Fairyland (Ayumi Hamasaki song)

"Fairyland"
Single by Ayumi Hamasaki
from the album (Miss)understood
B-side	"Alterna"
Released	August 3, 2005
Format	CD single
Genre	J-pop, electronic
Length	31:21
Label	Avex Trax
Songwriter(s)	Ayumi Hamasaki (lyrics) tasuku (music) Shintarou Hagiwara + Sousaku Sasaki (music)
Producer(s)	Max Matsuura
Ayumi Hamasaki singles chronology
"Step You/Is This Love?" (2005) "Fairyland" (2005) "Heaven" (2005)
"Step You/Is This Love?" (2005) "Fairyland" (2005) "Heaven" (2005)
Alternative cover
CD + DVD
Audio sample
file help

"Fairyland" is the 36th single released by Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on August 3, 2005. It instantly shot to #1 on the Oricon charts where it stayed for the entire week. After one week of sales, "Fairyland" sold over 172,000 copies, the most any of Hamasaki's singles sold in one week in 2005. "Fairyland" is also Hamasaki's first single that featured different covers for both the CD and the CD+DVD.

Music videos

The PV of Fairyland was shot in Hawaii and is one of the most expensive music videos in the world, as well as being Japan's most expensive music video in terms of production costs. The PV cost 240 million Yen (2 million in U.S. dollars). It depicts Hamasaki with her companions (dance team) on a lush tropical island, with some scenes showing a timber house with a deck. Eventually, a fallen oil lamp causes the entire structure to burn. Images from earlier sequences showing the group having fun are interspersed through the burning of the house. The video ends with the camera moving away from Hamasaki singing solemnly as she watches the house burn.

The PV of Alterna depicts Ayumi as an up-and-coming star who is chased by clowns.^[1] The video also depicts her as a singing machine; this aspect of the music video (as well as the lyrics of "alterna") may be Hamasaki's response to either tabloid articles or to her record label's oppressive treatment of her at the time.^[2]

Track listing

1. "Fairyland" – 5:17
2. "Alterna" – 5:28
3. "Step You" (DJ Taki-Shit More Step Up Remix) – 4:16
4. "Fairyland" (Bright Field Remix) – 5:30
5. "Fairyland" (Instrumental) – 5:17
6. "Alterna" (Instrumental) – 5:28

DVD track listing

1. "Fairyland" (PV)
2. "Alterna" (PV)
3. "Fairyland" ("making of" photo gallery)

Live performances

• June 27, 2005 – Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ
• July 15, 2005 – Music Station
• July 30, 2005 – CDTV
• August 1, 2005 – Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ
• August 5, 2005 – Music Station
• August 5, 2005 – Music Fighter
• December 31, 2005 – 56th Kouhaku Utagassen

Charts

Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)

• Total Sales : 316,663 (Japan)
• Total Sales : 388,000 (Avex)
• RIAJ certification: Platinum

See also

• List of most expensive music videos

References

External links

• fairyland c/w alterna information at Avex Network.
• fairyland c/w alterna CD+DVD information at Avex Network.
• fairyland c/w alterna information at Oricon.