Alive/Physical Thing

"Alive/Physical Thing"
Single by Koda Kumi
from the album Universe
Released	September 16, 2009
Format	CD single, digital download
Recorded	2009
Genre	Physical Thing J-Pop, synthpop, dance-pop Alive J-pop, R&B
Label	Rhythm Zone
Koda Kumi singles chronology
"3 Splash" (2009) "Alive/Physical Thing" (2009) "Can We Go Back" (2010)

"Alive/Physical Thing" is Japanese singer/songwriter Koda Kumi's forty-fifth single and was released on September 16, 2009. It debuted at #1 on Oricon, making it her eighth number-one single, and charted for seven weeks.^[1]

Information

Alive/Physical Thing is Japanese singer-songwriter Kumi Koda's forty-fifth single. It was released on September 16, 2009 and debuted at #1 on the Oricon charts, making it her eighth single to reach number-one. It remained on the charts for seven weeks.

It was released in CD and CD+DVD, with both songs garnering their own music video, though only the video for Physical Thing was placed on the corresponding album, Universe.^[2]

While Alive was a slow ballad, Physical Thing was a fast dance-pop track. Physical Thing was a cover of the song of the same name by Britpop singer, Nosheen, which had been released a year prior on April 16, 2008.^[3]

Alive's instrumental was based on that of famous 1700s German baroque composer George Frederic Handel's aria Lascia ch'io pianga. Lascia ch'io pianga was from his most well-known opera Rinaldo.^[4] The original melody for the aria is first found in Act III of Handel's 1705 opera Almira as a Sarabande.^[5] Handel spent the bulk of his career in London, becoming well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. He became a naturalized British subject in 1727.^[6]

Promotional Advertisements

Alive was used as the theme song for the film adaptation of Kamui the Ninja: Kamui Gaiden.^[7]

Physical Thing was used in a commercial for music.jp.^[8]

Live Performances

1. 2009.09.12: Music Station - Alive^[9]

Track listing

CD Only
No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Arranger(s)	Length
1.	"Alive"	Koda Kumi	George Frideric Handel • Taro Iwashiro	Taro Iwashiro	3:42
2.	"Physical Thing"	Koda Kumi • Hugo Lira • Ian-Paolo Lira • Negin • Nosheen • Thomas Gustafsson	Hugo Lira • Ian-Palo Lira • Thomas Gustafsson		2:59
3.	"Alive" (Instrumental)		G.F. Handel • Taro Iwashiro	Taro Iwashiro	3:41
4.	"Physical Thing" (Instrumental)	Koda Kumi • Hugo Lira • Ian-Paolo Lira • Negin • Nosheen • Thomas Gustafsson	Hugo Lira • Ian-Palo Lira • Thomas Gustafsson		2:56
5.	"TRICK" (Live Version from Trick Tour 2009)				3:06
6.	"Joyful" (Live Version from Trick Tour 2009)				5:34

CD+DVD
No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Arranger(s)	Length
1.	"Alive"	Koda Kumi	George Frideric Handel • Taro Iwashiro	Taro Iwashiro	3:42
2.	"Physical Thing"	Koda Kumi • Hugo Lira • Ian-Paolo Lira • Negin • Nosheen • Thomas Gustafsson	Hugo Lira • Ian-Palo Lira • Thomas Gustafsson		2:59
3.	"Alive" (Instrumental)		G.F. Handel • Taro Iwashiro	Taro Iwashiro	3:41
4.	"Physical Thing" (Instrumental)	Koda Kumi • Hugo Lira • Ian-Paolo Lira • Negin • Nosheen • Thomas Gustafsson	Hugo Lira

DVD
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Alive" (Music Video)
2.	"Physical Thing" (Music Video)
3.	"TRICK TOUR 2009 Live Trailer"

Charts

Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)

Release	Chart	Peak Position	First Day/Week Sales	Sales Total	Chart Run
September 16, 2009	Oricon Daily Charts	1	16,246
	Oricon Weekly Charts	1	32,468	44,745	3 weeks
	Oricon Monthly Charts	11
	Oricon Yearly Charts

Billboard Japan Sales Chart

Release	Chart	Peak Position
September 16, 2009	Billboard Japan Hot 100	4
	Billboard Japan Hot Top Airplay	12
	Billboard Japan Hot Singles Sales	1

Alternate Versions

Alive

1. Alive: Found on the single (2009) and corresponding album Universe (2010)
2. Alive [Instrumental]: Found on the single (2009)

Physical Thing

1. Physical Thing: Found on the single (2009) and corresponding album Universe (2010)
2. Physical Thing [Instrumental]: Found on the single (2009)
3. Physical Thing [FUTURE HOUSE UNITED Remix]: Found on Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 3 (2011)

References

1. "Alive/Physical Thing(with DVD) / KODA KUMI / ORICON STYLE". Oricon. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
2. "BEST -third universe- & 8th AL "UNIVERSE" (Jacket A)(ALBUM+DVD)". YesAsia. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
3. "NOSHEEN's Albums". MySpace. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
4. "George Frederic Handel - Lascia ch'io pianga". YouTube. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
5. Dean and Knapp, pp. 176–78
6. "British Citizen by Act of Parliament: George Frideric Handel". Parliament.uk. 14 April 2009. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
7. "Koda Kumi, a challenge of Handel's opera composition to perform the "Kamui Gaiden" theme song". Oricon News. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
8. "Alive/Physical Thing (album)". Hikari TV. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
9. "Koda Kumi - Alive [Live - 12.09.2009]". DailyMotion. Retrieved September 15, 2016.

External links

• Official Website
• (Product Info) (Japanese)