CHEMISTRY
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This super star vocal duo's successes includes six Oricon #1 albums (some of which have sold over one million copies), seven Oricon #1 singles, and the theme song to the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan. Now enjoying their 10th anniversary year (they debuted in 2001), the duo has stayed on top of the scene in Japan and greater Asia.
CHEMISTRY made their debut on March 7, 2001. Their first single “Pieces Of A Dream” stayed in the in the top 10 for 16 straight weeks, and became an instant million seller. Third single “You Go Your Way” became the first song in history to collaborate with a commercial, namely Suntory’s “Boss” (canned coffee). First album The Way We Were, including three mega hit singles, sold two million copies in two weeks, eventually becoming a monster hit of shipping three million copies. Their first appearance in the NHK’s first Red & White Year-End Song Festival of the century achieved the highest instant viewing rate.
In June 2002, CHEMISTRY participated in “Voices of KOREA/JAPAN”, a Korean/Japanese collaboration vocal unit that sang the official theme song of the 2002 FIFA World World CupTM [Korea/Japan], an event still fresh in memory. They co-recorded the first Korean/Japanese collaboration song entitled “Let’s Get Together Now”. The song, performed at the pre-opening festival of the World Cup held in Korea, was virtually “the first national broadcast of a Japanese language song in Korea since WWII”; this historical achievement was reported sensationally in various media. Their performance at the World Cup opening ceremony was broadcasted in 160 countries worldwide, imprinting the new future of Korea and Japan to the world. Followed on November 2002 was the triple-A-side single (their sixth) “It Takes Two / SOLID DREAM / MOVE ON”, of which all three tracks had major nationwide tie-ins. The single made another ‘debut at #1’ on Oricon, the duo’s fifth in a row. The following December, they released “My Gift To You” as totally limited single, selling it out on the same day. The song was already creating buzz by being used in the commercial of “au by KDDI Movie Mail”.
CHEMISTRY released their much-awaited second album Second To None, debuting at #1 on Oricon and stayed for two weeks. The duo became the first male artist/group and third overall artist/group following globe and Hikaru Utada in chart history to achieve two debut-at-#1 albums from the beginning and make both million sellers. The album surpassed shipment of 2.3 million and still selling strong.
CHEMISTRY went on their first tour (all-standing, club tour) in spring 2002, followed by an acoustic tour (their second) in summer and a nationwide, arena/hall tour (third) in spring 2003, and intoxicating audience of more than 120,000. All tickets in those three tours in the course of 13 months sold out in minutes. And from June 2003, the duo had a series of releases, i.e., their first special product Between The Lines (surpassed shipment of 1 million), 8th single “Ashita E Kaeru / Us”, and first live-and-documentary visual product (2DVD/2VHS), all debuting at #1 on Oricon. Their tremendous success in sales made them the “best selling artist
On February 18, 2004, CHEMISTRY’s much awaited third album One x One (pronounced ‘one-by-one’), that further established their status as artists. In April, they kicked off their fourth tour entitled “CHEMISTRY 2004 ARENA TOUR One x One”. After touring 11 cities, performing 25 concerts (including additional shows) and drawing audience of 230,000, they established their recognition as live artists as well.
2005 began with the release of so-called ‘winter premium album’ HOT CHEMISTRY on January 26, as well as DVD CHEMISTRY in SUNTORY HALL, a non-edited, live DVD of the one-night, premium concert at Suntory Hall in September 2004.
Fourth studio album fo(u)r was released November 2005. In support of the album, they went on their fifth concert tour entitled “CHEMISTRY 2006 TOUR fo(u)r” from January thru May 2006, ending in tremendous success.
2006 saw a string of releases starting from remix album Re:fo(u)rm, second video clip collection CHEMISTRY THE VIDEOS: 2003-2006 ~We Sing, Therefore We Are~. In October that year, the duo released single “Yakusoku No Basyo”, a collaboration project with tunesmith Noriyuki Makihara. It was followed by another single “tookage feat. John Legend” in November, which was a collaboration project with the three-time Grammy winner, which became the theme song of Hollywood anime open season. Their first greatest hits collection ALL THE BEST was released November 22, 2006, that culminated their five-year career.
CHEMISTRY continued to stay active on the scenes in 2007. They released four singles in a row, namely “Sorano Kiseki”, “This Night”, “Saigono Kawa” and “Kagayaku Yoru”. Fifth full-scale studio album Face to Face was released January 30, 2008.
The duo went on an extensive tour entitled “CHEMISTRY 2008 TOUR Face to Face” from March thru July 2008, performing 45 concerts in 40 cities, all achieving great success. Their latest, 24th single “Life goes on” was released August 20, 2008
In June 2002, CHEMISTRY participated in “Voices of KOREA/JAPAN”, a Korean/Japanese collaboration vocal unit that sang the official theme song of the 2002 FIFA World World CupTM [Korea/Japan], an event still fresh in memory. They co-recorded the first Korean/Japanese collaboration song entitled “Let’s Get Together Now”. The song, performed at the pre-opening festival of the World Cup held in Korea, was virtually “the first national broadcast of a Japanese language song in Korea since WWII”; this historical achievement was reported sensationally in various media. Their performance at the World Cup opening ceremony was broadcasted in 160 countries worldwide, imprinting the new future of Korea and Japan to the world. Followed on November 2002 was the triple-A-side single (their sixth) “It Takes Two / SOLID DREAM / MOVE ON”, of which all three tracks had major nationwide tie-ins. The single made another ‘debut at #1’ on Oricon, the duo’s fifth in a row. The following December, they released “My Gift To You” as totally limited single, selling it out on the same day. The song was already creating buzz by being used in the commercial of “au by KDDI Movie Mail”.
CHEMISTRY released their much-awaited second album Second To None, debuting at #1 on Oricon and stayed for two weeks. The duo became the first male artist/group and third overall artist/group following globe and Hikaru Utada in chart history to achieve two debut-at-#1 albums from the beginning and make both million sellers. The album surpassed shipment of 2.3 million and still selling strong.
CHEMISTRY went on their first tour (all-standing, club tour) in spring 2002, followed by an acoustic tour (their second) in summer and a nationwide, arena/hall tour (third) in spring 2003, and intoxicating audience of more than 120,000. All tickets in those three tours in the course of 13 months sold out in minutes. And from June 2003, the duo had a series of releases, i.e., their first special product Between The Lines (surpassed shipment of 1 million), 8th single “Ashita E Kaeru / Us”, and first live-and-documentary visual product (2DVD/2VHS), all debuting at #1 on Oricon. Their tremendous success in sales made them the “best selling artist
On February 18, 2004, CHEMISTRY’s much awaited third album One x One (pronounced ‘one-by-one’), that further established their status as artists. In April, they kicked off their fourth tour entitled “CHEMISTRY 2004 ARENA TOUR One x One”. After touring 11 cities, performing 25 concerts (including additional shows) and drawing audience of 230,000, they established their recognition as live artists as well.
2005 began with the release of so-called ‘winter premium album’ HOT CHEMISTRY on January 26, as well as DVD CHEMISTRY in SUNTORY HALL, a non-edited, live DVD of the one-night, premium concert at Suntory Hall in September 2004.
Fourth studio album fo(u)r was released November 2005. In support of the album, they went on their fifth concert tour entitled “CHEMISTRY 2006 TOUR fo(u)r” from January thru May 2006, ending in tremendous success.
2006 saw a string of releases starting from remix album Re:fo(u)rm, second video clip collection CHEMISTRY THE VIDEOS: 2003-2006 ~We Sing, Therefore We Are~. In October that year, the duo released single “Yakusoku No Basyo”, a collaboration project with tunesmith Noriyuki Makihara. It was followed by another single “tookage feat. John Legend” in November, which was a collaboration project with the three-time Grammy winner, which became the theme song of Hollywood anime open season. Their first greatest hits collection ALL THE BEST was released November 22, 2006, that culminated their five-year career.
CHEMISTRY continued to stay active on the scenes in 2007. They released four singles in a row, namely “Sorano Kiseki”, “This Night”, “Saigono Kawa” and “Kagayaku Yoru”. Fifth full-scale studio album Face to Face was released January 30, 2008.
The duo went on an extensive tour entitled “CHEMISTRY 2008 TOUR Face to Face” from March thru July 2008, performing 45 concerts in 40 cities, all achieving great success. Their latest, 24th single “Life goes on” was released August 20, 2008
