is the second studio album by Japanese rock group Zutomayo, released on February 10, 2021, through EMI Records.
The album became the group's best-selling release and is their only album to be certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). It was preceded by the EP , which achieved the highest first-week sales among the group's mini albums.
Four singles were released prior to the album. The lead single, "Obenkyō Shitoiteyo", became a breakthrough release that increased the band's popularity among international audiences, while the final single, "Can't Be Right", further strengthened their popularity and became one of their biggest hits in Japan.
Background In 2019, Japanese rock group Zutomayo released their debut album . The album's lead single, their debut song "Byōshinwo Kamu", became a sleeper hit, reaching a new peak on the charts in May 2020. That same month, the group released their new single "Obenkyō Shitoiteyo", their first single following the release of their debut album.
Not long before this, on March 6 an acoustic version of "Saturn" from was released on YouTube. It was later included in limited edition of their third EP, , released later that year. The EP included "Obenkyō Shitoiteyo" and two promotional singles: "Milabo" and "Fastening". All three songs were later included on their second album, Gusare.
Release and promotion On May 6, 2020, Zutomayo announced their first tie-in song. The song's title was revealed as ., and it was used as the theme song for the live-action film The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window.
A paid live performance, "NIWA TO NIRA", was held the day after the release of Hogarakana Hifutote Fufuku. A recording of the performance was later included as a bonus feature on a separate Blu-Ray in the limited edition of the physical release of Gusare.
On October 9, the album's title and release date were announced. On the same day, the group announced their first tour, "Yaki Yaki Yankee Tour (Grilled and Smoked Edition)". Less than a month later, "Darken" was officially released, and pre-orders for the album opened three days afterward.
By the end of the year, two additional singles accompanied by music videos were released: "Hunch Gray" and "Can't Be Right". The latter was featured in the film The Promised Neverland and gained significant attention. In January 2021, The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window was released, leading to the release of the album's final promotional single, "Hypersomnia", as well as the music video for "Darken". On January 30, ACA-Ne made her first television appearance as a guest on NHK's program "Songs".
The album was released on February 10, 2021. Five bonus CDs were available with purchases of the album at select retailers. The CD sleeves were designed to resemble diskettes and contained chiptune remixes of Zutomayo's songs. The "Kyo" Edition also included an action figure of the main character from the "Obenkyō Shitoiteyo" music video. The release was accompanied by the music video for "One's Mind".
Two days later, an appearance on The First Take was announced. ACA-Ne performed "Byōshinwo Kamu" and "Can't Be Right". Both performances were released on streaming services in March.
Track listing
Notes
"Milabo", named in English, is stylized in uppercase.
Personnel
Musicians ACA-Ne – vocals Yoshihiro Kawamura – drums (1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12) Takashi Adachi – bass guitar (1, 6) Jun Murayama – piano (1, 12, 14), keyboards (7) Yoshida Uchuu Strings – strings (1) Sasaki Takayuki – guitar (1, 2, 4, 6, 7) 100kaiŌto – bass guitar (1), guitar (5) Ryosuke Nikamoto – bass guitar (2–4, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13) Nao Nishimura – piano (2, 3, 8, 12, 14) Yu Manabe Strings – strings (2, 3, 7, 11) Yasushi Fukumori – drums (3, 8) Sho Ogawa – guitar (3, 8) Yuki Kishida – keyboards (4), piano (5) Keisuke Torigoe – double bass (5) Hiroomi Shitara – guitar (5, 13) Norihide Saji – drums (5) Yutaka Oyama – strings (6) Ei Wada – magnetic tape, harp (6) Masaru Yoshida – magnetic tape (6) Wasei Suma – violin (8), viola (8) Yusuke Nakamura – keyboards (9) Kenichiro Nishihara – keyboards (9) Singo Kubota – guitar (10) Norihide Saji – drums (13)
Technical Toru Matake – mixing, recording engineering Takeo Kira – mastering Kōhei Matsumoto – producing
Charts
Weekly charts + Weekly chart performance for Gusare Chart (2021) Peakposition Japanese Albums (Oricon) 2 Japanese Combined Albums (Oricon) 2 Japanese Digital Albums (Oricon) 2 Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan) 2 Japanese Download Albums (Billboard Japan) 2
Monthly charts + Monthly chart performance for Gusare Chart (2021) Position Japanese Albums (Oricon) 5
Year-end charts + Year-end chart performance for Gusare Chart (2021) Position Japanese Albums (Oricon) 59 Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan) 42
Certifications
Release history + Release history and formats for GusareRegionDateFormat(s)VersionLabelVarious February 10, 2021Regular Japan CD "Kyo" Limited Deluxe Edition w/ Blu-ray, Limited Edition June 16, 2021 Vinyl Regular November 12, 2025
Notes
References