AKB48 announces first original album [Koko ni Ita Koto]

AKB48 will be releasing their first original album on 6 April 2011. Although announced a month and a half ago, the title and tracklist have only been revealed today. The album will be titled [Koko ni Ita Koto] which translates into something like "(you) were here".

The album will have a total of 16 songs, 11 of them are new and original songs, and the remaining 5 will be picked from AKB48's Singles and Stage songs.There will be 3 versions total, Limited, Regular and Theater versions.


The Limited version comes with an exclusive 100page photobook, photographed by award winning photographer Mika Ninagawa, who is also the same person who directed the PV for Heavy Rotation. Also included is a photo of one of the members randomly selected from 14 kinds, and a ticket application for a special lottery. Regular version comes with a bonus circus compilation cover in case you do not like the existing one. The Theater version comes with a handshake ticket and a random photo of one of the members.

Mika Ninagawa Official Website: http://www.ninamika.com/en/index.html

Limited and Regular versions will have CD and DVD, while the Theater version will only have the CD. The DVD will have dance versions of Ponytail to Shushu, Heavy Rotation, Beginner, and Chance no Junban.

The title song of this Album, Koko ni Ita Koto (ここにいたこと), will be sing by all members (except OJS48) of the OOO48 franchise. That is AKB48, SKE48, SDN48, NMB48 and all of their Kenkyuuseis and Unders, a staggering total of 189 members! (accurate as of 5 march, not counting Oku Manami) Each AKB48 Team, including the Kenkyuuseis, will be getting a new team song, just like Chance no Junban. Team A will get Overtake, Team K will have Boku ni Dekiru Koto (僕にできること), Renai Circus for Team B (恋愛サーカス), and lastly the Kenkyuuseis will have High School Days. Team B's Team B Oshi gets a surprise inclusion into the Album, most likely due to it's high position (5th) in the Request Hour Setlist Best 100 2011.

Also included in the album is Shoujotachi yo (少女たちよ), which is the theme song for the AKB48 documentary movie [Documentary of AKB48 to be continued], with it's DVD release on 22 April. The remaining 5 songs will be original unit songs. I put the member arrangements below the tracklist because it was impossible to fit it all up here. the biggest surprise, beside the fact that not all AKB48 members will be included in unit songs, is the duet by Maeda Atsuko and Itano Tomomi. Could this be some sort of sign?


Koko ni Ita Koto (ここにいたこと)
Release Date: 06 April 2011

Limited version [picture] 3,500yen	[CD] 01. Shojotachiyo 02. Overtake 03. Boku ni Dekiru Koto 04. Renai Circus 05. Kaze no Yukue 06. Wagamama Collection 07. Ningyo no Bakansu 08. Kimi to Boku no Kankei 09. Iikagen no Susume 10. High School Days 11. Team B Oshi 12. Chance no Junban 13. Beginner　 14. Ponytail to Shushu 15. Heavy Rotation 16. Koko ni Ita Koto [DVD] 01. Ponytail to Shushu (Dance version) 02. Heavy Rotation (Dance version) 03. Beginner (Dance version) 04. Chance no Junban (Dance version)
Regular version [picture] 3,200yen	[CD] 01. Shojotachiyo 02. Overtake 03. Boku ni Dekiru Koto 04. Renai Circus 05. Kaze no Yukue 06. Wagamama Collection 07. Ningyo no Bakansu 08. Kimi to Boku no Kankei 09. Iikagen no Susume 10. High School Days 11. Team B Oshi 12. Chance no Junban 13. Beginner　 14. Ponytail to Shushu 15. Heavy Rotation 16. Koko ni Ita Koto [DVD] 01. Ponytail to Shushu (Dance version) 02. Heavy Rotation (Dance version) 03. Beginner (Dance version) 04. Chance no Junban (Dance version)
Theater version [picture] 1,980yen	[CD] 01. Shojotachiyo 02. Overtake 03. Boku ni Dekiru Koto 04. Renai Circus 05. Kaze no Yukue 06. Wagamama Collection 07. Ningyo no Bakansu 08. Kimi to Boku no Kankei 09. Iikagen no Susume 10. High School Days 11. Team B Oshi 12. Chance no Junban 13. Beginner　 14. Ponytail to Shushu 15. Heavy Rotation 16. Koko ni Ita Koto

Kaze no Yukue (風の行方)
A: Kuramochi Asuka, Sashihara Rino, Takahashi Minami
K: Oshima Yuko, Minegeshi Minami
B: Kashiwagi Yuki

Wagamama Collection (わがままコレクション)
A: Oota Aika, Maeda Ami
B: Komori Mika, Sato Sumire, Watanabe Mayu
S: Matsui Jurina

Ningyo no Bakansu (人魚のバカンス)
A: Takajo Aki
K: Nito Moeno, Yokoyama Yui
B: Kasai Tomomi, Kitahara Rie, Sato Amina, Masuda Yuka

Kimi to Boku no Kankei (君と僕の関係)
A: Maeda Atsuko
K: Itano Tomomi

Iikagen no Susume (イイカゲンのススメ)
A: Katayama Haruka, Kojima Haruna, Shinoda Mariko
K: Akimoto Sayaka, Miyazawa Sae
S: Matsui Rena