Plasma (Perfume album) explained

Plasma
Type:studio
Artist:Perfume
Cover:Perfume - Plasma.png
Caption:Standard cover
Released:July 27, 2022
Recorded:2019–2022
Genre:
Length:46:55
Label:
Producer:Yasutaka Nakata
Prev Title:Polygon Wave EP
Prev Year:2021
Next Title:Nebula Romance: Part I
Next Year:2024

Plasma (stylized in all caps) is the seventh studio album by Japanese girl group Perfume, released on July 27, 2022, by Universal Music Japan sub-label Universal J and its imprint Perfume Records. The album consists of twelve tracks: five singles and their B-sides released between November 2019 and April 2022, plus four new tracks.

Background

After the release of the group's third compilation album and embarking on their concert tour Reframe in 2019, Perfume released a digital single titled "Saisei" on November 29, 2019. The track served as the theme song to the Japanese movie adaptation of .[1] Perfume went on their eighth national tour Perfume 8th Tour 2020 “P Cubed” in Dome in February 2020, however, the last date was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On September 16, 2020, the group released the single "Time Warp" to commemorate the group's fifteenth major-label debut anniversary.[2] On July 2, 2021, Perfume released another digital single titled "Polygon Wave".[3] This was followed by the group's first extended play Polygon Wave EP on September 22, 2021. The EP contained four versions of the song Polygon Wave, two new songs, and a concert intermission track. Despite the aforementioned pandemic, Perfume went on for more concert tours in Japan through the Polygon Wave Tour in 2021 and 2022. Perfume released a new single "Flow" on March 9, 2022. The song was used as an ending theme to the TBS Japanese drama Fight Song.[4] A day before the release of "Flow", the album release was announced, slated for a summer release. On April 29, Perfume released a digital single titled "Sayonara Plastic World". The song served as the theme song for the NHK program Minna no Uta from April to May 2022.[5] The digital single debuted at number 14 of the Oricon Digital Singles chart.[6] On May 31, the album release details were announced. The album's title track, "Spinning World", was released on July 15, 2022, along with its accompanying music video. The song debuted at number 45 of the Oricon Digital Singles chart.[7]

Composition

According to Perfume's management Amuse, Inc., Plasma is an urban electropop album containing tracks from various genres such as city pop, bass music, pop-rock, and funk, with the entire album being "suitable for a change of pace in driving".[8] Like all of the group's albums, all the songs were written, arranged, and produced by Yasutaka Nakata.

Commercial performance

Plasma debuted at number three of the Oricon Weekly Albums chart, selling 42,579 copies in its first week of release.[9] This became Perfume's first studio album not to top the said chart. However, Plasma debuted and peaked at the top spot of the Oricon Weekly Digital Albums chart with 3,033 downloads.[10] On its second week, it dropped to number 19 in the Oricon Weekly Albums chart with 3,330 copies sold.[11] It went further to number 32 the following week with 1,966 copies.[12]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2022)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Japanese Combined Albums (Oricon)[13] 3
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[14] 3

Monthly charts

Chart (2022)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[15] 12

Year-end charts

Chart (2022)! scope="col"
Position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[16] 72
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[17] 62

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Perfume、メジャーデビュー以降の全MV使用した「再生」ミュージックビデオ . Natalie Music. December 13, 2019.
  2. J-pop Trio Perfume Talk New Single, Look Back on Coachella Performance & More . Billboard. September 18, 2020.
  3. Web site: Perfume return with groovy single 'Polygon Wave'. NME. July 2, 2021.
  4. Perfume Announces CD Single 'Flow' Due March. Billboard. January 28, 2022.
  5. Web site: Perfume、新曲「さよならプラスティックワールド」ラジオでフルサイズオンエア SNSではリリースカウントダウンも (in Japanese). Real Sound. January 28, 2022.
  6. Web site: 週間 デジタルシングル(単曲)ランキング 2022年05月09日付(2022年04月25日~2022年05月01日). Oricon. May 1, 2022.
  7. Web site: 週間 デジタルシングル(単曲)ランキング2022年07月25日付(2022年07月11日~2022年07月17日). Oricon. July 17, 2022.
  8. Web site: Perfume - Album「PLASMA」(通常盤). ASMART. May 31, 2022.
  9. Web site: 週間 アルバムランキング 2022年08月08日付(2022年07月25日~2022年07月31日). Oricon. August 3, 2022.
  10. Web site: 週間 デジタルアルバムランキング 2022年08月08日付(2022年07月25日~2022年07月31日). Oricon. August 3, 2022.
  11. Web site: https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/w/2022-08-08/. ja:アルバムランキング 2022年08月15日付 (2022年08月01日~2022年08月07日). Weekly CD Album Ranking for August 15, 2022. Oricon. August 15, 2022.
  12. Web site: https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/w/2022-08-22/p/4/. ja:週間 アルバムランキング 2022年08月22日付(2022年08月08日~2022年08月14日). Weekly CD Album Ranking for August 22, 2022. Oricon. August 18, 2022.
  13. Web site: Oricon Top 50 Combined Albums: 2022-08-08 . . December 9, 2022. ja.
  14. Web site: Billboard Japan Hot Albums: 2022/08/03 公開. Billboard Japan. ja. August 3, 2022.
  15. Web site: Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2022-07 . . December 9, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220810094807/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/m/2022-07/p/2/ . August 10, 2022.
  16. Web site: Oricon Top 100 Albums: 2022 . . December 22, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221222011801/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/y/2022/p/8/ . December 22, 2022.
  17. Web site: Billboard Japan Hot Albums Year-End 2022 . . December 9, 2022.