A Best 2

A Best 2
Greatest hits album by Ayumi Hamasaki
Released 28 February 2007
(see Release history)
Recorded 2001-2007 (Black)
2001-2005 (White)
Genre Pop, pop rock, dance, electronic
Length 77:27 (Black)
74:56 (White)
Label Avex Trax
Producer Max Matsuura
Ayumi Hamasaki chronology

Secret
(2006)		 A Best 2 (White/Black)
(2007)		 Guilty
(2008)
Ayumi Hamasaki Best of Countdown Live 2006-2007 A
Live album by Ayumi Hamasaki
Released 29 November 2007
Ayumi Hamasaki chronology

Arena Tour 2006 A: (Miss)understood~
(2006)		 Best of Countdown Live 2006-2007 A
(2007)		 Ayumi Hamasaki Asia Tour 2007: Tour of Secret
(2008)

Best 2 is a series of greatest hits compilation albums recorded by Ayumi Hamasaki which were released simultaneously on 28 February 2007. The artwork on the cover uses the singer's symbol, a heavily modified A, to stand for the name "Ayu" or "Ayumi Hamasaki", as was used in Best in 2001.

A Best 2: Black debuted at #1 in Japan on its first day and took #2 in the weekly chart as well as in several countries throughout Asia. It was ranked #4 on CDJapan's Top 100 album of 2007. A Best 2: White debuted at #1 in Japan and several countries throughout Asia. A Best 2: White was ranked #3 on CDJapan's Top 100 album of 2007.[1] A Best 2: Black includes "dark" songs with "painful/heartbroken" lyrics while A Best 2: White is the opposite, containing "light" songs with "bright/cheerful/upbeat" lyrics.

Both sets were released in 1CD+2DVD versions with limited version covers for each album's color. The first DVD for each version includes all music videos for the songs off the album. The second DVD from A Best 2: White includes her latest Best of Countdown Live 2006-2007 A; the second DVD from A Best 2: Black includes a documentary which chronicles her concert Best of Countdown Live 2006-2007 A. Both albums feature songs released between the singles "Evolution" and "Heaven". No songs off her album Secret are featured on either album.

A special website was opened in order to promote A Best 2.[2]

The tracks on A Best 2 were remastered in Los Angeles by Brian "Big Bass" Gardner, however they were not resung like the previous A Best.[2][3]

A Best 2: Black

A Best 2: Black

CD-Only Cover
Greatest hits album by Ayumi Hamasaki
CD+2DVD Cover
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
HMV [4]

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.[5]

Track listing

No. TitleOriginal 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

  1. "Dearest"
  2. "Carols"
  3. "No Way to Say"
  4. "Walking Proud"
  5. "Free & Easy"
  6. "Endless Sorrow"
  7. "Because of You"
  8. "About You"
  9. "Game"
  10. "Is This Love?"
  11. "Hanabi: Episode II"
  12. "Never Ever" [promotional clip]
  13. "Heaven"
  14. "Part of Me"
  15. "H" [TV-CM]

2nd DVD – Best of CountDown Live 2006-2007

  1. 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 2 470,057 702,900 52
Oricon Monthly Albums Chart 3
Oricon Yearly Albums Chart 7

A Best 2: White

A Best 2: White
Greatest hits album by Ayumi Hamasaki
CD+2DVD Cover
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
HMV [6]

On 15 January 2007 this release was confirmed by her official website. On 16 January 2007, track listing for both CDs were officially released. The album covers and DVD track listings were released on 6 February 2007.

Track listing

No. TitleOriginal 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

  1. "Evolution"
  2. "Grateful Days"
  3. "Humming 7/4"
  4. "Unite!" [promotional clip]
  5. "Real me"
  6. "My Name's Women"
  7. "Ourselves"
  8. "Inspire"
  9. "Step you"
  10. "Fairyland"
  11. "Voyage"
  12. "Moments"
  13. "H" [TV-CM]

2nd DVD – Best of CountDown Live 2006-2007

  1. "Not Yet"
  2. "Ourselves"
  3. "Fly High"
  4. "Beautiful Fighters"
  5. "Never Ever"
  6. "A Song for" ××
  7. "No Way to Say"
  8. "Free & Easy"
  9. "Evolution"
  10. "Flower Garden"
  11. "Until That Day..."
  12. "Audience"
  13. "Boys & Girls"

-encore-

  1. "Trauma"
  2. "Independent"
  3. "Humming 7/4"
  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 1 475,284 721,850 52
Oricon Monthly Albums Chart 2
Oricon Yearly Albums Chart 5

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
  • Initial pressing
CD
  • Initial pressing
Singapore 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.[7]

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)		 1,424,734 (as of 2008) 2,000,000 52 weeks

Taiwan

A Best 2 as a whole performed very well on the Taiwan Charts. A Best 2: White topped the Taiwan Charts for 8 weeks, while A Best 2: Black has been following behind at #2 consistently, achieving peak at #1 on the second week of being released.

Featured singles

Album Date Title Peak position Chart Run Sales
Black 7 March 2001 "Never Ever" 1 12 weeks 756,980
16 May 2001 "Endless Sorrow" 1 11 weeks 768,510
27 September 2001 "Dearest" 1 16 weeks 750,420
24 April 2002 "Free & Easy" 1 9 weeks 486,520
6 November 2003 "No Way to Say" 1 12 weeks 371,171
29 November 2004 "Carols" 1 14 weeks 309,128
28 July 2005 "Inspire c/w Game" 1 15 weeks 329,145
14 November 2005 "Heaven" 1 14 weeks 326,694
White 31 January 2001 "Evolution" 1 17 weeks 955,250
11 July 2001 "Unite!" 1 10 weeks 571,110
12 December 2001 "A Song Is Born" 1 10 weeks 441,410
26 November 2002 "Voyage" 1 28 weeks 679,463
9 July 2003 "Inspire c/w Game" 1 16 weeks 591,481
31 March 2005 "Moments" 1 21 weeks 302,923
3 August 2005 "Fairyland c/w Alterna" 1 13 weeks 316,663
Black and White 24 July 2002 "H" 1 24 weeks 1,016,000
9 July 2003 "&" 1 16 weeks 591,481
20 April 2005 "Step You / Is This Love?" 1 19 weeks 345,340

Total Single Sales: 9,909,689

Live performances

External links

References

  1. ↑ "2007 TOP100 Charts". Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "ayumi hamasaki 「A BEST 2」SPECIAL SITE" (in Japanese). Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  3. ↑ "New info about A Best 2 tracks mastered - Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai". Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  4. ↑ "A Best 2: Black Review" (in Japanese). HMV. Archived from the original on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  5. ↑ "Japanese Charts" (in Japanese). Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  6. ↑ "A Best 2: White Review" (in Japanese). HMV. Archived from the original on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  7. ↑ "Avex Financial Results of the first quarter of 2007 Page 2".