Remember You | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | January 25, 2023 | |||
Recorded | 2020–2022 | |||
Genre | J-pop | |||
Label | Avex Trax | |||
Ayumi Hamasaki chronology | ||||
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Singles from Remember You | ||||
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Remember You is the eighteenth studio album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. Preceded by seven singles released from 2020 to 2022, it also marks her first studio album release in the Reiwa era.
To promote the release, Hamasaki named her New Year's Eve concerts after the album: Countdown Live 2022–2023 A: Remember You. Two concerts were held over December 30 and 31, with the latter date streamed through dTV. [1] [2] On December 28, it was announced that the song "(Not) Remember You" would be made available on January 1, 2023, as a pre-release album track on all streaming platforms. [3] A second pre-release album track, "Just the Way You Are", was released on January 18 alongside a promotional clip featuring Kumamoto Pro-Wrestling, who is a member of the comedy duo Benishoga. After its release online, Japanese media widely covered the collaboration, praising the song as "a gentle, yet emotional ballad". [4] [5] [6]
Remember You is an outlier in Hamasaki's standard release schedule from earlier in her career, being seven years after her last studio album Made in Japan. [7] After a string of singles across 2020 and 2021, the singer commented on her official Instagram account on March 2, 2022, that she was "receiving many exciting demos" from multiple composers, seeming to confirm she was planning an album release. [8] One of those demos was confirmed in the same post to be from Tetsuya Komuro, who would later be credited as the composer and arranger on her single "Mask".
Hamasaki confirmed that she was working on her next studio album in April 2022, announcing it at the end of her Asia Tour: 24th Anniversary Special concert, with a tentative release date as "Fall 2022". [9] However, it was delayed, with the singer attributing the change in release date to ongoing issues with writer's block. The new release date was confirmed to be January 25, 2023.
The album includes all of the singles that Hamasaki has released since 2020, including her cover of Yumi Matsutoya's "Haru yo, koi". These span from over the last two years, with the earliest single being "Ohia no Ki" - a track Hamasaki dedicated to her then-newborn son - which also served as her first single since the 2018 EP Trouble . [10]
The singer spoke often of struggling with the creative process and burnout during the creation of the album, with this being the longest gap between studio album releases she has had in her career. This has also been referred to in public statements by the singer, such as anxiety surrounding being able to "do what Ayu would do" when deciding how to perform on-stage. [11] It is also Hamasaki's first full album release since her 2017 announcement of having impaired hearing in her right ear, being fully deaf in her left ear since the 2000s. [12]
The seven singles released in anticipation of the album generally favored uptempo, dance-pop compositions - as showcased in "Dreamed a Dream", "Nonfiction", "Summer Again", and "Mask" - with "Ohia no Ki" being the only original ballad used as a single. The album marks Hajime Kato and Hisashi Koyama's first collaborations with her, along with the return of Kazuhito Kikuchi, who last worked with Hamasaki for her 2006 album Secret. While Yuta Nakano arranged the majority of the album, both Atsushi Sato and Takehito Shimizu were brought back as arrangers for "23rd Monster", having worked with the singer for her last two releases - Made in Japan, and Trouble .
Lyrically, Hamasaki explores various subjects, with the overall themes being feelings of loneliness, dissonance, and self-doubt. "Dreamed a Dream" contrasts aggressive 90s-inspired beats with a contemplative set of lyrics; the singer openly reflects on her work, and the perceived limitations she has at this point in her career. [13] This line of thinking is continued in the later-released "23rd Monster", Hamasaki also accusing herself of having grown complacent before naming herself as the "monster" the title refers to ("Doing only what you have to, choosing surrender rather than fight/You're also a 'monster'"). The song continues to address both herself and faceless detractors, the heavy pop-rock foundation of the song underscoring the conclusion of needing to take back control of her own career. [14]
It could be said that both "Nonfiction" and "Summer Again" are societal commentaries on COVID-19, with the former song criticizing the spread of false news, and the latter being a call to "take back the summer" together after two years of pandemic isolation measures; while "Mask" portrays itself as a personal reflection on being faced with contrasting ideals and wants, Hamasaki wondering if to be shielded from something means being manipulated, or protected. [15]
Hamasaki consistently posted online about writing and recording the album between different concert projects, such as between TA Summer Party 2022 dates, and during rehearsals for both the last date of Asia Tour 2021-2022 A: 23rd Monster and Countdown Live 2022–2023: Remember You. The creative process was noted to be rigorous, with Hamasaki at one point posting that "Just because a song is finished, doesn't mean it'll see the light of day", and "I wonder how many times I've created and destroyed things over the past year, and how many songs there will be when I'm done with all of them". Ultimately, while the initial announcement of the album listed 12 tracks, the final tracklist confirmed 14 tracks in total. [16]
First unveiled on December 23, 2022, the photographer is credited as Masayuki Kamo, who also shot the cover visuals for her 21st Anniversary: Power of A^3 recorded release. [17] The cover art of the album features Hamasaki in the Peninsula Suite of the Tokyo Peninsula Hotel, looking into the distance on all three covers, with a backdrop of the city nightscape visible in two versions. Notably, the Peninsula Hotel is where the singer commented often staying in while writing over the last two years. [18]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [19] |
Remember You was released on January 25, 2023. Six different formats were advertised, which include a CD, CD+DVD, CD+Blu-ray, and a double-disc edition—CD+2DVD+Goods, and a CD+2Blu-ray+Goods set. The latter edition of the album includes the singer's A-Nation Online 2020 performance stage, which showcased a live rendition of the 'despair trilogy'—"Vogue", "Far Away", and "Seasons". The final version of the album is a digital download.
The TeamAyu version of the album includes a 92-page photobook, described as a mix of a new photoshoot and off-shots from 2020 to 2022. [20] The photoshoot is stated to include haute couture pieces commissioned specifically for Hamasaki.
Remember You received a glowing review from Neil Z. Yeung for the American online publication AllMusic. Yeung highlighted the 90s and 2000s inspired dance and rock songs as a "pure thrill," while praising Hamasaki's vocals and lush arrangements on the ballad tracks. Yeung ultimately dubbed Remember You a "triumph" and "one of her best albums ever". [19]
Remember You debuted at number 6 on the Weekly Oricon Albums Chart, selling 11,317 copies. [21] It had a peak of number 3 on its initial release date.
With Remember You's performance, Hamasaki became the female artist with the most albums to reach the top 10—a total of 54. She had previously tied for first place with Seiko Matsuda. [22] [23]
The album was also successful throughout many parts of Asia. Upon release, the Taiwanese version of Remember You topped the G-Music East Asian Chart. [24] The album spent 2 non-consecutive weeks at number 1 in Taiwan, and reached number 1 on the KKBOX Japanese Album Chart in Singapore. [25]
All lyrics are written by Ayumi Hamasaki, except for track 9 written by Yumi Matsutoya.
No. | Title | Music | Arranger(s) | Length |
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1. | "Nonfiction" | Hisashi Koyama | Tasuku | 3:49 |
2. | "(Not) Remember You" | Hajime Kato | Nakano | 3:42 |
3. | "Dreamed a Dream" | Tetsuya Komuro | Nakano | 4:32 |
4. | "23rd Monster" | Kazuhiro Hara |
| 3:46 |
5. | "Summer Again" | Kato | Tasuku | 4:00 |
6. | "Ray of Truth" | Nakano | Nakano | 1:35 |
7. | "Remember You" | Tetsuya Yukumi | Nakano | 4:24 |
8. | "Ohia no Ki" (オヒアの木) | Kazuhito Kikuchi | Yuta Nakano | 4:37 |
9. | "Haru yo, Koi" (春よ、来い; Yumi Matsutoya cover) | Yumi Matsutoya | Nakano | 5:02 |
10. | "Taskinson" | Tasuku | Tasuku | 1:58 |
11. | "Mask" | Komuro | Komuro | 4:28 |
12. | "Vibees" | Kato | Tasuku | 3:16 |
13. | "Nonfiction" (Yohanne Simon remix) | Koyama | Yohanne Simon | 4:22 |
14. | "Just the Way You Are" | Hara | Nakano | 3:52 |
Total length: | 53:30 |
No. | Title | Director(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Ohia no Ki (オヒアの木)" (Video Clip) | Kazuyoshi Shimomura | |
2. | "Dreamed a Dream" (Video Clip) | Masashi Muto | |
3. | "23rd Monster" (Video Clip) | Hideaki Sunaga | |
4. | "Haru yo, koi (春よ、来い)" (Video Clip) | Shimomura | |
5. | "Nonfiction" (Video Clip) | Sunaga | |
6. | "Summer Again" (Video Clip) | Sunaga | |
7. | "Mask" (Video Clip) | Sunaga | |
8. | "Ohia no Ki (オヒアの木)" (Making of) | ||
9. | "Dreamed a Dream" (Making of) | ||
10. | "23rd Monster" (Making of) | ||
11. | "Haru yo, koi (春よ、来い)" (Making of) | ||
12. | "Nonfiction" (Making of) | ||
13. | "Summer Again" (Making of) | ||
14. | "Mask" (Making of) |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Opening Movie" (Directed by Kunihiro Kawashima) | |
2. | "Dreamed a Dream" | |
3. | "Startin'" | |
4. | "Jump!" (Interlude) | |
5. | "Get in Gear!" (Interlude) | |
6. | "Vogue" | |
7. | "Far Away" | |
8. | "Seasons" | |
9. | "Ayu-mi-x Mega Mix -a-nation 2020-" (Interlude) | |
10. | "Greatful Days~Glitter~Independent~Sunrise Love is All~You & Me" | |
11. | "Blue Bird" | |
12. | "July 1st" |
Weekly charts
Monthly charts
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Ayumi Hamasaki is a Japanese singer, songwriter, record producer, actress, model, spokesperson, and entrepreneur. By 2002, Hamasaki had earned the nickname "Empress of J-pop" due to her popularity in Japan and throughout Asia, as well as being referred to as "the voice of the lost generation". Due to her success and relevance throughout her career, she is considered one of the top solo female artists of the Heisei era for her influence on the music industry and various fashion trends.
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).
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The Secret Code is the fourth Japanese studio album by South Korean pop group Tohoshinki, released on March 25, 2009 by Rhythm Zone. The album debuted at number two on the Oricon weekly chart. The Secret Code is Tohoshinki's last original studio album to feature members Jejung, Yuchun, and Junsu.
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.
"Dream On" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Naoya Urata of the band AAA. It features vocals from the singer-songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki. The song was released as a single on December 22, 2010. The song is Hamasaki's first collaboration since 2001's "A Song is Born". Moreover, this is Hamasaki's 26th consecutive song to reach the summit and 39th number-one single overall.
Love is the third mini-album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on 8 November 2012 in three editions: CD+DVD, CD-Only and a limited Tales of Xillia 2 Edition.
Love Again is the fourteenth full-length studio album released by Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki. Stylistically, the album is a return to the aesthetic of Hamasaki's twelfth album, Love Songs. It was released in Japan on February 8, 2013, in six physical versions: CD Only, CD+DVD, CD+Blu-ray, Playbutton, CD+DVD+Goods, and CD+Blu-ray+Goods.
"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.
"Terminal" is a song by Japanese musician Ayumi Hamasaki. Produced by Dutch trance DJ Armin van Buuren, the song was released as a single from her fifteenth studio album Colours on October 1, 2014.
"Zutto.../Last Minute/Walk" is the 53rd single of Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on December 24, 2014, by Avex Trax.
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, a CD and Blu-ray bundle, and a gatefold vinyl.
Winter Diary: A7 Classical is a remix compilation album by Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki. The album was released on December 23, 2015 in Japan under Avex Trax, and on December 31 in Taiwan under Avex Taiwan. It contains classical arrangements of ten songs personally selected by Hamasaki from her A One and sixxxxxx albums released earlier that year, plus one brand new song titled "Winter diary". It is Hamasaki's fourth classical album overall, following 2013's A Classical.
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Trouble is the seventh extended play by Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released digitally in Japan on August 6, 2018, and was eventually released physically on August 15. The EP features five original tracks, with all the tracks written by Hamasaki herself.
"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 two years and her first digital single since 2016's "We Are the Queens".
"Dreamed a Dream" is a song by Japanese singer-songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released as a digital single only on July 31, 2020.
"23rd Monster" is a song by Japanese singer-songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released as a digital single only on April 8, 2021, marking the singer's 23rd anniversary since her debut with the single Poker Face in 1998.
"Nonfiction" is a song by Japanese singer-songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released as a digital single only on April 22, 2022, to celebrate the singer's 24th anniversary of her debut on April 8, 1998.
"Summer Again" is a song by Japanese singer-songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released as a digital single only on July 1, 2022.