is a song recorded by Japanese-American singer-songwriter Ai. It was originally released on January 5, 2016, by EMI Records, as a promotional single.
Upon its release, the original 100-second version of the song was a sleeper hit, peaking at number 4 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, receiving a Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). A full version was later released, which received a Gold certification from the RIAJ. The song was later included in a deluxe reissue of Ai's second greatest hits album, The Best.
Background and release Written by Makoto Shinohara, "Minna ga Minna Eiyū" was originally planned to only be used in a promotional campaign for au, a Japanese mobile phone operator. A 100-second version of the song was exclusively released on au's music services in January 2016, and a few weeks later was released to other digital stores due to demand. In February 2016, Universal Japan announced the full version of the song was to be released to digital stores.
Composition and lyrics A J-pop song, "Minna ga Minna Eiyū" samples the melody of "Do Your Ears Hang Low?", a children's song often sung in schools and camps. Lyrically, the song is about being a hero. Real Sound Japan described the song as an "uplifting J-pop song" with "soulful singing" from Ai.
Live performances Ai performed "Minna ga Minna Eiyū" at the 67th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
Track listing All tracks written by Makoto Shinohara and produced by Uta.
Digital download and streaming (100-second version) "Minna ga Minna Eiyū" — 1:40 Digital download and streaming Minna ga Minna Eiyū" — 3:02
Charts +Chart performance for "Minna ga Minna Eiyū"Chart (2016)PeakpositionJapan Hot 100 (Billboard Japan)4
Credits and personnel Credits adapted from Tidal.
Ai Carina Uemura – vocals Uta – producer, arrangement Makota Shinohara – songwriter
Certifications
Release history +Release history and formats for "Minna ga Minna Eiyū"RegionDateFormatVersionLabelJapanJanuary 5, 2016100 SecondEMI RecordsJanuary 16, 2016February 19, 2016FullFebruary 26, 2016Radio airplayVariousNovember 6, 2019
"Minna ga Minna Eiyū 2024"
On January 1, 2024, au aired a new commercial in Japan to celebrate ten years of their Santaro series. A new version of Ai's "Minna ga Minna Eiyū" with new lyrics was used in the commercial. Artificial intelligence art based on works by Bokkuri Matsumoto are entirely used to illustrate the commercial.
Similar to the original song, Shinohara provided lyrics while the melody samples the children's song "Do Your Ears Hang Low?". In an interview, Shinohara discussed that he originally planned to use the original 2016 version of the song, however he went on to modify the lyrics to fit the theme of the commercial. A 100-second version lyric video for "Minna ga Minna Eiyū 2024" was released on Ai's YouTube channel. Alongside original producer Uta, Ai also co-produced the song.
Charts +Chart performance for "Minna ga Minna Eiyū 2024"Chart (2024)PeakpositionJapan Top Download Songs (Billboard Japan)69
Personnel Credits adapted from Tidal.
Ai Carina Uemura – vocals, producer Uta – producer, arrangement Makota Shinohara – songwriter
References