"No Man's Land" | |
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Promotional single by Kumi Koda | |
from the album Japonesque | |
Released | January 18, 2012 |
Recorded |
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Genre | |
Length | 4:26 |
Label | |
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Max Matsuura |
"No Man's Land" is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Kumi Koda, taken from her tenth studio album, Japonesque (2012). It was written by Koda, Mr. Blistah, Pete Kirtley, Jorge Mhondera, Samiya Berrabah, with production being done by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. The song premiered on January 18, 2012 as the album's fifth promotional digital single, which was served through online retailers Dwanga, Mora, Mu-Mo, music.jp and Recochoku. It was re-released as a promotional radio airplay single on January 25, the same release date as Japonesque. The single artwork uses the CD and double DVD cover of Japonesque, which was used exclusively through Recochoku stores.
Musically, "No Man's Land" has been described as a rock song that borrows numerous musical elements such as heavy metal. It lyrically portrays an angry and violent woman trying to escape her lover's life. Self-described as "barren", the song includes several instruments including electric guitars, acoustic guitars, and drums. The song received mixed to positive reviews from most music critics. While critics singled it out as an album highlight and one of the better tracks from Japonesque, it was criticized for Koda's rap and overuse of instrumentation.
Due to "No Man's Land" being released digitally, it was ineligible to chart on the Japanese Oricon Singles Chart due to their policy of restricting digital sales and releases. To promote the single, it has featured on one concert tour conducted by Koda, this being her 2013 Japonesque Tour. An accompanying music video for "No Man's Land" (and every other track from the parent album) was directed by long-time collaborator Ryuji Seki; it featured Koda wandering through a wasteland, with distant views of decayed cityscapes and merry go rounds.