Ai Otsuka is a Japanese singer-songwriter from Suminoe-ku, Osaka, Japan. She is a popular artist on the Avex Trax label and is best known for her 2003 hit "Sakuranbo", which stayed in the Top 200 Oricon Weekly Singles Chart for 103 weeks.
(Miss)understood is the seventh studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on New Year's Day 2006, by Avex Trax. Hamasaki acted as the album's sole lyricist, as she had on all of her preceding albums. (Miss)understood marked new musical directions for Hamasaki: she explored new influences such as funk and used gospel choruses in some of the songs, foreign to her previous works. This was the result of her having heard compositions by Geo from the German-based pop music project Sweetbox and asking him for his works. Subsequently, Hamasaki rewrote the lyrics entirely to fit (Miss)understood.
"Love (Destiny)" (stylized as "LOVE ~Destiny~") is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki, serving as the second single for her second studio album, Loveppears (1999). It was released by Avex Trax in Japan and Taiwan on April 14, 1999, and through Avex Entertainment Inc. worldwide in September 2008. The track was written by Hamasaki herself, while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. Three versions of the recording have been made available—a ballad version arranged by Tsunku, an edited version with vocals by Tsunku, and a dance-influenced version included on Loveppears.
"To Be" is a song by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It served as the third single from Hamasaki's second studio album Loveppears (1999). The track was released by Avex Trax in Japan and Taiwan on May 12, 1999, and through Avex Entertainment Inc. worldwide in September 2008. It was Hamasaki's final single to be distributed as a Mini-CD, a format that debuted at the start of her career in April 1998. "To Be" was written by Hamasaki herself, while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. Musically, it is a J-Pop that was written in third person perspective, much like the content from the parent album.
A is an extended play (EP) 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.
"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.
Love Cook is Ai Otsuka's third album released on 14 December 2005 under the Avex Trax record label. It was released in four formats: CD only, CD+DVD, CD+Photobook and CD+Picture Book. The latter two are limited to 150,000 copies each, and feature different sleeve case covers. The picture book illustrations are hand-drawn by Ai herself.
Love Jam is the second album by Ai Otsuka, released on 17 November 2004 under the Avex Trax record label. This album was available in CD and CD+DVD editions. The first-press of the CD Only edition came with an 80-page illustration book drawn by Ai Otsuka herself. The album hit #30 in 2005, selling 414,513 copies. In total, the album has sold about 656,708 copies.
Love Punch is the debut album by Ai Otsuka released on 31 March 2004 under the Avex Trax record label. This album was released in two formats: a CD Only version and a CD+DVD version. The CD+DVD edition comes with a DVD containing promo clips and interviews. Initial pressings contained a limited edition picture book. The album reached #3 on the Oricon charts and stayed on the charts for a total of 98 weeks. Because the album sold 519,300 copies in 2004, it became the #20 most popular album of 2004. However, it also charted on the 2005 end-of-year charts at #94 as it sold 159,025 copies in that year as well. In total, this album has sold 698,277 units.
"Yumekui" is Ai Otsuka's 12th single under the avex trax label.
A Best 2 is a two-part greatest hits album by Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki. Both albums, titled Black and White, were released on 28 February 2007 on various formats by Avex Trax. Produced by Max Matsuura, they follow Hamasaki's compilation album A Best, which was released in March 2001. A Best 2 are concept albums, with Black focusing on darker and more serious tones and White on lighter and more upbeat themes. The albums contain 31 songs, including an unreleased track titled "Part of Me" on the Black edition, that were released between the periods of her albums I Am... (2002) and (Miss)understood (2006).
"Kingyo Hanabi" is Ai Otsuka's fifth single. It was released by avex trax on August 18, 2004. The DVD version was sold simultaneously. It became the theme song of the Japanese television program "Super TV". 50,000 limited edition copies were sold which included a picture book drawn by Otsuka. It reached number three on the Oricon charts.
"Daisuki da yo." is Ai Otsuka's sixth single, which was released on October 20, 2004 under the avex trax label. It peaked at number three on the Oricon chart in Japan.
"White choco" is Ai Otsuka's second single under the avex trax label under her pen name Love, which was released on November 21, 2007.
"Pocket" is Ai Otsuka's 16th single released under the avex trax label. It is her third (fourth) single to be released in 2007. This is her first single to be released after her fourth album, approximately two months after Love Piece. This is Otsuka's first original single since her debut single "Momo no hanabira", which sold 44,822 copies, to sell less than 100,000 copies.
Guilty is the ninth studio album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on New Year's Day 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.
"One" is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Ami Suzuki for her seventh studio album, Supreme Show (2008). It was written and produced by Japanese producer and Capsule member Yasutaka Nakata. The track is Suzuki's third single with Nakata after her August 2007 single's "Free Free" and "Super Music Maker". "One" premiered on June 18, 2008, as the lead single from the album.
"Rule"/"Sparkle" is a double A-side single by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki from her tenth studio album, Next Level (2009). The song was released on a CD and DVD format on February 25, 2009 as the second single from the album. With "Rule" composed by Miki Wantanabe and "Sparkle" composed by Kazuhiro Hara, both songs were written by Hamasaki and produced by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. "Rule" was used as the international theme song for the 2009 film Dragonball Evolution.
"Zokkondition/Lucky Star" (ゾッ婚ディション/LUCKY☆STAR) is the twentieth single by Japanese singer Ai Otsuka under the label Avex Trax. It was released on April 7, 2010, more than a year after her last single "Bye Bye".
"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.
