Not So Different
{{short description|2020 single by Ai}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}{{Infobox song
| name = Not So Different
| cover = Ai_-_Not_So_Different.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Ai
| EP = It's All Me, Vol. 2
| language = {{hlist|Japanese|English}}
| B-side =
| released = {{start date|2020|11|25}}
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = {{hlist|J-pop|pop rap}}
| length = 3:42
| label = {{hlist|EMI|Universal}}
| writer = {{hlist|Ai Uemura|Rachel West|[[Avedon (record producer)|Vincent Van den Ende
]]|Scott Storch}}
| producer = {{hlist|Avedon|Storch|Uemura}}
| chronology = Ai
| prev_title = Gift
| prev_year = 2020
| next_title = The Moment
| next_year = 2021
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = Awich
| type = single
| prev_title = Aligator / FND Airlines
| prev_year = 2020
| title = Not So Different
| year = 2020
|next_title = Happy X-mas (War Is Over)
|next_year = 2020
}}
{{External music video|{{YouTube|EJST9M-3jfY|"Not So Different"}}
{{YouTube|4bZOxCceQ00|"Not So Different Remix feat. Awich"}}}}
}}
"Not So Different" is a song recorded by Japanese-American singer-songwriter Ai. It was released on November 25, 2020. The song was written by Ai and Rachel West with additional songwriting credits from producers Avedon and Scott Storch and was included on It's All Me, Vol. 2 (2021).
On December 11, 2020, a remix featuring Japanese rapper Awich was released and later included on It's All Me, Vol. 2. A J-pop and pop rap song, "Not So Different" lyrically is about equality and world peace. The song has been compared to Ai's 2006 single "I Wanna Know".
Background
{{Quote|text=When I [wrote Not So Different], I hadn't decided to put this song on "Volume two" [...] At that time, the Black Lives Matter movement expanded, and [I] decided to put [it] out now. I always want[ed] to send a message like this, but often I can't put out a song unless the timing is right.|author=Ai reflecting on including "Not So Different" on It's All Me, Vol. 2{{Cite web|last=Inc|first=Natasha|title=AI「IT'S ALL ME - Vol.2」インタビュー｜今この世界で掲げる、ずっと歌い続けてきた"ラブ＆ピース" - 音楽ナタリー 特集・インタビュー|url=https://natalie.mu/music/pp/ai04|access-date=2021-04-05|website=音楽ナタリー|language=ja}}|title=|source=}}Ai originally wrote and recorded the song during her 2019 recording session in Los Angeles, California. She originally performed the song in June 2020 amidst the George Floyd protests in an interview with Salesforce.{{Cite web|title=AI、新曲「Not So Different」＆「ハピネス」アコースティックver.をパフォーマン|url=https://www.billboard-japan.com/d_news/detail/90534/2|access-date=2021-12-22|website=Billboard Japan}}{{Cite web|title=AI、新曲「Not So Different」パフォーマンス映像公開「みんな同じHuman」|url=https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000186398|access-date=2021-08-20|website=BARKS| date=July 28, 2020 |language=ja}} In October 2020, Ai announced she would be participating in the One Young World summit to take place in Tokyo in May 2021.{{Cite web|title=AI、青年版ダボス会議「One Young World Japan」初のオフィシャル・アーティストに就任 - CDJournal ニュース|url=https://www.cdjournal.com/main/news/ai/88165|access-date=2021-12-22|website=www.cdjournal.com|language=ja}}{{Cite web|title=The One Young World Summit Tokyo 2022 {{!}} One Young World|url=https://www.oneyoungworld.com/summit-2022|access-date=2021-08-20|website=www.oneyoungworld.com}} "Not So Different" originally was not planned for release as a single nor planned to be included on Ai's It's All Me EP's until November 2020.{{Cite web|last=|first=|title=AI「IT'S ALL ME - Vol.2」インタビュー｜今この世界で掲げる、ずっと歌い続けてきた"ラブ＆ピース" - 音楽ナタリー 特集・インタビュー|url=https://natalie.mu/music/pp/ai04|access-date=2021-04-05|website=音楽ナタリー|publisher=Natalie Inc|language=ja}} In an interview with Oricon regarding the lyric "...a peace sign instead of a middle finger", Ai stated she normally does not express herself directly in her songs and that she "...wanted to express such a part in an easy-to-understand manner."{{Cite web|title=平和を歌うアーティスト・AI 「私にできるのは音楽を通してメッセージを届けること」|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/special/55485/|access-date=2021-12-22|website=ORICON NEWS}}
= Awich remix =
A remix of Not So Different featuring Awich was announced a few days after the release of the solo version.{{Cite web|title=AIがAwichを迎えた新曲「Not So Different Remix」をリリース|url=https://block.fm/news/null|access-date=2021-12-22|website=block.fm|language=ja-JP|archive-date=December 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222195225/https://block.fm/news/null|url-status=dead}} Regarding the remix, Ai stated it originally was not planned until she discussed it with her manager.{{Cite web|date=2021-02-19|title=【対談】AI × Awich {{!}} 私たちはそんなに違わない|url=https://fnmnl.tv/2021/02/19/118748|access-date=2021-08-20|website=FNMNL (フェノメナル)|language=en-US}} It was released on December 11, 2020.{{Cite web|title=AI announces new song "Not So Different" MV release & new mini album release|url=https://www.billboard-japan.com/d_news/detail/94594/2|access-date=2021-08-21|website=Billboard Japan}}
Music video
A music video for the solo version was released on November 25, 2020.{{Cite web|title=A remix of "Not So Different" by AI and Awich to be released|url=https://www.billboard-japan.com/d_news/detail/94507/2|access-date=2021-08-21|website=Billboard Japan}} A One Young World Japan version was released in December 2020.{{Cite web|title=AI、「Not So Different」の新作MVで次世代を担う世界14ヵ国15名の若きリーダーたちとコラボ (2020年12月2日)|url=https://www.excite.co.jp/news/article/M_on_music_0000447381/|access-date=2021-12-22|website=エキサイトニュース|date=December 2, 2020 |language=ja}}{{Cite web|title=NOT SO DIFFERENT – OYWJ Version – – One Young World Japan|url=https://oywj.org/news/2020/12/not-so-different-oywj-version/|access-date=2021-08-20|language=en-US}}
In February 2021, a music video for the remix version featuring Awich was released.
Live performances
Ai previously performed the song before its release in June 2020.{{Cite web|last=|first=|title=AI、新曲「Not So Different」パフォーマンス映像＆「ハピネス」アコースティックVer.公開（動画あり）|url=https://natalie.mu/music/news/389471|access-date=2021-08-20|website=音楽ナタリー|publisher=Natalie Inc|language=ja}} She performed the song with Awich in November 2020.{{Cite web|title=AI、Awichとコラボ「かっこよくなりすぎました」|url=https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000192669|access-date=2021-08-20|website=BARKS| date=November 24, 2020 |language=ja}}
Charts
| class="wikitable"
|+Chart performance for "Not So Different" !Chart (2020) !Peak{{break}}position |
| Japan Top Download Songs (Billboard Japan){{Cite news |title=Billboard Japan Download Songs chart: Week of December 23, 2020 |url=https://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/detail?a=dlsongs&year=2020&month=12&day=28 |access-date=April 25, 2024 |work=Billboard Japan}}
| align="center" |79 |
Credits and personnel
= Solo version =
== Musicians ==
- Ai Uemura – vocals, production, songwriting
- Rachel West – songwriting
- Vincent Van den Ende – songwriting, production
- Scott Storch –songwriting, production
== Technical ==
- Randy Merrill – mastering engineer
- D.O.I – mixer
= Awich remix =
== Musicians ==
- Ai Uemura – vocals, production, songwriting
- Akiko Urasaki – vocals, songwriting
- Rachel West – songwriting
- Vincent Van den Ende – songwriting, production
- Scott Storch –songwriting, production
== Technical ==
- Randy Merrill – mastering engineer
- D.O.I – mixer
- Keisuke Fujimaki – recording engineer
- Keisuke Suwa – recording engineer
- Shiori Maruoka – recording engineer
Track listing
Digital download
- Not So Different – 3:42
Awich remix
- Not So Different (feat. Awich) – 3:41
Release history
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Release history and formats for "Not So Different" ! scope="col" |Region ! scope="col" |Date ! scope="col" |Format !Version ! scope="col" |Label ! scope="col" |{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
| rowspan="3" scope="row" |Various
|November 25, 2020 | rowspan="2" |{{hlist|Digital download|streaming}} |Original |
|---|
| December 11, 2020
|Awich remix |
References
{{reflist}}
{{Ai (singer)}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Universal Music Japan singles
Category:Songs about racism and xenophobia
Category:Songs based on actual events
Category:Song recordings produced by Scott Storch
Category:Songs written by Ai (singer)