Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai - New album 'Party Queen' out 03/21 information thread [IX]

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- - New album 'Party Queen' out 03/21 information thread [IX] (http://www.ahsforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=113023)

New album 'Party Queen' out 03/21 information thread [IX]

I am posting all relevant information in here! Hopefully it helps. If anything needs to be fixed or added, please post it here and I will add it ASAP!

**Originally the title of the album was reported as "Party queen" by Kome, but Ayu corrected Kome and said it was "Party Queen". It looks like he sent out the notice before Ayu made the correction.

Quote:

フジテレビ系木曜よる10時ドラマ「最後から二番目の恋」主題歌として話題の「how beautiful you are」をはじめ、未発表書き下ろし新曲のみ全14曲を収録した超豪華フル・アルバム！全曲ロンドン・レコーディングを敢行し、世界の音楽シーンの最前線で活躍するトップ・エンジニアやミュージシャンを多数起用した、まさに世界標準のサウンドが詰め込まれた意欲作。
【CD+2DVD】【CD+DVD】【CD】の全3形態でのリリースで、【DVD-1】にはロンドンで撮り下ろされた3曲を含むミュージック・クリップ4曲とそれらのメイキング・クリップの未発表8トラックを豪華収録！さらに【DVD-2】には、2011年大晦日に開催されたばかりの最新ライヴ「ayumi hamasaki COUNTDOWN LIVE 2011-2012 ～HOTEL Love songs～」を完全収録！！

Translation by Misa-chan:
Starting with the unveiling of Fuji TV’s Thursday 10pm drama 「Saigo Kara Nibanme no Koi」’s theme song 「how beautiful you are」, a super grand full album of 14 brand new songs will be released! All songs were recorded in London, featuring top engineers and musicians at the helm of today’s musical scene, creating an ambitious album of world-class quality. 3 versions will be released:【CD+2DVD】【CD+DVD】【CD】【DVD-1】 will include the PVs for 4 songs, 3 of which were filmed in London, plus making-of clips to make up a total of 8 tracks!【DVD-2】 will be the complete live recording of countdown live concert held on New Year’s Eve in 2011, 「ayumi hamasaki COUNTDOWN LIVE 2011-2012 ～HOTEL Love songs～」!!

Covers + photos of the actual product

Spoiler:

Booklet images

Spoiler:

Tracklist

Spoiler:

Composers + arrangers

Spoiler:

Versions

Spoiler:

CD+2DVD - first press includes a regular CD case + special DVD packaging in a plastic sleeve for the COUNTDOWN LIVE 2011-2012 A ~HOTEL Love songs~ DVDs, regular press has all discs in regular cases

Spoiler:

CD+DVD - regular CD+DVD

Spoiler:

CD only - regular CD only

Spoiler:

PLAYBUTTON - special button that also functions as an mp3 player... more information at http://www.playbutton.co

SPECIAL LIMITED BOX SET CD+2DVD+Blu-ray - special set that has the CD+2DVD, POWER of MUSIC Blu-ray, and a pair of half pint glasses and cork coasters

SPECIAL LIMITED BOX SET CD+4DVD - special set that has the CD+2DVD, POWER of MUSIC 2 DVD set, and a pair of half pint glasses and cork coasters

Mockup of the limited box from the website

Spoiler:

*Exclusive goods for box set are half pint glasses and cork coasters. Two of each.

Bonus goods

Spoiler:

Misc. information

Spoiler:

I prefer the Party Queen song that the over-epicness of BRILLANTE in terms of Timmy´s composing, & I have to say that in Nanana without Timmy´s rap could not be possible...& it comes from a person that don´t like Timmy vey much...but works well...

Haha, I just realized. Before this was leaked/out, I said something along the lines of "Wouldn't it be awesome if Ayu was whispering "Eyes, smoke, magic" in the beginning of ESM? For once, I guessed something right :laugh

Love that opening. Openings that are epic seems to be the keyword for PQ :heart

Quote:

Originally Posted by Masamune (Post 2833057)

This! i totally don't like Timmy but Nanana sounds great with his part!

!!! I feel like the total opposite, I tried removing his vocals but it affects the track so much that I can't do it.. FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS :(

^The day you manage to make it beautifuly please send me that version. Also if someone could cut out that darn chanting in Return Road that simply sounds random and out of place I will recieve that version very gladly too.

Have you guys seen this pic? :)

Daddy pei-chan as Ayu calls him, (Endo 'Jacky' Hideki @GUTS_RUSH), whatever (lol) posted this picture of the Party Queen limited box!

is hugeeee!

http://c0014224.r32.cf1.rackcdn.com/x2_b767886

whether will be version Hong Kong cd+2dvd?

Holy mammoth, that's...a box. A big one :thud It's even larger than the R'n'RC one!

holy crap that's gigantic.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissElin_ (Post 2833128)

I will. Uhm I have edited Return Road, so it skips the (LONG) awkward piano smashing part and Timmy's aaahooohoahao's. (however his chanting is still there in the last chorus) I can share that version with you! :laugh

I think the LE box is bigger than two Rock'n'Roll Circus ones placed side by side. No wonder shipping is so high.

About that part in Return Road... I think it'll make more sense in the PV. I wonder if they made it with that in mind like how fairyland had that huuuge dance break?

I wonder when HK versions will be announced...

Probably pretty soon. They're usually released rather close to the Japanese release date.

The size of the limited box set is 70cm×30cm×9.5cm. So yeah it is huge! XD
source: @ayunews / www.daily.co.jp

Thanks for the new thread~ And haaayy. Dat box is huge! Woah.

I'm so addicted to this album. Tell my why's on repeat now. So beautiful. <3

oh my :thud the box is soo huge.

I wonder if YA would make me pay custom fees for it :tired. I hope not lol.

If NaNaNa is what ayu practiced dancing for I think how timmy dances wastes the efforts of ayu dancing. It looks like they just grab someone off the street and told them to be ready in 5 mins for dancing and shooting. I like his part in the song because the music with his bits reminds me of Ladies Night but I dont like his lanky sloth walking/dancing in the PV

Return Road PV in HD has been put up at kmc and it's up at JPS~

Were all PVs shot in the UK?

omg she is so full of crap. If that wasn't about her divorce, then I'm a giraffe.

I can see why she'd not want to say outright though, with the media being what it is.

In any case, I'm sorry, but I'd rather see a PV that is just her dancing in a club going nowhere, than one with all these contrived thematic visuals and pretentious symbolism.

She's so gorgeous in the PV though, but I'm not even sure I like the look over the NaNaNa PV :shrug

Quote:

Originally Posted by RayJason (Post 2833169)

Great! There is technology to remove the chanting after 3:00?

I want that version!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by CHAS_AYU (Post 2833321)

Were all PVs shot in the UK?

NaNaNa, Shake It, and Return Road were shot in the UK.

how beautiful you are was filmed a little less than a month ago in Japan.

There MIGHT be a way to remove the chanting using Audacity and inverting the waveform of the song in that section. It's a method usually used to make quick karaoke tracks out of normal song mixes.

http://wiki.audacityteam.org/index.p...=Vocal_Removal

You can try it and see if it works?

Someone please tell me where Ayu said that these tracks/PVs/whatever were not related to her marriage. I am fairly certain she NEVER SAID THAT. In fact, she was very honest about some of the songs being related to her divorce and what she felt because of it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by truehappiness (Post 2833329)

Someone please tell me where Ayu said that these tracks/PVs/whatever were not related to her marriage. I am fairly certain she NEVER SAID THAT.

I don't think she's ever said that. She only said that people are free to feel whatever they want from her songs, if I remember?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ayuuk (Post 2833334)

I don't think she's ever said that. She only said that people are free to feel whatever they want from her songs, if I remember?

Yeah, that's exactly what she said.

However, it seems that before we got that interview, we just knew that "Return Road and Virgin Road are not related to each other." Virgin Road was not about her marriage to Mannie. Or if it was, she must have foreseen it because she hadn't met him until after she wrote the song and was filming the PV.

Return Road is heavily hinted to be about her divorce/marriage but that's obvious to anyone who knows she recently went through a divorce. (The same goes for call and Letter and reminds me and Tell me why)

You know, since she recorded all of these tracks in November/December... she must have been already thinking about splitting up with him for months before it actually happened. (Even during FIVE, I imagine.)

um okay. I thought it was pretty heavily implied that's what she meant.

Guess we misunderstood her.

And the picture at the end of Return Road gives it the most obvious meaning ever, over anything else she's released.

yeah uh i'm not understanding the Return Road PV.
she looked great but it was kind of boring. i'm not really impressed with any of the PVs for this album. oh well. can't have both flawless songs and PVs unless it's (miss)understood i guess.

Quote:

Originally Posted by love in music (Post 2833342)

Oh well. can't have both flawless songs and PVs unless it's (miss)understood i guess.

haha QFT!
You're so rightn that was a damn album! :love

Eurgh her PVs are sooo...IDK...they start out promising and then nothing really happens, it's like they come up with a vague idea of what they want to do and then don't expand on it and then fill the PV with boring filler shots of Ayu posing or band members ugh.

The PV for RR was below my expectations, which is a bit disappointing. But, its definitely about her and Mannie's marriage/divorce. I mean, the ending says everything.

i guess the PV implied that she wants the media to shut up, seeing those band members scratching the guitars (using her music power) while the broadcast machines/devices (media) in the factory exploded...

just my speculation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by love in music (Post 2833342)

can't have both flawless songs and PVs unless it's (miss)understood i guess.

That's exactly what I thought!

I usually hate when people try to interpret her lyrics/covers/PV, because I usually think they are thinking too much/have too much time to waste. They try to find deep explanations behind everything and it annoys me a lot haha!
But I can't help thinking about Return Road PV and suddenly I thought about something (and here we go) : a relation with it and last year's nuclear disaster.
The factory is falling appart in the PV, like Fukushima nuclear plant.
As a result Ayu is damaged physically and mentally in the PV. Eventually she has to make a decision, she decides to break up because of the disaster, even if she doesn't fully want it (hence the presence of the photo at the end). If I'm not wrong she said she decided to break up after what happened last year to Japan. She couldn't leave her country anymore, she decided not to stay in America with her husband.

edit: there is also the presence of the masked employees in white... Like nuclear protective clothing.

I posted on facebook how I am a bit sad over the album's turnout and my friend wrote:
"Well at least you don't pay $150 for her CD/DVD/teabag combo anymore. Lol."

I then informed her about the limited edition package and it's contents and the outrageous price. Her response was:

"Wth. Is she just giving away **** laying around her house whenever she releases an album? Lol. "Ayumi's new 2013 album will include her CD, 3 DVDs, a slightly worn copy of The Notebook, a set of dishes, and half a roll of toilet paper... All for only 500,000 Yen!""

^ (miss)understood have B&D/Pride boring PV'S and HEAVEN disaster (it's not bad, but I expected more for that amazing ballad) so it's not that perfect. And there is always Duty. Flawless album, one good PV, lol.

I think the lack of singles has proven well for this album isnt it?

so funny, but if there was no special limited box set, I'd buy a regular CD+DVD without a hesitation.. but when she releases such a set, I start to panic, because it's too big (so the shipping will be like half price of this set) and end up buying nothing. I'll buy regular version when I come to Japan.

So I shamelessly downloaded the leak from the downloads section, and I have to say I really like Call, and Tell me why. Also, Taskebab isn't that bad of a track, although of all the task tracks, I really will always like Taskillusion the best. Oh well. Haha

ANYWAY, I really hope she starts releasing singles again this year before her next album. I really like that she always had a structure for her releases, and the Five comes out and blows the whole structure to smithereens. Lol.

Am i the only one who watch the three pv's and i like them all?

that box set is frakin huge!

^I think it is the largest box set ever.

I love return road just wished she kept the long hair a little longer in the pv

Looking at the huge box, I wonder where should I keep it???

^I have the same question. Actually that question leads me to think whether I should cancel it (partly due to my huge disappointment after watching NaNaNa PV)

omfg... the end of the return road PV.... T_____________T

OMG I love Return Road PV!!! finally something interesting!! And she's so beautiful here... I'm amazed

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExodusUK (Post 2833354)

:yes sadly

At this point I just wish we didn't get pvs at all lol The album is flawless without pvs, and even without covers.

If we were going to get only 4 pvs, they should've been mind blowing, but hardly :no

Does this fall on the director's job? I noe Masashi Muto's amazing works esp Microphone and SLT..but sometimes he does give stuff like You were... which is more...abstract..and last year Last angel, and Love song which was alright for me.

I just feel his ideas don't come together as well as they could, and maybe he ends up with very subjective works :shrug I wish ayu would smack him on the head when she didn't like something, I don't know.

I feel really lonely, 'cause I'm really gonna wait for my gigantic box before listening or watching anything (T ^ T) No one waiting with me?~ I feel like the whole World has already listened to the album, expect me XD

^ You're in for a treat!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eewyi (Post 2833521)

I HAVENT EITHER!!! but every now and then, I look at my downloaded album and just cant click on it.
feeling really sad :(

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bad Wolf (Post 2833524)

^ You're in for a treat!

I honestly thought AHS was playing a joke on me after I listened to the album. Of course, with every album everyone says it's "HER BEST" but there was such an overwhelmingly positive reaction to this album and I listened to it and I wanted to cry of disappointment.

Go smoke some magic, then listen to the album :yes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeke. (Post 2833526)

Maybe you are expecting to much?
It is by far NOT her best, but it is good. It is slandered Ayumi.

Which while I am thinking about it:
Does anyone else hate the way the music pretty much comes to a stop in Party Queen for everyone to say Kumpie! (is that how its spelled?)

Quote:

Originally Posted by emi♡ (Post 2833527)

Go smoke some magic, then listen to the album :yes

That's exactly what I did and that didn't help me! Except for the NaNaNa until Timmy showed up. Lol.

As far as expecting too much, I really was only expecting to like 4 songs. 4 songs was my minimun that I'd be happy with and I thought that was a more than safe bet. But the thing is, I only truly love reminds me. Return Road is nice but I hate Timmy's girly choir effects and he totally ruins the badass feeling NaNaNa had going for it.

Too bad. I genuinely think this album is one of her bests since (miss)understood even :shrug And I don't think everything she releases all the time is amazing when it's new anyway, I didn't enjoy Love songs and FIVE as much, and RnRC was kinda meh too. I haven't enjoyed an album from ayu this much since NEXT LEVEL really.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SURREAL__RAINBOW (Post 2833541)

Exactly what im feeling, there were always some songs that i would skip from her previous albums since (miss)understood, but party queen is just flawless, amazing !! Too bad for those people who doesnt enjoy this masterpiece

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirshwasser (Post 2833549)

I always skip some songs on her albums, exceptions are Duty and LOVEppears. That doesn't mean I don't like the album. On Party Queen I noticed that I kept skipping call and Letter (+interludes..). I don't dislike the songs, I just prefer other songs on this albums way more.
And about RR PV:Ayu's PV's are rarely mind blowing. Like dearest, evolution, HEAVEN etc. are good songs but PV's are boring. RR PV is somewhat a disappointment for me but NaNaNa is her worse PV ever.

I actually really liked RR PV. It breathed the old Ayu for me. Alot of with symbolism and nice scenes. Also I have always been a fan of Masashi Muto's work. I loved loved loved what he did for Microphone, SLT and my fav You were... :heart He have a very nice understanding on how to convey a special feeling to his work.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RayJason (Post 2833169)

Haha yeah... I kind of want to keep the smashing piano part though. I want the song exactly as it just just without that darn chanting. Both in the middle eight and in the last chours.

Quote:

Originally Posted by truehappiness (Post 2833329)

There MIGHT be a way to remove the chanting using Audacity and inverting the waveform of the song in that section. It's a method usually used to make quick karaoke tracks out of normal song mixes.

http://wiki.audacityteam.org/index.p...=Vocal_Removal

You can try it and see if it works?

Someone please tell me where Ayu said that these tracks/PVs/whatever were not related to her marriage. I am fairly certain she NEVER SAID THAT. In fact, she was very honest about some of the songs being related to her divorce and what she felt because of it.

Thx! I'll try that one and see how it turns out!

I think that people started these speculations about Ayu denying is when we got some key words from tokyoxjapanxfan when he translated the SCawaii interview and wrote "Return Road and Virgin Road have no relation, even though many people have asked her.". I think it was after that people started saying that she denied the relation with the divorce.

Quote:

Originally Posted by yamadashun (Post 2833369)

Yeah this is what I'm thinking too. Also the whole thing "only the two of us will know what really happend" kind of thing gets quite clear imo.

Quote:

Originally Posted by emi♡ (Post 2833527)

Go smoke some magic, then listen to the album :yes

Haha epic. xD

Quote:

Originally Posted by YUKARI (Post 2833396)

Haha ikr. xD Lucky for me I didn't have to choose since I went to the dentist this month and it was waaaay expensive so I had to cancel my box order. I'm actually more and more happy that I did though. The covers/size of the box/overprized goods would have made me cancel the order either way so. I'm gonna do just like you. Buy the regular edition of the album when I move back to Tokyo this summer instead. :yes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bad Wolf (Post 2833524)

^ You're in for a treat!

Yes, I'm waiting eagerly~ I'm sure I'll love this album a lot <3 Nice to see that so many seem to enjoy a lot~

I'm still bemused that reminds me is the longest track yet essentially only consists of 1 verse and 2 choruses.

Also I set my iTunes to start playing RR at 0:10 so it starts off with the organ. :D

The Special Party Queen photobook will be delayed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HilaryDuffFanboy (Post 2833629)

I'm still bemused that reminds me is the longest track yet essentially only consists of 1 verse and 2 choruses.

Also I set my iTunes to start playing RR at 0:10 so it starts off with the organ. :D

wow didn't even think about it.

And it's like, one of the best tracks lol

CDJapan has my order for Party Queen in shipping process! Seems kind of early.

Quote:

Originally Posted by emi♡ (Post 2833641)

wow didn't even think about it.

And it's like, one of the best tracks lol

I know right? She could add on 2 more minutes of LA LA LA LA LA LA LA, LA LA LA LA LA LA LA and I wouldn't complain.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hagan_massey (Post 2833642)

CDJapan has my order for Party Queen in shipping process! Seems kind of early.

Status of my order is "processing". Hopefully it will be shipped before the release date, 'cause I wanna listen to this al so bad (not downloading iTunes version, patiently waiting for my box to arrive).

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeamAyu2004 (Post 2833537)

Which while I am thinking about it:
Does anyone else hate the way the music pretty much comes to a stop in Party Queen for everyone to say Kumpie! (is that how its spelled?)

"Kampai" lol

I'm really enjoying the album! I just gotta find the PVs online now... don't really feel like downloading there, err...

Quote:

Originally Posted by hagan_massey (Post 2833642)

CDJapan has my order for Party Queen in shipping process! Seems kind of early.

If it's the box set, it's normal i think. The transit of big items takes way more time that the regular packages' one.

Is it possible to watch those new PVs somewhere online?

I'm missing the radio rip of Party Queen..."Tokyo FM. Tokyo FM"!! LOL

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maemi (Post 2833729)

Is it possible to watch those new PVs somewhere online?

NaNaNa https://vimeo.com/38497715
and Return Road is coming soon~

Quote:

Originally Posted by Didz-19 (Post 2833748)

I'm missing the radio rip of Party Queen..."Tokyo FM. Tokyo FM"!! LOL

looooool!!!! same here

I actually loved the radio rip because of cute voice "tokyo fm tokyo fm!" :love and it also made me feel like I'm in Tokyo now listening to brand-new ayu's song.. awww

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luna62 (Post 2833751)

NaNaNa https://vimeo.com/38497715
and Return Road is coming soon~

Thank you, thank you! :love

Quote:

Originally Posted by hagan_massey (Post 2833642)

CDJapan has my order for Party Queen in shipping process! Seems kind of early.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alucard from Hellsing (Post 2833715)

AHHH Mine's is IN STOCK! so after this comes Processing and then In Shipping Process and then Shipped right? lol
My POM is Processing though...

I watched it. The PV is so... useless :thud And those camera angles are so annoying. It would have been better if they actually had anything interesting in it - not even dance moves or their clothes are of any interest to me :(

It's such a pity because I like the song :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by hagan_massey (Post 2833642)

CDJapan has my order for Party Queen in shipping process! Seems kind of early.

Humm, mine is still "Order received" : o maybe that's 'cause I changed my shipping as FeDex kinda recently..huuuawh..I wanna get it earlier too!~

and btw, one PaQue Box [DVD version] is avaible for order~

Quote:

Originally Posted by HilaryDuffFanboy (Post 2833645)

I know right? She could add on 2 more minutes of LA LA LA LA LA LA LA, LA LA LA LA LA LA LA and I wouldn't complain.

I really hoped there would be more LA LA LA... in the song at the end, some really powerfully belted slightly higher ones. Would have been EPIC...maybe live...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeke. (Post 2833526)

That's your problem, then.

^ I dont even know what to say to that... o.O

But, the music is not everyones taste and this is something different for ayumi...
Not the rock part, but the jazz and the somewhat rapping done by timmy (after listening to this album about 10 times he is talking... not rapping... although the definition of rapping can be "talking or chanting"
I think this is really a new type of album done by her.

THE CM OF PARTY QUEEN mu-mo version
avex spelled it as PRARTY omg..

is that Shake it's PV??? ok its looking like a homemade video O.O
FINALLY I HEAR ADDITIONAL SONGS...

Prarty Queen oh god avex...
Thank you. ^^

me wants the official CM already!!!

OMG
wtf is this CM?!!!

thanks for sharing, freedreamer!

Quote:

Originally Posted by freedreamer (Post 2833861)

THE CM OF PARTY QUEEN mu-mo version
avex spelled it as PRARTY omg..

is that Shake it's PV??? ok its looking like a homemade video O.O
FINALLY I HEAR ADDITIONAL SONGS...

PRARTY! :thud

I guess it's meant to be used in the mu-mo shop. It doesn't really show much of the songs or the PVs though, haha.

^Timmy is in Shake It<3 as well, I wonder if he's in Return Road too. lol at least this time I managed to recognize him. Music video doesn't really look promising though. *fingers crossed 4 Return Road PV*

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alucard from Hellsing (Post 2833884)

isnt..Return Road's PV already out? lol

^^ haha I'm sure he's the one who picks ayu and Mannie's photo! :roflmao

Shake it looks like making of PV %)

Shake It's PV leads into NaNaNa, I think. Shake It seems to be like... Flip cam/Handicam shot.

I sort of wish that the "Oh hey, this is what people think parties are and so on!" theme didn't leak into the PVs as well.

If that's "Shake It" PV, it doesn't look good at all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by freedreamer (Post 2833886)

isnt..Return Road's PV already out? lol

I dunno. lol I'm not watching/downloading anything till I get my copy. I only watched/downloaded how beautiful you are, 'cause I needed at least something. :D

OMG Timmy is in Shake It<3... Maybe the album should be named Party Queen feat. Timmy

@YUKARI: yes now i don't feel surprise if it really is...

So Shake it was filmed in an apartment afterall..and we get this..house party thingy...hmmmm.. >.<

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bad Wolf (Post 2833822)

That's your problem, then.

Yeah it was just a very strange and shocking feeling. Looking back though, I don't think there has ever been an Ayu album that I truly was satisfied with at the time of release. But at least the amount of powerful songs were of the majority then. Oh well, I will continue to repeat reminds me, throw in Shake It now and then, Return Road when I am bored of her better rock songs, and NaNaNa once I get around to editing the entire song to cut out Timmy's invasive rapping.

Soo.. Shake it♥ PV .. no high hopes at all.