|
''Next Level'' is the tenth (eleventh overall) studio album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki, released on March 25, 2009 by Avex Trax. The album was in production after Hamasaki's tenth anniversary with her record label Avex Trax, which was supported by the single "Mirrorcle World" and the compilation "A Complete: All Singles". The album was written by Hamasaki and production was all handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. Musically, the album is an electronic dance album that fuses many genres including pop, J-pop, techno and electropop. On its release, the album was in several formats: CD, CD+DVD, 2CD+DVD and a two-gigabyte USB flash drive. The album was a departure from her rock-infused musical style that had been prominent in ''Secret'' (2006) and ''Guilty'' (2008). ''Next Level'' incorporates electronic dance music, a genre that was exemplified in her older works such as ''Loveppears'' (1999). The album itself is less focused on ballads and slower songs, and more fixated on club and dance music. The album's release was preceded by two singles. Lead single "Days"/"Green", a double A-side, was released on December 17, 2008. It topped the charts in Japan and sold 190,871 copies in its chart run. It became the fourth best-selling single of December 2008, and the twenty-sixth best selling single of the year. "Rule"/"Sparkle" debuted at number one as well, and with it Hamasaki became the first female solo artist to have twenty consecutive singles top the chart, a streak that had begun with 2002's "Free & Easy. The single went on to sell over 130,000 copies. ''Next Level'' received mixed to favorable reviews from music critics. Many critics praised her songwriting and production values with some highlighting the intros and singles. However, some critical views were towards the musical genres and felt Hamasaki was following trends instead of creating them. Commercially, the album was a success, but became her lowest selling studio album at the time, only selling under 500,000 copies. To support the album, Hamasaki went on her Ayumi Hamasaki Arena Tour 2009 A: Next Level and Ayumi Hamasaki Premium Countdown Live 2008–2009 A tours. ==Background== In January 2008, Hamasaki released her ninth studio album ''Guilty'' (2008) by Avex Trax. Commercially, the album was a success, selling more than 400,000 copies in its first initial week end. ''Guilty'' peaked at the number-two position on the weekly Oricon charts, making it Hamasaki's first studio album not to reach the top and ended Hamasaki's streak of 8 consecutive number-one albums. In critical analysis, the album received mixed reception, with Adam Greenberg from Allmusic explaining: "Hamasaki's got plenty of good work in her catalog, Guilty is unlikely to stand with the best portions of it, even for her numerous fans."〔(Guilty | Ayumi Hamasaki Review ). Allmusic. By Adam Greenberg.〕 In April 2008, Hamasaki celebrated her tenth anniversary with her record label Avex Trax. In order to commemorate this achievement, Hamasaki released the single "Mirrorcle World"; the single was originally a two-minute introductory track on Hamasaki's ninth studio album, ''Guilty'' (2008). Hamasaki had extended the song's production so it could be featured on her greatest hits album ''A Complete: All Singles'', which featured all her singles from 1998 to 2008. The compilation was a success, selling over 800,000 copies and is the 8th best selling album of 2008.〔 〕 After the anniversary, Hamasaki begun work on her then-untitled tenth studio album, writing and composing all the songs, with additional production by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. The first single was released three months album the compilation album. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Next Level (Ayumi Hamasaki album)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|