Connected (Ayumi Hamasaki song)

Last updated
"Connected"
Single by Ayumi Hamasaki
from the album I am...
ReleasedApril 7, 2003 (Europe)
Genre Trance, ambient
Label Avex
Drizzly Records
Songwriter(s) Ayumi Hamasaki (lyrics)
Ferry Corsten (music)
Producer(s) Ferry Corsten
Ayumi Hamasaki singles chronology
"Voyage"
(2002)		"Connected"
(2003)		"&"
(2003)
Ayumi Hamasaki Germansingles chronology
"Connected"
(2003)		"M"
(2003)

"Connected" is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist and lyricist Ayumi Hamasaki for her fourth studio album I Am... , first made available on January 1, 2002. The song was written by Hamasaki herself while it was produced by Dutch disc jockey Ferry Corsten. The song was first conceived when Corsten had developed a track in Europe entitled "The Lots of Love". Despite him playing it at several events and shows throughout Europe, he did not release the track. After this, Hamasaki and Corsten had started to collaborate and the pair had changed and used the finishing result to create "Connected".

Contents

Musically, "Connected" is a trance song that utilizes electro and dance music, which was a prominent musical genre during early 2000s. The song achieved favorable reception from most music critics, who had praised the musical collaboration and electronic influence within the album. However, some critics were divided by the lack of progression and Hamasaki's vocal abilities. It was released as her first European single on April 7, 2003, and peaked at number 89 on the official singles chart in Germany. An accompanying music video was shot for the single by Kouji Morimoto and featured anime inspired themes and features people in a futuristic city.

The song was performed live on her New Year's Eve Countdown Live 2001-2002 and on her Premium Showcase: Feel the Love tour in Nagoya, Osaka and Tokyo, the first in 13 years since she performed the song live.

Background and composition

Dutch DJ and producer Ferry Corsten (pictured) produced and composed the track. Ferry Corsten.jpg
Dutch DJ and producer Ferry Corsten (pictured) produced and composed the track.

During the early 2000s era, Hamasaki had received massive attention and commercial commendation for her musical efforts. Her third studio album Duty sold nearly three million copies and was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) and the third single "Seasons" became Hamasaki's third million selling single, having sold over 1.3 million units in Japan and was certified Million by RIAJ. [1] [2] The success continued on with the work off I Am..., which was released on New Year's Day, 2002 and received favorable reception from most Japanese critics. The album was also a commercial success, selling over 2.3 million units in Japan and was certified triple platinum by RIAJ. [3] With countless singles being released throughout the album, the lead single "M" became her fourth million selling single and sold 1.32 million units in Japan. [upper-alpha 1] [4] [5]

"Connected" was originally a trance composition made by Ferry Corsten, who went under the name "East West" which was called "The Love I Lost". [6] [7] Although Corsten had played the song live in several events and shows, he never officially released it as a single. When Corsten collaborated with Hamasaki he altered the riff for "The Love I Lost" and let her write lyrics for it. "Connected" was initially included on Hamasaki's album I Am..., and later on The Very Best Of Ferry Corsten, compilation released by the Avex label in Japan and other Asian countries. [8]

Written by Hamasaki herself, "Connected" became her first song from her discography to have been produced and composed by someone outside of her native Japan, and was her only song during the time to be produced by someone else apart from Max Matsuura. [9] [upper-alpha 2] Musically, "Connected" is a trance-inspired song that incorporates contemporary dance music and electro music. [10] During the song, Hamasaki's vocals hit considerably higher notes than other tracks on her I Am... album and were often noted as "strained". [11]

Release and reception

Under the alias "Ayu", Drizzly Records in Germany and Lightning Records in Belgium got the rights to release some of Ayumi Hamasaki's trance material. On November 15, 2002, a first vinyl containing previously unreleased versions of the song was released in Germany. On December 6, 2002, a vinyl was released in Belgium. On April 7, 2003 a maxi CD single was officially released in Germany, which included several remixes and alternate versions of the song. [12] Hamasaki continued to release singles (all of them remixes of previously released songs) in Germany on Drizzly until 2005. [13] "Connected" was her last single released from her I Am... album and was released after her 2002 single "Voyage".

"Connected" received favorable reception from most music critics. Jeff from Random.Access gave the song a positive comment, stating "It's pretty good, but only because I like trance music and Ferry Corsten's music too. This was composed prior to Corsten's electro days, so you can only expect pure trance [...]" [10] Jeff had also selected "Connected" as the best track and "Choice Cut" from the parent album. [10] Yolanda from the online publication Music Addiction was positive towards the track, stating "In fact, I think I actually like this song more than I am… already, and it may turn out to be one of the best songs on this album [...]" Although she felt she favored the song particularly due to Yolanda's influence in Hamasaki's "rock music", she felt the song was too short and was a letdown because off it. [14] However, a reviewer from the publication Sputnikmusic was negative towards the song, felling it lacked progression and criticized her vocals for being too high pitched. [11]

Music video

The music video was directed by Kouji Morimoto and the key animation direction was handled by Shinya Ohira. [15] Studio 4 °C. had handled the production off the video and was created by them. The video is shot in anime inspired themes and features people in a futuristic city ("Cyberpunk"). It then features the city destroying other parts of the city, while mysterious space orbs create new buildings and the people watch upon the cities growing.

Live performances

The song was first performed by Hamasaki at her New Year's Eve concert Countdown Live 2001-2002. In 2014, she performed a slightly rearranged version of the song on her Premium Showcase: Feel the Love tour in Nagoya, Osaka and Tokyo. [16] This was the first time in 13 years that the song was performed live.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2003)Peak
position
Germany (Official German Charts) [17] 89

Track listing

German CD single [9]
  1. "Connected" (Radio Edit) (3:23)
  2. "Connected" (Talla 2XLC Radio Edit) (3:51)
  3. "Connected" (Push Radio Edit) (4:42)
  4. "Connected" (Talla 2XLC Instrumental Remix) (7:06)
  5. "Connected" (Push Instrumental Dub Remix) (8:09)
  6. "Connected" (Long Instrumental) (5:50)
  7. "Connected" (Ambient Mix) (5:23)
Belgian CD single [18]
  1. "Connected" (Radio Edit) (3:18)
  2. "Connected" (Push Radio Edit) (4:40)
  3. "Connected" (Ambient Mix) (5:20)
German vinyl [19]
  1. "Connected" (Push's Instrumental Dub Remix)
  2. "Connected" (Ferry Corsten Extended 12" Mix)
  3. "Connected" (Ferry Corsten Instrumental Mix)
  4. "Connected" (Push Club Mix)
Belgian vinyl [20]
  1. "Connected" (Extended Ferry Corsten Remix)
  2. "Connected" (Ambient Mix)
  3. "Connected" (Push Club Mix)
  4. "Connected" (Push Instrumental Dub)

Notes

  1. ↑ "M" received a 3× Platinum certification for 1,200,000 copies, however the 3× Platinum threshold was redefined as 750,000 copies in 2003.
  2. ↑ Her 2010 single "Dream On" with Japanese singer Naoya Urata was an exception, being produced and composed by Hamasaki herself.

Related Research Articles

<i>Distance</i> (Hikaru Utada album) 2001 studio album by Hikaru Utada

Distance is the third studio album by Japanese singer Hikaru Utada. Toshiba EMI released it on March 28, 2001, making it her second release with the label. Utada wrote and co-produced the majority of the album, alongside previous collaborators Akira Miyake and her father Teruzane Utada, as well as new collaborations with American producers Rodney Jerkins and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. Distance, like its predecessor First Love (1999), is influenced by pop music and R&B, with additional hip-hop, rock music, reggae, and techno influences from Western music.

<i>I Am...</i> (Ayumi Hamasaki album) 2002 studio album by Ayumi Hamasaki

I Am... is the fourth studio album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on January 1, 2002 by Avex Trax and was distributed throughout Asia in both physical and digital formats. Hamasaki enlisted long-time collaborator Max Matsuura to assist with the album's creation, and was inspired by the events of the September 11, 2001 attacks to emphasise lighter themes in contrast to her previous work.

<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

Duty is the third studio album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on September 27, 2000, by Avex Trax. Duty is Hamasaki's first studio album inside the 2000s decade, and her third consecutive studio album to be fully produced by Japanese musician and businessman Max Matsuura. The album's composing and arrangement was handled by several music collaborators, such as Ken Harada, Kazuhito Kikuchi, Dai Nagao, HΛL, among many others. Hamasaki contributed to the album as the primary and background vocalist, and songwriter to every song. Three different formats were released to promote the album: a standalone CD, a limited edition Playbutton, and a digital download. The cover sleeve has Hamasaki wearing a leopard-print cat suit.

<i>Rainbow</i> (Ayumi Hamasaki album) 2002 studio album by Ayumi Hamasaki

Rainbow is the fifth studio album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki, released on 18 December 2002 by Avex Trax. Production of Rainbow had commenced after the release of Hamasaki's fourth studio album I Am... that January; All lyrics were written by Hamasaki, and Japanese producer Max Matsuura returned to produce the album. The album was Hamasaki's first to feature conversational English lyrics, where in her previous works she had only used single words.

<i>A Best</i> 2001 greatest hits album by Ayumi Hamasaki

A Best is the first greatest hits album by Japanese singer-songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on March 28, 2001, by Avex Trax and Avex Music Creative Inc. Hamasaki had originally planned to release the greatest hits album after her 2002 studio album I Am..., but the idea was denied by Avex head staff. Instead, Avex released the album in 2001, which caused conflict between the label and Hamasaki. The compilation was released in two different formats including a physical and a digital release. Seven different artworks were released in several editions of the album. The album includes one new track, three re-recorded tracks, and the rest of previously released singles.

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

"Surreal" is a song by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki, taken from her third studio album Duty (2000). It was written by Hamasaki and produced by Max Matsuura. The song is a rock with elements of alternative rock. "Surreal" describes Hamasaki's madness and sense of confusion, while the themes of "Surreal" are based on Hamasaki's concept of loneliness, chaos, confusion, and the burden of her responsibilities, aimed mostly toward her public image as a recording artist. It was released as the fourth single from the album on 27 September 2000 by Avex Trax and Avex Taiwan.

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

"Whatever" is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki for her second studio album, Loveppears (1999). It was written by Hamasaki, while production was handled by Max Matsuura. The track is Hamasaki's sixth single with Matsuura since her debut single in April 1998, "Poker Face". "Whatever" premiered on February 10, 1999 as the lead single from the album. It was re-released on February 28, 2001 as a CD single.

<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

"Appears" is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released by Avex Trax on November 10, 1999 as the sixth single from her second studio album Loveppears (1999), which was released on the same day. Alongside this, it has been released in several other territories with different release dates under her Western alias Ayu. It also served as Hamasaki's first limited edition single, limiting physical sales to 300,000 copies. The track was written by Hamasaki herself, while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. Musically, "Appears" is a dance song written in third person perspective, and is about the third person watching what appears to be a happy and loving relationship. Upon its release, "Appears" received positive reviews from music critics. Alexey Eremenko, writing for AllMusic, selected the track as the best song from the album and her career. However, an editor from CD Journal criticized the amount of remixes on the CD single.

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

"Vogue" is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki for her third studio album, Duty (2000). It was written by Hamasaki, while production was handled by Max Matsuura. It premiered on April 26, 2000 as the lead single from the album. Her third consecutive lead single to be produced by Matsuura, the song is part of a trilogy from Duty; the other two singles being "Far Away" and "Seasons".

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

"Audience" is a song by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki from her third studio album Duty (2000). It was released as the album's fifth and final single on 1 November 2000 by Avex Trax. Hamasaki wrote the track and Max Matsuura Lewis produced it. Dai Nagao and HΛL composed both the single and album version. The single artwork was shot by Japanese photographer Toru Kumazawa and features duplicate clones of Hamasaki, resembling an audience. Musically, "Audience" is a dance–pop and disco song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evolution (Ayumi Hamasaki song)</span> 2001 single by Ayumi Hamasaki

"Evolution" is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist and lyricist Ayumi Hamasaki, released on January 31, 2001, as the second single from her fourth studio album I Am... (2002).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daybreak (Ayumi Hamasaki song)</span> 2002 single by Ayumi Hamasaki

"Daybreak" is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist and lyricist Ayumi Hamasaki, released on March 6, 2002 as the eighth and final single on her fourth studio album I am.... Influenced by the recent events off the September 11 attacks in New York City and Washington D.C. in North America, Hamasaki sought a new inspiration for her then-forthcoming album; instead off writing songs about confusion, loneliness and love like her previous efforts, she was encouraged to engage in more peaceful and worldly themes. This resulted in several songs on I Am..., including "Daybreak".

<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">Ayumi Hamasaki discography</span>

Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki has released eighteen studio albums, five compilation albums, twenty-six remix albums, four live albums and numerous singles and promotional singles. She debuted in 1995 under Nippon Columbia with the stage name Ayumi, releasing an extended play Nothing from Nothing, which was a collaboration with Dohzi-T and DJ Bass. Three years later, Hamasaki debuted again as a singer under Avex Trax with the single "Poker Face" (1998). Her first album A Song for ×× (1999) debuted at number one on Oricon's albums chart, and sold over 1.4 million copies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Movin' On Without You</span> 1999 single by Hikaru Utada

"Movin' On Without You" is a song recorded by Japanese–American singer and producer Hikaru Utada taken from her debut studio album First Love (1999). The song was written, arranged, and produced by Utada herself, and it became her first ever hit. "Movin' On Without You" was written, produced and composed while Utada was attending college in Tokyo, Japan, during 1997. Utada, who received a record contract by Toshiba-EMI, had written an English-language version of the song, but the song remains unreleased.

<i>Cyber Trance Presents Ayu Trance</i> Remix album by Ayumi Hamasaki

Cyber Trance Presents Ayu Trance is a remix album by Ayumi Hamasaki that contains remixes in the trance genre. The album was released on September 27, 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hikaru Utada discography</span>

The discography of Japanese-American R&B and pop singer Hikaru Utada consists of eleven studio albums, three compilation albums, eleven video albums and numerous singles and promotional singles. Utada began as a musician in the early 1990s as a member of U3, a family unit made up of her, her mother Junko Utada, also known as 1970s enka singer Keiko Fuji, and her father, musical producer Teruzane Utada. U3 released their debut album Star in 1993, with the hope to debut in America. In 1996, the group was rebranded as Cubic U, an R&B project focusing on Hikaru Utada, resulting in the English language album Precious in 1998 with record label Toshiba EMI.

<i>Guilty</i> (Ayumi Hamasaki album) 2008 studio album by Ayumi Hamasaki

Guilty is the ninth studio album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on January 1, 2008 by Avex Trax. Guilty marks Hamasaki's ninth consecutive album to be fully produced by Japanese producer and manager Max Matsuura, while she contributes to the album as the lead vocalist, background vocalist, and songwriter to all songs. Recorded in Japanese with minor phrases in English, Guilty is a rock album with numerous musical elements such as pop rock, heavy metal, synthrock, and power ballad melodies.

References

  1. ↑ Seasons - Oricon
  2. ↑ "GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 2000年12月度" [Gold Albums, and other certified works. December 2000 Edition](PDF). The Record (Bulletin) (in Japanese). 495. Chūō, Tokyo: Recording Industry Association of Japan: 8. February 10, 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  3. ↑ "GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 2002年1月度" [Gold Albums, and other certified works. January 2002 Edition](PDF). The Record (Bulletin) (in Japanese). 508. Chūō, Tokyo: Recording Industry Association of Japan: 12. March 10, 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  4. ↑ "GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 2000年12月度" [Gold Albums, and other certified works. December 2000 Edition](PDF). The Record (Bulletin) (in Japanese). 495. Chūō, Tokyo: Recording Industry Association of Japan: 8. February 10, 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  5. ↑ "GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 2001年1月度" [Gold Albums, and other certified works. January 2001 Edition](PDF). The Record (Bulletin) (in Japanese). 496. Chūō, Tokyo: Recording Industry Association of Japan: 8. March 10, 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 2, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  6. ↑ Ayu (Ayumi Hamasaki) - "Connected" at Discogs
  7. ↑ East West - The Love I Lost - Youtube
  8. ↑ Ferry Corsten - The Very Best Of Ferry Corsten (CD) at Discogs
  9. 1 2 Ayu* - Connected (CD) at Discogs
  10. 1 2 3 random.access // music review // ayumi hamasaki - i am.... Jeff, Retrieved on 2004.
  11. 1 2 "Ayumi Hamasaki - I am... (Album review ) | Sputnikmusic".
  12. ↑ Ayumi Hamasaki - song 058 - Connected
  13. ↑ "Neue Single mit Remixen von Armin van Buuren & Kyau vs Albert" (in German). Raveline. Retrieved July 25, 2010.[ dead link ]
  14. ↑ Reviewed by Yolanda. Ayumi Hamasaki - I AM | Music Addiction. Retrieved in 2015.
  15. ↑ "Shinya OHIRA". Anime News Network.
  16. ↑ "Ayumi Hamasaki Tour Statistics: PREMIUM SHOWCASE ~Feel the love~". Setlist.fm. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  17. ↑ "Ayu – Connected" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  18. ↑ - Ayu* - Connected (CD) at Discogs
  19. ↑ Ayu* - Connected (Vinyl) at Discogs
  20. ↑ Ayu* - Connected (Vinyl) at Discogs
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.