4 HOT WAVE: mini album or single?
 

Objection! I was just thinking the other day and I don't think it's fair that 4 Hot Wave was classified as a single. Is it even a single? It's so much like a mini album. In fact, I believe it's indeed a mini album.

Because if it wasn't one, then Mika Nakashima's Oborodzukiyo Inori should also have been a single. And Resistance. Memorial Address has around the same amount of tracks with 4 Hot Wave too if you count the interludes.

4 A-sides on one CD? Isn't there some sort of format for CD single? I know western one's has a 20 minute limit if there's accompanying tracks or 40 (60?) if there's remixes chucked in. Isn't there a standard for Japanese singles?

Because if there aren't, Ayu might as well call her next mini album a maxi single.

I haven't listened to the introduction and interludes in 4 hot wave. Do they share melodic themes with the four songs, or are they tracks that can stand apart?

If they sound quite similar to the four songs, then I'm inclined to say that 4 hot wave is a maxi-single. If they sound very differently, then I personally think that 4 hot wave was a mini-album marketed as a maxi-single.

I don't think overall length is that important. If someone put out Sonic Youth's Diamond Sea as a single (with a B-side, theoretically), then it certainly goes beyond the time limit of Western singles (as you say). And still it's only one complete song.

"A" was a single. It had 4 A-sides too, so I don't see why 4 hot wave should be considered a mini album instead....

A was the size of an album, wasn't it? Like 10/12 tracks?

A had 4 A-sides? Ouch. I missed that. x__x

But are there any standards for singles?

^ I don't know... But like everyone said.. Ayu's A was like 14 tracks...
So if she can get away with 14 tracks I don't see how Kuu can't get away with 4 A-sides and 3 interludes...

Suzuki Ami's Little Crystal was a 4 A-side single... But Avex was cruel to her and didn't promote them...

Another Kuu thread... Wow

I think it should of stayed a single. 4 song mini album? That's a bit stupid lol

4 + 3 (4?) if Interludes are counted.

A whole bunch were remixes anyway.
Avex made it sound like Koda was the first artist ever to use the 4-A concept. :no I never knew other artistes done it.

I never knew either...
I was just doing some reading on Suzuki Ami and I found that Little Crystal was a 4-A single too...
Ayu's done 4-A singles too anyways...

I don't think we should care too much about this anyways...

I think A was the only Ayu 4-A side single. & was three A-sides and a B-side (theme of A-nation).

haha..the title make me laugh
i think it was pretty sure that it was a maxi single not a mini album

Does it matter actually? :laugh It still had music on it, and people still snapped it up.

a mini album would have been more expensive...

I say it's a single, because Avex said it was single.

It charted as a single on ORICON...

...but who says that ORICON has to set the rules for what a single/mini album is?

According to the norms, yeah, but in the end it's up to everyone to judge for themselves.

It's freakin' long.

I dunno. I consider it an EP (which.... I guess would be a mini-album, but.... ummm... hey, look! A chair!) - the intro, outro, and interlude definitely don't feel like something you'd put on a single single.

Isn't EP a completely other medium?

An EP is a mini-album.

Imo, it's a single. Another example: Mr. Children's "4 dimensions".

the way i see 4 hot wave as a minialbum...

1. intro/interlude/outro
2. no instrumental (although this can be debatable, just look at hikki's single)