Mirrorcle World

Last updated
"Mirrorcle World"
MirrorcleWorldDependOnYouCDOnlyAyumiHamasaki.jpg
Single by Ayumi Hamasaki
from the album A Complete: All Singles
B-side "Life, You, Depend on You"
ReleasedApril 8, 2008
Genre J-pop, synthpop
Label Avex Trax
Songwriter(s) Ayumi Hamasaki (lyrics)
Yuta Nakano (music)
Tetsuya Yukumi (music)
Yasuhiko Hoshino (music)
Kazuhito Kikuchi (music)
Producer(s) Max Matsuura
Ayumi Hamasaki singles chronology
"Together When..."
(2007)
"Mirrorcle World"
(2008)
"Days/Green"
(2008)
Music video
"Mirrorcle World" on YouTube

"Mirrorcle World" is the forty-third physical single and forty-fourth single overall by Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki. The title track is an extended version of the song "Mirror," a two-minute introductory track on Hamasaki's ninth studio album, Guilty . [1] The single was released on April 8, 2008, [2] exactly ten years after her debut single, "Poker Face"; [3] the single features two new recordings of her second and fifth singles, both released in 1998, "You" and "Depend on You," respectively. [1]

Contents

Mirrorcle World has been certified platinum by RIAJ for shipment of more than 250,000 copies in Japan, Hamasaki's first single to do so since 2006's "Blue Bird". As of 2008 Oricon Yearly Chart, it is the #33 best-selling single in Japan of 2008 and #1 best-first week sales for female artist in Japan of 2008. "Mirrorcle World" made Hamasaki the first female artist to have a single reach #1 on the Oricon for ten consecutive years. [4]

Packaging and design

The CD+DVD version of "Mirrorcle World," according to Avex, was released in a "special limited-edition package" which consists of a vertical sleeve. Also, first press editions of the CD+DVD versions comes with posters of the respective cover, and an extra-long vertical casing.

The CD-only version, however, was released in regular sleeves. [5] Also, Spoinichi Annex revealed that the cover of "Mirrorcle World" would feature Hamasaki in a topless shot, in the vein of the covers of her album and single Loveppears and "Appears," respectively. However, whereas Hamasaki's hair covered her bust in the covers of the aforementioned records, the covers of "Mirrorcle World" depicted Hamasaki covering her breasts with her arm. [6]

Commercial and promotional videos

On January 9, rumors began circulating through Japanese media that Hamasaki was to fly to Venice to shoot a new commercial for Panasonic. The following day, the rumor was confirmed, [7] [8] and on February 22, Panasonic released the commercials, featuring "Mirrorcle World." [9] In addition to shooting the Panasonic commercial in Italy, Hamasaki flew to Paris where she shot a music video for "Mirrorcle World." [6] The promotional video was officially released on March 19, 2008. [10]

The PV for Mirrorcle World starts off in Paris. Hamasaki (dressed in a trench coat) walks near the Eiffel Tower as she notices that men clad in black are following her. She flees from them and goes to Venice (where she is clad in a large, red, Spanish ballgown). The men find her and Hamasaki runs away from them again, leaving a handkerchief. Hamasaki goes back to Paris and she is finally cornered by the men inside a telephone booth (this time, she is clad in a white evening gown). A car arrives and the men disperse. Hamasaki steps inside the car before giving a smile to the camera. The video is also inter-cut with scenes of Hamasaki singing in lingerie and headshots of Hamasaki wearing furry nails and lash extensions.

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Ayumi Hamasaki.

CD single (version 1)
No.TitleMusicArrangementLength
1."Mirrorcle World" (Original Mix)Yuta NakanoNakano5:14
2."Life" (Original Mix)Tetsuya YukumiNakano3:49
3."You" (10th Anniversary Version)Yasuhiko Hoshino HΛL 4:47
4."Mirrorcle World" (Instrumental)  5:16
5."Life" (Instrumental)  3:49
6."You" (10th Anniversary Version -Instrumental-)  4:43
CD single (version 2)
No.TitleMusicArrangementLength
1."Mirrorcle World" (Original Mix)  5:14
2."Life" (Original Mix)  3:49
3."Depend on You" (10th Anniversary Version)Kazuhito KikuchiCMJK4:41
4."Mirrorcle World" (Instrumental)  5:16
5."Life" (Instrumental)  3:49
6."Depend on You" (10th Anniversary Version -Instrumental-)  4:38

Live performances

Charts

Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)

ReleaseChartPeak PositionFirst Week SalesSales TotalChart Run
April 8, 2008Oricon Daily Singles Chart1
Oricon Weekly Singles Chart1145,576220,00015 weeks
Oricon Monthly Singles Chart2
Oricon Yearly Singles Chart33

Total Sales : 220,000 (Japan)
Total Sales : 254,000 (Avex)

Billboard Japan Sales Chart

ReleaseChartPeak Position
April 8, 2008Billboard Japan Hot 1002
Billboard Japan Hot 100 Airplay-
Billboard Japan Hot Singles Sales2

Digital Sales Charts

ChartPeak
position
Recochoku Chaku-Uta [11] 2
Recochoku Chaku-Uta Melody [12] 8
Recochoku Chaku-Uta All [13] 3
Mu-mo Song Download Chart [14] 1
Dwango Truetone Ringtones (Chaku Uta) [15] 2
Dwango Polyphonic Ringtones (Chaku Mero) [15] 4
USEN1

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 "Ayu Debut Anniversary Special!" (in Japanese). HMV. 2008-03-10. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  2. "4月8日(火)発売 NEW SINGLE「Mirrorcle World」" (in Japanese). Avex Marketing Inc. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  3. "浜崎あゆみ、10周年記念シングル"Mirrorcle World"を4月8日に4形態にてリリース" (in Japanese). Bounce.com. 2008-03-05. Archived from the original on 2008-03-06. Retrieved 2008-03-14.
  4. http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-2997
  5. "The new single "Mirrorcle World" to be released on Tuesday, April 8". Avex Marketing Inc. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  6. 1 2 "浜崎あゆみ 初の手ブラショット". Spoinichi Annex. 2008-03-12. Archived from the original on 2008-03-14. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  7. あゆ ファンに感謝!告白後初の肉声(芸能) ― スポニチ (in Japanese). Spoinichi Annex. 2008-01-10. Archived from the original on 2008-01-17. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
  8. あゆ、ベネチアへ気丈に出発…衝撃告白以来初めて公の場 (in Japanese). Sanspo.com. 2008-01-10. Archived from the original on 2008-01-26. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  9. チャンネルパナソニック│松下グループのブロードバンド放送 (in Japanese). Panasonic. Archived from the original on 2008-02-25. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  10. アーティスト名:浜崎あゆみ (in Japanese). Space Shower TV. Retrieved 2008-03-19.
  11. (in Japanese) 「着うたフル」・「着うた」なら「レコ直♪」 - デイリーランキング Archived 2007-05-14 at the Wayback Machine
  12. (in Japanese) 「着うたフル」・「着うた」なら「レコ直♪」 - 着信メロディダウンロードランキング Archived 2007-08-09 at the Wayback Machine
  13. (in Japanese) 「着うたフル」・「着うた」なら「レコ直♪」 - トータルダウンロードランキング Archived 2008-06-22 at the Wayback Machine
  14. (in Japanese) 着うた(R)/着うたフル(R)/着信メロディ 無料・先行・最新楽曲が充実のオリコン・モバイル
  15. 1 2 (in Japanese) dwango.jp | 着うたフル(R)&着うた(R)無料検索

Related Research Articles

Ayumi Hamasaki Japanese singer, songwriter, and actress

Ayumi Hamasaki is a Japanese singer, songwriter, record producer, actress, model, spokesperson and entrepreneur. Through her entire career, she has written all her lyrical content, and has sometimes composed her music.

Far Away (Ayumi Hamasaki song) 2000 song by Ayumi Hamasaki

"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".

Ayumi Hamasaki discography

Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki has released seventeen 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.

Glitter/Fated 2007 single by Ayumi Hamasaki

"Glitter"/"Fated" is the forty-first single by Japanese pop singer Ayumi Hamasaki, released on July 18, 2007. "Glitter"/"Fated" was Hamasaki's first single of 2007 and first single in over a year, since the release of "Blue Bird" in June 2006.

Talkin 2 Myself 2007 single by Ayumi Hamasaki

"Talkin' 2 Myself" is J-Pop singer-songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki's 42nd single, which was released on September 19, 2007. The single contains two rock tracks, one acoustic orchestra remix of her previously released "Fated", and the instrumentals of the main tracks. It is her 29th #1 single, breaking her own record for the most #1 singles by a solo female artist. The drums in both Talkin' 2 Myself and Decision are played by Andy Selway from the band KMFDM.

<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 rock, heavy metal, electronic music, and pop ballad melodies.

Hot Limit (song) 2008 single by High and Mighty Color

"Hot Limit" is the 13th single from the Japanese group HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR and was the first single after the release of their 4th album, Rock Pit. The title track from the single is a cover of the 1998 single from T.M. Revolution. This was the second time the group has covered a song, the first being a cover of a Luna Sea song used for a special tribute cover album. The group's official website describes the title track as a fun summer anthem.

<i>A Complete: All Singles</i> 2008 greatest hits album by Ayumi Hamasaki

A Complete: All Singles is a greatest hits album by Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki, released on September 10, 2008 to commemorate her tenth anniversary with Avex Trax. It compiles all of Hamasaki's singles from 1998 to 2008, with one new track.

Days/Green 2008 single by Ayumi Hamasaki

"Days"/"Green" is the forty-fourth single by the Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki, released on December 17, 2008. In addition to the A-sides "Days" and "Green", the single contains re-recorded versions of Hamasaki's songs "Love: Destiny" and "To Be". The single was Hamasaki's 31st single to reach number one on the Oricon chart and 19th consecutive single to do so.

<i>Next Level</i> (Ayumi Hamasaki album) 2009 studio album by Ayumi Hamasaki

Next Level is the tenth studio album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released through Avex Trax on March 25, 2009 in five physical formats, and for digital consumption. The album was solely produced by Avex Trax owner Max Matsuura, whereas the album's content was written by Hamasaki herself. Additionally, it marks a return for several composers that helped construct her previous records, including Dai Nagao, CMJK, Kazuhiro Hara, HΛL, amongst others. Stylistically, Next Level is a departure from her previous albums, focusing on electronic music with elements of rock and dance.

Sunrise/Sunset (Love Is All) 2009 single by Ayumi Hamasaki

"Sunrise/Sunset " is Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki's forty-sixth single, released on August 12, 2009. The song "Sunrise: Love is All" is used as the theme song to the 2009 Japanese drama show, Dandy Daddy? In addition, the song "Sunset: Love is All" was used in advertisements for the Panasonic Lumix FX-60 digital camera. The single debuted at #1 on Oricon weekly charts and became her 44th Top 10 single, making her the first artist to have 44 Top 10 singles in Oricon history. The single became Hamasaki's 21st consecutive single to debut at number-one position since her 2002 single "Free & Easy" on the Oricon weekly charts, making her the first solo artist and the first female artist to have 21 consecutive singles to debut at number-one position. It is also her 33rd number-one single on the Oricon weekly charts.

<i>Rock n Roll Circus</i> 2010 studio album by Ayumi Hamasaki

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.

How Beautiful You Are (Ayumi Hamasaki song) 2012 single by Ayumi Hamasaki

"How Beautiful You Are" is a song by Japanese musician Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on February 8, 2012, as the leading digital single from her thirteenth studio album, Party Queen. The song was used at the theme song for the Kyōko Koizumi-starring Fuji Television drama Saigo Kara Nibanme no Koi.

"Progress" is a song by Japanese musician Ayumi Hamasaki. It was one of the promotional tracks from her third extended play Five, released on August 31, 2011. The song was used as the theme song for the PlayStation 3 role-playing game Tales of Xillia, the thirteenth main entry in the Tales series. The song was a commercial success, certified gold by the RIAJ.

"Next Level" is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist and songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki taken from her tenth studio album Next Level (2009). The song was written by Hamasaki herself while the composition was by Dai Nagao and arrangement by HΛL. The song was conceived while Hamasaki was working on the studio album during her anniversary year, which was in April 2008. This year was to commemorate her ten-year anniversary since her debut single "Poker Face". "Next Level" was released as the album's lead and only promotional single on the same date as the album release digitally.

Zutto.../Last Minute/Walk 2014 single by Ayumi Hamasaki

"Zutto.../Last Minute/Walk" is the 53rd single of Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on December 24, 2014, by Avex Trax.

<i>Sixxxxxx</i> 2015 EP by Ayumi Hamasaki

sixxxxxx is the sixth extended play by Japanese recording artist and songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki. The EP was released on August 5, 2015 by Avex Trax and was produced by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. With all the tracks written by Hamasaki herself, the EP features five original tracks and one hidden track to commemorate the "six" tracks. It was released as a stand-alone CD, a CD and DVD bundle and a CD and Blu-ray bundle.

"You Were.../Ballad" is Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki's forty-seventh single, released on December 29, 2009. The single was intended to be released on December 16, but Avex Trax pushed the release date two weeks back. The first song on the single "You were..." is the theme song for the Japanese version of the Disney movie Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, while the second song "Ballad" is tied up with The Firmament of the Pleiades, a NHK's historical and political drama based on Jiro Asada's book of the same name. The single became Hamasaki's 22nd consecutive single to debut at number-one position since her 2002 single "Free & Easy" on the Oricon weekly charts, making her the first solo artist and the female artist to have 22 consecutive singles to debut at number-one position. It is also her 34th number-one single on the Oricon weekly charts.

Ohia no Ki 2020 single by Ayumi Hamasaki

"Ohia no Ki" is a song by Japanese singer-songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released as a digital single only on July 5, 2020, following the airing of the final episode of M Aisubeki Hito ga Ite. The song is Hamasaki's first new release in almost 2 years and her first digital single since 2016's "We Are the Queens".