In Japan, as a JPOP artist, it's almost always a good deal to get a commercial tie-up for your next single. You'll get heavy rotation on TV, for one. And unlike people in the west, the Japanese actually positively respond (usually) to commercial songs and purchase them. Artist and songwriter Abe Mao's latest, 'Lonely,' which she calls a "simple, straight love song," has been announced for a June 9 release. It will be a tie-in song for beverage Calpis Water commercials nationwide, starting this month in Japan. Livedoor News says that Kawashima Umika of girl group 9nine and comedian Kanada Satoshi will star in the commercial.
Of course, Mao knows that tie-ins are usually a great thing for single sales. Last year the Calpico company used her single 'I Wanna See You' for a similar campaign, and the song became a hit. She doesn't need the commercial help, though: Her second album, 'Pop,' was released in February, and is still doing well.
