio Outline, headed by director Yūki Igarashi, noted by Natalie.mu writers for his work on the ending visual to the first season of the anime series Jujutsu Kaisen (2020–23).[14][15] The music video was premiered at 0:00 JST on the day of the song's release,[10] following a teaser of a dancing ghost released alongside the single's announcement on July 13.[9] The full video sees a young boy dancing with ghosts.[14][15] It was both directed and storyboarded by Igarashi, who handled character design with animation director Huang Chieh. Direction of choreography was handled by Shingo Okamoto and Elevenplay dance troupe member NON.[16] The video was praised by animation journalist Tadashi Sudo of industry publication Animation Business, who wrote that it evokes the feeling of youth through "simple" lines/color and "appealing" choreography.[15]

Reception

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"I Wanna Be Your Ghost" received positive reviews from Japanese music critics, who primarily noted its music production. Writers for Rhythm & Drums Magazine thought that the song features feelings of detail, human power, and a "pleasant" hi-hat within the programmed drums.[5] Barks's Fumiaki Amano thought that a blend of pop with evolution in Hoshino's music featured within the song, which he believed demonstrated a classical style of Hoshino's writing. Amano opined that the song appealed to a multilayered recording with the wide arrange of credited equipment, whilst the overall sound maintans a simple grooviness.[17] Both lyrically and musically, the song drew comparisons to Hoshino's preceding single "Comedy" (2022). The writers for Rhythm & Drums Magazine thought that "I Wanna Be Your Ghost" provided a different programming style to "Comedy";[5] meanwhile, Amano thought both songs were similar for demonstrating imagination. He theorized that lines on "I Wanna Be Your Ghost" could be an attempt by Hoshino to convey the hope brought to him by creating: "Nageku tami ni / Tayō no kami ni / Iki zumaru kono chikyū ni / Kimi ga tsukuri bake deru" (transl. "Both mourners and gods exist / Breaking out of this stifled Earth / You create and ghosts come pouring out").[17][note 2]

Commercially, the song received 12,539 paid digital downloads in Japan upon release,[18] taking first place on both the Oricon Digital Singles and Billboard Japan's Top Download Songs charts.[19][20] On the Japan Hot 100, the song charted for five weeks and peaked at number six during its opening week with 5,500 "combined points"; it placed behind only Snow Man's "Orange Kiss", Tani Yuuki's "W/X/Y", Official Hige Dandism's "Mixed Nuts", Sekai no Owari's "Habit", and NiziU's "Clap Clap".[21][22] It reached number twenty-six on the Oricon Combined Singles Chart, where it charted for two weeks.[23] "I Wanna Be Your Ghost" was reported by Billboard to be the most-aired song on Japanese radio upon its release, but saw less successful immediate streaming numbers with a peak at number sixty-four on the Top Streaming Songs chart.[24][25] After the song's choreography gained popularity on the video sharing service TikTok in August 2022, the song charted for eight weeks with a peak at number two on the Billboard Japan TikTok Weekly Top 20, Hoshino's only song to enter the chart.[26][27]

Live performances

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Hoshino gave a debut performance of "I Wanna Be Your Ghost" alongside "Fushigi" (2020) and "Comedy" in August 2022 via Spotify's Go Stream video series, directed by Kyōtarō Hayashi (who had previously worked with Hoshino on some of his music videos). The series was filmed in a small room with Hoshino and his supporting musicians, under the concept of creating a private feeling.[28] Subsequently, Hoshino included the song on his timeslot for the CDTV Live! Live! Christmas special at the end of 2022,[29] and performed it as the final song of his Reassembly tour in January 2023, which celebrated the opening of physical venues after the COVID-19 pandemic. During Reassembly, Hoshino performed the song as his alter ego character Akira Nise; it concluded with confetti tape shot across the stage as Nise struck a pose.[30][31] Nise's cover was described as comical in style by Natalie.mu writers;[32] Billboard Japan's Rumi Miyamoto and live reviewers for Barks dubbed the live version "feat. Nise" instead of "feat. Ghosts".[30][33]

In what Hoshino described as his first time properly performing the song live, it was most recently featured at the Summer Sonic Festival on August 17, 2024, where he performed the urameshiya pose (putting one's hands to around the neck level and letting them hang slightly) in conjunction with the chorus.[34]

Personnel

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Music and production credits adapted from Hoshino's website;[7] video personnel taken from the Music Video Tour 2: 2017–2022 credits booklet.[16]

Production and musicians
Music video staff
  • Yūki Igarashi – director, storyboard, character design
  • Huang Chieh – animation director, character design
  • NON (Elevenplay) – choreography
  • Shingo Okamoto – choreography
  • Tsutomu Kasai – animation producer
  • Kensuke Hosokawa – animation producer
  • Keiko Yamaji – production support
  • Takafumi Nakame – production support
  • Hyuga Yamamura – associate producer

Charts

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Weekly chart performance for "I Wanna Be Your Ghost" (2022)
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Japanese Combined Singles (Oricon)[23] 26
Japan Hot 100 (Billboard Japan)[22] 6

Release history

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Release dates and formats for "I Wanna Be Your Ghost"
Region Date Format Label Catalogue code Ref.
Various July 18, 2022
Speedstar Records VE3WA-19785 [6][11]
South Korea July 21, 2022 J-Box Entertainment — [35]

Notes

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  1. ^ Officially subtitled with "feat. Ghosts" (feat. おばけ, feat. Obake) in parentheses
  2. ^ a b English lyrics adapted from Hoshino's website[7]
  3. ^ Types of analog synthesizer played by Hoshino: Sequential Prophet-5, Yamaha DX7, Roland Juno-6, Roland Jupiter-8, Oberheim OB-Xa, Minimoog, Oberheim Matrix-12, PPG Wave 2.0, Emulator II, Casio CZ-101, Buchla Music Easel, Waldorf STVC
  4. ^ Types of analog synthesizer played by Mabanua: Yamaha DX7, Roland Juno-6, Roland Jupiter-8, Oberheim OB-Xa, Minimoog, Korg MS-20

References

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  1. ^ a b "ゴーストブック おばけずかん — 作品情報" [Yokaipedia — Movie Information]. Eiga.com (in Japanese). n.d. Archived from the original on August 13, 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  2. ^ "Yokaipedia". Japanese Film Festival. n.d. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "星野源'人間もおばけも踊る'新曲完成 新垣結衣&神木隆之介ら出演の実写映画『おばけずかん』主題歌に決定" [Both Humans and Ghosts Dance in New Gen Hoshino Song, Theme Song to Live-Action Yokaipedia Film Starring Yui Aragaki and Ryunosuke Kamiki] (in Japanese). Oricon. May 25, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  4. ^ "星野源、映画『ゴーストブック おばけずかん』主題歌に新曲「異世界混合大舞踏会 （feat. おばけ）」書き下ろし" [Gen Hoshino Writes New Song "I Wanna Be Your Ghost (feat. Ghosts)" for Yokaipedia Film]. Billboard Japan (in Japanese). May 25, 2022. Archived from the original on August 18, 2024. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d "星野源の新曲は今回もmabanuaとのタッグ! 打ち込みが紡ぐダンス・グルーヴ!" [Gen Hoshino Again Partners with Mabanua for Dance Groove]. Rhythm & Drums Magazine (in Japanese). Rittor Music [ja]. July 18, 2022. Archived from the original on August 18, 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  6. ^ a b "I Wanna Be Your Ghost (feat. Ghosts) — Single by Gen Hoshino". Apple Music U.S. n.d. Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d "I Wanna Be Your Ghost (feat. Ghosts)". HoshinoGen.com. n.d. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  8. ^ "「恨めしや」の意味・読み・例文・類語" [Meaning, Reading, Usage, and Synonyms of Urameshiya]. Nihon Kokugo Daijiten (in Japanese). Shogakukan. n.d. Archived from the original on May 27, 2019. Retrieved August 17, 2024 – via Kotobank.
  9. ^ a b "星野源、映画『ゴーストブック おばけずかん』主題歌'異世界混合大舞踏会 (feat. おばけ)'7月18日配信リリース決定。おばけが踊るティーザー映像も公開" [Gen Hoshino Announces Yokaipedia Theme Song "I Wanna Be Your Ghost" for Digital Release on July 18, and Unveils Teaser Video with Dancing Ghost] (in Japanese). Tower Records Japan. July 13, 2022. Archived from the original on August 19, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  10. ^ a b "星野源の新曲「異世界混合大舞踏会 (feat. おばけ)」リリースと同時にMVを公開" [Gen Hoshino to Premiere Music Video for New Song "I Wanna Be Your Ghost" on Single Release Day]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). July 15, 2022. Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  11. ^ a b "星野 源 — 異世界混合大舞踏会 (feat. おばけ) (VE3WA-19785)" [Gen Hoshino — I Wanna Be Your Ghost (feat. Ghosts) (VE3WA-19785)] (in Japanese). Victor Entertainment. n.d. Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  12. ^ "7月26日放送「星野源のオールナイトニッポン」、ゲストに映画『ゴーストブック おばけずかん』おばけ役の釘宮理恵、下野紘、杉田智和が登場" [Yokaipedia Voice Actors Rie Kugimiya, Hiro Shimono, Tomokazu Sugita to Feature on July 26 Broadcast of Gen Hoshino's All Night Nippon] (in Japanese). Tower Records Japan. July 22, 2022. Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  13. ^ "星野源が新垣結衣出演映画「GHOSTBOOK おばけずかん」主題歌書き下ろしで初'夫婦共演'" [Gen Hoshino and Yui Aragaki to Make First Married Appearance in Yokaipedia]. Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). May 25, 2022. Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  14. ^ a b "星野源、人間とおばけが歌って踊る「異世界混合大舞踏会」ミュージックビデオ公開" [Humans and Ghosts Dance and Sing in Music Video for Gen Hoshino's "I Wanna Be Your Ghost"]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). July 18, 2022. Archived from the original on August 18, 2024. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  15. ^ a b c Sudo, Tadashi (July 20, 2022). "「OUTLINE」が本格始動、ツインエンジングループの新アニメスタジオ" [New Twin Engine Group Animation Studio Outline Launches Full-Scale]. Animation Business (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Hoshino, Gen (February 15, 2023). Music Video Tour 2: 2017–2022 (DVD booklet) (in Japanese). Japan: Speedstar Records. VIBL-1073.
  17. ^ a b Amano, Fumiaki (August 10, 2022). "【コラム】星野源、「喜劇」「異世界混合大舞踏会 (feat. おばけ）」に宿る創造力と想像力" [Column — The Hidden Creation and Imagination in Gen Hoshino's "Comedy" and "I Wanna Be Your Ghost"]. Barks (in Japanese). Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  18. ^ "星野源、新曲「異世界混合大舞踏会(feat. おばけ)」が「デジタルシングル」初登場1位" [Gen Hoshino's New Song "I Wanna Be Your Ghost" Debuts at Number One on Oricon Digital Singles Chart] (in Japanese). Oricon. July 27, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  19. ^ "星野源のデジタルシングル売上TOP20作品" [Gen Hoshino's Top 20 Digital Singles by Sales] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on July 16, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  20. ^ "Billboard Japan Top Download Songs — 2022/07/27". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). July 27, 2022. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  21. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot 100 — 2022/07/27". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). July 27, 2022. Archived from the original on August 9, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  22. ^ a b "Gen Hoshino Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2024. Select Hot 100 on the dropdown menu under 週間チャート
  23. ^ a b "星野源の合算シングル売上TOP11作品" [Gen Hoshino's Top 11 Combined Singles by Sales] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on December 27, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  24. ^ "【ビルボード】星野源「異世界混合大舞踏会」DLソング初登場1位、ヘブバン楽曲＆平井大がトップ10デビュー" [(Billboard) Gen Hoshino's "I Wanna Be Your Ghost" Tops Download Songs Chart; Heaven Burns Red Music and Hirai Dai Enters Top Ten]. Billboard Japan (in Japanese). July 27, 2022. Archived from the original on July 30, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  25. ^ "Billboard Japan Top Streaming Songs — 2022/07/27". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). July 27, 2022. Archived from the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  26. ^ "【TikTok Weekly Top 20】「それでは聞いてください」がお決まりフレーズのTHE SUPER FRUIT「チグハグ」が初首位、星野源も急上昇" [(TikTok Weekly Top 20) The Super Fruit's "Chiguhagu" Takes Top Spot and Gen Hoshino Rises to Second]. Billboard Japan (in Japanese). August 24, 2022. Archived from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  27. ^ "Gen Hoshino Chart History (TikTok Weekly Top 20)". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2024. Select TikTok Weekly Top 20 on the dropdown menu under 週間チャート
  28. ^ "星野源、Spotifyビデオシングルシリーズ『Go Stream』にて撮り下ろしのパフォーマンスを披露" [Gen Hoshino Performs for Spotify's Go Stream Video Single Series]. Rockin'On Japan (in Japanese). September 16, 2022. Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  29. ^ "今夜「CDTVライブ! クリスマスSP」タイムテーブル公開" [Time Table Revealed for Tonight's CDTV Live! Christmas Special]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). December 19, 2022. Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  30. ^ a b Miyamoto, Rumi (February 7, 2023). "<ライブレポート> 星野源、「まじでいい誕生日だわ」3年越しに実現した多幸感あふれる特別な一夜" [(Live Report) Gen Hoshino Celebrates Fantastic Birthday and First Tour in Three Years]. Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 18, 2024. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  31. ^ "星野源、3年ぶり有観客ライブの歓声に男泣き「一生忘れられない日」「まじでいい誕生日」" [Gen Hoshino Performs for Live Audience for First Time in Three Years] (in Japanese). Oricon. January 29, 2023. Archived from the original on August 19, 2024. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  32. ^ "星野源が誕生日にYELLOW PASS会員と時間を共有「本当にお待たせ」大歓声にあふれた笑顔と涙" [Gen Hoshino Shares Birthday with Yellow Pass Subscribers — Smiles and Tears Backed by Celebration]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). January 30, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  33. ^ "【ライブレポート】星野源がな「居場所」で流した涙" [Live Report — Gen Hoshino Shares Tears of Joy in Reassembly Tour]. Barks (in Japanese). February 1, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  34. ^ Komatsu, Kaori (August 22, 2024). "GLAY、リル・ヨッティ、星野源などが熱演 サマーソニック2024総括レポート【東京公演DAY1】— 星野源" [Glay, Lil Yachty, Gen Hoshino — Summer Sonic 2024 Collective Report (Tokyo Show Day 1) — Gen Hoshino]. Rolling Stone Japan (in Japanese). p. 4. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  35. ^ "星野 源 — 異世界混合大舞踏会 (I Wanna Be Your Ghost)" (in Korean). Bugs!. n.d. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
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