Namida no Niji/Save Me

"Namida no Niji/Save Me" (涙の虹/SAVE ME; lit. "Rainbow of Tears/Save Me") is the fifteenth single by Japanese recording artist Aya Ueto. It was released on May 30, 2007.

"Namida no Niji/Save Me"
Single by Aya Ueto
from the album Happy Magic: Smile Project
Released	May 30, 2007
Recorded	March 2007
Genre	Pop, pop rock
Length	4:22 ("Namida no Niji") 5:31 ("Save Me")
Label	Flight Master
Songwriter(s)	Aya Ueto, Izumi Sakaki, Yoo, Hiroaki Hayama
Producer(s)	Akihisa Matzura, Hayama
Aya Ueto singles chronology
"Way to Heaven" (2007) "Namida no Niji/Save Me" (2007) "Smile for.../Mō Ichido Dake" (2009)

Overview

"Namida no Niji" was included on the standard edition of Ueto's fifth studio album Happy Magic: Smile Project. It served as theme song for the TV Asahi drama Hotelier, starring Ueto herself.^[1] The song, which she co-wrote with singer-songwriter Izumi Sakaki, marks Ueto's first foray into songwriting.^[1]

In a press release, Ueto commented, "The song was composed by a Korean producer. We couldn't quite find the right Japanese lyrics to go with the music, so I decided that perhaps I should write the words myself."^[2] About the title of the song, she commented, "When it's raining, people's faces are hidden by their umbrellas. Without an umbrella, you get to experience a world that no one else at that moment can."^[2]

Ueto explained in an interview with Oricon Style her reasons for not writing her own lyrics before "Namida no Niji":

I had always said I would never write the lyrics to my songs because it would feel like people were peeping into my heart, but after deciding on the theme for the song and once I started writing, I realized it wasn't so bad after all. I worked with Izumi Sakaki on this song, she took my lyrics and polished them. I'm happy it turned out so well.^[3]

The second A-side, "Save Me," was written, composed, and produced by Tourbillon keyboardist Hiroaki Hayama. It was used in the TBS sports program J Spo. Despite being an A-side, "Save Me" was not included in Ueto's succeeding studio album Happy Magic: Smile Project.

Chart performance

"Namida no Niji/Save Me" debuted on the Oricon Daily Singles chart at number 12 on May 29, 2007 and climbed to number 11 the following day.^[4][5] It peaked at number 17 on the Oricon Weekly Singles chart, with 8,904 copies sold in its first week.^[6] The single charted for five weeks and has sold a total of 14,858 copies.^[7][8]

Track listing

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Arranger(s)	Length
1.	"Namida no Niji" (涙の虹 "Rainbow of Tears")	Aya Ueto, Izumi Sakaki	Yoo	Akihisa Matzura	4:22
2.	"Save Me"	Hiroaki Hayama	Hayama	Hayama	5:31
3.	"Way to Heaven (100db Mix)"	Shoko	Shōichirō Hirata	Hirata	4:41
4.	"Namida no Niji (Instrumental)"		Yoo	Matzura	4:21
5.	"Save Me (Instrumental)"		Hayama	Hayama	5:32
Total length:					24:43

Charts

Chart (2007)	Peak position
Oricon Daily Singles[4]	11
Oricon Weekly Singles[6]	17
SoundScan Japan Weekly Singles[9]	18
Taiwan Five Music J-pop/K-pop Chart[10]	20

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label
Japan[11]	May 30, 2007	CD, digital download	Pony Canyon
Taiwan[12]	June 1, 2007	CD