Celebration

**"Celebration"** is a song written and Performed by American singer Viper Hamato. It was the first single released from the, at the time, forthcoming album Dreams. The single was released on February 22nd, 2002 by Sony Music America. The single was produced by Hamato and includes his brother mainly on guitar during the song with Hamato performing the rest of the instrumentation around the song.

"Celebration" is an up-tempo Pop number, with Hamato stating the likes of a party going on around him, and that people around the world should celebrate of the same extent that he is, chanting during the chorus as a hook of the song. The song was released worldwide on February 22, 2002 and peaked at number 56 on the Hot 100, becoming Hamato's third Top 70 Hit. Due to the low marketing that Sony had allowed Viper at the time and the controversy surrounding the music video, the single moved to Number 78 the week after. The single peaked at Number 29 in Mexico. One of the highest within the American markets.

## Critical Reception

A reviewer from National Review Online called Hamato out within the first day of the song and music videos launch, stating that it seemed that "Hamato was, at the time, and still is, incompetent in seeing what was needed to be removed behind him in the music video. An offense to the many people who died that day and is the equivalent of dancing on there graves of people who never made it out of the building that day."

Jerry Remmick from Musicrumours.com had reviewed and stated that "though we still see the same Viper, it was obvious that the music video was filmed before any of the attacks happened on the two buildings that they show at the end of the video" and that Remmick was "glad he'd kept the towers in as a mark of freedom and respect for a time past and present and even history" however, was once more critical on his vocals "Though yes, his voice has somewhat matured, once it's been pointed out, you can never really stop hearing it for the most part, but, just somehow, he just pulls it off with this song"

## Music Video

The music video for "Celebration" was shot on Governor's Island, New York after Hamato had gotten inspiration from the music video of "We Are Family" and decided to follow in his own way, instead of keeping the camera at the end focused on Hamato, have it slowly move away from him and the group of people behind him with the City of New York be shown off before the music video ended.

Filming began in Mid-August after the Demo of the song was complete, though vastly different from the version that was later completed. Hamato had to film the music video out of "Dire urgency" due to the idea almost leaving his mind just days earlier. Filming did not complete until the 28th of August, 2001 to where the towers were still remaining. After the September 11th attacks, Sony had recommended that on their behalf that Viper remove the towers from the shot, as if they were never there in the first place. This however, was shot down by Viper seconds later who had stated that "though it might seem slightly insensitive. He would never see the skyline the same without them" and forced the director at the time, to keep them in no matter the demands of Sony.

## 20th Anniversary, Reissue, and "Post 9/11" footage Music Video

On September 3rd, 2021. Twenty years after the release of the single. It was revealed that, alongside Sony Music America and the Hamato Estate that they would be pushing out both the footage taken on the days of August 28th, September 2nd and September 6th for the Music Video and what was classified as the "Post 9/11 Footage" which was taken between November 8-18th, 2001. It also included a "Night Version" of the video in which showed Hamato with the same footage but shot at Governors Park at Night.

During some of the footage, people had noticed how eerie some of the comments Hamato had made in reference to the Independence Day movie stating "God Imagine if Aliens went for those instead of the Empire State Building" which got a chuckle out of some of the production crew, who got the reference. However, went to go onto his usual statement, which has been stated by Hamato for many years that 'he's never been able to see any other building that looked more blended into the skyline'.

Hamato had stated that all proceeds made from the footage and downloads of the single will go towards the 9/11 "Never Forget" fund and spoke, in an interview about the charity in saying: "To a certain degree, I'm so glad to be one of the last solo artists to have gotten actual footage of those buildings given that so many other people, never got the chance to see them the way I did when I was making that video years ago. There was something about the charm of them in the background in that music video that just made it seem like an alternate universe of sorts."

Hamato had also stated that all of the footage had been edited in collaboration with Sony Music America and Viper himself to get the footage to 8K which took several months of construction and teamwork and had 'opened his eyes' about many things he'd stated which he'd gotten wrong about given that 'once he'd put it in the vault, he'd never seen it again'.

It has also been noted that in the "Post 9/11" footage, the crew, alongside Hamato seem relatively down, and even for the most part pissed due to the re-recordings that have to take part on Sony's end. Footage had even been shown of Hamato blowing up due a member of the Sony representatives stopping the filming constantly to approve scene after scene of footage. Though crew and the people surrounding Hamato alike had stated he never lashed out at them, it was often known that this was one of the first main starting points of Hamato getting pissed at the Label for not allowing him to push the footage taken beforehand out.

In 2021. Sony Music America and the Hamato Estate signed off on releasing the footage for the music video which was shot days before the attacks. The footage which goes for over an hour and a half shows it, for the first time, in 8K. This was the demo opening footage before it cuts over to Governor's Park
## Live Performances

In Live performances by Hamato, the song was usually done within the demo style that had Hamato belting higher notes during the choruses and chants, this was shown off in the Burning Flag Tour (2004) Viper. Tour (2009), Act I (2012), Crazy Love Tour (2014) and Till Death Do Us Part (2019).

## September 11 Controversy

With the filming of the music video for Celebration being filmed in mid-August. No one had any clue about the attacks that would occur just a month later after Hamato had finished the filming for the music video, however when they did happen. Sony had given a forewarning towards the American market not liking seeing the towers that were now not in the skyline, still in the video. Hamato had gone against this recommendation and stated that "he doesn't see the skyline without them even if they build [something else] there" and was highly against removing them given that Sony, out of respect, was removing them from a majority of major films at the time which included Spider-Man.

Given that Hamato kept them in, just a week after the launch of the music video, the music video was instantly criticized by people who shared a strong patriotic view of America, calling out Hamato with such insults that he was "dancing in front of dead people and even on their graves". It would later even be revealed that though the months, Hamato would even receive threats on his life and his family due to this, however, none came to fruition. Though he has stated this had caused him to have extremely polarizing views of the world after receiving the likes of the threats, Hamato is also the only American Music Artist to have the Twin Towers not digitally removed from his music video.

> I think that, after all of the controversey that had happened with that. You begin to see the world completely differently, you begin to piss off a lot of people because you're not doing what they want. I showed my respect in that video by fighting tooth and nail to keep it in because I was so proud of those buildings, even if what happened, happened. Now people are going to either respect that choice or not at all, and I get that. But when you're only a young kid? And you go as low as sending him and his family death threats? You either make him scared, or you go and make him piss you off all the more down the line - and I think we all know which one I did.
>
>

## Track Listing and Formats

* **CD Maxi-Single (2002 Version)**

1. "Celebration (Album Version) - 7:41
2. "Celebration" (Single Edit) - 4:01
3. "Celebration" (Dub In-Step Remix) - 8:22
4. "Celebration" (Instrumental) - 7:41
5. "What's Goin' On?" - 4:22
6. "Walk At Night" - 5:12

* **12" Vinyl (2002 Version)**
* Side A:

1. "Celebration (Album Version) - 7:41
2. "Celebration" (Single Edit) - 4:01
3. "Celebration" (Dub In-Step Remix) - 8:22
4. "Celebration" (Instrumental) - 7:41 Side B:
5. "Celebration" (Alternate Remix) - 6:02
6. "What's Goin' On?" - 4:22
7. "Walk At Night" - 5:12

* **2021 Japan Olympics EP Version**

1. "Celebration" (Live) - 6:02

* **20th Anniversary Edition - 18th September, 2021**

1. "Celebration (Album Version) - 7:41
2. "Celebration" (Single Edit) - 4:01
3. "Celebration" (Dub In-Step Remix) - 8:22
4. "Celebration" (Album Instrumental) - 7:41
5. "Celebration" (Single Instrumental) - 4:01
6. "Celebration" (Dub In-Step Remix Instrumental) - 8:22
7. "Celebration" (28-AUG-01 Home Demo) - 3:08
8. "Celebration" (30-AUG-01 Home Demo) - 5:22
9. "Celebration" (Take 1 - 31st August, 2001) - 9:26