Bucketneer: Added references list and cover art.
{{Infobox song
| name = Loser/Number Nine
| cover = Kenshi Yonezu – Loser-Number Nine.jpg
| type = single
| artist = [[Kenshi Yonezu]]
| album = [[Bootleg (Kenshi Yonezu album)|Bootleg]]
| language = Japanese
| B-side = “Amen”
| released = {{Start date|2016|09|28}}
| genre = [[J-pop]]
| label = [[Sony Music Japan]]
| writer = Kenshi Yonezu
| producer = Kenshi Yonezu
| prev_title = Unbelievers
| prev_year = 2015
| next_title = Orion
| next_year = 2017
}}
“”’Loser”'” and {{Nihongo|””’Number Nine”'”|ナンバーナイン|lead=yes}} are songs by Japanese singer-songwriter [[Kenshi Yonezu]]. They were released together as a double [[A-side and B-side|A-side]] single on September 28, 2016 through [[Sony Music Entertainment Japan|Sony Music Entertainment]].
== Background and release ==
“Loser/Number Nine” marked Yonezu’s first release under Sony. His previous release was his album ”[[Bremen (album)|Bremen]]” in October 2015 under [[Universal Music Japan|Universal Sigma]].
In 2015, Yonezu received an offer from the [[Louvre|Lourve]] Museum’s BD ([[bande dessinée]]) Project<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Chu |first=Yin-Hua |date=2026-07-01 |title=Reimaging Museum Memory |url=https://cgscholar.com/publishers/articles/reimaging-museum-memory |journal=The International Journal of the Inclusive Museum |language=en |publisher=Common Ground Research Networks |doi=10.18848/1835-2014/CGP/A495 |issn=1835-2022}}</ref> to create a theme song for ”Louvre No. 9 – Manga, The Ninth Art”, an art exhibition that celebrated comics and manga as the recognized “ninth art”.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 6, 2017 |title=米津玄師・神谷浩史らも参加している『ルーヴルNo.9～漫画、9番目の芸術～』とは？ |url=https://spice.eplus.jp/articles/94848 |access-date=September 17, 2026 |website=Spice |language=ja}}</ref> It featured freely-created works based on the theme of the Lourve from prominant [[Manga artist|mangaka]] such as [[Hirohiko Araki]], [[Jiro Taniguchi]], and [[Taiyō Matsumoto]]. The event was held at the Mori Arts Center Galley in [[Tokyo]] and ran from July 22 to September 25, 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 19, 2016 |title=米津玄師、ルーヴル美術館特別展の公式イメージソングを書き下ろし |url=https://natalie.mu/music/news/184137 |access-date=September 17, 2026 |website=[[Natalie (website)|Natalie]] |language=ja}}</ref>
“Number Nine” was first created as its theme song, where Yonezu arranged it alongside fellow Japanese producer and singer [[Mabanua]]. He made the song with the intention of it following in the footsteps of ”Bremen.”<ref name=”:1″>{{Cite web |last=Shiba |first=Tomonori |date=September 28, 2016 |title=米津玄師「LOSER / ナンバーナイン」インタビュー |url=https://natalie.mu/music/pp/yonezukenshi08 |access-date=September 17, 2026 |website=[[Natalie (website)|Natalie]] |language=ja}}</ref> He made “Loser” afterwards, aiming for a track that was “strictly Japanese rock-and-roll with an added nuance of hip-hop”. Yonezu stated that the song stemmed from feelings of self-hatred and “hating people like [yourself]”, where he framed it with a sense of self-deprication in its writing.<ref name=”:2″>{{Cite web |last=Kamiya |first=Hiroshi |date=September 28, 2016 |title=米津玄師が考える、音楽表現の過去・現在・未来「自分はスクラップの寄せ集めみたいなもの」 |url=https://realsound.jp/2016/09/post-9419.html |access-date=September 18, 2026 |website=Real Sound |language=ja}}</ref> The single’s [[A-side and B-side|B-side]], “Amen”, was the final track concieved as a foray into a “darker” sound.<ref name=”:1″ /> He explained that he thought of the concept of [[prayer]] as “the last thing left after you exhaust various options for dealing with a problem”, knowing one must persevere in the environment and situation they were born into.<ref name=”:2″ />
The single was released in three editions: a standard edition, a “Loser” limited edition including the CD in a loose package and a dog tag, and a “Number Nine” limited edition including the CD in a 7-inch paper jacket and DVDs containing both music videos. The latter two feature different cover artwork.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 26, 2016 |title=米津玄師、新作のパッケージ＆購入者特典発表 |url=https://natalie.mu/music/news/199585 |access-date=September 18, 2026 |website=[[Natalie (website)|Natalie]] |language=ja}}</ref> All editions included a serial number for an advance ticket lottery entry for the “Kenshi Yonezu 2016 Tour / Howl” that ran from November to December 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 4, 2016 |title=米津玄師、11月よりワンマンツアー「はうる」 |url=https://natalie.mu/music/news/197076 |access-date=September 18, 2026 |website=[[Natalie (website)|Natalie]] |language=ja}}</ref>
== References ==
