A Best 2
A Best 2 | ||||
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Greatest hits album by | ||||
Released | 28 February 2007 28 February 2022 (Re-released anniversary edition) | |||
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 | |||
A Best 2: Black | ||||
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A Best 2: White | ||||
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Ayumi Hamasaki chronology | ||||
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A Best 2 (stylized as 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[]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
HMV | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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.[3]
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[]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
HMV | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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. | 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 28 February 2022 |
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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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.[5]
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)
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 | 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 | |
6 November 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 2002 | "H" | 1 | 24 weeks | 1,170,000 |
9 July 2003 | "&" | 1 | 16 weeks | 680,000 | |
28 July 2004 | "Inspire c/w 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.
- ^ "A Best 2: Black Review" (in Japanese). HMV. Archived from the original on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
- ^ "Japanese Charts" (in Japanese). Retrieved 30 March 2011.
- ^ "A Best 2: White Review" (in Japanese). HMV. Archived from the original on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
- ^ "Avex Financial Results of the first quarter of 2007 Page 2" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 July 2009.
External links[]
- 2007 greatest hits albums
- Ayumi Hamasaki compilation albums
- Avex Group compilation albums
- Japanese-language albums