is the debut

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

of Japanese singer Shouta Aoi and the first physical release under his new stage name from when he entered voice acting. The album was released on June 26, 2013 and compiles songs from Aoi's work with Broccoli. The album was produced by

Elements Garden Elements Garden is a Japanese group of music composers, or a "music production brand" as they call themselves. They generally produce music for video games, anime and recording artists. They are attached to Aria Entertainment. The group was form ...

Background and release

''Blue Bird'' is the debut mini album of Shouta Aoi and the first album release under his new stage name from when he entered voice acting. The album was released under Broccoli's music label, B-green, on June 26, 2013. Aoi selected the name ''Blue Bird'' for his album, which was meant to picture "flying" and "sending feelings" over to his fans and people who supported him over the years. He opted for a "simple" and "elegant" shot for the album's cover, which features him against a black background with lighting against him. The image itself was meant as a direct contrast to Aoi's typically "soft" image.

Composition

Aoi worked with

while recording the album's title track, "Blue Bird", mentioning that it was difficult for him to record. "Blue Bird" was the image of a "

bluebird of happiness The symbol of a bluebird as the harbinger of happiness is found in many cultures and may date back thousands of years. Origins of idiom Chinese mythology One of the oldest examples of a blue bird in myth (found on oracle bone inscriptions of th ...

" and was a song meant for the fans who supported him. The lyrics for the album's tracks took longer than the song's composition. The album compiles songs he worked on for Broccoli's drama CD series, as well as some original songs. "Ai no Sasameki Goto" was the theme song for the drama CD series ''Sangokushi Lovers'' and was the first song he released as Shouta Aoi. "Gekka no Hana" was the theme song for the drama CD series ''Ikemen Ooku''.

Reception

The album debuted at #20 in the

Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in Nov ...

Background and release

Composition

Reception

Track listing

Charts

References