Challenger (EP)#Lead track and promotion
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Challenger
| cover = Challenger Normal Edition cover.png
| caption = Normal and digital special edition cover
| border = yes
| type = single
| artist = JO1
| album = Kizuna
| language = Japanese
| A-side = Born to Be Wild
| released = {{start date|2021|04|28}}
| recorded = 2021
| studio =
| genre = J-pop
| length =
- 13:37 (Limited edition A)
- 13:33 (Limited edition B)
- 13:46 (Normal edition)
- 21:10 (Special edition)
| label = Lapone Entertainment
| composer =
| lyricist =
| producer = {{hlist|Score (13)|Megatone (13)|Savage House Gang|$$am|Jone (Papermaker)|Teito|Jung Ho-hyun (e.one)|Ji Ye June|Jayins|Naiv}}
| chronology = JO1
| prev_title = Stargazer
| prev_year = 2020
| next_title = Stranger
| next_year = 2021
| misc = {{External music video|1={{YouTube|-_P_cD0yimw|"Born to Be Wild"}}}}
}}
Challenger (stylized in all caps) is an extended play (EP) marketed as the third single of Japanese boy band JO1. It also served as the lead single for their second studio album, Kizuna (2022). The EP single includes a total of six songs and was released by Lapone Entertainment in three physical editions and one digital edition on April 28, 2021. It features the contributions from Japanese and South Korean songwriters and production teams, including Score, Megatone, Teito, Kebee, {{ill|Masahiro Ōchi|ja|大知正紘}}, {{ill|Hayato Tanaka (Japanese composer)|lt=Hayato Tanaka|ja|田中隼人}} among others. The single topped the Oricon Singles Chart and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ), with its lead track "Born to Be Wild" peaked atop the Billboard Japan Hot 100.
Background and release
In early January 2021, JO1 reportedly traveled to South Korea to prepare for a new single. On February 20, JO1 hosted their second online concert, Starlight Deluxe, in Paju to promote their first studio album The Star. At the end of the concert, the group revealed their third single would be released on April 28, 2021. Following their journey to become their "shining self" in the previous release, the single's premise was described as JO1 "stepping into the unknown world". The cover images were released on the group's first anniversary on March 4, along with the news of their first tour in winter.To celebrate the release of the single, the group hosted a live streaming event on YouTube on April 28, followed by the release of the performance video for "Speed of Light". On May, the performance video for Design" was also released.
Challenger includes a total of six songs and was released in three different physical editions, with "Born to Be Wild" served as the lead track. It was the group's first release without songs from Produce 101 Japan. Each edition contains four tracks with three common tracks: "Born to be Wild", "Design" and "Tsutaerareru Nara" ({{langx|ja|伝えられるなら|lit=If You Can Tell|label=none}}). The latter was the theme song for Kit Kat Japan's commercial and was released as a digital single on January 18. The limited edition A comes with a DVD bundle, featuring variety segment titled JO1 Challenge. The limited edition B comes with a photo booklet, while the normal edition is CD-only. A special edition EP containing all songs was released for digital download and streaming.
Lead track and promotion
"Born to be Wild" is mainly composed of retro funk-inspired bass lines and rhythms.{{cite web|title=JO1、メンバーの"今"も映し出された映像に？ 「Born To Be Wild」MVを徹底解説|url=https://realsound.jp/2021/03/post-732313.html|website=Real Sound|access-date=29 October 2021|language=ja|date=30 March 2021|archive-date=October 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029080949/https://realsound.jp/2021/03/post-732313.html|url-status=live}} The music video was released on March 24, 2021, and was directed by Seo Dong-hyeok of the South Korean production studio Flipevil The theme was described as "challenge", in which the group "bravely opening the door with anxiety and expectation, taking the first step, and overcoming obstacles with determination". The song was performed for the first time at the KCON:TACT 3, before it was digitally pre-released alongside "Tsutaerareru Nara" on March 25, 2021. It debuted at eighty-eighth on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 and eventually peaked at number one. The song was also performed in the group's first terrestrial TV show Toresugi JO1, as well as in several television shows such as Hey!Hey!Neo! Music Champ, CDTV Live Live, and NHK's variety talk show {{ill|Numa ni Hamatte Kiitemita|ja|沼にハマってきいてみた}}. "Born to Be Wild" was also used as the theme song for ABC-Mart's TV commercial of Nike Air Max Infinity 2.
Commercial performance
Challenger debuted at number one on the Oricon Daily Singles Chart and eventually topped the weekly chart with 254,111 copies sold. The feat made JO1 the sixth male group and the twelfth overall in the Oricon charts history to have three consecutive singles with first-week sales of over 200,000 copies since their debut. The single was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan for more than 250,000 copies in shipments. The single eventually ranked at twenty-second on the 2020 Oricon Annual Ranking with 309,606 units sold.{{cite web|title=【オリコン年間ランキング2021】Snow Man、唯一のミリオン達成で「シングル」年間1位|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/special/57992/2/|website=Oricon|date=December 22, 2021 |access-date=23 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211223013840/https://www.oricon.co.jp/special/57992/2/|archive-date=23 December 2021|page=2}}
Challenger also debuted atop of Billboard Japan's Top Singles Sales chart, and putting JO1 in second place on the Artist 100. It eventually placed twenty-third on the annual edition of Top Single Sales chart.
Track listing
"Born to be Wild", "Design" and "Tsutaerareru Nara" are common track 1, 3 and 4, respectively, for limited edition A, limited edition B and normal edition.
{{Track listing
| headline = Track listing of Challenger {{nobold|– Limited edition A}}
| extra_column = Arrangement
| total_length = 13:37
| title1 = Born to Be Wild
| lyrics1 = {{hlist|Score (13)|Megatone (13)|J.rise|Jayins|{{ill|Yhanael|ja|YHANAEL}}}}
| music1 = {{hlist|Score|Megatone}}
| extra1 = {{hlist|Score|Megatone}}
| length1 = 3:45
| title2 = Speed of Light
| lyrics2 = {{hlist|Score|Megatone|HLB (13)|Luke (13)|Yhanael}}
| music2 = {{hlist|Score|Megatone|HLB|Luke|Savage House Gang}}
| extra2 = {{hlist|Score|Megatone|Savage House Gang}}
| length2 = 3:44
| title3 = Design
| lyrics3 = {{hlist|Yohei}}
| music3 = {{hlist|Yohei|Jung Ho-hyun (e.one)|Dono}}
| extra3 = {{hlist|Jung Ho-hyun}}
| length3 = 3:04
| title4 = Tsutaerareru Nara
| note4 = {{langx|ja|伝えられるなら|lit=If You Can Tell|label=none}}
| lyrics4 = {{hlist|Ji Ye June|Jayins|Naiv|Teito}}
| music4 = {{hlist|Ji Ye June|Jayins|Naiv|Teito}}
| extra4 = {{hlist|Ji Ye June|Jayins|Naiv|Teito}}
| length4 = 3:04
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Track listing of Challenger {{nobold|– Limited edition B}}
| extra_column = Arrangement
| total_length = 13:33
| title2 = Get Inside Me
| lyrics2 = {{hlist|Kebee|Jone (Papermaker)|Yohei|Mamixoxo}}
| music2 = {{hlist|Kebee|Tenzo|Jone|Ssam}}
| extra2 = {{hlist|Ssam|Jone}}
| length2 = 3:40
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Track listing of Challenger {{nobold|– Normal edition}}
| extra_column = Arrangement
| total_length = 13:46
| title2 = Kimi no Mama
| note2 = {{langx|ja|君のまま|lit=As You Are|label=none}}
| lyrics2 = {{ill|Masahiro Ōchi|ja|大知正紘}}
| music2 = {{hlist|{{ill|Hayato Tanaka (Japanese composer)|lt=Hayato Tanaka|ja|田中隼人}}|Masahiro Ōchi}}
| extra2 = Teito (KCKT)
| length2 = 3:53
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Track listing of Challenger {{nobold|– Special edition (digital)}}
| extra_column = Arrangement
| total_length = 21:10
| title1 = Born to Be Wild
| length1 = 3:45
| title2 = Speed of Light
| length2 = 3:44
| title3 = Get Inside Me
| length3 = 3:40
| title4 = Kimi no Mama
| note4 = {{langx|ja|君のまま|lit=As You Are|label=none}}
| length4 = 3:53
| title5 = Design
| length5 = 3:04
| title6 = Tsutaerareru Nara
| note6 = {{langx|ja|伝えられるなら|lit=If You Can Tell|label=none}}
| length6 = 3:04
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Track listing of Challenger {{nobold|– Limited edition A (DVD)}}
| total_length = 1:07:26
| title1 = JO1 Challenge
| length1 = 1:07:26
}}
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
= Weekly charts =
= Monthly charts =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Monthly chart performance for Challenger |
| scope="col"| Chart (2021)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| scope="row"| Japan (Oricon){{cite web|script-title=ja:月間 シングルランキング 2021年04月度|trans-title=Oricon Monthly Single Ranking 2021/04|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/js/m/2021-04/|website=Oricon|access-date=12 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512120334/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/js/m/2021-04/|archive-date=12 May 2021}}
| 4 |
{{col-2}}
= Year-end charts =
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+2021 year-end chart performance for Challenger ! Chart (2021) ! Position |
| scope="row"| Japan (Oricon)
| 22 |
|---|
| scope="row"| Japan Combined Singles (Oricon){{cite web|title=オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」|trans-title=Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Big Tree' (Annual Combined Singles Ranking 2021)|url=http://ranking.oricon.co.jp|language=ja|work=Oricon|url-access=subscription|access-date=December 18, 2021}}
| 61 |
| scope="row"| Japan Top Singles Sales (Billboard Japan){{cite web|title=Billboard Japan Top Singles Sales Year End 2021|url=https://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/detail?a=sales_year&year=2021|website=Billboard Japan|access-date=10 December 2021|language=ja|archive-date=December 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211210011422/https://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/detail?a=sales_year&year=2021|url-status=live }}
| 23 |
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications and sales for Challenger}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Japan|title=Challenger|artist=JO1|type=single|award=Platinum|relyear=2021|relmonth=4|certyear=2021|certmonth=4|refname="RIAJ Platinum"}}
{{Certification Table Bottom| nosales=true}}
Release history
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Release dates and formats for Challenger |
| Region
! Date ! Label ! Format(s) ! Edition ! Catalog |
|---|
| rowspan="3" scope="row"| Japan
| rowspan="4"| April 28, 2021 | rowspan="4"| Lapone Entertainment | Limited A | YRCS-90189 |
| {{hlist|CD|photo booklet}}
| Limited B | YRCS-90190 |
| {{hlist|CD}}
| Normal | YRCS-90191 |
| scope="row"| Various
| {{hlist|Download|streaming}} | Special | {{n/a}} |
References
{{reflist|group=note}}
{{Reflist|refs=
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{{JO1|state=expanded}}
Category:Billboard Japan Hot 100 number-one singles