Mō Sukoshi Dake Explained

Mō Sukoshi Dake
Cover:Mō Sukoshi Dake.jpeg
Alt:A high school girl is going out and a television screen shows fortune-telling text in the background, with the song title and artist name in white
Type:single
Artist:Yoasobi
Ep:The Book 2
Language:Japanese
Released:May 10, 2021
English Title:"Just a Little Step"
Genre:J-pop
Length:3:40
Label:Sony Japan
Producer:Ayase
Prev Title:Yasashii Suisei
Prev Year:2021
Next Title:Sangenshoku
Next Year:2021

is a song by Japanese duo Yoasobi from their second EP, The Book 2 (2021). It was released as a single on May 10, 2021, by Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Written by Ayase and based on Chiharu's short story Meguru, the song is a pop song, telling about giving the courage to take a little more at the beginning of a day. The song featured as a theme song for Fuji TV's morning news, Mezamashi TV.

Upon its release, the song received acclaim from music critics, who complimented its encouraging lyricism, comfortable, warm, and gentle feeling, as well as friendly and colorful vocals. An accompanying music video premiered on November 22, 2021. Commercially, the song debuted atop the Oricon Digital Singles Chart with 53,000 download units, and number four on both the Oricon Combined Singles Chart and Billboard Japan Hot 100, and was certified gold for downloads and two-time platinum for streaming by Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ).

Background and release

On January 18, 2021, Yoasobi announced they would be in charge of performing a theme for morning news Mezamashi TV since April 2021. The new theme would be based on a short story which was chosen from contest Yoasobi Contest Vol.3 with Mezamashi TV held by Mezamashi TV and Sony Japan's creative writing social media, Monogatary.com.[1] The selected story was announced on March 15, titled, which was written by Chiharu, from a total of 5,605 short stories. It is about a chain of small happiness, starting from a slight happening that occurs in three characters: a salaryman, an elderly woman, and a high school girl, who saw the same fortune-telling in the morning.[2] [3]

The title of the song "Mō Sukoshi Dake" was announced on March 29, and used as a theme for the morning show for one year since the same day.[4] The full song was first aired on May 4 on their radio show Yoasobi's All Night Nippon X and released officially on May 10 to digital music and streaming platforms.[5] The cover artwork, designed by animation director and character creator Hmng, shows a world view of the short story and the music from the fortune-telling of the television screen, and the illustration cuts out the moment when the high school girl goes out, which appears in the based short story.[5] "Mō Sukoshi Dake" was included on their second extended play The Book 2, released on December 1.[6] The English version, titled "Just a Little Step", was appeared on the duo's second English-language EP E-Side 2, released on November 18, 2022.[7]

Lyrics and composition

"Mō Sukoshi Dake" is described as a refreshing light melody and light tempo piano pop song, written by Ayase, a member of the duo, and composed in the key of E♭ major, 100 beats per minute with a running time of 3 minutes and 40 seconds.[8] The lyrics describe giving the courage to take just a little more at the beginning of each person's day.[9] Yoasobi described "Mō Sukoshi Dake" as a song which can make a listener feel like a good day "whether it's a refreshing or gloomy morning".[10]

Critical reception

Rockin'On Japan Miho Takahashi described "Mō Sukoshi Dake" as "matching the timing when you want to take a break", "the song is sung as if walking as usual and saying 'if you can step a little further' and 'may you find a little happiness'", and "Ikura's friendly and colorful voice matches the song and it makes comfortable feeling".[11] Utaten MarSali wrote that "the song expresses the message contained in Meguru along with the charm of music", and "the meaning of the lyrics will be deeper and more memorable if listen to the song after reading the short story".[12] Salute Project stated that "the song made me warm and gentle" and "I want to be kinder and kinder to others by one step than now from tomorrow".[3]

Commercial performance

In Japan's Oricon weekly chart issue dated May 24, 2021, "Mō Sukoshi Dake" debuted at number one on the Digital Single Chart with 53,131 units,[13] becoming the fifth number-one song on the chart and made Yoasobi becoming the third most number-one song artist on the chart history ("Yoru ni Kakeru", "Gunjō", "Kaibutsu", "Yasashii Suisei" and "Mō Sukoshi Dake"), along with Hikaru Utada, behind Kenshi Yonezu (7) and Bump of Chicken (6).[14] The song debuted at number four on both the Combined Singles Chart[15] and the Streaming Chart with 6,542,525 streams.[16]

"Mō Sukoshi Dake" entered the Billboard Japan Hot 100 at number four dated May 19, 2021, behind Hey! Say! JUMP's "Negative Fighter", HKT48's "Kimi to Dokoka e Ikitai" and Twice's "Kura Kura",[17] [18] making the duo the best debuted-number song on the chart.[19] The song also topped of the Download Songs chart with 45,931 units[20] [21] and debuted at number four on the Streaming Songs chart with 7,022,437 streams.[22] [23] On Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S charts of May 22, "Mō Sukoshi Dake" debuted at numbers 147 and 57,[24] [25] [26] and peaked at number 103 and 38, respectively the next week.[27] [28] On November 29, 2023, the song received two-time platinum for exceeding 200 million streams from Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ).[29]

Music video

An accompanying music video of "Mō Sukoshi Dake" premiered on November 22, 2021, at 8:00 AM (JST). Directed and with the animation made by Hmng, who also designed the cover artwork, the music video depicts a warm chain of kindness and compassion of people as the based story.[30]

Live performances and usage in media

Yoasobi performed "Mō Sukoshi Dake" for the first time at the free online concert collaborated with Uniqlo's T-shirt brand UT, Sing Your World via the duo's official YouTube channel on July 4, where the song was the number three.[31] [32] The duo gave a television debut performance of "Mō Sukoshi Dake" on December 1 at 2021 FNS Music Festival.[33] Besides featuring Mezamashi TV, "Mō Sukoshi Dake" was also chosen as a theme for the drama produced by Mezamashi TV of the same name as the based story, titled Meguru, broadcast in December 2021.[34]

Credits and personnel

Song

Music video

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2021)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Japan Combined Singles (Oricon)4

Year-end charts

Chart (2021)! scope="col"
Position
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[35] 48
Chart (2022)! scope="col"
Position
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[36] 98

Release history

Region! scope="col"
DateFormatLabel
VariousMay 10, 2021Sony Japan[37]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: YOASOBI:「めざましテレビ」新テーマソング担当 「夜遊びコンテスト vol.3」大賞の小説を楽曲化 . April 2, 2021 . Mantan Web . January 18, 2021 . ja.
  2. News: YOASOBI、『めざましテレビ』新テーマソングの原作小説が「めぐる。」(千春 著)に決定 . April 2, 2021 . Barks . Japan Music Network . March 15, 2021 . ja.
  3. Web site: Salute . 【YOASOBI/もう少しだけ】歌詞の意味を徹底解釈!原作小説「めぐる。」に沿った優しい世界。 . Salute Project . Nō Music Nō Life . June 9, 2021 . ja . May 12, 2021.
  4. News: YOASOBI、「めざましテレビ」新テーマソング「もう少しだけ」OA開始 . April 3, 2021 . Musicman . F.B.Communications Inc. . March 29, 2021 . ja.
  5. News: YOASOBI、新曲「もう少しだけ」の配信リリース決定、自身がパーソナリティを務めるラジオ番組で初フルオンエア解禁 . May 4, 2021 . Spice . Eplus . May 4, 2021 . ja.
  6. News: YOASOBI、12月に新作リリース&日本武道館2daysで初の有観客ライブ決定 . October 1, 2021 . Oricon . October 1, 2021 . ja.
  7. News: YOASOBI楽曲の英語版8曲入り「E-SIDE 2」配信決定(動画あり) . November 18, 2022 . . November 9, 2022 . ja.
  8. Web site: Key, BPM of もう少しだけ by YOASOBI . Musicstax . May 10, 2021 . May 10, 2021.
  9. News: YOASOBI、『めざましテレビ』テーマソングとしてOA中の新曲「もう少しだけ」配信開始 . May 10, 2021 . Billboard Japan . May 10, 2021 . ja.
  10. YOASOBI . YOASOBI_staff . 1391407886455115785 . May 10, 2021 . 【新曲☀️】 「めざましテレビ」テーマソング「#もう少しだけ」配信開始! . ja . May 10, 2021.
  11. News: Takahashi . Miho . 駆けないYOASOBIも心地好い YOASOBI『もう少しだけ』 . June 8, 2021 . . June 6, 2021 . ja.
  12. Web site: MarSali . YOASOBI「もう少しだけ」めぐる優しさが幸せの近道!歌詞の意味を徹底考察 . Utaten . IBG Media. . June 9, 2021 . ja . May 21, 2021.
  13. Web site: 週間 デジタルシングル(単曲)ランキング 2021年05月24日付 . Oricon . May 19, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210519044753/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/dis/w/2021-05-24/ . May 19, 2021 . ja . May 24, 2021.
  14. News: YOASOBI、デジタルランキング3冠を達成 「夜に駆ける」史上初のストリーミング4億回再生超えも【オリコンランキング】 . May 19, 2021 . Oricon . May 19, 2021 . ja.
  15. Web site: 週間 合算シングルランキング 2021年05月24日付 . Oricon . May 19, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210519044353/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/cos/w/2021-05-24/ . May 19, 2021 . ja . May 24, 2021.
  16. Web site: 週間 ストリーミングランキング 2021年05月24日付 . Oricon . May 19, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210519044933/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/st/w/2021-05-24/ . May 19, 2021 . ja . May 24, 2021.
  17. Web site: Hot 100 [2021/05/19 公開] ]. Billboard Japan . May 19, 2021 . ja . May 19, 2021.
  18. News: 【ビルボード】Hey!Say!JUMP「ネガティブファイター」215,704枚を売り上げ初登場総合首位 YOASOBI「もう少しだけ」総合4位に初登場 . May 19, 2021 . Billboard Japan . May 19, 2021 . ja.
  19. News: Kurimoto . Hitoshi . メディアミックスで首位確実?! YOASOBI「もう少しだけ」 . May 25, 2021 . Billboard Japan . May 25, 2021 . ja.
  20. Web site: Download Songs [2021/05/19 公開] ]. Billboard Japan . May 19, 2021 . ja . May 19, 2021.
  21. News: 【ビルボード】YOASOBI「もう少しだけ」DLソング初登場1位、計4曲がトップ10デビュー . April 19, 2021 . Billboard Japan . April 19, 2021 . ja.
  22. Web site: Streaming Songs [2021/05/19 公開] ]. Billboard Japan . May 19, 2021 . ja . May 19, 2021.
  23. News: 【ビルボード】優里「ドライフラワー」15度目のストリーミング首位 YOASOBI「怪物」最高位更新&新曲4位に初登場 . April 19, 2021 . Billboard Japan . April 19, 2021 . ja.
  24. News: Frankenberg . Eric . New Around the World: Thailand, Turkey & Japan Make Strides on Global Charts . May 27, 2021 . . May 19, 2021 . subscription.
  25. Billboard Global 200 The Week of May 22, 2021 . Billboard . May 19, 2021 . May 22, 2021 . subscription.
  26. Billboard Global Excl. US The Week of May 22, 2021 . Billboard . May 19, 2021 . May 22, 2021 . subscription.
  27. Billboard Global 200 The Week of May 29, 2021 . Billboard . May 25, 2021 . May 29, 2021 . subscription.
  28. Billboard Global Excl. US The Week of May 29, 2021 . Billboard . May 25, 2021 . May 29, 2021 . subscription.
  29. News: 【団体】レコ協、23年10月度ストリーミング認定 . November 29, 2023 . . November 29, 2023 . ja.
  30. News: YOASOBI、人々の優しさや思いやりの連鎖を描いた「もう少しだけ」MV公開 . November 22, 2021 . Billboard Japan . Hanshin Contents Link . November 22, 2021 . ja.
  31. News: YOASOBI「UT」発売生配信ライブ 「三原色」初披露、25万人視聴 . July 4, 2021 . Nikkan Sports . July 4, 2021 . ja.
  32. News: YOASOBI、ユニクロオフィスで生配信ライブ 28万人が同時視聴 . July 5, 2021 . Oricon . July 5, 2021 . ja.
  33. News: YOASOBI「もう少しだけ」テレビ初披露に反響「FNS歌謡祭」初出演 . December 1, 2021 . Modelpress . Netnative Inc. . December 1, 2021 . ja.
  34. News: YOASOBI 「もう少しだけ」が「めざましテレビ」発の井ノ原快彦主演ドラマ主題歌に . November 23, 2021 . Natalie . Natasha, Inc. . November 23, 2021 . ja.
  35. Web site: Billboard Japan Hot 100 Year-End 2021 . Billboard Japan . December 10, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211210041648/https://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/detail?a=hot100_year&year=2021 . December 10, 2021 . ja . live.
  36. Web site: Billboard Japan Hot 100 Year-End 2022 . . December 9, 2022.
  37. Web site: 新曲「もう少しだけ」が5/10(月)に配信リリース決定&ジャケット公開!今夜24時放送のANN Xにて初フルOA解禁! . https://web.archive.org/web/20210504042431/https://www.yoasobi-music.jp/news/ikhe5ukmbl . Yoasobi Official Website . Sony Music Entertainment Japan . May 4, 2021 . May 4, 2021 . ja . May 4, 2021 . dead.