A Song for ××
| A Song for ×× | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Album cover is printed on a metallic material. | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 1, 1999 | |||
| Recorded | 1998 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 70:38 | |||
| Label | Avex Trax | |||
| Producer | Max Matsuura | |||
| Ayumi Hamasaki chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from A Song for ×× | ||||
| ||||
A Song for ×× (the "××" is silent)[1] is the debut album by Japanese pop artist Ayumi Hamasaki, released January 1, 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, and others.
To promote the album, Hamasaki released five singles. "Poker Face" was released as the album's lead single on April 8, 1998. Entering the Oricon Singles Chart at number twenty, it became her first charting single. Four further singles were released to promote A Song for ××: "You", "Trust", "For My Dear...", and Depend on You". All of them were top twenty hits in Japan, with the latter three reaching the top ten.
Upon its release, A Song for ×× garnered mixed to positive reviews from music critics, with some praising Hamasaki's appeal but others deeming the record "childish." Commercially, the album became a success, debuting atop the Oricon Albums Chart with first week sales of over 500,000 copies; it topped the chart for five weeks, a remarkable feat for a debut album. The album was certified Million by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipments exceeding one million copies in the country. To date, the album is one of the best-selling LPs in Japanese music history and remains one of her highest-selling works.[2] Hamasaki promoted the album with appearances on music shows throughout 1998 and 1999.
Background and development
[edit]"No matter how much you are disliked, if you have what you should have inside, when that is understood, the greater the dislike, the more the pendulum will swing the other way next time. It will swing more from 'hate' to 'like.' So, just expose your whole life, and I'm sure you'll be able to write good lyrics, so go for it.[3]
—The album's selling strategy adopted by Max Matsuura.
In 1995, under Nippon Columbia, Hamasaki became part of a unit called Ayumi featuring Dohzi-T and DJ Bass. Magazines touted Hamasaki as "the youngest female Japanese hip-hop rapper ever." The group released a mini-album called Nothing from Nothing in December of the same year, and did not chart at all.[4] Nippon Columbia ultimately dropped the group.[5] After starring in a handful of poorly-reviewed films and doramas,[6][7] Hamasaki then resigned herself to shopping in Tokyo with her friends.[8] Her mother moved up to Tokyo around that time, and Hamasaki was once again living with her mother.[8]
One of Hamasaki's friends knew the founder of the club Velfarre, Avex Trax executive Max Matsuura.[6] Hamasaki was introduced to him at the club one night when she was in her teens.[6] After hearing Hamasaki sing karaoke, Matsuura told her that she was not a very good singer, but has a good voice, and told her to take singing lessons.[9] In the summer of 1997, Hamasaki was sent to New York City for vocal lessons under Mayumi Harada, a coach who had also trained superstars Namie Amuro, Hitomi, and Kaori Mochida before.[6][10] Hamasaki enjoyed the freedom she experienced in New York. During her time in New York, Hamasaki would write letters back to Matsuura in Japan, which convinced him to tell her to try writing songs for herself.[6]
Hamasaki herself wrote the lyrics for her debut song.[3] When she showed the lyrics to Matsuura, he was surprised at how well-written they were.[3] However, when she first debuted, many people disliked her for her sweet way of speaking, saying that she sounded "stupid." Matsuura also suggested that she should change the way she called herself "Ayu" to "Watashi" (I). However, he told her the strategy to "just be herself" and let her carry on as she was.[3]
Writing and composition
[edit]A Song for ×× was produced by Japanese musician and businessman Max Matsuura.[11] For the album, Hamasaki's record label Avex Trax hired several Japanese musicians, Yasuhiko Hoshino, Mitsuru Igarashi, Kazuhito Kikuchi, among many others to work on the album.[11] A Song for ×× is primarily a pop rock record with influences of rock ballads.[12] The album was recorded in several recording studios across Tokyo and Los Angeles throughout 1998.[11]
"Prologue is a minute long instrumental.[13] "A Song for ××," the album's titular song, is a meaningful song that was named to avoid giving a fixed impression.[13] This song can be seen as a rebellion against her mother, who she says never showed her any maternal behavior.[14] "Hana" has an idol-like melody and a glamorous, showy arrangement.[13] The lyrics are about the change from childhood to adulthood.[14] The songs "Friend" and "Friend II" are connected like a first and second part.[14] "Poker Face" has the the "catchy" sound of standard pop songs.[13]
"Wishing" is a a ballad tune with a "warm," "relaxing" acoustic guitar rhythm.[13] "You" is a "catchy" standard pop song.[13] "As If..." is a medium tempo pop tune with an intro piano solo that expresses the fragile feelings of a young girl;[13] the song is about the feelings of a girl at a delicate stage when she is trying to reach adulthood but still cannot let go of her childhood.[13] "Powder Snow" is a medium tempo tune with lyrics that appeal to sorrow and a simple AOR-style melody that pierces the heart.)[13]
"Trust" is a light pop song with a "gentle" and "calming" melody.[13] This song, which is said to have been dedicated to producer Max Matsuura, at first glance seems like a song for a lover; however, Ayu uses the word "red thread," which is used to mean "destiny," in the song for Matsuura. For Ayu, that meeting must have been the red thread of fate.[15] "Depend on You" blends Naoki Hayashibe's "light" and "pleasant" guitar and Akihiko Homma's keyboards.[13] "Signal" is a dance pop tune that makes use of a sense of urgency and speed through a surging arrangement;[13] the song is filled with Ayu's strong desire to keep moving forward.[15] "From Your Letter" is an R&B slow-jam.[13] "For My Dear..." has lyrics and melody express her fleeting feelings of being torn between her beliefs and loneliness, making this a heart-wrenching medium ballad.[13] "Present" is a way of expressing her gratitude to her fans.[15]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [12] |
| MTV Asia | 8/10[16] |
| CDJournal | (negative)[13] |
A Song for ×× received mixed to positive reviews from music critics. Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic gave the album three and a half stars out of five, praising the compositions and Hamasaki's potential in the tracks. At the end of the review he stated: "The innocence and tentative confidence of a budding artist are still present on these tracks -- something that would give way months later on her bold breakthrough Loveppears -- making A Song for XX a crucial entry point that hinted at exciting things to come."[12] Wang Yng of MTV Asia gave the album a score of eight of ten, stating: "Great songs and Hamasaki's capable singing make this album a good buy. And it's no wonder that she is being touted by music critics as one of the more prominent J-pop singers to watch out for in the near future."[16]
CDJournal commented: "Her appeal can be summed up in one word: the transience that comes through in her songs, even if they feel a little childish. Her first album, packed with hits, is sure to sell like hot cakes, but whether listeners find her transience endearing or annoying is up to them."[13]
Track listing
[edit]All lyrics are written by Ayumi Hamasaki
| No. | Title | Music | Arranger(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Prologue" (Instrumental) | Yasuhiko Hoshino | Hoshino | 1:25 |
| 2. | "A Song for ××" | Hoshino | Hoshino | 4:44 |
| 3. | "Hana" | Hoshino | Hoshino | 4:07 |
| 4. | "Friend" | Hoshino | Akimitsu Honma | 4:11 |
| 5. | "Friend II" | Mitsuru Igarashi | Igarashi | 3:59 |
| 6. | "Poker Face" | Hoshino | Honma | 4:41 |
| 7. | "Wishing" | Hideaki Kuwabara | Honma | 4:29 |
| 8. | "You" | Hoshino | Honma | 4:46 |
| 9. | "As If..." | Kazuhito Kikuchi | Honma | 5:36 |
| 10. | "Powder Snow" | Kuwabara | Honma | 5:27 |
| 11. | "Trust" | Takashi Kimura | Honma, Kimura | 4:48 |
| 12. | "Depend on You" | Kikuchi | Honma, Takashi Morio | 4:20 |
| 13. | "Signal" | Kuwabara | Honma | 4:25 |
| 14. | "From Your Letter" | Akio Togashi | Togashi | 4:38 |
| 15. | "For My Dear..." | Hoshino | Hoshino | 4:33 |
| 16. | "Present" | Hoshino | Hoshino | 4:31 |
Release history
[edit]| Region | Date | Format | Catalogue Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | January 1, 1999 | CD | AVCD-11691 |
| Taiwan | January 1, 1999 | CD | AVJCD-10008 |
| Hong Kong | June 1999 | CD | AVTCD-95224 |
| China | 1999 | CD | AVTCD-95224CB
|
Charts
[edit]Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)
| Release | Chart | Peak position | First week sales | Sales total | Chart run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 1999 | Oricon Daily Albums Chart | 1 | |||
| Oricon Weekly Albums Chart | 1 | 548,210 | 1,610,000 | 63 | |
| Oricon Monthly Albums Chart | 1 | ||||
| Oricon Yearly Albums Chart | 15 |
- Total sales: 1,610,000 (Japan)
- Total sales: 1,910,000 (Avex)
Singles
[edit]| Date | Title | Peak Position | Weeks | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 April 1998 | Poker Face | 20 | 6 weeks | 105,000 |
| 10 June 1998 | You | 19 | 10 weeks | 130,000 |
| 5 August 1998 | Trust | 9 | 10 weeks | 225,000 |
| 7 October 1998 | For My Dear... | 9 | 7 weeks | 125,000 |
| 9 December 1998 | Depend on You | 6 | 9 weeks | 190,000 |
| 28 February 2001 | Poker Face (12 cm re-release) | 31 | 2 weeks | 45,000 |
| You (12 cm re-release) | 25 | 6 weeks | 50,000 | |
| Trust (12 cm re-release) | 29 | 2 weeks | 45,000 | |
| For My Dear... (12 cm re-release) | 33 | 2 weeks | 40,000 | |
| Depend on You (12 cm re-release) | 27 | 3 weeks | 45,000 |
- Total Single Sales: 775,000
Total Album and Single Sales: 2,385,000
References
[edit]- ^ choconagisa, ayumi hamasaki - a song for xx cm - powder snow, archived from the original on 2021-12-13, retrieved 2019-02-10
- ^ "歴代アルバムランキング". Archived from the original on 2012-01-03. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
- ^ a b c d "「浜崎の顔では絶対に売れない」浜崎あゆみをカリスマにしたavex22年前の"逆転戦略"とは" (in Japanese). Shūkan Bunshun. Retrieved 2024-10-14.
- ^ "AYUMI FEATURING DOHZI-T & DJ BASS「NOTHING FROM NOTHING」" (in Japanese). natalie. Archived from the original on February 8, 2009. Retrieved 2008-12-02.
- ^ "Ayumi Hamasaki regrets dropping out of school: 5 things to know about the Japanese pop star". The Straits Times. Retrieved 2024-10-14.
- ^ a b c d e Takeuchi Cullen, Lisa (March 25, 2002). "Empress of Pop". Time. p. 3. Archived from the original on April 3, 2002. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
- ^ Wilce, Matt. "Big in Japan: Ayumi Hamasaki". Metropolis Magazine. Archived from the original on April 10, 2008. Retrieved March 23, 2008.
- ^ a b Shikano, Atsushi (February 20, 2001). "Interview with Ayumi Hamasaki". Rockin'on Japan (in Japanese).
- ^ "「浜崎の顔では絶対に売れない」浜崎あゆみをカリスマにしたavex22年前の"逆転戦略"とは" (in Japanese). Shūkan Bunshun. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
- ^ "About Mayumi❤︎自己紹介". Mayumi Harada website (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-10-10.
- ^ a b c Hamasaki, Ayumi (1999). A Song for ×× (Liner notes). Ayumi Hamasaki. Japan: Avex Trax, Avex Taiwan. AVCD-11691.
- ^ a b c Yeung, Neil Z. "Song for XX – Ayumi Hamasaki". AllMusic. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Ayumi Hamasaki: A Song For XX (Avex Trax)". CDJournal. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ a b c "深すぎる！浜崎あゆみの曲の歌詞を考察！" (in Japanese). 2024-04-02. Retrieved 2024-10-10.
- ^ a b c "深すぎる！浜崎あゆみの曲の歌詞を考察！" (in Japanese). 2024-04-02. Retrieved 2024-10-10.
- ^ a b Yng, Wang. "Ayumi Hamasaki: A Song For XX (Avex Trax)". MTV Asia. Archived from the original on August 29, 2006. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
