Crescent is the fourth full-length studio album released by Japanese solo artist Gackt on December 3, 2003. It is a concept album linked to its predecessor Moon and comes with booklets for both records (Moon did not originally contain one). Crescent also features a duet with L'Arc-en-Ciel vocalist Hyde for "Orenji no Taiyou" with whom Gackt co-starred in the 2003 movie Moon Child.
Composition
Already established as a "charismatic vocalist representing the 21st century rock scene", Gackt continued to expand his expression, conceptualization and romanticism.
"Kimi ga Oikaketa Yume" is a fast-paced pop rock song, "Last Song" a dramatic ballad, while "Solitary" is an acoustic guitar ballad and "Hoshi no Suna" an emotional piano ballad. "Mind Forest" (with Japanese traditional music influence), "Kimi Ga Matteiru Kara", "Lust for Blood", "White Eyes", while "Orenji no Taiyou" and "Birdcage" initially with acoustic guitar and strings become more intensely rock by the end. Since its release the album has sold more than 250,000 copies, being not certified Gold due to change of criteria, but Platinum by the RIAJ.
Preceding the album release, were released three singles, "Kimi ga Oikaketa Yume", "Tsuki no Uta" and "Last Song". The first single "Kimi ga Oikaketa Yume" reached number two on the fifth counting week of March, with sales of 59,265 copies. In the upcoming two weeks, it was at number nineteen and twenty respectively, with sales of 15,010 and 9,234 copies. It charted for 10 weeks, and sold over 100,000 copies, certified Gold by the RIAJ.
The second single "Tsuki no Uta" reached number three on the fourth counting week of June, with sales of 49,952 copies. In the upcoming week, it was at the number eighteen, with sales of 10,267 copies. It charted for 7 weeks, while the official YFC version which also featured vocalist Jon was included in single "The End Of The Day" in 2011 and studio album Yellow Fried Chickenz I in 2012.
- "Dybbuk" was used as the second ending theme song for the third Zeta Gundam movie "Love is the Pulse of the Stars", and was re-released as a B-side on Gackts single "Love Letter".
