Shōjo Robot

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"Shōjo Robot"
File:Rie Shojor.jpg
Single by Rie Tomosaka
from the album Daisuki!, Rie Tomosaka Best +3
B-side "Ikenai Ko," "Nippon ni Umarete"
Released June 21, 2000 (2000-06-21)
Format CD Single
Genre J-pop, J-Rock, Alternative rock
Length 2:40
Label Toshiba EMI
Writer(s) Ringo Shiina
Producer(s) Ringo Shiina
Rie Tomosaka singles chronology
"Cappuccino"
(1999)		 "Shōjo Robot"
(2000)		 "Tokai no Manners"
(2009)

"Shōjo Robot" (少女ロボット?, "Girl Robot") is a song by Rie Tomosaka, written by rock musician Ringo Shiina. It was released as her final single before her hiatus, on June 21, 2000 (2000-06-21).[1] The song was used as an ending theme song for the Nippon Television variety show Fun.[2]

Rie Tomosaka version

Background

Ringo Shiina had previously worked with Tomosaka on her 1999 album, Murasaki. (むらさき。 Purple.?). She had written the lead single, "Cappuccino," the B-side to the single "Mokuren no Cream" (木蓮のクリーム?, "Magnolia Cream") and the album track "Shampoo" (シャンプー Shanpū?).[3]

Conception

Shiina created a temporary 5 piece band to record the single, and named it Ikenai Kotachi (いけない子達 The Bad Kids?).[1] Along with Tomosaka on vocals and Shiina on piano/back-up vocals, Hisako Tabuchi of Number Girl/Bloodthirsty Butchers featured as the band's guitarist.[1]

The songs on the single were created in the vein of Shiina's Shōso Strip album (released three months prior). "Shōjo Robot" and "Ikenai Ko" were written with Tomosaka's image in mind, while "Nippon ni Umarete" was an unused demo from the Shōso Strip sessions.[4]

Release

The song was a hit for Tomosaka, it being her highest charting single since 1997's "Naichaisō yo."[5] It debuted at #12 on the Oricon singles chart, and stayed in the top 20 for two weeks.[5]

The single was released nine months after the release of her greatest hits collection Rie Tomosaka Best, hence was not compiled in it. "Shōjo Robot" features as track #16 of the Taiwan only greatest hits album Daisuki!, which was released simultaneously as this single in Taiwan.[6][7]

All three songs were later compiled onto the 2009 re-release of Rie Tomosaka Best called Rie Tomosaka Best+3.[8]

Music video

The music video was shot by director Shūichi Banba (番場秀一?).[9] It depicts Tomosaka performing the song in a room with wall partitions lit with different colour themes. her back-up band consists of a pianist, a guitarist and a drummer - all played by Ringo Shiina.

The music video has never been released to DVD, as Tomosaka's music video clip collection Rie Tomosaka Clips was released in October 1999 and she has not released a DVD since.

As of January 4, 2010 the music video for "Shōjo Robot" has been viewed over 182,000 times on popular video-sharing website YouTube.[10]

Track listing

All songs written and produced by Ringo Shiina.

No. Title Length
1. "Shōjo Robot"   2:40
2. "Ikenai Ko (いけない子?, "Bad Kid")"   4:20
3. "Nippon ni Umarete (日本に生まれて?, "Born in Japan")"   5:12
Total length:
 12:12

Oricon Album Chart Ranking (Japan)[5]

Release Chart Peak Position First Week Sales Sales Total Chart Run
June 21, 2000 (2000-06-21) Oricon Daily Singles Chart
Oricon Weekly Singles Chart 12 28,740 61,710 5 weeks
Oricon Yearly Singles Chart

Release history

Country Release date
Japan June 21, 2000 (2000-06-21)
Taiwan[6] July 1, 2000 (2000-07-01)

Tokyo Jihen version

Originally, Sheena performed live covers of "Shōjo Robot" and "Nippon ni Umarete" at her July 30, 2000 Zazen Xstasy concert,[11] and later "Ikenai Ko" at her Gekkō Kuon Taizu concert on November 25, 2000.[12]

Later, with her band Tokyo Jihen, they covered "Shōjo Robot" live at their "Domestic!" Just Can't Help It. tour (April 7, 2005 - May 30, 2005). The track was released as a digital download on August 30, 2006 (2006-08-30), a week before the DVD's release. The song, as well as Blackout and Mirror-ball, received a promotional live music video, which was aired on music video channels in promotion of the DVD.[13]

Track list

No. Title Length
1. "Shōjo Robot from DVD 'Just Can't Help It."   2:54

References

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