A Best 2
A Best 2 | ||||
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Greatest hits album by | ||||
Released | 28 February 2007 | |||
Recorded | 2001–2007 (Black) 2001–2005 (White) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 77:27 (Black) 74:56 (White) | |||
Label | Avex Trax | |||
Producer | Max Matsuura | |||
A Best 2: Black | ||||
File:ABest2BlackCDOnly.jpg | ||||
A Best 2: White | ||||
File:A BEST 2 WHITE CD only.jpg | ||||
Ayumi Hamasaki chronology | ||||
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A Best 2 (stylized as File:Ayu symbol.gif BEST 2) is a series of greatest hits albums by Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki, which were released simultaneously on 28 February 2007 by Avex Trax. The two-volume release is a direct successor to A Best (2001) and features material from a four-year period of her career. A Best 2 is split between contrasting "dark" and "light" themes, with the two volumes Black and White compiling songs of either nature, respectively.
A Best 2 held the top two spots of the Oricon albums chart in its debuting week, with A Best 2: White at number one. This made Hamasaki the first female artist since Keiko Fuji to occupy both positions in 37 years. Both A Best 2 volumes were certified 3× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.[1]
A Best 2: Black
A Best 2: Black includes a previously unreleased track, "Part of Me" (featured in a new Panasonic CM) and its accompanying music video. The song was certified gold for 100,000 legal downloads.[2]
Track listing
No. | Title | Original Album | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Dearest" | I am... | |
2. | "Carols" | My Story | |
3. | "No Way to Say" | Memorial Address | |
4. | "Hanabi (Fireworks)" | Rainbow | |
5. | "Walking Proud" | My Story | |
6. | "Free & Easy" | Rainbow | |
7. | "Endless Sorrow" | I am... | |
8. | "Because of You" | Memorial Address | |
9. | "About You" | My Story | |
10. | "Game" | My Story | |
11. | "Is This Love?" | (Miss)understood | |
12. | "Hanabi: Episode II (Fireworks: Episode II)" | Memorial Address | |
13. | "Never Ever" | I am... | |
14. | "Heaven" | (Miss)understood | |
15. | "Part of Me" | previously unreleased | |
16. | "Memorial Address: Take 2 version" (Hidden Track) | Memorial Address |
DVD track listing
1st DVD – Promotional Videos
- "Dearest"
- "Carols"
- "No Way to Say"
- "Walking Proud"
- "Free & Easy"
- "Endless Sorrow"
- "Because of You"
- "About You"
- "Game"
- "Is This Love?"
- "Hanabi: Episode II"
- "Never Ever" [promotional clip]
- "Heaven"
- "Part of Me"
- "H" [TV-CM]
2nd DVD – Best of CountDown Live 2006–2007
- Best of CountDown Live 2006–2007 (Behind the Scenes) (90 minutes)
Charts
Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)
Release | Chart | Peak Position | First Week Sales | Sales Total | Chart Run |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
28 February 2007 | Oricon Daily Albums Chart | 1 | |||
Oricon Weekly Albums Chart | 2 | 470,057 | 970,000 | 52 | |
Oricon Monthly Albums Chart | 3 | ||||
Oricon Yearly Albums Chart | 7 |
- Total Sales : 970,000 (Japan)
A Best 2: White
On January 15, 2007, A Best 2 was confirmed on Hamasaki's official website. On January 16, the track listing for both CDs were officially released. The album covers and DVD track listings were released on February 6.
Track listing
No. | Title | Original Album | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Evolution" | I am... | |
2. | "Greatful Days*" | Memorial Address | |
3. | "Independent" | Rainbow | |
4. | "Humming 7/4" | My Story | |
5. | "Unite!" | I am... | |
6. | "Real Me" | Rainbow | |
7. | "My Name's Women" | My Story | |
8. | "Ourselves" | Memorial Address | |
9. | "Inspire" | My Story | |
10. | "Step You**" | (Miss)understood | |
11. | "July 1st" | Rainbow | |
12. | "Fairyland" | (Miss)understood | |
13. | "Voyage" | Rainbow | |
14. | "Moments" | My Story | |
15. | "A Song Is Born" | I am... |
DVD track listing
1st DVD – Promotional Videos
- "Evolution"
- "Grateful Days"
- "Humming 7/4"
- "Unite!" [promotional clip]
- "Real me"
- "My Name's Women"
- "Ourselves"
- "Inspire"
- "Step you"
- "Fairyland"
- "Voyage"
- "Moments"
- "H" [TV-CM]
2nd DVD – Best of CountDown Live 2006–2007
- "Not Yet"
- "Ourselves"
- "Fly High"
- "Beautiful Fighters"
- "Never Ever"
- "A Song for" ××
- "No Way to Say"
- "Free & Easy"
- "Evolution"
- "Flower Garden"
- "Until That Day..."
- "Audience"
- "Boys & Girls"
-encore-
- "Trauma"
- "Independent"
- "Humming 7/4"
- "Blue Bird"
Charts
A Best 2: White – Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)
Release | Chart | Peak Position | First Week Sales | Sales Total | Chart Run |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
28 February 2007 | Oricon Daily Albums Chart | 1 | |||
Oricon Weekly Albums Chart | 1 | 475,284 | 990,000 | 52 | |
Oricon Monthly Albums Chart | 2 | ||||
Oricon Yearly Albums Chart | 5 |
- Total Sales : 990,000 (Japan)
Release history
Region | Date | Format | Catalogue Number |
---|---|---|---|
Japan | 28 February 2007 | CD+2DVD | AVCD-23263 (Black) AVCD-23265 (White) |
CD | AVCD-23264 (Black) AVCD-23266 (White) | ||
Taiwan | 9 March 2007 | ||
Hong Kong | 13 March 2007 | ||
China | 27 October 2007 | CD+2DVD
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CD
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Malaysia | 14 March 2007 | ||
Singapore | 14 March 2007 | ||
Indonesia | 14 March 2007 | ||
South Korea | 15 March 2007 |
Sales and accomplishments
Japan
After the first week sales of A Best 2: Black and White were announced, Hamasaki had already garnered sales of over 1 million copies. With the release of A Best 2, Hamasaki also broke many records.
As of August 2007, A Best 2 has charted in the top 5 of 2007 Oricon Half-Yearly Album 2007 Chart. A Best: White charted as #3 and Black charted as #4; the nearest competitor was Kobukuro with "All Singles Best" with sales around 640,000 copies. However, factoring in consistent sales of Kobukuro's "All Singles Best", it is predicted that A Best 2 will fall down to #4 and #5, respectively. According to Avex, A Best 2 had sold over 2 million copies as of March 2007.[3]
Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)
Release | Chart | Peak Position | Oricon Sales Total | Avex Sales Total | Chart Run |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
28 February 2007 | Oricon Daily Albums Chart | 1 (Black & White) | 170,000 | 200,000 | 1 day |
Oricon Weekly Albums Chart | 1 (White) 2 (Black) |
945,341 | 1,000,000 | 1 week | |
Oricon Monthly Albums Chart | 2 (White) 3 (Black) |
646,479 (White), 632,999 (Black) | 1,200,000 | 4 weeks | |
Oricon Yearly Albums Chart | 4 (White) 5 (Black) |
1,960,000 (as of 2008) | 2,000,000 | 52 weeks |
- Total sales: 1,960,000 (Japan)
- Total sales: 2,000,000 (Avex)
Featured singles
Album | Date | Title | Peak position | Chart run | Sales |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Black | 7 March 2001 | "Never Ever" | 1 | 12 weeks | 850,000 |
16 May 2001 | "Endless Sorrow" | 1 | 11 weeks | 860,000 | |
27 September 2001 | "Dearest" | 1 | 16 weeks | 825,000 | |
24 April 2002 | "Free & Easy" | 1 | 9 weeks | 555,000 | |
11 June 2003 | "No Way to Say" | 1 | 12 weeks | 425,000 | |
29 November 2004 | "Carols" | 1 | 14 weeks | 375,000 | |
14 November 2005 | "Heaven" | 1 | 14 weeks | 370,000 | |
White | 31 January 2001 | "Evolution" | 1 | 17 weeks | 1,145,000 |
11 July 2001 | "Unite!" | 1 | 10 weeks | 663,000 | |
12 December 2001 | "A Song Is Born" | 1 | 10 weeks | 510,000 | |
26 November 2002 | "Voyage" | 1 | 28 weeks | 760,000 | |
31 March 2004 | "Moments" | 1 | 21 weeks | 370,000 | |
3 August 2005 | "Fairyland c/w Alterna" | 1 | 13 weeks | 370,000 | |
Black and White | 24 July 2007 | "H" | 1 | 24 weeks | 1,170,000 |
9 July 2003 | "&" | 1 | 16 weeks | 680,000 | |
28 July 2004 | "Inspire"/"Game" | 1 | 15 weeks | 390,000 | |
20 April 2005 | "Step You / Is This Love?" | 1 | 19 weeks | 385,000 |
Total single sales: 10,703,000
Live performances
- 23 February 2007Evolution" – Music Station – "
- 24 February 2007Dearest", "Heaven" – Music Fair 21 – "Evolution", "
- 26 February 2007Dearest" – Hey! Hey! Hey! – "
- 26 February 2007Voyage", "Unite!" – SMAPxSMAP – "
- 2 March 2007 – Music Station – "Part of Me"
- 2 March 2007Never Ever" – Music Fighter – "
- 2 March 2007Moments" – PopJam – "
- 4 March 2007Step You" – Domoto Kyoudai – "
- 16 March 2007Memorial Address" – Music Station – "
- 16 March 2007No Way to Say" – PopJam (final episode special) – "
References
- ^ ゴールド等認定作品一覧 2007年3月 [Works Receiving Certifications List (Gold, etc) (March 2007)] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. 10 April 2007. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
- ^ "Japanese Charts" (in Japanese). Retrieved 30 March 2011.
- ^ "Avex Financial Results of the first quarter of 2007 Page 2" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 July 2009.
External links
- CS1 uses Japanese-language script (ja)
- CS1 Japanese-language sources (ja)
- Use dmy dates from April 2020
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hAudio microformats
- Album infoboxes lacking a cover
- Album articles lacking alt text for covers
- Articles containing Japanese-language text
- AC with 0 elements
- 2007 greatest hits albums
- Ayumi Hamasaki compilation albums
- Avex Group compilation albums
- Japanese-language albums