Love is the twelfth studio album by Japanese boy band Arashi, released on October 23, 2013, under the J Storm label. The album is the follow-up to their 2012 album Popcorn and features a mix of pop, dance, and R&B influenced tracks.
Overview
Love debuted at number one on the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart, selling over 662,000 copies in its first week. It was the best-selling album in Japan for the month of October 2013 and eventually became the best-selling album of the year in Japan, earning a Million certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). The album’s title, “Love,” reflects a central theme explored through various musical styles and lyrical content. The members of Arashi were actively involved in the album's production, with several writing lyrics and composing music.
Track Listing
The standard edition of the album typically features thirteen tracks, including the following (note that tracklistings may vary slightly depending on edition):
- 愛を歌おう (Ai wo Utaou - Let's Sing of Love)
- Breathless
- Confession
- Endless Game
- Intergalactic
- P・A・R・A・D・O・X
- sugar and salt
- Hit the floor
- 20825日目の曲 (20825 Nichime no Kyoku - The Song of the 20825th Day)
- Rock Tonight
- Tokei Jikake no Umbrella (時計じかけのアンブレラ - Clockwork Umbrella)
- Futari no Kinenbi (二人の記念日 - Our Anniversary)
- silent
Singles
The album includes the following previously released singles:
- "Endless Game"
- "Breathless" (double A-side with "Calling")
- "Calling" (double A-side with "Breathless")
Reception
Love was a commercial and critical success. Reviewers praised the album's diverse sound and the group's mature musical direction. The album solidified Arashi's position as one of Japan's most popular and successful musical acts. The album's commercial performance demonstrated the band's continued popularity and appeal to a wide audience.
Related Works
Following the release of Love, Arashi embarked on a dome tour of Japan, performing for hundreds of thousands of fans. Concert footage from this tour was later released on DVD and Blu-ray.