from VIZ Media:
Sony Music Direct (Japan) Inc., a division of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. has announced the U.S. release of the first single — “THE WORLD IS MINE feat. Hatsune Miku” — by the Japanese pop group Supercell. The track is available now on Amazon (Amazon.com) and iTunes (iTunes.com).
Supercell is composed of a group of innovative multimedia creators for the 21st Century that blends catchy pop sensibilities, technology-inspired vocals, and captivating anime-influenced imagery. For the new single, “THE WORLD IS MINE,” the group employs the electronic vocals of Hatsune Miku, the world’s first virtual pop idol. Hatsune Miku, whose name means, “first sound of the future,” is a digital female avatar and the most popular of the Vocaloid Character Series software originally created by Crypton Future Media using Yamaha’s Vocaloid 2 engine to create synthesized vocal tracks.
In Japan, the popularity of Hatsune Miku has become a national phenomenon. She has appeared in several video games and music videos and has also performed several sellout “concerts,” where she appeared on stage as a 3D hologram, backed by a live band. Most recently she also appears in a new commercial for the U.S. market for the 2011 Toyota Corolla. The spot is also available on YouTube, and since its debut on May 4th, the segment has received more than 700,000 hits.
Supercell is a league of creators led by composer/lyricist Ryo, who produces the music and writes the lyrics. Ryo tapped other creators to provide an array of vivid illustrations, animation, design, and photography for album booklets, CD cases and music videos. On “THE WORLD IS MINE,” artwork features illustrations by Redjuice, a member of the league. Led by composer Ryo, Supercell’s songs were initially posted on the Nico Nico Douga video sharing service in Japan and quickly garnered more than 20 million views, feeding a frenzied interest in the group that is now spreading to new overseas markets.
The self entitled album, supercell, debuted in Japan from Sony Music Direct in 2009, selling more than 150,000 copies. Same year, the group performed the ending theme song for the 2009 anime series Bakemonogatari. In March 2010, Supercell received the award for “The Best 5 New Artists” at the 2010 Japan Gold Disc Awards, a major record industry awards event. The Supercell track, “Kocchi Muite Baby,” created by Ryo and featuring vocals by Hatsune Miku, peaked at No. 11 on Billboard Japan’s Hot Singles Chart last July.