Made in Japan | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | May 11, 2016 | |||
Recorded | 2015–2016 | |||
Genre | J-pop, rock | |||
Length | 43:47 | |||
Label | Avex Music Creative | |||
Producer | Max Matsuura | |||
Ayumi Hamasaki chronology | ||||
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Made in Japan (stylized as M( )DE IN JAPAN) is the seventeenth studio album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It initially debuted on the streaming service AWA Japan on May 11, 2016, before receiving a physical and digital release on June 29, 2016. It is Hamasaki's seventeenth consecutive studio album, since her debut album A Song for ×× (1999), to be fully written by her and produced by Japanese musician Max Matsuura. Musically, the album encompasses a variety of genres including hard rock, ballad, and electronic dance music.
Upon its release, Made in Japan received a positive review by Patrick St. Michel at The Japan Times, who reviewed the album based on its streaming release. Commercially, the album's first week sales underperformed in comparison to Hamasaki's previous albums, but reached number two on the Oricon Albums Chart, making it her highest entry since Love Again in 2013.
To promote the release, she embarked on an extension of her 2015–2016 countdown concert tour Made in Tokyo, under the same name as the album. Although no singles were released from the album, the tracks "Flower" and "Mad World" received music videos with the former being performed on Music Station. The album also includes a cover of "Many Classic Moments" by Japanese band Globe, which was released promotionally through the tribute album #Globe20th.
In April 2015, Hamasaki released her sixteenth studio album named A One . [1] To promote the album, she commenced two concert tours throughout 2015 in Japan; the Final Cirque de Minuit Arena Tour, and an annual live New Years countdown show name Made in Tokyo. [2] [3] During both concert tours, Hamasaki begun writing material for her seventeenth studio album; an announcement about the album was then publicly made in January 2016 via Instagram. [4] Through early to mid May 2016, Hamasaki used social media services, such as Facebook and Instagram, to show lyrical teasers of songs for her seventeenth studio album; these songs were "Mad World", "Survivor", "You Are the Only One", "Today", and "Flower". [5] Then on May 11, 2016, Hamasaki released the album via streaming service AWA Japan. [6]
Made in Japan is Hamasaki's seventeenth consecutive studio album, since her debut album A Song for ×× (1999) to be fully written by her. It is also the seventeenth studio effort that was produced by Japanese musician Max Matsuura since her debut. [7] Musically, the album contains a variety of genres including hard rock, ballad, and electronic dance music, as described by Patrick St. Michel at The Japan Times and Hamasaki. [8] [9] The album consists of nine original new tracks, with one of them being an opening instrumental track, and one cover; the cover is "Many Classic Moments", which was originally recorded by Japanese group Globe and appeared on their tribute album, #Globe20th in 2015. [10] [11] St. Michel stated that "Made in Japan" "finds Hamasaki jumping between sounds, hop-scotching from driving rock numbers featuring arena-ready guitar solos to surging ballads... all familiar ground to her." [8]
Made in Japan was released through the streaming service AWA Japan on May 11, 2016, and was eventually released physically and digitally on June 29 in six different formats. [9] The first release is the CD format, which included the ten tracks. [7] The next formats are the DVD and Blu-ray bundles; this included the ten tracks on one CD, and the music videos to the songs "Flower", "Mad World", and "Winter Diary" on a second disc, where the latter track was recorded and promoted with her remix album Winter Diary: A7 Classical (2015). Both formats including the "behind the scenes" of all three videos. [12] [13] The next two formats are double DVD and a second Blu-ray, that were released exclusively through Hamasaki's TeamAyu membership website; both formats include the ten tracks on one disc, 15 live videos from her Limited TA Live concert in Zepp, Tokyo, and the three music videos and three "behind the scenes" videos. [14] [15] The sixth and final format is the digital download, which includes the ten tracks. [16] The artwork for the first four all formats, including the digital release, has Hamasaki holding rope, while the TeamAyu editions are close-ups of her face. [9]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [17] |
Upon its release, M(a)de in Japan has received positive reviews from music critics. Patrick St. Michel, writing for The Japan Times , gave the release a positive review. He stated, "For Hamasaki, though, this is her best work in years, thanks primarily to a play-time clocking in at under 40 minutes." He commended the tracks "Tasky" and "Flower" for emphasising traditional Japanese music, and highlighted "Summer Love" as a stand out. However, he did select the "cheesy" cover of "Many Classic Moments" as the album's worst track. [8]
Five days after the album's release on AWA services, it accumulated over one million streams in Japan. [18] Made in Japan debuted at number two on the Daily Oricon Albums Chart, just behind the compilation album Cinderella Master Cool Jewelries! 003 by The Idolmaster. Hamasaki's album sold 19,898 units on June 29, her second lowest daily count behind Sixxxxxx than her previous studio album A One with 20,025 sold units. [19] [20] It fell to number four the following day, selling under 4,500 units. [21] On its third day it claimed up to number three, selling 2,032 units. [22] The album then debuted at number two on the Weekly Oricon Albums Chart, selling 30,269 units. [23]
To promote the album, Hamasaki started her 2016 Arena tour that shares the same name as the album. The tour opened at NGK Insulators Hall, Nagoya on May 17, 2016, and finished on July 17 at the Osaka-jō Hall in Osaka. [24] She also performed the song "FLOWER" on July 29, 2016 on the Japanese TV show Music Station.
All lyrics are written by Ayumi Hamasaki, except for track 10 written by Tetsuya Komuro
No. | Title | Music | Arranger | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Tasky" | Tasuku | Tasuku | 1:58 |
2. | "Flower" | Tetsuya Yukumi | Tasuku | 3:39 |
3. | "Mad World" | Tasuku | Tasuku | 4:18 |
4. | "Breakdown" | Yukumi | Yuta Nakano | 4:33 |
5. | "Survivor" | Timothy Wellard | Nakano | 4:13 |
6. | "You Are the Only One" | Wellard | Nakano | 5:00 |
7. | "Today" | Shun Ueno |
| 5:13 |
8. | "Mr. Darling" | Yukumi | Tasuku | 3:58 |
9. | "Summer Love" | Mayuko Maruyama | Tasuku | 4:48 |
10. | "Many Classic Moments" (Globe cover) | Tetsuya Komuro | Yohanne Simon (RedOne Productions) | 6:07 |
No. | Title | Director(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Flower" (Video Clip) | Masashi Muto | |
2. | "Mad World" (Video Clip) | Muto | |
3. | "Winter Diary" (Video Clip) | ||
4. | "Flower" (Making of) | ||
5. | "Mad World" (Making of) | ||
6. | "Winter Diary" (Making of) |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Sorrows" | |
2. | "Startin'" | |
3. | "Unite!" | |
4. | "Last Minute" | |
5. | "Heartplace" | |
6. | "Days" | |
7. | "Beloved" | |
8. | "Summer Diary" | |
9. | "Heaven" | |
10. | "XOXO" / "Lelio" / "Sparkle" / "Feel the love" / "You & Me" | |
11. | "Love Song" | |
12. | "Boys & Girls" | |
13. | "The Show Must Go On" | |
14. | "Replace" | |
15. | "My All" | |
16. | "FLOWER" (video clip [Blu-ray only]) | |
17. | "Mad World" (video clip [Blu-ray only]) | |
18. | "Winter diary" (video clip [Blu-ray only]) | |
19. | "FLOWER" (making of [Blu-ray only]) | |
20. | "Mad World" (making of [Blu-ray only]) | |
21. | "Winter diary" (making of [Blu-ray only]) |
Weekly charts
Monthly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Japan | — | 55,000 [26] |
Region | Date | Format | Label |
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Japan | May 11, 2016 | Online streaming [27] |
|
June 29, 2016 | CD [7] | Avex Trax | |
CD and DVD [12] | |||
CD and Blu-Ray [13] | |||
TeamAyu CD and double DVD [14] | |||
TeamAyu CD and Blu-Ray [15] | |||
Digital download [16] | Avex Music Creative Inc. | ||
Australia [28] | |||
New Zealand [29] | |||
United Kingdom [30] | |||
Ireland [31] | |||
Germany [32] | |||
Spain [33] | |||
France [34] | |||
Italy [35] | |||
Taiwan [36] | |||
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.
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.
"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.
"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.
"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.
"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.
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.
"Kanariya" is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki for her second studio album, Loveppears (1999). It was released by Avex Trax in Japan and Hong Kong on December 8, 1999, and through Avex USA in North America in early 2000. The recording also served as Hamasaki's second limited edition single, with limited physical units of 300,000 copies. The track was written by Hamasaki herself, while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. Two versions of "Kanariya" were made available for consumption—a radio edit produced by American disc jockey Jonathan Peters, and the album version composed by Yasuhiko Hoshino. Lyrically, the song was written in third person perspective.
"Fly High" is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released by Avex Trax in Japan on February 9, 2000, and through Avex Entertainment Inc. worldwide in September 2008. The recording served as Hamasaki's third and final limited edition single from her second studio album, Loveppears (1999), limiting physical units to 300,000 copies. The track was written by the singer herself, while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. Two versions of "Fly High" were made available for consumption—a radio edit composed by HΛL, and the album version produced by Dai Nagao. Lyrically, the song was written in third person perspective.
"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".
"Far Away" 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 May 17, 2000, as the second single from the album. The song is part of a trilogy from Duty; the other two singles being "Vogue" and "Seasons".
"Seasons" is a song 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 June 7, 2000, as the third single from the album. The song is the final part of a trilogy from Duty; the other two singles being "Vogue" and "Far Away".
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.
"You Were..." is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki, taken from her tenth studio album, Rock 'n' Roll Circus (2010). It was written by Hamasaki with production being done by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. The song premiered on December 29, 2009 as the album's second a-side single with the album track, "Ballad". Four formats were released for the single; a CD format, a CD and DVD bundle, a limited edition box set, and a digital download. The first three artworks feature Hamasaki laying in snow, whilst the limited edition box set has a long-shot of Hamasaki in a dress.
Rock 'n' Roll Circus is the eleventh studio album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on April 14, 2010, by Avex Trax. It was also released just a little over a year after her 2009 album, Next Level. Rock 'n' Roll Circus marks Hamasaki's eleventh 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, Rock 'n' Roll Circus is a rock album with numerous musical elements such as electropop, J-pop, rock, pop ballad, and dance music.
"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.
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.
"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.