"Voyage" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Ayumi Hamasaki | ||||
from the album Rainbow | ||||
Released | September 26, 2002 | |||
Recorded | 2002 | |||
Genre | J-pop | |||
Length | 5:08 | |||
Label | Avex Trax | |||
Songwriter(s) | Ayumi Hamasaki (lyrics) CREA + DAI (music) | |||
Producer(s) | Max Matsuura | |||
Ayumi Hamasaki singles chronology | ||||
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Official Music Video | ||||
"Voyage" on YouTube |
"Voyage" is the 28th single released by Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki, serving as the third and final single for her fifth studio album, Rainbow (2002). It was released by Avex Trax in Japan and Hong Kong on September 26, 2002. The track was written by the singer herself, while the composition was done by the singer herself under the pseudonym Crea with the assistance of Dai Nagao. Production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. Musically, the song is a power ballad that lyrically describes the equality between women and men.
Upon its release, "Voyage" received positive reviews from music critics, praising its production quality and describing it as "graceful." Commercially, the single experienced success in Japan, being her sole single to spend three consecutive weeks at number one on the Oricon Singles Chart. It went on to sell over 760,000 copies, and was certified triple Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). It became one of the most successful songs in Japan of 2002, and won the 44th Japan Record Awards' Grand Prize by the end of the year.
"Voyage" was used as the theme song of the Japanese film Tsuki ni Shizumu , which was created in lieu of a music video for the single. In order to promote the single, it appeared on several remix and greatest hits albums and live concert tours conducted by Hamasaki. It was also used as the ending theme of the dorama My Little Chef , which starred Hiroshi Abe and Aya Ueto.
"Voyage" was written by Hamasaki herself, while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. The song was composed by Hamasaki using the pseudonym Crea with the assistance of Do As Infinity composer Dai Nagao under the alias D・A・I. It was arranged by Ken Shima. It was also mixed by Yasuo Matsumoto, and mastered by Shigeo Miyamoto. [1] [2] Musically, "Voyage" is a power ballad which features Hamasaki singing positive lyrics with a strong voice, accompanied by strings and piano. [3] The person responsible for focusing the track precisely on the musical image that Hamasaki desired was the arranger, Ken Shima, who was responsible for giving the song an elaborate string line and a gospel-style chorus provided by African-American singers. [4] About the song, Hamasaki said;
D・A・I and I had the melody, and I had the lyrics and vocals, but there was just something missing. That's when Ken Shima's arrangement came into the picture. When I heard the finished product, I realized the song had reached amazing heights that I could not have achieved. [4]
"Voyage" served as the third and final single from the album Rainbow. It was released by Avex Trax in Japan and Hong Kong on September 26, 2002. [2] [5] Its CD edition featured a total of four tracks, two of which were remixes of the songs "Hanabi" and "Independent" and its instrumental. [2] The cover art is photographed by Mitsuo Yamamoto and depicts Hamasaki wearing a coral kimono in the woods with a white horse in the back. [2]
A member of CD Journal was positive towards the original version of the single, but also complimented the remixes featured on its maxi release. The review said that the forest and white horse, as well as the vivid artwork, perfectly match the image of the song. The review also said that the "Independent" remix has a strong beat and is well-made. [3] For their review of Rainbow the magazine called the song "Voyage" "high quality" and praised the arrangement. [6] The critical success of "Voyage" won the song several awards such as the grand prix at both the 44th Japan Record Awards and the 35th Japan Cable Awards. [7] [8]
"Voyage" debuted at number one on the weekly charts with 319,020 copies sold in its first week and remained at the top position for three consecutive weeks. [9] [10] [11] [12] To date, "Voyage" is Hamasaki's only single which has remained in the top position of the Oricon Singles Chart for least three weeks other than "H" and "A"; however, "Voyage" is Hamasaki's only single to stay at number one for three consecutive weeks ("A" and "H" spent three non-consecutive weeks at number one). The single resided in the top ten for six weeks and spent a total 21 weeks on the chart. [12]
The single sold a total of 628,730 copies by the end of 2002, becoming the ninth-best-selling single of the year in Japan. [13] The single was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for selling over 760,000 copies. [14] "Voyage was also certified gold for selling over 100,000 legal downloads in August 2014. [15] "Voyage" is Hamasaki's eleventh highest-selling song according to Oricon Style's database. [16]
A regular music video for "Voyage" does not exist; however, Tsuki ni Shizumu , a short film starring Hamasaki was created for which "Voyage" was used as the theme song. The short film inspired by the song, directed by Isao Yukisada, was released on October 26, 2002. [17]
The video starts with a young woman named Minamo (played by Hamasaki) is at a mental institution and has recurring detailed visions of a traumatizing past life. Her visions include a lake with a large image of the moon shining down over it. She is crying tears of blood as she slowly sinks into the lake. She hears someone calling her name "Kagari" which was her name in her past life. At the mental hospital she eventually stumbles across a visitor which causes her to go wild and reach out to him as if she had already known him. The doctor believes that Minamo died a traumatizing death in her previous life and therefore she needs to become reunited with her soul mate in this life.
In her past life, there is a deranged madwoman who insists that Kagari (Minamo) must be sacrificed to the moon because a special full moon was approaching which only showed up once every hundred years. When the madwoman shows up with her goons to kill Kagari and sacrifice her to the moon, Kagari's soul mate Sonshin (played by Yūsuke Iseya) shows up to try and defend her. Kagari and Sonshin get away from the fiends and spend one final loving moment together. Soon after, the psychopathic woman and her group of minions track Kagari down and brutally kill Sonshin for trying to defend Kagari. Eventually the demented woman ends up getting Kagari and sacrificing her to the moon once and for all. This leads to a gorgeous scene in which Kagari sinks into the shining light of the moon on a lake.
Back in the present time, Minamo finds the lake where she was traumatically sacrificed to the moon in her past life. She meets up with the visitor from the hospital who was also the man in her visions: Sonshin, or Shōgo (in present). They briefly speak and realize that they were in fact each others' soul mates and become reunited for good. The video ends with Minamo and Shōgo hugging. [18]
"Voyage" was additionally used as the ending song of the dorama My Little Chef , starring Hiroshi Abe and Aya Ueto. [3] That same year, Hamasaki made her fourth appearance on Kouhaku Uta Gassen by singing "Voyage" at the 53rd NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen. [19]
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Japan (RIAJ) [21] | 3× Platinum | 679,463 [22] |
Japan (RIAJ) [23] Digital single | Gold | 100,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
I Am... is the fourth studio album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on January 1, 2002 by Avex Trax and was distributed throughout Asia in both physical and digital formats. Hamasaki enlisted long-time collaborator Max Matsuura to assist with the album's creation, and was inspired by the events of the September 11, 2001 attacks to emphasise lighter themes in contrast to her previous work.
A Song for ×× is the debut studio album by Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki, released on New Year's Day 1999 by Avex Trax. It was entirely written by Hamasaki herself, while the production was handled by Japanese musician Max Matsuura. Primarily a pop rock album, it features musical composition and arrangements by Yasuhiko Hoshino, Mitsuru Igarashi of Every Little Thing fame, and others. The concept of A Song for ××, along with its lyrical content, revolve around the flow of Hamasaki's own time from childhood to the present to the future.
Loveppears is the second studio album by Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on November 10, 1999 by Avex Trax, ten months after her debut album, A Song for xx (1999). It was additionally distributed in a variety of formats and on different dates throughout Asia. Loveppears was written entirely by Hamasaki, produced by Max Matsuura, and includes collaborations with composers such as Hal, Dai Nagao, D.A.I, Yasuhiko Hoshino, and Kazuhito Kikuchi, among others. Musically, it is a departure from her previous record and incorporates more electronic and dance sounds with elements of trance, house, J-pop, and rock. Lyrically, it explores themes of love, frustration with life, loneliness, and individualism.
Rainbow is the fifth studio album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki, released on 18 December 2002 by Avex Trax. Production of Rainbow had commenced after the release of Hamasaki's fourth studio album I Am... that January; All lyrics were written by Hamasaki, and Japanese producer Max Matsuura returned to produce the album. The album was Hamasaki's first to feature conversational English lyrics, where in her previous works she had only used single words.
Memorial Address is the debut mini-album by Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki. Avex Trax released the album on December 17, 2003, in both physical and digital formats; it was her first album to be released in CD+DVD format in addition to the regular CD-only format, due to her increased interest in music video direction. The mini-album contains eight songs and features a number of collaborators, including Tetsuya Yukumi, Bounceback, CMJK, and Dai Nagao, among others, with Hamasaki serving as co-composer and songwriter. Memorial Address's musical influences include dance music, electronic, R&B, rock, and alternative metal.
A Ballads is the second greatest hits album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released physically on March 12, 2003 through Avex Trax, and digitally distributed worldwide on September 14, 2006 by Avex Entertainment Inc. It is her first compilation release in two years since A Best; it premiered three months after her sixth studio album Rainbow. The compilation compiles ballad-inspired singles released by Hamasaki between 1998 and 2003, while the material is divided into new-arrangement remixes and the original versions. With all the tracks written by Hamasaki, it includes two new songs—"Rainbow", which served as the album's promotional single, and a cover version of Japanese singer Yumi Matsutoya's 1975 track "Sotsugyō Shashin".
"Carols" is the thirty-fourth single released by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on September 29, 2004, by Avex Trax. It was released on the same day as her ARENA TOUR 2003~2004 A DVD. "Carols" was used as the Panasonic Digital Camera "LUMIX FX7" CM song. It was the last single to be released from her sixth studio album, My Story (2004).
"Moments" is the thirty-second single released by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki and was her first to be offered in both CD and CD+DVD versions. It was released on March 31, 2004, by Avex Trax. "Moments" was the first single in 2004 released by Hamasaki and was the lead single to her sixth studio album My Story (2004). "Moments" was used as the KOSÉ "VISÉE" CM song. This work marked her sixth appearance in the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen held later the same year.
"Whatever" is a song by Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released by Avex Trax on February 10, 1999, and later distributed in a variety of formats throughout Asia. It also serves as the lead single for Hamasaki's second studio album, Loveppears (1999). It was written by Hamasaki, composed by Kazuhito Kikuchi, and produced by Max Matsuura, who also produced the parent album. It was re-released twice, once in 2001 with additional content on a CD single format and again as a double A-side vinyl with her single "Appears".
"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 Avex Trax chairman 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 from the trilogy being "Vogue" and "Far Away".
"Audience" is a song by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki from her third studio album Duty (2000). It was released as the album's fifth and final single on 1 November 2000 by Avex Trax. Hamasaki wrote the track and Max Matsuura Lewis produced it. Dai Nagao and HΛL composed both the single and album version. The single artwork was shot by Japanese photographer Toru Kumazawa and features duplicate clones of Hamasaki, resembling an audience. Musically, "Audience" is a dance–pop and disco song.
"M" is the nineteenth single by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. "M" serves as the lead single to her first greatest hits album A Best (2001) and her fourth studio album I Am... (2002). The track marked Hamasaki's increased creative control over her music, as it was the first song she composed, under the pen name "Crea". The lyrics of "M" are about Hamasaki talking to Maria, or also possibly to Mary Magdalene, hence the title "M".
"Evolution" is the 20th single by Japanese recording artist and lyricist Ayumi Hamasaki, released on January 31, 2001, by Avex Trax as the second single from her fourth studio album I Am... (2002).
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).
181920 is debut greatest hits album by Japanese singer Namie Amuro. Avex Trax released it in Japan on January 28, 1998, and it was later available in a variety of formats throughout Asia. The album contains Amuro's single releases from her debut studio album Dance Tracks Vol. 1 (1995) to her third album Concentration 20 (1997), as well as three tracks from her time with Toshiba-EMI. The album also included a new song called "Dreaming I Was Dreaming," which served as the only single from the album.
"Together When..." is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released by Avex Trax on December 5, 2007, and Rhythm Republic on April 9, 2008 as a double A-side with one of Hamasaki's tracks "Game" as the third and final single from her ninth studio album, Guilty (2008). It was released as Hamasaki's first digital single in Japan, and was Avex Trax's first single to be distributed as a digital download only. The track was written by Hamasaki herself, while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. Musically, "Together When..." is a power ballad. The lyrical content is about the finishing and separation of a relationship between lovers.
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.
A Complete: All Singles is a greatest hits album by Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki. Avex Trax released it on September 10, 2008 in a variety of formats, and was created to commemorate the singer's tenth anniversary since the release of her 1998 single "Poker Face". The album is divided into three sections, each highlighting a single released by Hamasaki from her debut in 1998 to her most recent single, "Talkin' 2 Myself" in 2007. Additionally, the compilation includes two new songs: the stand-alone single "Mirrorcle World" and a re-recorded version of "Who...".
"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.