You Were.../Ballad

"You were.../Ballad"
Single by Ayumi Hamasaki
from the album Rock 'n' Roll Circus
Released December 29, 2009
Format CD Only, CD+DVD
Recorded 2009
Genre J-pop, pop rock, soft rock, ballad, pop
Label Avex Trax
Writer(s) Ayumi Hamasaki (lyrics)
Kazuhiro Hara (music)
DAI (music)
Tetsuya Yukumi (music)
Producer Max Matsuura
Ayumi Hamasaki singles chronology
"Sunrise/Sunset (Love Is All)"
(2009)		 "You were.../Ballad"
(2009)		 "Moon/Blossom"
(2010)

"You Were.../Ballad" is Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki's forty-seventh (forty-eighth overall) single, released on December 29, 2009.[1] The single was intended to be released on December 16, but Avex Trax pushed the release date two weeks back.[1] The first song on the single "You were..." is the theme song for the Japanese version of the Disney movie Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure,[2] while the second song "Ballad" is tied up with NHK's serial The Firmament of the Pleiades, a fictional historical drama based on Jiro Asada's book.[3] The single became Hamasaki's 22nd consecutive single to debut at number-one position since her 2002 single "Free & Easy" on the Oricon weekly charts, making her the first solo artist and the female artist to have 22 consecutive singles to debut at number-one position. It is also her 34th number-one single on the Oricon weekly charts

Contents

Promotion

During December 2009, Hamasaki performed live on Japanese TV shows seven times.[4] Hamasaki was featured on the cover of four Japanese magazines during the promotion of the single.[5] These magazines were "Sweet", "Bea's Up", "Vivi" and "S Cawaii". As of early December, there have been many promotional pictures posted around Shibuya, Shinagawa and Harajuku in Tokyo.[6][7]

Music videos

Ayumi filmed the music videos in November 2009. The music videos for You Were... primered 3, December 2009 and Ballad Primered on the 16 December 2009.

You Were featured Ayumi at a winter-like scene wearing a blinking, electrically-lit dress. The video is also inter-cut with scenes of models posing in haute couture outfits.

The video for Ballad featured an elaborate storyline where Ayumi and her boyfriend get in a motorcycle accident. Her boyfriend becomes comatose and in his dreams he tries to contact Ayumi via letters, not realizing that his letters would never reach her. Near the end of the video, it goes back where Ayumi and her boyfriend was the on the motorcycle. Ayumi is the only one alive and her boyfriend is found dead on the floor and the music video ends with Ayumi looking at her boyfriend in bed. The video is inter-cut with scenes where Ayumi is singing at a fairyland/dream setting.

Tracklisting

All lyrics written by Ayumi Hamasaki.

CD Only

No. Title Length
1. "You Were... (Original Mix)"   4:48
2. "Ballad (Original Mix)"   5:21
3. "Red Line: for TA (Original Mix)"   4:29
4. "You Were... (Music Box Mix -Retake Version-)"   5:10
5. "Sunset: Love Is All (Orchestra Version)"   6:04
6. "You Were...　(Original Mix -Instrumental-)"   4:48
7. "Ballad　(Original Mix -Instrumental-)"   5:22
8. "Red Line: for TA (Original Mix -Instrumental-)"   4:27

CD+DVD Version A

CD
No. Title Length
1. "You Were... (Original Mix)"   4:48
2. "Ballad (Original Mix)"   5:21
3. "Red Line: for TA (Original Mix)"   4:29
4. "You Were... (Music Box Mix -Retake Version-)"   5:10
5. "You Were...　(Original Mix -Instrumental-)"   4:48
6. "Ballad　(Original Mix -Instrumental-)"   5:22
7. "Red Line: for TA (Original Mix -Instrumental-)"   4:27
DVD
No. Title Length
1. "You Were... (Video Clip)"   5:11
2. "Ballad (Video Clip)"   5:50
3. "You Were... (Making Clip)"   3:02

CD+DVD Version B

CD
No. Title Length
1. "Ballad (Original Mix)"   5:21
2. "You Were... (Original Mix)"   4:48
3. "Red Line: for TA (Original Mix)"   4:29
4. "Sunset: Love Is All (Orchestra Version)"   6:04
5. "Ballad　(Original Mix -Instrumental-)"   5:22
6. "You Were... (Original Mix -Instrumental-)"   4:48
7. "Red Line: for TA (Original Mix -Instrumental-)"   4:27
DVD
No. Title Length
1. "Ballad (Video Clip)"   5:50
2. "You Were... (Video Clip)"   5:11
3. "Ballad (Making Clip)"   3:12

Charts

Oricon Sales Chart

Release Chart Peak Position Debut Sales Sales Total Chart Run
December 29, 2009 Oricon Daily Singles Chart 1
Oricon Weekly Singles Chart 1 103,351 118,249 13 weeks
Oricon Monthly Singles Chart 2
Oricon Yearly Singles Chart 56

Billboard Japan

Release Chart Peak Position
December 29, 2009 Billboard Japan Hot 100 14
Billboard Japan Hot Singles Sales 4

References

  1. ^ a b (Japanese) http://www.avexnet.or.jp/ayu/jp/news/091022a.html | 【リリース情報】2009/12/16（水）発売「You were.../BALLAD」発売決定！
  2. ^ (Japanese) http://www.sanspo.com/geino/news/091119/gnj0911190506008-n1.htm | あゆ、映画「ティンカーベル」イメージソング
  3. ^ (Japanese) http://mainichi.jp/enta/geinou/news/20091118mog00m200063000c.html | 浜崎あゆみ：新曲「ＢＡＬＬＡＤ」　ＮＨＫドラマ「蒼穹の昴」主題歌に
  4. ^ Schedule updated - TV Performances & Magazines! - Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai
  5. ^ Schedule updated - TV Performances & Magazines! Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai
  6. ^ On buses, Lorries and Promotional billboards
  7. ^ ayu.no - Norwegian Ayumi Hamasaki Forum
Preceded by
"Gift: White" by Kanjani Eight		 Oricon Weekly number one single
January 18, 2010		 Succeeded by
"Phantom Minds" by Nana Mizuki
Ayumi Hamasaki singles discography
Nothing From Nothing
A Song for ××
"Poker Face" (1998) · "You" (1998) · "Trust" (1998) · "For My Dear..." (1998) · "Depend on You" (1998)
Loveppears
"Whatever" (1999) · "Love (Destiny)" (1999) · "To Be" (1999) · "Boys & Girls" (1999) · "A" (1999) · "Appears" (1999) · "Kanariya" (1999) · "Fly High" (2000)
Duty
"Vogue" (2000) · "Far Away" (2000) · "Seasons" (2000) · "Surreal" (2000) · "Audience" (2000)
I Am...
"M" (2000) · "Evolution" (2001) · "Never Ever" (2001) · "Endless Sorrow" (2001) · "Unite!" (2001) · "Dearest" (2001) · "A Song is Born" (w/ Keiko Yamada) (2001) · "Daybreak" (2002) · "Connected" (2003)
Rainbow
"Free & Easy" (2002) · "H" (2002) · "Voyage" (2002)
Memorial Address
"&" (2003) · "Forgiveness" (2003) · "No Way to Say" (2003)
My Story
"Moments" (2004) · "Inspire" (2004) · "Carols" (2004)
(Miss)understood
"Step You/Is this Love?" (2005) · "Fairyland" (2005) · "Heaven" (2005) · "Bold & Delicious/Pride" (2005)
Secret
"Startin'/Born to Be..." (2006) · "Blue Bird" (2006)
Guilty
"Glitter/Fated" (2007) · "Talkin' 2 Myself" (2007) · "Together When..." (2007)
A Complete: All Singles
Next Level
"Days/Green" (2008) · "Rule/Sparkle" (2009)
Rock 'n' Roll Circus
"Sunrise/Sunset (Love is All)" (2009) · "You Were.../Ballad" (2009)
Love Songs
"Moon/Blossom" (2010) · "Crossroad" (2010) · "L" (2010)
Other songs
"Dream On" (2010)