Forever Love (X Japan song)
{{Infobox song
| name = Forever Love
| cover = Foreverlovexjapan.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Original release
| type = single
| artist = X Japan
| album = Dahlia
| released = {{start date|1996|7|8}}
| recorded = One on One Recording, Hit Factory, December 31, 1997 at Tokyo Dome (track 2, 1997 reissue & 2001 reissue)
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Symphonic rock
| length = 17:20 (original release)
| label = Atlantic, Polydor (1997 reissue)
| writer = Yoshiki
| producer = Yoshiki
| prev_title = Dahlia
| prev_year = 1996
| next_title = Crucify My Love
| next_year = 1996
}}
"Forever Love" is the fourteenth single by Japanese heavy metal band X Japan, released on July 8, 1996.
Summary
The song was written and composed by Yoshiki. An acoustic version appears on their album Dahlia.
The single has been reissued several times. On December 18, 1997, following the announcement of the band's breakup, a different mixed version was released with a live version of "Longing" (recorded at "The Last Live" concert) as a B-side. The original single was reissued again on July 22, 1998, after the death of guitarist hide. A single containing all previous versions (except original karaoke version), as well as a live recording (also recorded at "The Last Live" concert) of the song was released on July 11, 2001.
Also in 2001, the song was used as background music in several commercials for the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party. LDP member Junichiro Koizumi, at that time the country's Prime Minister has expressed fondness for X Japan's music.{{cite web| title = LDP unveils new TV commercials, poster featuring Koizumi| work = findarticles.com| date = 2001-05-16| url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0XPQ/is_2001_May_21/ai_74937979| access-date = 2007-09-29}} "Forever Love" appears on the soundtrack of the 1996 animated feature film X.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X6YtQxURSvUC&q=clamp+manga+x+Forever+Love&pg=PA402|title=Anime Classics Zettai!: 100 Must-See Japanese Animation Masterpieces|publisher=Stone Bridge Press|author=Brian Camp, Julie Davis|year=2007|isbn=9781933330228|page=402}}
In 2012, "Forever Love" was covered by both Mr. Big singer Eric Martin in Mr. Rock Vocalist{{cite web | title = エリック・マーティン、B'zからBOΦWY、LUNA SEAまで今度は男性J-ROCKの名曲を鮮烈カバー | url = https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000081879 | language = ja | work = Barks.jp |date= 2012-07-30| access-date = 2022-02-12}} and Megamasso singer Inzargi in Visualist: Precious Hits of V-Rock Cover Song for their respective cover albums.{{cite web| title = Megamasso's Vocalist INZARGI to Release Cover Album| work = jpopasia.com| url = http://www.jpopasia.com/news/megamassos-vocalist-inzargi-to-release-cover-album::10160.html| access-date = 2012-02-20}} Awoi covered it for the compilation album Counteraction - V-Rock covered Visual Anime songs Compilation-, which was released on May 23, 2012 and features covers of songs by visual kei bands that were used in anime.{{cite web| title = V-Kei Anime Song Cover Compilation "Counteraction!" and MJP TV to Collaborate! Live Talk Program with Asai Hiroaki and the Artists Participating!| work = musicjapanplus.jp| url = http://www.musicjapanplus.jp/news/1/15001/v-kei-anime-song-cover-compilation-counteraction-and-mjp-tv-to-collaborate-live-talk-program-with-asai-hiroaki-and-the-artists-participating/| access-date = 2012-04-21| archive-date = 2012-05-19| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120519032336/http://www.musicjapanplus.jp/news/1/15001/v-kei-anime-song-cover-compilation-counteraction-and-mjp-tv-to-collaborate-live-talk-program-with-asai-hiroaki-and-the-artists-participating/| url-status = dead}} Death metal band Gyze included a cover of the song on the Japanese edition of their 2019 album Asian Chaos.{{cite web |title=Japan's GYZE To Release New Album Next Week; "Asian Chaos" Official Video Posted |url=http://bravewords.com/news/japan-s-gyze-to-release-new-album-next-week-asian-chaos-official-video-posted |work=BraveWords |date=2019-07-04 |access-date=2019-07-10}} It was also covered by Mary's Blood for their 2020 cover album Re>Animator, and by Mayo Suzukaze for her 2021 album Fairy ~A・I~ Ai.{{cite web | title = Mary's Blood、アニソンカバーアルバムをリリース | url = https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000185532 | language = ja | work = Barks.jp |date= 2020-07-10| access-date = 2020-09-20}}{{cite web | title = 涼風真世、40周年記念盤『Fairy ～A・I～ 愛』に小池修一郎×SUGIZOによる新曲収録 | url = https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000205437 | language = ja | work = Barks.jp |date= 2021-07-26| access-date = 2022-02-12}}
In 2019, the city of Tateyama, Chiba (where Yoshiki and Toshi were born) decided to change the departure signal of trains at Tateyama Station to "Forever Love".{{cite web|url=https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000173514|title=JR東日本・館山駅の発車メロディーが「Forever Love」に|publisher=Barks|language=ja|access-date=2019-10-25|date=2019-10-24}}
Alternative covers
Image:Foreverlovelastmix.jpg|1997 reissue
Image:X lovere1.jpg|1998 reissue
Image:X loverere.jpg|2001 reissue
Commercial performance
The single reached number 1 on the Oricon charts, and charted for 15 weeks.{{cite web| url = http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/26180/ranking/cd_single/| script-title=ja:Ｘ ＪＡＰＡＮのシングル売り上げランキング| work = oricon.co.jp| publisher = Oricon| access-date = December 10, 2011| language = ja}} In 1996, with 509,920 copies sold was the 47th best-selling single of the year,{{cite web|url=http://www1.interq.or.jp/kunioki/year/music/rc_ms96.shtml |title=What's This Year / 1996 |work=interq.or.jp |access-date=2014-07-01 |language=ja |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407012833/http://www1.interq.or.jp/kunioki/year/music/rc_ms96.shtml |archive-date=2012-04-07 }} being certified Platinum by RIAJ.{{cite web|url=http://www.riaj.or.jp/f/data/cert/gd.html|title=月次認定作品 認定年月：1996年 8月|publisher=RIAJ|access-date=2017-05-10|language=ja}} The edition released in 1997 reached number 13, and charted for 11 weeks, while those in 1998 and 2001 reached number 18 and 19 respectively, and both charted for 4 weeks.
Track listing
{{tracklist
| headline = Original release/1998 reissue
| all_writing = Yoshiki
| title1 = Forever Love
| length1 = 8:41
| title2 = Forever Love (Original Karaoke)
| length2 = 8:38
}}
{{tracklist
| headline = 1997 reissue
| title1 = Forever Love (Last Mix)
| length1 = 8:31
| title2 = Longing (Bootleg)
| length2 = 7:56
}}
{{tracklist
| headline = 2001 reissue
| title1 = Forever Love
| length1 = 8:41
| title2 = Forever Love (Live)
| length2 = 8:06
| title3 = Forever Love (Acoustic Version)
| length3 = 7:55
| title4 = Forever Love (Last Mix)
| length4 = 8:31
}}
Personnel
- Co-Producer – X Japan
- Orchestra arranged by – Yoshiki, Dick Marx, Shelly Berg
- Scored by – Tom Halm
- Orchestra – American Symphony Orchestra
- Mixed by – Mike Ging
- Recorded by – Mike Ging, Rich Breen, Stan Katayama, Kazuhiko Inada
- Assistant engineers – Tal Miller, C.J. Devillar, Dokk Knight, Carl Nappa, Paul Falcone
- Mastered by – Stephen Marcussen (Precision Studio)
- A&R directed by – Osamu Nagashima
- Art directed by – Shige#11
- Executive producers – Ryuzo "Jr." Kosugi, Yukitaka Mashimo
- Acoustic guitar – Bill Whiteacre ("Forever Love (Last Mix)")