"To Be" | ||||
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Single by Ayumi Hamasaki | ||||
from the album Loveppears | ||||
Released | May 12, 1999 | |||
Recorded | 1999 | |||
Genre | J-pop | |||
Length | 5:18 | |||
Label |
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Songwriter(s) | Ayumi Hamasaki | |||
Producer(s) | Max Matsuura | |||
Ayumi Hamasaki singles chronology | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
Official Music Video | ||||
"To Be" on YouTube |
"To Be" (stylized as "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.
Upon its release,"To Be" received positive reviews from music critics. Some highlighted the single as one of Hamasaki's best works,and complimented the composition and Hamasaki's vocals. Commercially,the single was a success in Japan,reaching number four on both the Oricon Singles Chart and TBS' Count Down TV chart. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipments of 200,000 units. Due to the single's success,it was re-released as a CD single and re-entered both record charts.
An accompanying music video was directed by Wataru Takeishi,which featured Hamasaki in a kaleidoscope with several clones of her in a variety of colorful clothing. To promote the single,it appeared on several remix and greatest hits compilation albums,in addition to various live concert tours conducted by Hamasaki. It was used as the official theme song for a peach water commercial that was advertised in Japan. The song was covered by Chinese recording artist An Youqi in 2006,and released as a single.
"To Be" was written by Hamasaki herself,while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. The song was composed by Dai Nagao,who used the alias D.A.I.,whilst it was arranged by Nagao and Japanese musician Naoto Suzuki. It was mixed by Dave Way,and mastered by Eddy Schreyer. [1] [2] Musically,"To Be" is a J-Pop song,a genre that wasn't as prominent on the parent album Loveppears (1999),which heavily incorporated dance music. [3] [4] [5] The song's instrumentation consists of synthesizers and keyboards by Suzuki and electric guitar by Masayoshi Furukawa,whilst programming was handled by Takahiro Iida. [1] Lyrically,the song was written in third person perspective,a trait that is shared with the rest of the album's tracks. [6] [7]
"To Be" was released by Avex Trax in Japan and Taiwan on May 12,1999,and through Avex Entertainment Inc. it was released worldwide in September 2008. [8] [9] The mini CD format featured a total of three tracks:the original recording,the instrumental track,and a remix by Japanese musician Izumi Miyazaki. [8] Then on February 28,2001,Avex Trax distributed a CD single including the three tracks from the mini CD,plus three remixes of Hamasaki's single "Fly High" and one remix for her single "Appears". [10] [11] As part of Avex's archive releases,an EP of the single was distributed worldwide on iTunes Store in September 2008. [12] [13] The artwork of the CD and digital format was shot by Toru Kumazawa,and featured an image of Hamasaki wearing a patterned dress,mirrored against each other. The CD single was marked with a special colored,this being pink. [8] [10]
Upon its release,"To Be" received positive reviews from music critics. A staff member at Amazon.com was positive towards the "gentle","warming",and "feminine" vibe towards the song,and praised her vocal performance. [14] AllMusic's Alexey Eremenko,whom contributed to writing Hamasaki's biography on the website,selected the track as some of her best work. [15] In 2015,Japanese website Goo.ne.jp hosted a 24-hour only poll for audiences in Japan to vote for their favorite single released by Hamasaki. As a result,"To Be" ranked at number five,with a rating of 46.2 average percent. [16] Commercially,"To Be" was a success in Japan,but failed to replicate the same success as her previous single "Love (Destiny)",which reached the top spot on the Oricon Singles Chart. [16] It debuted at number four,sold 109,860 units in its first week,and lasted 15 weeks on the chart. [17] In a similar run,it debuted at number six on the Count Down TV chart hosted by Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS),and lasted 15 weeks overall. [18] [19]
By the end of 1999,it had sold over 324,500 units in Japan,and was ranked at number 67 on Oricon's Annual 1999 chart;the single was ranked behind three of Hamasaki's other releases:"Love (Destiny)",(May 1999) "Boys &Girls" (July 1999) and her EP A (August 1999). [20] Likewise,it ranked at number 62 on TBS' Annual Chart. [21] In March 2000,the single was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipments of 400,000 units. [22] As of July 2016,"To Be" is her 21 highest selling single based on Oricon Style's data base. [23] After the CD single release,"To Be" charted at number 26 on the Oricon Singles Chart,one of the highest results from her re-released maxi CD's. [24] It lasted for 3 weeks on the top 100,and sold 28,850 units. [25] [26] It reached number 27 on the TBS Count Down TV chart,and was present there for three weeks. [27]
An accompanying music video for the single was directed by Wataru Takeishi. [28] The video opens with a title screen of the song and Hamasaki's name. It then shows a boy looking towards the camera,until shifting to Hamasaki wearing a colorful outfit whilst surrounded by star-like shapes. The boy walks through the stars whilst Hamasaki sings the song;the second look is inspired by the artwork of "To Be". He opens a case that holds a kaleidoscope and looks through it,seeing various versions of Hamasaki in different colored outfits and wigs singing the song. All these scenes start to re-appear throughout the rest of the song,and ends with a black and white image of Hamasaki,apparently cracked in the kaleidoscope,which then has the boy looking upset. [28] The music video was included on several DVD compilations released by Hamasaki:A Clips (2000), [29] a self-titled DVD (2000), [30] A Complete Box Set (2004), [31] the digital release of A Clips Complete (2014), [32] and the DVD and Blu-Ray re-release edition of her 2001 compilation album A Best (2016). [33]
"To Be" has been heavily promoted on compilation albums conducted by Hamasaki. It has been included on seven of Hamasaki's remix albums,including Super Eurobeat Presents Ayu-ro Mix (2000) and Ayu-mi-x II Version Non-Stop Mega Mix (2001). [34] The acoustic orchestral version appeared on Hamasaki's 2000 single "Seasons",whilst the Hideki Hakamada remix appeared on the following single "Boys &Girls" in 1999. [35] [36] The single has also been featured on two of Hamasaki's greatest hits album,being A Best (2001) and A Complete:All Singles (2007). [37] [38] The single was re-vised twice on two special occasions;the first being her ballad compilation release A Ballads (2003),which was remastered for the album,and was re-recorded for her 10th anniversary celebration on her single "Days/Green" in 2008. [39] [40] It has been performed at one live event and released on live DVD by Hamasaki,this being her 2006 (Miss)Understood concert tour in Japan. [41] In 2006,the song was covered by Chinese recording artist An Youqi,who won the Super Girl competition years prior,and was titled "Accompany Me". [42]
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Credits adapted from the CD liner notes of Loveppears; [1]
Weekly charts
| Yearly chart
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Japan (RIAJ) [22] Mini CD release. | Platinum | 400,000^ |
Japan CD single release. | — | 28,850 [26] |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format | Label |
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Japan [8] | May 12,1999 | Mini CD | |
Taiwan [9] | |||
Japan [10] | February 28,2001 February 28,2016 | CD single | |
Taiwan [11] | |||
Japan [12] [13] | September 2008 [upper-alpha 1] | Digital download |
|
Australia [45] [46] | Avex Entertainment Inc. | ||
New Zealand [47] [48] | |||
United Kingdom [49] [50] | |||
Ireland [51] [52] | |||
Germany [53] [54] | |||
Spain [55] [56] | |||
France [57] [58] | |||
Italy [59] [60] | |||
Taiwan [61] [62] | |||
United States [43] | |||
Canada [63] | |||
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.
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.
"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.
"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.
"Who..." is a Japanese-language song recorded by singer Ayumi Hamasaki. It served as a standard track to her second studio album Loveppears (1999), and was re-recorded and released as a promotional single by Avex Trax in Japan as part of the promotion towards her fifth greatest hits compilation album A Complete: All Singles on September 10, 2008. The track was written by Hamasaki herself, while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. Musically, it is a J-Pop ballad that was written in third-person perspective, like the rest of the content from Loveppears. The lyrics details the encapsulation of Hamasaki, and explaining her message of her own philosophy. During its promotional release in 2008, it reached number 49 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Songs chart in Japan, and number 19 on the RIAJ Monthly Ringtones chart. It was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for digital sales of 250,000 units. To promote the single, it appeared on remix and greatest hits compilation albums conducted by 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.
"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.
Made 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.
"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.