Recorded 2007 Release date 21 November 2007 Genre J-pop | Artist Rimi Natsukawa Songs 'S Wonderful | |
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Released November 21, 2007 (2007-11-21) Length 1:08:23 (CD limited edition)
1:08:44 (download special edition)
1:04:01 Uta Sagashi Request Cover Album
(2007) Ai no Uta Self-Selection Best
(2008) Label Victor Talking Machine Company Similar Rimi Natsukawa albums, J-pop albums | ||
Uta Sagashi: Request Cover Album (歌さがし ～リクエストカバーアルバム～, Song Search: Request Cover Album) is Rimi Natsukawa's first full-length cover album, released on November 21, 2007 (2007-11-21).
Contents
Her cover of "'S Wonderful" was used as the Everio camcorder commercial song.
Background
"Uta Sagashi" was released 8 months after her 5th studio album, "Umui Kaji." It was her first cover album since 2003's "Famureuta." The project was decided on to extend Natsukawa's signature songs (based on the fact that her two most popular songs, "Nada Sōsō" and "Warabigami" are both covers).
Fans submitted song suggestions to Natsukawa's website or at her live concerts. A total of 2,000 were chosen by fans, and the top 100 were given to Natsukawa to select. Natsukawa listened to each of these songs once of twice, and chose the songs she found catchy and were practical to sing. Roughly half of the songs are ones that Natsukawa had performed in concert or on live television at some point.
Natsukawa's favourite song in the selection process was "Kiseki no Hana" (Lyrico), a song she had requested herself. The song, after hearing Lyrico in concert, had the same effect "Nada Sōsō" had on her the first time she had heard it.
The album was preceded by three digital singles released on iTunes. Each single featured two tracks from the album. "Jidai/Wasurete wa Ikenai Mono" was released in late September, followed by "Hana Saku Tabiji/Kiseki no Hana" in late October. "Cosmos/Kokoro" was released in early November, two weeks before the album's release.
Reception
The album broke the top 20 and sold roughly 40,000 copies. This makes the album Natsukawa's most commercially successful release of new recordings since 2003's "Famureuta," and her highest charting album of new recordings (her second highest charting Japanese release after "Rimi Natsukawa Single Collection Vol. 1").
The project was originally only meant to last from 2007–2008, and feature the album and a tour. However, due to this popularity, a second cover album, "Uta Sagashi: Asia no Kaze," was released just over two years later in 2010.