Mars & Roses

Mars & Roses is the fifth studio album by Japanese R&B singer Misia, released on February 11, 2004. It debuted at #3 with 151,087 copies sold. The album was recorded in London, New York and Tokyo. The song Little Rose, the title and theme of the album were inspired by Antoine de Saint Exupéry's The Little Prince.Mars & Roses was produced by American songwriter Keith Crouch and includes a duet with Erykah Badu. The first pressing of the album includes a bonus live version of "Snow Song", whose simple piano arrangement was created by Misia's band leader and pianist, Tohru Shigemi, during one of their tour rehearsals.

The album is certified Platinum for shipment of 250,000 copies.

Information

London recordings

The first recordings for Mars & Roses took place in London, where the single "Kokoro Hitotsu" was recorded, with the assistance of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The B-side, "Namida no Present", was penned by Misia and depicts a movie-like scene. After reading the lyrics, Shiro Sagisu composed the melody, which revolves around the sound of a camera shutter.