:Iza, Now!

{{Infobox album

| name = Iza, Now!

| type = studio

| artist = Arashi

| cover = Arashi-album-04-01.jpg

| alt =

| released = {{start date|2004|07|21|df=y}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| genre = Pop, R&B, rock{{cite web |url=https://artist.cdjournal.com/d/-/3204050724 |title=ARASHI / いざッ、Now |access-date=9 October 2018 |publisher=CD Journal |language=ja }}

| length = 64:10{{cite web |url=https://tower.jp/item/1108052/%E3%81%84%E3%81%96%E3%83%83%E3%80%81Now%EF%BC%9C%E9%80%9A%E5%B8%B8%E7%9B%A4%EF%BC%9E |title=嵐/いざッ、Now<通常盤> |access-date=21 October 2018 |publisher=Tower Records Japan |language=ja }}

| label = J Storm

| producer =

| prev_title = How's It Going?

| prev_year = 2003

| next_title = 5x5 The Best Selection of 2002–2004

| next_year = 2004

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Iza, Now!

| type = studio

| single1 = Hadashi no Mirai/Kotoba Yori Taisetsu na Mono

| single1date = 3 September 2003

| single2 = Pikanchi Double

| single2date = 18 February 2004

}}

}}

{{nihongo|Iza, Now!|いざッ、Now!}} is the fourth studio album of Japanese boy band Arashi. It was released on 21 July 2004 through J Storm. Two singles were released from the album: "Hadashi no Mirai/Kotoba Yori Taisetsu na Mono" and "Pikanchi Double". The album debuted at number one in Japan, selling 115,000 copies in its first week.

Background and release

The album comes one year after the group's third studio album How's It Going?. According to Arashi member Masaki Aiba, the album's title Iza, Now! means {{nihongo|"to tempt"|誘う|izanau}}.{{cite AV media|people=Masaki Aiba |date=26 June 2004 |script-title=ja:嵐・相葉雅紀のレコメン!アラシリミックス |trans-title=Arashi Aiba Masaki's Recomen! Arashi Remix |medium=Radio broadcast |language=ja |url=http://www.joqr.co.jp/arashi/ |access-date=9 October 2018 }} Member Sho Sakurai co-wrote lyrics for the songs "Kotoba Yori Taisetsu na Mono", "The Bubble", "Pikanchi Double", "Eyes with Delight", and "Right Back to You". "Right Back to You" was used as the background song for a Parco commercial. American musician Omar Hakim participated in recording the songs "Jam", "Eyes With Delight", and "Rainbow".{{Cite AV media notes |title=いざッ、Now! Liner Notes |others=Arashi |year=2003 |type=booklet |publisher=J Storm |id=JACA-5014 }}

Iza, Now! was released on 21 July 2004 in Japan, in two editions: a regular edition and a limited edition. Though the two editions contains the same tracks, only the limited edition contained a booklet and a DVD containing five music videos chosen by fans.{{cite web |url=https://www.cdjournal.com/main/research/arashi/1505 |script-title=ja:嵐のメンバーが侍の格好をしているPARCOのCM曲は? |date=5 July 2004 |access-date=21 October 2018 |publisher=CD Journal |language=ja }} It was released under the Avex Asia label in Taiwan and Hong Kong on 24 August 2004 and 8 September 2004, respectively.

The album was released digitally on February 7, 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://www.johnnys-net.jp/page?id=whatsnew&artist=10&data=149|title=旧譜オリジナル・アルバム(全16タイトル)デジタルリリース決定|date=February 5, 2020|website=Johnny's net|language=ja|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205105355/https://www.johnnys-net.jp/page?id=whatsnew&artist=10&data=149|archive-date=February 5, 2020|access-date=February 5, 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://natalie.mu/music/news/366050|title=嵐のオリジナルアルバム16作品256曲、明後日デジタル配信スタート|date=February 5, 2020|website=natalie.mu|language=ja|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205105523/https://natalie.mu/music/news/366050|archive-date=February 5, 2020|access-date=February 5, 2020}}

Promotion

To promote the album, Arashi embarked on the Iza, Now Tour!!. They had 27 shows beginning on 27 July at the Osaka-jō Hall, followed by Yokohama Arena on 2 August, Nagoya Rainbow Hall on 6 August, Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center on 11 August, Sekisui Heim Super Arena on 15 August, Nagano Wakasato Tamokuteki Sports Arena on 17 August, Hiroshima Prefectural Sports Center on 20 August, Toki Messe on 24 August, Hamamatsu Arena on 29 August, and Marine Messe Fukuoka on 31 August 2004.{{cite web |url=https://www.johnnys-net.jp/page?id=bio&artist=10&year=2004 |title=Biography (Arashi) |access-date=21 October 2018 |publisher=Johnny & Associates |language=ja }}

Singles

Arashi released the double A-side single "Hadashi no Mirai/Kotoba Yori Taisetsu na Mono" on 3 September 2003. It peaked at number two on the Oricon Singles Chart and achieved a platinum certification.{{cite web |url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/search/result.php?kbn=js&types=rnk&year=2003&month=9&week=3&submit4.x=19&submit4.y=11 |script-title=ja:2003年09月第3週の邦楽シングルランキング情報 |publisher=Oricon |access-date=9 October 2018 |language=ja |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020201743/https://www.oricon.co.jp/search/result.php?kbn=js&types=rnk&year=2003&month=9&week=3&submit4.x=19&submit4.y=11 |archive-date=20 October 2012 |url-status=dead }}{{cite journal |date=November 2003 |title=The Record vol.700 |url=http://www.riaj.or.jp/riaj/open/open-record!file?fid=1611 |access-date=21 September 2018 |language=ja |journal=The Record |volume=528 |page=14 |format=PDF }} "Hadashi no Mirai" was used as the campaign song for Coca-Cola while "Kotoba Yori Taisetsu na Mono" was used as the theme song for the television series Stand Up!!, starring Arashi member Kazunari Ninomiya, Tomohisa Yamashita, Anne Suzuki, Hiroki Narimiya, and Shun Oguri.{{cite web |url=https://www.j-storm.co.jp/arashi/discography/%E3%83%8F%E3%83%80%E3%82%B7%E3%81%AE%E6%9C%AA%E6%9D%A5-%E8%A8%80%E8%91%89%E3%82%88%E3%82%8A%E5%A4%A7%E5%88%87%E3%81%AA%E3%82%82%E3%81%AE |script-title=ja:ハダシの未来 / 言葉より大切なもの |access-date=9 October 2018 |publisher=J Storm |language=ja }}{{cite web |url=http://www.tbs.co.jp:80/standup/staff.html |title=STAND UP!! INTRODUCTION |date=2003 |access-date=9 October 2018 |publisher=Tokyo Broadcasting System Television |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030704023055/http://www.tbs.co.jp:80/standup/staff.html |archive-date=4 July 2003 |url-status=dead }}

"Pikanchi Double" was released on 18 February 2004, and was used as the theme song for Arashi's starring film Pikanchi: Life is Hard dakara Happy, the sequel to Pikanchi: Life is Hard dakedo Happy. It peaked at number one on the Oricon Singles Chart.{{cite web |url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/search/result.php?kbn=js&types=rnk&year=2004&month=2&week=5&submit4.x=5&submit4.y=14 |script-title=ja:2004年03月第1週の邦楽シングルランキング情報 |publisher=Oricon |access-date=9 October 2018 |language=ja |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020201750/https://www.oricon.co.jp/search/result.php?kbn=js&types=rnk&year=2004&month=2&week=5&submit4.x=5&submit4.y=14 |archive-date=20 October 2012 |url-status=dead }}

Commercial performance

Iza, Now! debuted at number one on the Oricon Albums Chart, marking the group's second number-one album in Japan. It sold 115,000 copies in its first week and spent eight weeks on the chart. The album went on to sell around 151,000 copies overall.{{cite web|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/rankmusic/78783/|script-title=ja:嵐、昨年発売のベスト盤を上回る初日27.5万枚でデイリー1位|date=4 August 2010|language=ja|publisher=Oricon|access-date=4 August 2010}} In July 2004, the album was certified Gold for shipments of 100,000 copies by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.

Track listing

{{Track listing

| headline =

| extra_column = Arrangement

| total_length = 64:10

| all_writing =

| all_lyrics =

| all_music =

| title_width =

| writing_width =

| music_width =

| lyrics_width =

| extra_width =

| title1 = Kotoba Yori Taisetsu na Mono

| note1 =

| lyrics1 = {{hlist|Takeshi|Sho Sakurai}}

| music1 = Takehiko Iida

| extra1 = Tomoki Ishizuka

| length1 = 4:03

| title2 = Jam

| note2 =

| lyrics2 = Yōji Kubota

| music2 = {{hlist|Tobias Lindell|Joel Eriksson|Victor Wiszniewski}}

| extra2 = Masayuki Iwata

| length2 = 4:12

| title3 = The Bubble

| note3 =

| lyrics3 = {{hlist|Spin|Sakurai}}

| music3 = {{hlist|Peter Bjorklund|Eriksson}}

| extra3 = Akira

| length3 = 3:54

| title4 = Thank You for My Days

| note4 =

| lyrics4 = Takeshi

| music4 = Iwata

| extra4 = Iwata

| length4 = 4:55

| title5 = Pikanchi Double

| note5 =

| lyrics5 = {{hlist|Spin|Sakurai}}

| music5 = Kōsuke Morimoto

| extra5 = Ishizuka

| length5 = 5:08

| title6 = Keep a Peak

| note6 = instrumental

| lyrics6 =

| music6 = Taku Yoshioka

| extra6 = Yoshioka

| length6 = 1:51

| title7 = Eyes with Delight

| note7 =

| lyrics7 = {{hlist|Kubota|Sakurai}}

| music7 = Minoru Komorita

| extra7 = Ishizuka

| length7 = 4:30

| title8 = Right Back to You

| note8 =

| lyrics8 = {{hlist|Spin|Sakurai}}

| music8 = {{hlist|Bjorklund|Eriksson}}

| extra8 = Ha-j

| length8 = 3:35

| title9 = Rainbow

| note9 =

| lyrics9 = Kubota

| music9 = Komorita

| extra9 = Ishizuka

| length9 = 4:17

| title10 = Hadashi no Mirai

| note10 =

| lyrics10 = Ayumi Miyazaki

| music10 = Miyazaki

| extra10 = Chokkaku

| length10 =

| title11 = Yasashikutte Sukoshi Baka

| note11 =

| lyrics11 = Takeshi Inoue

| music11 = Inoue

| extra11 = Ha-j

| length11 = 3:43

| title12 = Dear My Friend

| note12 =

| lyrics12 = Takashi Ogawa

| music12 = Junjiro Seki

| extra12 = Seki

| length12 = 4:55

| title13 = Kimi dake o Omotteru

| note13 =

| lyrics13 = Kubota

| music13 = Kōji Makaino

| extra13 = Naoki Ōtsubo

| length13 = 4:49

| title14 = Check no Muffler

| note14 =

| lyrics14 = Takeshi

| music14 = Morimoto

| extra14 = Iwata

| length14 = 5:19

| title15 = Tochū Gesha

| note15 =

| lyrics15 = Spin

| music15 = Morimoto

| extra15 = Ha-j

| length15 = 4:15

}}

{{track listing

| headline = DVD: Arashi Best 5 Clips

| extra_column = Director

| title1 = Arashi

| extra1 = Kensuke Kawamura

| title2 = A Day in Our Life

| extra2 = Kawamura

| title3 = Kimi no Tame ni Boku ga Iru

| extra3 =

| title4 = Typhoon Generation

| extra4 = Tetsurō Takeuchi

| title5 = Tomadoi Nagara

| extra5 = Tetsuo Inoue

}}

Charts and certifications

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col"| Chart (2004)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

scope="row"| Japanese Albums (Oricon){{cite web |url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/search/result.php?kbn=ja&types=rnk&year=2004&month=7&week=5&submit5.x=26&submit5.y=4 |script-title=ja:2004年08月第1週の邦楽アルバムランキング情報 |publisher=Oricon |date=August 2004 |access-date=30 December 2009 |language=ja |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020224748/https://www.oricon.co.jp/search/result.php?kbn=ja&types=rnk&year=2004&month=7&week=5&submit5.x=26&submit5.y=4 |archive-date=20 October 2012 |url-status=dead }}

| 1

{{col-2}}

=Certifications=

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Japan|artist=Arashi|title=Iza, Now|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2004|certyear=2004|certmonth=07|access-date=30 December 2009|certref={{cite journal |date=September 2004 |title=The Record vol.700 |url=https://www.riaj.or.jp/riaj/open/open-record!file?fid=605 |access-date=21 September 2018 |language=ja |journal=The Record |volume=538 |page=14 |format=PDF }}|salesamount=151,000|salesref=}}

{{end}}

{{col-end}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
scope="col"| Region

! scope="col"| Release date

! scope="col"| Format

! scope="col"| Label

scope="row"| Japan

| 21 July 2004

| rowspan="3"| {{hlist|CD|CD+DVD}}

| J Storm

scope="row"| Taiwan

| 24 August 2004

| rowspan="2"|Avex Asia

scope="row"| Hong Kong

| 8 September 2004

References

{{reflist|30em}}