Chainsaw Man’s OP song KICK BACK is the first to get RIAA-Certified Gold in Japanese, which does not mean that much outside the US, but is still an achievement.
Summary
Kenshi Yonezu is an accomplished singer, as well as a man of many other talents.
Chainsaw Man’s opening KICK BACK by Kenshi Yonezu was a hit of 2022.
Being officially certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America is unprecedented for a song in Japanese.
Kenshi Yonezu was already a J-pop superstar, and this new milestone will be another great achievement in his career.
Kenshi Yonezu
Kenshi Yonezu is a man of many talents, but his musical talent first shined when, in 2006, he started a band with his friend. He also started releasing Vocaloid music in 2009, using a stage name, which means that rather than singing, he used Vocaloid voices for his music. He grew very popular as a Vocaloid creator, but in a few years, he started singing himself and using his own name.
Kenshi Yonezu won an unreasonable number of awards between 2013 and 2020, and he is a true living legend, especially for the fans of Chainsaw Man. As for KICK BACK, it was released in 2022, and the song became the opening theme for Chainsaw Man. It was a major hit, so it’s not surprising that RIAA paid attention to the song.
Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America or RIAA is a United States organization. It was formed back in 1952, and since 1958, it’s been responsible for certifying records in the US. To reiterate, its decisions only affect the US. The certifications are based on the number of units sold. Gold is the lowest tier, and it requires a minimum of 500,000 units of the music sold, both for digital and physical records.
What that means is that at least 500,000 units of KICK BACK have been sold in the US, making the song the first single sung in Japanese to ever be certified gold by RIAA. And the first anime opening to get such an award as well!
What Does It Mean for Fans?
For fans, it means that their favorite singer and favorite opening have been acknowledged in the US and little more. Anime is still considered a niche hobby, but with an opening being officially acknowledged by RIAA as a gold record, one can argue that it becomes a little more popular. It is literally recognized by a major official body outside of Japan, which is huge! Fans seem to be happy to learn this news, and they support Kenshi Yonezu in his accomplishments. Hopefully, the first platinum Japanese song is going to be certified soon as well! Especially if it is an anime song.
Chainsaw Man’s OP song KICK BACK is the first to get RIAA-Certified Gold in Japanese, which does not mean that much outside the US, but is still an achievement.
Summary
Kenshi Yonezu is an accomplished singer, as well as a man of many other talents.
Chainsaw Man’s opening KICK BACK by Kenshi Yonezu was a hit of 2022.
Being officially certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America is unprecedented for a song in Japanese.
Kenshi Yonezu was already a J-pop superstar, and this new milestone will be another great achievement in his career.
Kenshi Yonezu
Kenshi Yonezu is a man of many talents, but his musical talent first shined when, in 2006, he started a band with his friend. He also started releasing Vocaloid music in 2009, using a stage name, which means that rather than singing, he used Vocaloid voices for his music. He grew very popular as a Vocaloid creator, but in a few years, he started singing himself and using his own name.
Kenshi Yonezu won an unreasonable number of awards between 2013 and 2020, and he is a true living legend, especially for the fans of Chainsaw Man. As for KICK BACK, it was released in 2022, and the song became the opening theme for Chainsaw Man. It was a major hit, so it’s not surprising that RIAA paid attention to the song.
Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America or RIAA is a United States organization. It was formed back in 1952, and since 1958, it’s been responsible for certifying records in the US. To reiterate, its decisions only affect the US. The certifications are based on the number of units sold. Gold is the lowest tier, and it requires a minimum of 500,000 units of the music sold, both for digital and physical records.
What that means is that at least 500,000 units of KICK BACK have been sold in the US, making the song the first single sung in Japanese to ever be certified gold by RIAA. And the first anime opening to get such an award as well!
What Does It Mean for Fans?
For fans, it means that their favorite singer and favorite opening have been acknowledged in the US and little more. Anime is still considered a niche hobby, but with an opening being officially acknowledged by RIAA as a gold record, one can argue that it becomes a little more popular. It is literally recognized by a major official body outside of Japan, which is huge! Fans seem to be happy to learn this news, and they support Kenshi Yonezu in his accomplishments. Hopefully, the first platinum Japanese song is going to be certified soon as well! Especially if it is an anime song.
