A (Ayumi Hamasaki EP)

Last updated
A
A (Ayumi Hamasaki single - cover art).png
EP by
ReleasedAugust 11, 1999
RecordedJanuary–July 1999
StudioPrime Sound Studio, Studio Sound Dali, Onkio Haus (Tokyo, Japan); Soundtrack (New York City, New York)
Genre
Length75:48
Label
Producer Max Matsuura
Ayumi Hamasaki chronology
A Song for ××
(1999)
A
(1999)
Loveppears
(1999)
Singles from A
  1. "Monochrome"
    Released: August 11, 1999
  2. "Too Late"
    Released: August 11, 1999
  3. "Trauma"
    Released: August 11, 1999
  4. "End Roll"
    Released: August 11, 1999

A (stylized as Ayu symbol.svg ) is an extended play (EP) [upper-alpha 1] by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released by Avex Trax in Japan and Hong Kong on August 11, 1999, in 10 different editions, and through Avex Entertainment Inc. worldwide in September 2008. It additionally served as a single from her second studio album Loveppears (1999), and is her first single marketed as an EP. The 12-track EP contains four new original songs: "Monochrome", "Too Late", "Trauma", and "End Roll", and eight remixes. All songs were written by Hamasaki, while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura.

Contents

Musically, like Loveppears, A is a pop rock album with dance music influences. Lyrically, the new songs are written from a third-person perspective, and deal with themes such as nostalgia, anxiety, and trauma. Upon release, A received favorable reviews from music critics for its individual tracks—some of which were highlighted as examples of Hamasaki's best work—and as a collection, with additional praise for the production quality of the EP versions of the original songs over that of their parent album counterparts. Some criticism was directed towards the number of remixes present on the EP.

Commercially, the single peaked at number one in Japan, on the Oricon Singles Chart and TBS' Count Down TV chart. It became Hamasaki's second consecutive single to sell over one million copies domestically—it is also the singer's highest-selling single—and was certified Million by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipments of one million units. Hamasaki did not film any music videos for the new songs, but appeared in several commercials broadcast in Japan that featured the new music. Each original song has subsequently been included on various greatest hits albums released by Hamasaki, including A Best (2001) and A Complete: All Singles (2008). "A" currently ranks as the 57th highest selling Japanese single of all time. [6]

Content and composition

A was Hamasaki's first extended play release, and was her first EP to be marketed as a single in Japan. The EP consists of four recordings: "Monochrome", "Too Late", "Trauma", and "End Roll", all written by Hamasaki herself and produced by Japanese musician and her long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. [7] The three songs apart from "Monochrome" were composed by Japanese musician Dai Nagao, who used the alias D.A.I., whilst the latter track was composed by Japanese band HΛL. The tracks were arranged by Naoto Suzuki and Nagao, and eventually mixed by American engineer Dave Ford; the edited versions that appeared on Hamasaki's second studio album Loveppears (1999) were re-vised and mixed by Dave Way. [8] Naoto played the keyboards and synthesizers in all four original tracks, whilst Jun Kajiwara, Naoki Hayashibe, both Hidetoshi Suzuki and Naoki Hayashibe, and Hayashibe played the electric guitar in "Trauma", "End Roll", "Too Late", and "Monochrome" respectively. [8]

Musically, A was described by staff members at AllMusic as a pop rock release. [9] However, like a majority of the sounds throughout the parent album, the original tracks are also inspired by dance music. [10] [11] [12] A staff member from Japanese magazine CD Journal commented that both "Trauma" and "Too Late" were dance tunes, whilst "Monochrome" was set at a medium tempo. [10] Lyrically, the song was written in third person perspective, a trait that is shared with the rest of the album's tracks. [13] [14] The review at CD Journal noted that each track included different emotions and themes; Hamasaki talked about her anxiety in "Too Late", nostalgia in "Monochrome", and "transforming" trauma into positivity in "Trauma". [10]

Release

A was released by Avex Trax in Japan and Hong Kong on August 11, 1999, in 10 different editions, and through Avex Entertainment Inc. worldwide in September 2008. The EP included the four original recordings, plus four remixes, two bonus remix tracks through first press issues of the single, and an instrumental version for the original songs. [7] [15] To market each original track in Japan, Avex distributed four different editions of the single by changing the compact disc colors, these being blue, green, orange, and red. [16] For each color, the original recordings included on the track list is shifted down one and each variation were limited to 70,000 units. [16] [upper-alpha 2] After the single sold over one million units in Japan, Avex Trax distributed a limited gold edition disc that was noted by the company through the liner notes as just a sticker. This edition was limited to 100,000 copies in Japan. [17]

However, after the first gold version sold over its limit, Avex published a second gold disc titled the Shining Gold CD to 150,000 copies in Japan. The disc was made of real gold, and the artwork of Hamasaki was tinted gold. [18] Two promotional 12" vinyls were distributed in Japan by Rhythm Republic on October 16, 1999; the first vinyl featured a remix for both "Too Late" and "Monochrome", whilst the second vinyl included a remix for each original recording. [19] [20] The artwork was photographed by Toru Kumazawa, and features Hamasaki in a black dress in front of a black backdrop, holding onto a long piece of white string. The logo on the artwork was the first establishment of Hamasaki's logo/emblem, a staple she has used ever since. [7]

Although the original recordings were promoted together with the EP, each of them were distributed in Japan and worldwide as individual singles. "Monochrome" was remixed by American DJ Keith Litman, and released in North America in early 2001, whilst English electronic music group The Orb remixed the track and released it in the United Kingdom by Badorb.com on July 21, 2001; the latter release was limited to 486 vinyls. [21] [22] American duo Thunderpuss remixed the track "Trauma" and released it in North America through the offices of Avex USA in early 2001. [23] "Too Late" was remixed by Soul Solution and was released in North America through Avex USA in mid-2001. [24]

Critical response

Upon its release, A received favorable reviews from music critics. In a review for Loveppears at CD Journal, a staff member selected "Trauma", "Too Late", "Monochrome", and another album track titled "And Then" as the best songs. In general, the review commended Hamasaki's songwriting and her vocal delivery. [10] However, a separate review for the A at the same publication was mixed. The review complimented the original four recordings, but criticized the amount of remixes and felt the extra editions were not "convincing" for Hamasaki's fan base. [25] In retrospect, AllMusic's Alexey Eremenko, whom contributed to writing Hamasaki's biography on the website, selected "End Roll", "Monochrome", and "Trauma" as an examples of her best work. [26] In 2015, Japanese website Goo.ne.jp hosted a 24-hour only poll for audiences in Japan to vote for their favorite single released by Hamasaki. As a result, A ranked at number 12, with a rating of 32.1 average percent. [27]

Commercial performance

Commercially, the single was a success in Japan. It debuted at number one on the Oricon Singles Chart, selling 508,940 units in its first week of sales. A is the 78th single with the highest first week sales, a record that still holds as of July 2016. [28] It stayed at number one of three non-consecutive weeks, and lasted 18 weeks on the top 200, one of Hamasaki's longest spanning singles on that chart. [29] Likewise, it debuted at number one on the Count Down TV chart hosted by Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS). [30] It stayed atop of the charts for two weeks, and lasted 17 weeks in the top 100. [31]

By the end of 1999, it had sold over 1,630,540 units in Japan and ranked at number three on Oricon's Annual 1999 chart. It resulted as the highest selling EP–single by any artist at the time, and was the highest selling single by a female artist. [32] Similarly, it ranked at number six on TBS' Annual Chart, the third highest selling single by a female artist (behind two entries by Japanese recording artist Hikaru Utada), alongside being the highest selling EP–single. [33] In July 2000, the single was certified Million by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipments of one million units; this was her second consecutive single to sell over one million units, the first being the previous single from Loveppears "Boys & Girls". [1] As of July 2016, it is Hamasaki's highest selling physical single of her entire career on Oricon Style's data base, and is the 57th best selling single in Japan of all time; it is the ninth highest selling single by a female artist. [34] [35] [upper-alpha 3]

Promotion and live performances

No music videos were shot for the tracks on A, her first major release to not feature any visuals. However, in Japan, Hamasaki appeared in commercial endorsement videos that promoted each original track from A. [25] "Trauma" and "Monochrome" were used as the official theme songs for two commercials of JT Peach Water drinks, whilst "Too Late" was the theme song for Honda Giorno Crea, and Hal's remix of "End Roll" was featured in commercial for Morinaga. [25] The videos for each commercial appeared on several DVD compilations released by Hamasaki: A Clips (2000), [38] a self-titled DVD, [39] A Complete Box Set (2004), [40] and the digital release of A Clips Complete (2014). [41] "Trauma" and "End Roll" were included on her greatest hits compilation album A Best (2001), [42] whilst "Monochrome" was added onto A Complete: All Singles (2008), [43] To promote the EP, each original recording were performed on Hamasaki's first part and second part of her 2000 concert tour in Japan. [44] [45]

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from the CD liner notes of A; [7]

Recording
Credits

Charts

Certifications and sales

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ) [1] Million1,630,540 [37]

Release history

RegionDateFormatLabel
Japan [7] August 11, 1999CD single + colored editions
Hong Kong [15] CD singleAvex Trax
Japan [19] [20] [46] October 16, 200012" vinyl (titled NYC)Rhythm Republic
12" vinyl (titled TYO)
Digital downloadSeptember 2008 [upper-alpha 4] Avex Entertainment Inc.
Australia [48]
New Zealand [49]
United Kingdom [50]
Ireland [51]
Germany [52]
Spain [53]
France [54]
Italy [55]
Taiwan [56]

See also

Notes

  1. The classification of A as a single, EP, or album has been disputed. Technically, Avex Trax marketed A as a single—it served as the fifth single from Hamasaki's album Loveppears and charted on the Oricon Singles Chart. However, the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) recognized the release as an album and certified it as such. [1] A can be further disputed as an extended play according to definitions outlined by top organisations outside of Japan; according to off-related sources such as The Official Chart Company (BPI), About.com, and Enki Village, an EP can typically include an average of four tracks but does not count remixes and alternative versions. Knowing that A is a single inside of Loveppears, it can be easily recognized as an EP-single rather than an album. [2] [3] [4] [5]
  2. To understand the track list changes, visit the link here to view the Master release of A at Discogs.com
  3. There has been a dispute in which is Hamasaki's highest selling single. According to a 2015 publication through AllMusic, the author of the page identified that Hamasaki's 2007 single "Together When..." sold over 3.3 million digital units worldwide, making it her highest selling single overall. [36] Despite the song being her highest selling single overall, it is not recognised through Oricon database as her highest selling single in Japan alone. Based on their ranking, A is her highest selling single in the category (despite it being recognised as an EP), and "Seasons" is her highest selling single without any other additional recordings. [37]
  4. There is currently insufficient evidence to determine what date Hamasaki's digital releases appeared on online retails. The closest source for iTunes Store evidence is at Jame World, whom confirmed Hamasaki's work was released worldwide on iTunes in September 2008. [47]

Related Research Articles

<i>Loveppears</i> 1999 studio album by Ayumi Hamasaki

Loveppears is the second studio album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released in Japan, Hong Kong and China on November 10, 1999, through Avex Trax and the China Record Corporation, and distributed worldwide on April 10, 2001, by Avex Entertainment Inc. It was entirely written by Hamasaki herself, while the production was handled by Japanese musician Max Matsuura. Musically, Loveppears is a dance album and lyrically focuses on themes of love, frustration of life, loneliness, and individualism.

<i>Duty</i> (album) 2000 studio album by Ayumi Hamasaki

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whatever (Ayumi Hamasaki song)</span> 1999 single by Ayumi Hamasaki

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">To Be (song)</span> 1999 single by Ayumi Hamasaki

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boys & Girls (Ayumi Hamasaki song)</span> 1999 single by Ayumi Hamasaki

"Boys & Girls" is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki, serving as the fourth single for her second studio album, Loveppears (1999). It was released by Avex Trax in Japan and Hong Kong on July 14, 1999, and through Avex USA in North America in early 2001, while being re-distributed in 2003. "Boys & Girls" marks Hamasaki's first single to be made available for purchase as a maxi single with additional remixes. The track was written by the singer herself, while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. Musically, the song is a dance recording, a genre that heavily influences Loveppears. The single's lyrical content is written in third-person perspective.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Appears</span> 1999 song by Ayumi Hamasaki

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kanariya</span> 1999 single by Ayumi Hamasaki

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fly High (Ayumi Hamasaki song)</span> 2000 single by Ayumi Hamasaki

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vogue (Ayumi Hamasaki song)</span> 2000 single by Ayumi Hamasaki

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Far Away (Ayumi Hamasaki song)</span> 2000 song by Ayumi Hamasaki

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seasons (Ayumi Hamasaki song)</span> 2000 single by Ayumi Hamasaki

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audience (Ayumi Hamasaki song)</span> 2000 single by Ayumi Hamasaki

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">H (Ayumi Hamasaki EP)</span> 2002 EP by Ayumi Hamasaki

H is an EP by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki, featuring songs later included on her fifth studio album Rainbow (2002). The EP contains the songs "Independent", "July 1st" and "Hanabi", all written and co-composed by Hamasaki, alongside composer Dai Nagao and producer Max Matsuura. Hamasaki had written and recorded the three songs when she was still hurt and influenced by the events of the September 11 attacks and the completion of her fourth studio album I Am... (2002).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Together When...</span> 2007 single by Ayumi Hamasaki

"Together When..." is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released by Avex Trax on December 5, 2007, and Rhythm Republic on April 9, 2008 as a double A-side with one of Hamasaki's tracks "Game" as the third and final single from her ninth studio album, Guilty (2008). It was released as Hamasaki's first digital single in Japan, and was Avex Trax's first single to be distributed as a digital download only. The track was written by Hamasaki herself, while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. Musically, "Together When..." is a power ballad. The lyrical content is about the finishing and separation of a relationship between lovers.

"Who..." is a Japanese-language song recorded by singer Ayumi Hamasaki. It served as a standard track to her second studio album Loveppears (1999), and was re-recorded and released as a promotional single by Avex Trax in Japan as part of the promotion towards her fifth greatest hits compilation album A Complete: All Singles on September 10, 2008. The track was written by Hamasaki herself, while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. Musically, it is a J-Pop ballad that was written in third-person perspective, like the rest of the content from Loveppears. The lyrics details the encapsulation of Hamasaki, and explaining her message of her own philosophy. During its promotional release in 2008, it reached number 49 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Songs chart in Japan, and number 19 on the RIAJ Monthly Ringtones chart. It was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for digital sales of 250,000 units. To promote the single, it appeared on remix and greatest hits compilation albums conducted by Hamasaki.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feel the Love (Ayumi Hamasaki song)</span> 2013 single by Ayumi Hamasaki

"Feel the Love" is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released in six different formats on December 25, 2013 by Avex Trax, Avex Taiwan, and Avex Entertainment Inc. worldwide. It was also her first physical release in three years since her EP–single L (2010), and her first double A-side single, alongside the track "Merry-Go-Round", since "Moon" and "Blossom" that same year. The track was written by the singer, whilst production was handled by Japanese musician and long-time collaborator Max Matsuura with the assistance of DJ Hello Kitty; this marks the singer's first single to be produced with another producer outside of Matsuura. Musically, "Feel the Love" is an electronic dance song that lyrically focuses on love and having a good time.

<i>Colours</i> (Ayumi Hamasaki album) 2014 studio album by Ayumi Hamasaki

Colours is the fifteenth studio album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on July 2, 2014, in Japan by Avex Trax, worldwide by Avex Entertainment Inc., and on July 18 in Taiwan by Avex Taiwan. The songs on the album were entirely written by Hamasaki, while production was led by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura; it also included a variety of Western producers such as Armin van Buuren, members from RedOne Productions De Paris and Rush, Darkchild, and Fedde Le Grand, among others. This became Hamasaki's first studio album to have not been fully produced by Matsuura, and her first album to incorporate a large amount of English language. Musically, Colours is an electronic dance music album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merry-Go-Round (Ayumi Hamasaki song)</span> 2013 single by Ayumi Hamasaki

"Merry-Go-Round" is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki, featuring a rap section delivered by Japanese artist Verbal, for the singer's fifteenth studio album Colours (2014). It was released worldwide in six different formats on December 25, 2013 by Avex Trax, Avex Taiwan, and Avex Entertainment Inc. It was also Hamasaki's first physical release in three years since her EP–single L (2010), and her first double A-side single, alongside the track "Feel the Love", since "Moon" and "Blossom" that same year. The track was written by Hamasaki, whilst production was handled by Japanese musician and long-time collaborator Max Matsuura with the assistance of M-Flo; this marks Hamasaki's first single to be produced with another producer outside of Matsuura. Musically, "Merry-Go-Round" is an electronic dance song that includes guitars and synthesizers in its instrumentation.

References

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  18. Hamasaki, Ayumi (1999). A (Shining Gold Disc; Liner notes). Ayumi Hamasaki. Japan: Avex Trax. AVCD-30050.
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  23. Hamasaki, Ayumi (2000). Trauma (12" Vinyl; Liner notes). Ayumi Hamasaki. North America: Avex Trax USA. AVA-3.
  24. Hamasaki, Ayumi (2000). Too Late (12" Vinyl; Liner notes). Ayumi Hamasaki. North America: Avex Trax USA. AVA-4.
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