"Innocence" is the third single by Japanese singer Eir Aoi, released on November 21, 2012, under SME Records. The song gained significant recognition as the second opening theme for the 2012 anime series, Sword Art Online, specifically for the "Fairy Dance" arc.
The song is one of Aoi's most commercially successful tracks, receiving a Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for exceeding 100,000 digital downloads. It also achieved success on physical charts, maintaining a presence on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart for 28 weeks.
Background and release The single was announced in September 2012 as the second opening theme for the anime series Sword Art Online. It was released by SME Records on November 21, 2012, in three formats: a standard CD, a limited CD+DVD edition, and a press-limited anime edition. The anime edition features alternative cover art and includes the "TV size" version of the title track.
Production and composition "Innocence" was composed and arranged by Ryosuke Shigenaga, with lyrics credited to Shigenaga and Eir Aoi. The song is a J-pop track with rock instrumentation, featuring Masanori Mine on guitar and Fire on bass. The recording was mixed by Eiichi Nishizawa at Studio Sound Valley.
Music video The music video for "Innocence" was directed by Hideaki Sunaga. The video features Aoi performing in a room with light fixtures and outdoor scenes set in a field. The video was later included on the DVD for the limited edition release of the album Blau.
Release history/formats
Region Date Format Label Catalog Japan November 21, 2012 CD single (Regular) SME Records SECL-1216 CD + DVD (Limited) SME Records SECL-1214–5 CD + DVD (Anime) SME Records SECL-1217–8 Various November 21, 2012 Digital download SME Records —
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