Aitakatta


"Aitakatta" is Japanese idol group AKB48's third single, and the first major single released through DefSTAR Records, on 25 October 2006.
Regarded as the signature song of AKB48, the song has continued to be AKB48′s most recognizable tune among the public. It was also the theme song for the AKB48 TV show AKBingo! until 2016.

Promotion

With support from DefStar Records, the song has played a major role in causing the public to take notice of AKB48, as it has been frequently used as an introductory song when AKB48 appears on TV programs as guests, including the 58th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen. It is also the theme song of their own TV late night show, AKBingo!, which has been broadcast since 2008.
The girls took a trip down to Tateyama, Chiba to film the video clip, with the main dance scenes set at the cliff of the Sunosaki Lighthouse.
Each first pressing CD included a DVD, including Aitakatta's video clip and "AKB48 History: Major Debut e no Kiseki", as well as following premiums.
The single charted for six weeks in the top 200, with the highest rank at #12 in 2006, coming back in the top 200 in 2010 and charting since the second week of September 2010. "Aitakatta" sold 25,544 copies, during the first 6 weeks charted on Oricon.

Personnel

The title track involved 20 members selected from Team A and Team K.
This song was featured on Season 2, Episode 1 of James May's Cars of the People, as James May was driving a 1980 Mazda 323 around Hiroshima.

Track listing

Charts

Sales and certifications

BNK48 version

The Thai idol group BNK48, a sister group of AKB48, covered the song and named it "Yak Cha Dai Phop Thoe".

Production

The single was produced by a team led by Pongchuk Pissathanporn from La-Ong-Fong band.
The Thai lyrics were written by Natapol Srijomkwan from Groove Riders band together with Pongchuk Pissathanporn and Tanupop Notayanont from La-Ong-Fong band.
The cover art of the single, produced by The Uni_form Design Studio, was revealed on 17 July 2017, depicting the sixteen senbatsu members with folded paper representing elements from the songs, as buses from "Ōgoe Diamond" and paper planes from "365 Nichi no Kamihikōki", including elements from the Thai culture, as barb mobiles, and those from the Japanese culture, as paper cranes.
The music video for "Yak Cha Dai Phop Thoe" was directed by Wanweaw Hongvivatana and Weawwan Hongvivatana, twin directors from GDH 559. The video was notably not marketed as the official music video.

Promotion

The three songs in the single were first performed at the group's debut event on 2 June 2017.
Sixteen members of the group were then selected as senbatsu to promote the single, consisting of Can, Cherprang, Jaa, Jan, Jennis, Kaew, Kaimook, Miori, Music, Namhom, Namneung, Noey, Orn, Pun, Satchan, and Tarwaan. Music serves as the centre for "Aitakatta" and "Ōgoe Diamond", whereas Jennis is the centre for "365 Nichi no Kamihikōki".
A change was made to this set of senbatsu for the event Japan Expo in Thailand 2017, held in Bangkok on 1 and 3 September 2017, after Jan, Kaew, Orn, and Namneung were demoted to undergirls after being found in violation of undisclosed rules, and were replaced by Jane, Mobile, Pupe, and Rina Izuta.
To support the single, the group held its first handshake event in Bangkok on 27 August 2017, attracting almost 4,000 fans.
The music video for the song "Yak Cha Dai Phop Thoe" was released on 29 November 2017 after announcing that the song would be used for the soundtrack of the television series, Project S the Series.

Release and sales

The single was officially released on 8 August 2017. Physical CDs were available for purchase from 7 to 19 July 2017 only, during which it sold a total of 13,500 copies.
Critic Nutthapong Chaiwanitphon observed that the total sales for the BNK48 single has been low.

Track listing

The Filipino idol group MNL48, a sister group of AKB48, covered the song and named it "Gustong Makita"

Track listing