| Rainbow | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Ayumi Hamasaki | ||||||||||
| Released | December 18, 2002 | |||||||||
| Recorded | 2002 | |||||||||
| Genre | Pop | |||||||||
| Length | 71:42 | |||||||||
| Label | Avex Trax | |||||||||
| Producer | Max Matsuura | |||||||||
| Ayumi Hamasaki chronology | ||||||||||
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Rainbow is the fifth studio album by Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on December 18, 2002, by Avex Trax, less than a year after her previous studio effort I am.... The album sold about 445,000 copies on the first day of its release, and also became number one on the Oricon Daily Charts and also topped the weekly charts. The album was one of the successful albums of the month, topping the Monthly Charts and also reached number two on the yearly charts.
Three singles were released to promote the album - all of which became number one singles on the Oricon weekly charts. The lead single, "Free & Easy" started a streak on number one debuts for Ayumi Hamasaki, which continues till date. The second single "H" - an EP became Hamasaki's sixth Million selling single and also made her the only artist to accomplish this feat. The third and final single "Voyage" was nominated for a Gold Disk Award.
To date Rainbow has sold over 1,858,000 copies and has been certified two times million by RIAJ and is the 89th best selling album in Japan.
Contents |
After the release of her album I am..., Hamasaki became more relaxed with giving performances outside the country. After performing at the 2002 MTV Asia Music Awards, Hamasaki felt that by writing only Japanese lyrics, she was not able to bring her "message" to other countries. Realizing that English was a "common global language", she decided to include English lyrics in her songs. "Rainbow" contained three songs with English lyrics.[1][2]
Hamasaki also worked with DAI (of Do As Infinity) and composed some songs under her pen name "Crea". The album was stylistically diverse from Hamasaki's previous works as it included rock- and trip-hop-influenced tracks as well as "summery", "up-tempo" and "grand gothic" songs and experimented with new techniques such as gospel choruses and the yells of an audience. The lyrics were also varied: themes in the album included freedom, the struggles of women, and "a summer that ends in sadness".[3]
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [4] |
| Sputnikmusic | [5] |
Upon its release, the album received mixed reviews. Adam Greenberg of Allmusic stated, "[Rainbow] came after a string of high-charting albums, itself not reaching the same heights thanks to some interesting but uneven experimentation with her sound". He concluded by writing that even though the album didn't have as much refinement as much of Hamasaki's later albums, it showed the progression of her skills and vocal abilities.
Sputnikmusic gave a positive review saying, "Rainbow has a more Westernized feel to it that other J-pop albums, which could be a rub in the whole discovering Japanese music experience".
Initial pressings of the album had an extra track, "Rainbow", listed for track 00 and contained a password to a website. As a promotion for the album, the track was not included on the CD, but part of the instrumental version was released to the password-only website that was open for a limited time where fans could submit their own lyrics.
Released in December 2002, Rainbow entered the Japan Oricon Albums Chart at number one, with about 445,000 copies sold in its first day. In the weekly chart, the album reached the top position, selling over one million copies. The album also topped the monthly chart and reached number two on yearly chart, behind Utada Hikaru's Deep River.
The album has sold about 1,857,870 copies in Japan and has been certified 2× Million by RIAJ. Since Loveppears, "Rainbow" became Hamasaki's first studio album that did not break the two million mark. Worldwide, the album has sold about three million copies. A digipak edition was also released featuring all four covers of the single to commemorate the sale of the millionth copy. Rainbow is the 89th best selling album in Japan of all times[6]
The album's release was preceded by three singles. "Free & Easy", the lead single became Hamasaki's fourteenth number one single on the Oricon Weekly Charts. The track is said to be the result of a sudden inspiration Hamasaki and HAL had at an actual magazine photo shoot with Free & Easy magazine. The lyrics speak of "self-empowerment and freedom". Hamasaki said, "In Free & Easy, I wrote what I am feeling at the moment. In other words, I want to be a person who lives by taking responsibility for my own freedom, and I want to be a person for whom these words are perfectly applicable." The single also marked a dramatic change in the format of Hamasaki's singles. Singles after "Free and Easy" (with the exception of "No Way to Say") cut the number of remixes on the CD down to two or three, unlike previous singles with up to six or seven remixes.
The second single from the album was a multiple-A-side single titled "H". It contained three tracks from the album - "Independent", "July 1st" and "Hanabi". The EP also reached number one position on Oricon charts and also became Hamasaki's sixth Million selling single[7] and also made her the only artist to accomplish this feat. The single remains Hamasaki's last Million selling single to date. The lyrics of songs on "H" deal with different corners of life. Hanabi,a "reminiscent of the UK trip-hop/dub sound yet has a somewhat nostalgic feeling" deals with "a summer that ends in deep sadness". Independent is an anthem depicting "Independency" and July 1 is a "summer anthem", which featured guitarist Susumu Nishikawa.
The final single off the album was the Hamasaki and DAI penned "Voyage". The single had major classical influences with strings and violins. The song, like its predecessors, also topped the chart and also became one of Hamasaki's critically praised works. The single also garned the title of Hamasaki's longest charting single (with a total run of twenty-eight weeks). The single's music video became one of Hamasaki's two singles in which a short film was used in place of a regular music video (the other one being 2007's "Glitter / Fated"). The single was nominated for a Gold Disk Award.
All lyrics written by Ayumi Hamasaki.
| No. | Title | Music | Arranger(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Everlasting Dream" | CMJK | CMJK | 1:33 |
| 2. | "We Wish" | D.A.I | HΛL | 5:10 |
| 3. | "Real Me" | D.A.I | CMJK | 5:26 |
| 4. | "Free & Easy" | Crea + DAI | HΛL | 5:00 |
| 5. | "Heartplace" | Crea | tasuku | 6:06 |
| 6. | "Over" | CMJK | Toshiharu Umesaki, Atsushi Sato |
5:05 |
| 7. | "Hanabi" | Crea + D.A.I | CMJK | 4:56 |
| 8. | "Taskinillusion" (instrumental) | tasuku | tasuku | 1:20 |
| 9. | "Everywhere Nowhere" | pop | CMJK | 4:35 |
| 10. | "July 1st" | Crea + D.A.I | tasuku | 4:22 |
| 11. | "Dolls" | Crea | HΛL | 5:56 |
| 12. | "Neverending Dream" (instrumental) | HΛL (Toshiharu Umesaki, Yuta Nakano) | HΛL | 1:35 |
| 13. | "Voyage" | Crea + D.A.I | Ken Shima | 5:08 |
| 14. | "Close to You" | Crea | Seiji Kameda | 5:47 |
| 15. | "Independent" | Crea + D.A.I | tasuku | |
| 16. | "+" ((Hidden track)) |
Charts
|
Year End Charts
Certifications
|
| Date | Title | Peak position | Weeks | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 24, 2002 | "Free & Easy" | 1 | 9 weeks | 486,520 |
| July 24, 2002 | "H" | 1 | 24 weeks | 1,012,544 |
| September 26, 2002 | "Voyage" | 1 | 28 weeks | 679,463 |