"Invader Invader" is the sixth physical single by Japanese singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. It was released on May 15, 2013, in both regular and limited editions. The song "Invader Invader" is used for the G.u. clothing retailer commercials in Japan while the second track, "Point of View", was used for Fuji TV's 2013 afternoon news program "Ageru TV".
Background and composition
"Invader Invader" was first announced on March 31, 2013, as Kyary's 6th physical single. The song is a 1980s-tinged electropopchiptune track written specifically for the commercial by Yasutaka Nakata. The artwork in the single is themed with "otherworldly creatures", with costumes designed by :ja:飯嶋久美子|Kumiko Iijima. The limited edition jacket cover features a proud Kyary showing off the "fairy Kyary" on her index finger, while the regular edition jacket cover shows strange creatures with watermelon-patterned hair. The song contains the phrase 'osha ret's sekai seifuku', 'osshare' meaning fashionable, 'yossha' a common interjection of encouragement, 'let's sekai seifuku' means 'let's conquer the world' when written but 'seifuku' homonyms can also mean a uniform or happiness, giving alternate meanings of 'let's dress the world' or 'let's make the world happy'. The dancing in the music video and the four note 'da da da da' are reminiscent of Japanese video gameSpace invaders also from the 80's. The syllable 'da' is also on the mask of the four dancers.
Charts and certifications
Chart Positions
Chart
Position
Japan
# 6
Certifications
Gold
Music video
The music video for Invader Invader was released on YouTube on May 6, 2013, and coincided with YouTube Music Week. In this music video, Kyary is the leader of a secret society that makes alien contact through a strange dancing ritual. Elements of the summoning are placed on a board, the dancers take a deep bow to the world, but the last missing piece for gaining the alien's love is a piece of shrimp sushi. Convinced, the alien DJ is beamed down from his spacecraft and joins the ritual/party. The shooting for the music video took place at the end of April in Kawasaki, and reunites Kyary with the director for the music video for Ninja Re Bang Bang, Jun Tamukai, as well as stylist Kumiko Iijima who has been working with her since her debut, paying special attention to every detail. The dresses were, as is typical of Kyary, tailor-made for the shooting. The patchwork dresses were assembled from vintage clothing and the clothes from 'Spank' in Koenji by Kumiko Iijima, who worked through the shooting, bringing her own sewing machine to polish details on the set. Each of the dancers' dress is different, to show originality. Quotes from Kyary on the music video:
'The clothes of the music video for Invader Invader are really kawaiii !!! Invaders tend to be portrayed as robotic and cold, and we wanted to subvert that image, and made patchwork dresses from vintage clothing ! The filming set was made to look cheapo with cardboard and blowing fans, the dancers and I have this enigmatic choreographed ceremony, we put in lots of details and goodies to make the music video interesting and fun, please check it out !'
'I think we really upped the difficulty of the choreography'
