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A Best 2

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File:Ayu symbol.gif Best 2 is a series of greatest hits compilation albums recorded by Ayumi Hamasaki which were released simultaneously on 28 February 2007 (2007-02-28). 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

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
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 AlbumLength
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 (2007-02-28) 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
  • Total Sales : 702,900 (Japan)
  • Total Sales : 750,000 (Avex)

A Best 2: White

Untitled
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
HMV[6]

On 15 January 2007 (2007-01-15) this release was confirmed by her official website. On 16 January 2007 (2007-01-16), track listing for both CDs were officially released. The album covers and DVD track listings were released on 6 February 2007 (2007-02-06).

Track listing

No.TitleOriginal AlbumLength
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 (2007-02-28) 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
  • Total Sales : 721,850 (Japan)
  • Total Sales : 750,000 (Avex)

Release history

Region Date Format Catalogue Number
Japan 28 February 2007 (2007-02-28) CD+2DVD AVCD-23263 (Black)
AVCD-23265 (White)
CD AVCD-23264 (Black)
AVCD-23266 (White)
Taiwan 9 March 2007 (2007-03-09)
Hong Kong 13 March 2007 (2007-03-13)
China 27 October 2007 (2007-10-27) CD+2DVD
  • Initial pressing
CD
  • Initial pressing
Singapore 14 March 2007 (2007-03-14)
South Korea 15 March 2007 (2007-03-15)

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 (2007-02-28) 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
  • Total Sales: 1,424,734 (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.

Album Date Title Peak position Chart Run Sales
Black 7 March 2001 (2001-03-07) "Never Ever" 1 12 weeks 756,980
16 May 2001 (2001-05-16) "Endless Sorrow" 1 11 weeks 768,510
27 September 2001 (2001-09-27) "Dearest" 1 16 weeks 750,420
24 April 2002 (2002-04-24) "Free & Easy" 1 9 weeks 486,520
6 November 2003 (2003-11-06) "No Way to Say" 1 12 weeks 371,171
29 November 2004 (2004-11-29) "Carols" 1 14 weeks 309,128
14 November 2005 (2005-11-14) "Heaven" 1 14 weeks 326,694
White 31 January 2001 (2001-01-31) "Evolution" 1 17 weeks 955,250
11 July 2001 (2001-07-11) "Unite!" 1 10 weeks 571,110
12 December 2001 (2001-12-12) "A Song Is Born" 1 10 weeks 441,410
26 November 2002 (2002-11-26) "Voyage" 1 28 weeks 679,463
31 March 2004 (2004-03-31) "Moments" 1 21 weeks 302,923
3 August 2005 (2005-08-03) "Fairyland c/w Alterna" 1 13 weeks 316,663
Black and White 24 July 2002 (2002-07-24) "H" 1 24 weeks 1,016,000
9 July 2003 (2003-07-09) "&" 1 16 weeks 591,481
28 July 2004 (2004-07-28) "Inspire c/w Game" 1 15 weeks 329,145
20 April 2005 (2005-04-20) "Step You / Is This Love?" 1 19 weeks 345,340

Total Single Sales: 9,909,689

Live performances

  • 23 February 2007 (2007-02-23) – Music Station – "Evolution"
  • 24 February 2007 (2007-02-24) – Music Fair 21 – "Evolution", "Dearest", "Heaven"
  • 26 February 2007 (2007-02-26) – Hey! Hey! Hey! – "Dearest"
  • 26 February 2007 (2007-02-26) – SMAPxSMAP – "Voyage", "Unite!"
  • 2 March 2007 (2007-03-02) – Music Station – "Part of Me"
  • 2 March 2007 (2007-03-02) – Music Fighter – "Never Ever"
  • 2 March 2007 (2007-03-02) – PopJam – "Moments"
  • 4 March 2007 (2007-03-04) – Domoto Kyoudai – "Step You"
  • 16 March 2007 (2007-03-16) – Music Station – "Memorial Address"
  • 16 March 2007 (2007-03-16) – PopJam (final episode special) – "No Way to Say"

References

  1. ^ "2007 TOP100 Charts". Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  2. ^ a b "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. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  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. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ "Avex Financial Results of the first quarter of 2007 Page 2" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 July 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

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