Change Myself (song)
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"Change Myself" is a song recorded by Japanese-born South Korean singer
Iconiq Lee Ayumi (born August 25, 1984), professionally known as Ayumi in South Korea and Yumi Itō in Japan, is a Japanese-born South Korean singer, actress and television personality based in South Korea. She debuted under the stage name Ahyoomee i ...
, for her first album, ''
Change Myself ''Change Myself'' is the debut Japanese-language studio album by South Korean singer-born in Japan Iconiq, released on March 10, 2010. The album was initially planned for a February 24 release, which was postponed for two weeks. Background Icon ...
''. The song was central to much of the album's promotion, such as its use in commercials for
Shiseido is a Japanese multinational cosmetic company founded in Tokyo, Japan in 1872. Its product categories consist of: skin care, makeup, body care, hair care, and fragrances. The company is one of the oldest cosmetic companies in the world an ...
's ''Maquillage'' cosmetics range. The song's lyrics influenced the change theme to Iconiq's debut. The song was somewhat successful in the digital market, peaking at #1 on
Recochoku Avex Inc. ( kabushiki gaisha , commonly known as Avex and stylized as avex) is a Japanese entertainment conglomerate led by founder Max Matsuura and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1988, the company manages J-pop talents like Ayumi ...
's weekly ringtone ranking chart. However, the song only received moderate success as a full-length download, peaking at #20 on
RIAJ The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969. The RIAJ's activities include prom ...
's Digital Track Chart.


Release

The song was first released as a ringtone on January 20, 2010. A 1:39 edit of the song was released as B-side on Iconiq's " I'm Lovin' You" rental single, on January 27, 2010. A shorter edited version of the song was released as a digital download to cellphones on March 3, 2010, with the full-length version released simultaneously in cellphone and PC digital stores on March 31, 2010. The song appears on both Iconiq's debut album ''
Change Myself ''Change Myself'' is the debut Japanese-language studio album by South Korean singer-born in Japan Iconiq, released on March 10, 2010. The album was initially planned for a February 24 release, which was postponed for two weeks. Background Icon ...
'', released March 10, 2010, and on her debut
extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...
, '' Light Ahead'', released September 15, 2010.


Writing

The song is a mid-tempo R&B song, written by
Hiro Hiro may refer to: People * Hiro (given name), includes lists of people with the given name * Hiro (photographer) (1930–2021), Japanese-born American photographer * Hiro (singer) (born 1991), French singer * Hiroko Shimabukuro (born 1984), Japa ...
of Digz, inc. The lyrics describe a woman who has just come out of a relationship, whose only escape from sadness and reality is the
MP3 MP3 (formally MPEG-1 Audio Layer III or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III) is a coding format for digital audio developed largely by the Fraunhofer Society in Germany under the lead of Karlheinz Brandenburg. It was designed to greatly reduce the amount ...
s she plays. She decides that she will not "live for nobody else but me" and changes things about herself. According to Iconiq, the song tries to express the message "From now I'll keep trying, and walk forward." Because Iconiq and her team believed the song's message was strong, "Change Myself" also became the title of Iconiq's debut album. Furthermore, the lyrics of the song, such as the chorus line , became the basis for concepts and catch phrases that were the centre of promotion around the album.


Promotion

The song was announced in a press conference on 19 January, which announced the song as being used for
Shiseido is a Japanese multinational cosmetic company founded in Tokyo, Japan in 1872. Its product categories consist of: skin care, makeup, body care, hair care, and fragrances. The company is one of the oldest cosmetic companies in the world an ...
's ''Maquillage'' cosmetics range. Iconiq's debut digital single " I'm Lovin' You" had been used for the same promotions in late 2009, however these commercials featured Iconiq personally, instead of just using her music. The song was also used in commercials for
Recochoku Avex Inc. ( kabushiki gaisha , commonly known as Avex and stylized as avex) is a Japanese entertainment conglomerate led by founder Max Matsuura and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1988, the company manages J-pop talents like Ayumi ...
. During album promotions, Iconiq promoted products from seven different companies simultaneously:
All Nippon Airways (ANA) is a Japanese airline headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. ANA operates services to both domestic and international destinations and is Japan's largest airline, ahead of its main rival flag carrier Japan Airlines. the airline has approximate ...
, US fashion brand Kitson, Italian car manufacturer
Maserati Maserati S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury vehicle manufacturer. Established on 1 December 1914 in Bologna, Italy, the company's headquarters are now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. The company has been owned by Stellantis since 2021. Ma ...
,
Rhythm Zone (RZN) is a record label in the Avex Group that releases urban contemporary Japanese music. History The label was founded in 1999 by Max Matsuura with a focus on urban music, signing M-Flo as its first artist, then followed by Exile. In 2000 ...
, music download site Mu-Mo, Shiseido and
Starbucks Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational List of coffeehouse chains, chain of coffeehouses and Starbucks Reserve, roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gor ...
. Each commercial had two versions: one featuring "Change Myself" as background music, along with versions using " Bye Now!." Iconiq performed this song as a per of her set at the 2010 A-Nation concerts.


Music video

The music video was directed by Yasuhiko Shimizu. The video begins with grey-scale shots of Iconiq walking through deserted heights of a building in the Tokyo skyline. Interspersed through these shots are scenes of Iconiq posing in fashionable clothing, as if for a photoshoot. The video then focuses on scenes of Iconiq against a shimmering, changing background. The background shows such things as stylised lettering of the song's title and geometric patterns. She poses, or dances like a butterfly against the screen. Eventually, different primary colors are added to the patterns on the screen. The final scene shows Iconiq herself in color. The music video attempts to express a woman with a strong will.


Chart rankings


Release history


References

{{authority control Iconiq songs 2010 singles Songs in Japanese Songs written by Hiro (music producer) 2010 songs Rhythm Zone singles Songs written by Koki Tanaka