Open your heartZARD1rank/position

SARD UNDERGROUND “Open Your Heart” LIVE at hills Pan Koujou, 2019-02-03

ZARD had been popular since as far back as I can remember, but I always wondered why they never appeared on TV.

I was shocked to hear about the illness of the vocalist, Izumi Sakai.

She passed away at the young age of 40, but her singing voice still remains in the hearts of many people.

Your refreshing feelingsZARD2rank/position

Your refreshing feelings

This commercial conveys that 8×4 is perfect for the hot summer, helping keep sweat under control and supporting comfortable days.

It depicts Aya Ueto and her friends enjoying summer events, and their smiles lasting until the end communicate that their comfort is maintained.

The song that further highlights the fun and the refreshing, youthful atmosphere portrayed in the visuals is ZARD’s “Sawayaka na Kimi no Kimochi.” Its buoyant rhythm layered with powerful guitar tones evokes a refreshing feeling of sprinting full-speed through youth.

Izumi Sakai’s clear, expansive vocals are also a key point that emphasizes that refreshing vibe.

Swaying feelingsZARD3rank/position

“Shaking Feelings” Music Video

This is a commercial that reminds us of the greatness of music through a scene of a mother and daughter tidying up their home.

In the middle of cleaning, the woman playing the mother finds an old MiniDisc stereo and a stack of MDs she used to use.

As she picks one up and gazes at it nostalgically, the woman playing the daughter searches for the song on Spotify and starts playing it.

Seeing her mother close her eyes the moment the intro starts and listen intently, the daughter simply says, “Nice.” Many viewers probably felt a tug at the heartstrings witnessing a timeless classic transcend generations.

By the way, the song is ZARD’s “Yureru Omoi” (“Shaking Heart”), one of ZARD’s signature tracks released in 1993.

Its distinctly ’90s, accessible melody and Izumi Sakai’s clear, beautiful vocals are utterly captivating.

My Baby Grand ~Wanting Warmth~ZARD4rank/position

Released in 1997 as ZARD’s 23rd single.

The lyrics were written by Izumi Sakai and the music composed by Tetsurō Oda, and it reached No.

3 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.

The song was used in NTT DoCoMo’s ’97 Winter commercial.

The title “Baby Grand” refers to the toy piano that Sakai herself favored and used during recording to check pitch.

You’re overflowing in me to the point it hurts.ZARD5rank/position

This was ZARD’s 30th single, released in 1999, and it was used as the song for the Nescafé Moment commercial.

The track’s rap-like style is somewhat unusual for ZARD.

Its refreshing vocals make it a perfect commercial song for waking up in the morning.

I want to feel you.ZARD6rank/position

I want to feel you.

Before mobile phones became widespread, there was NTT DoCoMo’s pocket pager, known for its compatibility with “pagers” long before cell phones existed.

Many people today may not even know about it.

ZARD’s song “Anata wo Kanji te Itai” (“I Want to Feel You”) was their 13th single, released in 1994, and it was used in a commercial for the Palphy V pager.

The lyrics were written by vocalist Izumi Sakai, with composition and arrangement by Tetsuro Oda.

It’s a love song about the sorrowful end of a romance, with winter scenery amplifying the poignancy of the piece.

A New Door: Winter Sunflower(s)ZARD7rank/position

A New Door ~Winter Sunflower~

It was released in 1998 as ZARD’s 26th single.

The song was used in Sapporo Beer’s “Fuyu Monogatari” (Winter Story) commercial, and at 6 minutes 5 seconds, it is the longest among their singles.

It was released simultaneously with their 27th single, “GOOD DAY.”