Ai no Bakudan

Ai no Bakudan
Single by B'z
from the album THE CIRCLE
Released	March 9, 2005
Length	22:06
Label	Vermillion Records
Producer	Tak Matsumoto

Ai no Bakudan (愛のバクダン, Love Bomb) is the thirty-eighth single by B'z, released on March 9, 2005. To date, it remains one of the most popular songs produced by the band, frequently warranting inclusion in the majority of LIVE-GYM tours since release. One month after its release, it would be collected along with its B-side on the band's fourteenth album, THE CIRCLE. In 2012, seven years after its original release, an English version titled "Love Bomb" served as the opening track for the band's self-titled digital English debut and ensuing North American tour.

The first two tracks on the single, "Ai no Bakudan" and "Fever", would be permanent fixtures on the setlist for B'z LIVE-GYM 2005 "CIRCLE OF ROCK". Although a full home video release initially did not materialize, special editions for one of the band's three 2006 singles, "SPLASH!", came bundled with performances from the tour. Of note was the green-colored version being bundled with a performance from the tour of "Ai no Bakudan", while the yellow edition included "Fever". In 2013, B'z LIVE-GYM 2005 -CIRCLE OF ROCK- was finally released in full on DVD as one of three home videos to begin the band's 25th anniversary celebrations.

In a rare turn, several promotional videos were filmed for the title song.

The single would make appearances on several Japanese programs in a rare year for numerous B'z television appearances. Televised performances took place on a number of occasions, including "Music Fighter", "Music Station", and "CDTV", which would make it the song most performed by B'z on television. The most notable appearance of 2005 came on retrospective program "Bokura no Ongaku" (Our Music) in which the band were interviewed at length on a number of subjects, including the origin of the song. In addition to the interview, studio performances of "Ai no Bakudan", in addition to its B-side, "Fever", and classic single "love me, I love you" were shown. In 2012, for the annual Christmas special, "Ai no Bakudan" would return to the "Music Station" stage with B'z performing the song coupled with another recent hit, "Ichibu to Zenbu".

The single became an immediate hit for the band upon release, topping the Weekly Oricon Singles chart for the week of its release and remaining on the charts for fourteen weeks. It would be the twenty-seventh highest selling single for the year, becoming one of two singles released by B'z in 2005, with the other being "OCEAN".

Track listing

1. Ai no Bakudan — Love Bomb, 愛のバクダン

2. Fever

3. Amaku Yasashii Binetsu — A Sweet & Gentle Low-Grade Fever, 甘く優しい微熱

   One of several B-sides by the band never performed live, and can only be found on this release.

Personnel

B'z

• Tak Matsumoto: Guitar, Music Composition, Arrangement
• Koshi Inaba: Vocals, Lyric Composition, Arrangement

Drums

Bass

Production