[Mai Kuraki] Second Thread Welcome Her "BEST 151A ~LOVE&HOPE~" 11/12/2014
 

Welcome to Mai K's second thread! The previous one was close and so far it doesn't seem like anyone's going to make another thread about her, so I'll start one because she'll be releasing a new best of album!!!

NEW RELEASE: 15th Anniversary Best of Album: BEST 151A ~LOVE&HOPE~ : 11/12/2014

Regular CD Cover
http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3c4cafdf.png

Limited Cover A
http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...ps768d28e4.jpg


Limited Cover B
http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8087d293.jpg

Tracklist:

LOVE
01 Stay by my side
02 Secret of my heart
03 冷たい海
04 Time after time ～花舞う街で～
05 明日へ架ける橋
06 会いたくて...
07 白い雪
08 Tomorrow is the last Time
09 もう一度
10 あなたがいるから
11 Your Best Friend
12 恋に恋して
13 儚さ
14 さくら さくら...
15 STAND BY YOU

HOPE
01 Love, Day After Tomorrow
02 Delicious Way
03 Reach for the sky
04 Stand Up
05 always
06 Feel fine!
07 Revive
08 わたしの、しらない、わたし。
09 Strong Heart
10 Special morning day to you
11 TRY AGAIN
12 Wake me up
13 You can (new song)
14 無敵なハート
15 DYNAMITE (new song)

Limited A DVD Tracklist
1. Stay by My Side (Music Clip)
2. Secret of my heart (Music Clip)
3. 冷たい海 (Music Clip)
4. Time after time ～花舞う街で～ (Live from Kyoto Student Music Award Kuraki Mai Special Stage)
5. 明日へ架ける橋 (Music Clip)
6. 会いたくて... (Live from Mai Kuraki LIVE TOUR 2006 DIAMOND WAVE)
7. 白い雪 (Music Clip)
8. Tomorrow is the last Time (Live from HAPPY HAPPY HALLOWEEN LIVE 2010)
9. もう一度 (Music Clip)
10. あなたがいるから (Live from Mai Kuraki Symphonic Live -Opus 2-)
11. Your Best Friend (Music Clip)
12. 恋に恋して (Music Clip)
13. 儚さ (Music Clip)
14. さくら さくら… (Live from MAI KURAKI LIVE PROJECT 2013 "RE:")
15. STAND BY YOU (Music Clip)

Limited B DVD Tracklist
1. Love, Day After Tomorrow (Music Clip)
2. Delicious Way (Live from Natural Breeze 2001 happy live)
3. Reach for the sky (Music Clip)
4. Stand Up (Music Clip)
5. always (Music Clip)
6. Feel fine! (Music Clip)
7. Revive (Music Clip)
8. わたしの、しらない、わたし。 (Music Clip)
9. Strong Heart (Live from Mai Kuraki Live Tour 2012 ～OVER THE RAINBOW)
10. Special morning day to you (Live from Mai Kuraki Symphonic Live -Opus 1-)
11. TRY AGAIN (Music Clip)
12. Wake me up (Music Clip)
13. You can (Live from 15th Anniversary Mai Kuraki Live Project 2014 BEST "Ichigo Ichie" ~Muteki na Heart~)
14. 無敵なハート (Music Clip)
15. Love, Day After Tomorrow feat. 15 Directors (Music Clip)

Gosh, no. I really didn't want this to happen. Why a best album? She had these 4 amazing singles and then she releases them on a best album, which also might mean she won't release anything anymore. I'm sorry if I seem so pessimistic, but I really wanted to wait for at least one of her albums, seeing as I discovered her when OVER THE RAINBOW was already released.

It is her 15th anniversary #SleyQween and I agree, I'm sad that she didn't release an album as well :'( Because for her 10th anniversary, she release an original album and best off.

I'm actually a bit excited for the best album. I only have her debut so this will be nice.

The tracklisting looks ok, but I was hoping for some sort of complete best album, kinda like Ayu's A Complete with 3 discs. There are lots of songs I like that aren't included.

Anyways, hope the two new songs are good.

that's the cover?

For the 2CD that is. The limited version A & B cover haven't been release yet.

I still remember finding her cds in my current library out of all places.
I'm glad for the best album, I haven't been keeping up with her like I used to.

Still mad that she didn't include "Kiss", "Make My Day", "Dancing", "Love Needing", "P.S. My Sunshine" and "Season Of Love"!!!

i thought thats the cover of Delicious Way..hahaha

Oh no! Tell me this is not happening.
After four good singles, she is going to release next best album?! Do we really need that? ALL MY BEST was released just 5 years ago :-/ Mai, you really disappointed me this time.

I don't see why not. It's her 15th anniversary, it's good to celebrate by releasing a best of album to boost up sales and be in the center of attention again.

^In my opinion best albums shouldn't even exist. They are just a waste of space and are really getting on my nerves. It's just a way to milk money, and people who need them are those who aren't fans anyway. It's just lazy. Why couldn't she have released an original album together with the best album? I mean, it's not like she has to do much for the best album anyway. It's just marketing and that's all it will ever be. But it's not like I'm surprised. Also, if anniversaries are an excuse to release best albums, I hate them. By the way, in today's age, what's the point of best albums? Seriously?

Sorry, I guess I had to rant. I just really hate it that after all those singles and such a LONG wait for an original studio album, we get this piece of nothing.

I agree with Chiharo.
This anniversary seems to be only an excuse for releasing of best album.
Really .. what is so speacial about 15th anniversary?

I understand that she released BEST album for her 10th anniversary, I will even understand next album for her 20th an. But do we really need best albums with almost same tracklist every 5 years?! I don´t think so.
She could easily released an original album with the best album. It´s not like she doesn´t have any new songs, she has plenty!
Fans don't need to buy this many best albums just to support her ... exactly what Chiharo wrote, It's lazy and just a way to milk money. :-/

A best of album? Oh well, I haven't listened to the singles yet so I must download this instead.

What I also forgot to say was that she is releasing another best album after releasing barely 2 albums. And also taking in consideration she was releasing her post OVER THE RAINBOW singles so slowly... It really makes you wonder what does this mean for her career. Is she done? That's what scares me. But oh well.

And what is also strange is that she released 4 singles for this best album. Usually there's only one or two singles preceding a best album. In any case, I was really hoping for a studio album because I think the songs we got would have fit nicely (for the most part).

I was getting nervous this would happen, with all the singles and no album. Oh well.

Limited Cover A
http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...ps768d28e4.jpg

Limited A DVD Tracklist
1. Stay by My Side (Music Clip)
2. Secret of my heart (Music Clip)
3. 冷たい海 (Music Clip)
4. Time after time ～花舞う街で～ (Live from Kyoto Student Music Award Kuraki Mai Special Stage)
5. 明日へ架ける橋 (Music Clip)
6. 会いたくて... (Live from Mai Kuraki LIVE TOUR 2006 DIAMOND WAVE)
7. 白い雪 (Music Clip)
8. Tomorrow is the last Time (Live from HAPPY HAPPY HALLOWEEN LIVE 2010)
9. もう一度 (Music Clip)
10. あなたがいるから (Live from Mai Kuraki Symphonic Live -Opus 2-)
11. Your Best Friend (Music Clip)
12. 恋に恋して (Music Clip)
13. 儚さ (Music Clip)
14. さくら さくら… (Live from MAI KURAKI LIVE PROJECT 2013 "RE:")
15. STAND BY YOU (Music Clip)

Limited Cover B
http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8087d293.jpg

Limited B DVD Tracklist
1. Love, Day After Tomorrow (Music Clip)
2. Delicious Way (Live from Natural Breeze 2001 happy live)
3. Reach for the sky (Music Clip)
4. Stand Up (Music Clip)
5. always (Music Clip)
6. Feel fine! (Music Clip)
7. Revive (Music Clip)
8. わたしの、しらない、わたし。 (Music Clip)
9. Strong Heart (Live from Mai Kuraki Live Tour 2012 ～OVER THE RAINBOW)
10. Special morning day to you (Live from Mai Kuraki Symphonic Live -Opus 1-)
11. TRY AGAIN (Music Clip)
12. Wake me up (Music Clip)
13. You can (Live from 15th Anniversary Mai Kuraki Live Project 2014 BEST "Ichigo Ichie" ~Muteki na Heart~)
14. 無敵なハート (Music Clip)
15. Love, Day After Tomorrow feat. 15 Directors (Music Clip)

The covers look nice. Limited Cover B is my favourite. :)

No Mai love?! She released a new single in May, called Serendipity (digital release).

She did?!

YAS! It's on jpopsuki I think.

Also, her best of album in November came in at #2 for its first week, but only sold 40,556 copies.

This year all I've heard from Mai is her digital single - hopefully she has some physical releases/new tie-ins coming up!

Just FYI:

Mai released her newest single back in April, called 渡月橋 ～君 想ふ～.

It was #5 in its first week, #9 its second week, and #21 its third week, on Oricon. It's done pretty well overall in terms of weeks on the chart, probably because its the theme for a Detective Conan film.

Why was this thread dead for two and a half years? I mean, is anyone still interested in Mai Kuraki these days...?

I'm trying to get in her music for a while but I don't have much time to

She's been doing great on the charts so I have noticed about her doing music again

Well, she stopped releasing music for about 5 years before coming back with Smile!, and I don't think she was ever that popular internationally. At least on these kinds of forums.

I remember never having anywhere to discuss her music while getting into her entire discography a few years ago.

I always mean to get into her more. The only album of hers I have is Wish You The Best which I love!! I enjoyed what I heard of her last single.

I think her break really hurt her in terms of massive popularity, but her connection with the Conan films really helps her even when she takes a break. I love her voice, and she has had a few good albums recently. One Life is still one of my fave albums from her.

God, I haven't listened to this girl in years. I thought she just kinda disappeared. Didn't know she ever went on a break--didn't know anything really. It wasn't until I saw people posting on here that she's still around xD. Decided for the sake of reminiscing to download her Smile album. (is it her most recent? It was just the first one I found.) Anyway, I listened to it all the way through and I absolutely love it. Great album. I Like It is one of my newest dance tracks. Can't believe I never realized Mai was still rocking it.

Yes! Smile is her most recent album! I wish we could do something to help her get a little more popular, only because I like her producing a lot of music ha ha.

what? what are you talking about? When she stopped releasing music?
She released two albums in 2012 (Over the Rainbow, Symphonic Collection in Moscow), in 2013 she released one physical single (TRY AGAIN) and one digital single, in 2014 she released one physical single (STAND BY YOU) and one best of album for her 15th anniversary (LOVE & HOPE), in 2015 she released one digital single (Serendipity), also in 2016 she released digital single (SAWAGE LIFE), not mentioning that she did like three or four live shows in the meantime (Symphonic Live - also released on DVD/BR), and in 2017 she released a new album (Smile), a best of album (Conan Theme Songs) and one physical and one digital single.
So when this 5-years long break when she stopped releasing music was supposed to happen? She has never said she is on hiatus or anything.

I wonder if she will be releasing anything in 2018.

Do you guys like Smile? I'm not sure if I should download it...

She was not on a hiatus but her releases were veeery slow. I was referring to her never releasing an album after OVER THE RAINBOW. That took about 5 years. I never counted her releasing singles and stupid compilation albums. Trust me, it was very frustrating to wait for her to release stuff in that time frame as her fan. It was almost as if she was on a hiatus or wanted to at least be on one. Also, no need for that condescending tone.

I am just saying that singer can be considered active even if she is not releasing regular albums.
And called a compilation album "stupid" is very offensive thing to do, imho.

Well, it is stupid to me. I didn't say you should consider it, too. I was writing from my own perspective about why I said that she practically stopped releasing music. Btw. releasing a compilation album after only a few singles in the span of 5 years is such a sign of, bye bye, I'm retiring. The album Smile came as such a surprise to everyone. There's a reason for that.

You can say that she was still being active but the fact is that nothing she released sparked much interest at least internationally, hence why there were no people whom you could even discuss her music with.