Love Again (Hamasaki Ayumi)

CD+DVD Cover	CD+Blu-ray Cover
CD-only Cover	PLAYBUTTON Cover
ayupan Figure	PLAYBUTTON Design

Artist

Hamasaki Ayumi

Album

LOVE again

Released

2013.02.08 (Japan)

2013.02.20 (Hong Kong & Taiwan)

2013.02.27 (South Korea)

Catalog Number

AVCD-38706/B (CD+Blu-ray+ayupan+PHOTO BOOK)

AVCD-38705/B (CD+DVD+ayupan+PHOTO BOOK)

AVCD-38708/B (CD+Blu-ray)

AVCD-38707/B (CD+DVD)

AVCD-38709 (CD Only)

AQZ1-50856 (PLAYBUTTON)

Price

¥5,460 (CD+Blu-ray+ayupan+PHOTO BOOK)

¥5,040 (CD+DVD+ayupan+PHOTO BOOK)

¥4,410 (CD+Blu-ray)

¥3,990 (CD+DVD)

¥3,150 (CD-only)

¥2,100 (PLAYBUTTON)

CD Tracklist

1. Wake me up
2. Song 4 u
3. Missing
4. SAKURA
5. Melody
6. task'n'bass
7. Bye-bye darling
8. snowy kiss
9. Sweet scar
10. petal
11. glasses
12. untitled for her... story 2
13. Gloria
14. Ivy
15. You & Me

DVD Tracklist

1. Song 4 u (video clip)
2. Missing (video clip)
3. Wake me up (video clip)
4. You & Me (video clip)
5. snowy kiss (video clip)
6. Sweet scar (video clip)
7. Melody (video clip)
8. Song 4 u (making clip)
9. Missing (making clip)
10. You & Me (making clip)
11. Wake me up / snowy kiss (making clip)
12. Wake me up / snowy kiss (making clip)
13. Sweet scar (making clip)
14. Melody (making clip)

Information

LOVE again is the fourteenth full-length studio album released by Hamasaki Ayumi. It is the fourth release of the special 5 consecutive months releases event to commemorate her 15th anniversary. It was released in six versions : two limited CD+DVD/Blu-ray+ayupan+PHOTO BOOK editions coming with a special ayupan figure and a 24-page photobook, two CD+DVD/Blu-ray editions, a CD Only edition and a limited PLAYBUTTON edition which was only sold through the TeamAyu shop and mu-mo.

The album includes all of the original songs included on her previous mini-albums LOVE and again, hence the title LOVE again, "You & Me" and 7 new songs. The DVD/Blu-ray also includes all the previously released PVs, as well as a video for "Melody" and exclusive making clips.

This is her 20th album to top the Oricon charts, achieving this mark after 14 years and 10 months since her debut, surpassing B’z who achieved this feat over 17 years and 10 months. LOVE again also made Ayumi the 3rd artist with over 20 number 1 albums in Japan, following B'z (20) and Yumi Matsutoya (21).

Hamasaki herself stated: “I used all my strength for this album. I wanted many people to listen to it, so I’m very happy that many people have supported it. Thank you very much,” she expressed. “Being able to set this record, this is all thanks to the fans who have supported me. Since this year marks my 15th year, I want to make this a year that I will be able to create wonderful memories with everyone.”

"Ivy" was choseen as theme song for the Fuji Tv drama "Kujo".

The album is certified Gold for shipment of 100,000 copies.

Credits

Click "Expand" for more details:

Hamasaki Ayumi promoting the album

• Produced by max matsuura

• A&R + Director: Hidetomo 'KOME' Yoneda (avex trax)
• A&R Coordination: Jiro Nakagiri (avex trax)

• Mastered by Shigeo Miyamoto (form THE MASTER)

• Recordist: Naoki Yamada, Yuichi Nagayama, Satoshi Kumasaka, Hiroshi Sato (prime sound studio form)
• 2nd Engineer: Yuji Tanaka, Seiji Itabashi, Yujiro Yonetsu (prime sound studio form), Junichi Shinohara, Kobei Nakatake (avex studio), Ghazi Hourani (Record Plant Recording Studios, L.A)
• Recorded & Mixed at prime sound studio form, Record Plant Recording Studios, L.A,avex studio azabu, Bunkamura Studio, Victor Studio

• Recording Direction Support: Yasuhiko Hoshino (avex entertainment inc.)
• Composer Management: Tomonori Takeda (Ryuken), Tadayoshi Matsuzaka, Yuki Iwabuchi (avex management inc.), Hide Nakamura (Soundgraphics), Satoh Kohji (SCOOP MUSIC)
• Players & Studio Coordination: Yoji Sugiyama (Witchcraft)
• Studio Setup Assist: Noriko Yajima (prime sound studio form)
• Studio Coordination in L.A: Mai Takamizawa (Plenty)

• Artist Management Chief: Kouji 'Ouji' Hashimoto (avex management inc.)
• Artist Management: Takahiro 'SUGI' Sugiue (avex management inc.), Masamichi Imafuku, Seiko Suzuki (A COLLECTION)
• Artist Brand Management: Hideki 'Jackie' Endo (avex management inc.)

• Visual Producer: Kiyoshi 'Mizumo' Utsumi (avex group)
• Media Promotion Chief: Hideki Hori (avex entertainment inc.)
• Media Promotion: Hidemasa Inamura, Kentaro Wada, Yosuke Kawai, Shigenobu Hoshino & All Promotion Division Media Room and Publicity Room Staff (avex entertainment inc.)
• Sales Promotion Chief: Norio Udaka (avex entertainment inc.)
• Sales Promotion: Daisuke Takase, Takashi Saigo (avex entertainment inc.) & All AMI Staff (avex marketing inc.)
• Tie-up Coordination: Kenichiro Kimura, Masatomo Takagi, Shohei Taniishi, Kensuke Fujihara, Reina Tsukada, Eiichi Sekine & All Tie-up Room Staff, Minoru Fukui (avex entertainment inc.)
• Casting Coordination: All Casting Room Staff (avex management inc.)
• Merchandising Director: Naomi Mayuzumi (avex management inc.)
• Advisory Merchandising Producer: Koichiro Tanaka (avex marketing inc.)
• Team Ayu Producer: Shinsuke Kubo (avex marketing inc.)
• Team Ayu Operation: Yosuke Hojo (avex marketing inc.)
• Web Designer: Yukiko Ito, Shunichi Yakuwa (avex marketing inc.)
• A&R Desk: Hanako Kimura (avex trax)
• Management Desk: Tamae Sasaki (avex management inc.)

• A&R Supervisor: Akira Yoshihara, Masatoshi Uchida (avex entertainment inc.)
• A&R Executive Supervisor: Yoshihiro Seki (avex entertainment inc.)

• General Producers: Shinji Hayashi, Shigekazu Takeuchi, Ryuhei Chiba (avex group)

<Video Clip>

• Song 4 u Directed by Masahi Muto
• Missing Directed by Masahi Muto
• Wake me up Directed by Masahi Muto
• You & Me Directed by Masahi Muto
• snowy kiss Directed by Masahi Muto
• Sweet scar Directed by Wataru Takeishi
• Melody Directed by Masahi Muto
• Making Clip Directed by Keisuke Onodera

• Photographer: Kazutaka Nakamura
• Art Direction & Design: Takuma Noriage (brg)

• A Stylist: Kei 'Okei' Ito (ab fab)
• A Costume Designer: Masataka Kato
• A Hair: Yoshiyuki 'Sukesan' Sukegawa (Allure)
• A Make Up: Jin 'Gori' Kiyota (ROND.)
• A Nail: Aiko Sakota (es NAIL)
• A Assistant Nail: Yui Yamazaki (es NAIL)
• A Trainer: So 'kurisuteru' Nagashima (tune:up)

• Eyelash Extension: Satoshi Hasegawa (Honey LASH)

• Creative Coordination: Naoki Ueda (avex entertainment inc.)
• Quality Control: Masashi Shinabe, Masaya Ishida, Toshiyuki Suzuki, Miyuki Sei (avex marketing inc.)
• Bl-ray Authoring & Menu Design: Akihito Horikoshi (avex entertainment inc.)

• A Special Thanks to All my family, All my friends ...and YOU♥

Oricon Chart Positions

Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun	Week Rank	Sales
-	-	-	1	1	1	2	1	53,065
1	5	4	3	2	3	6	2	15,564
1	19	14	12	11	14	19	15	6,469
9	38	34	29	25	29	28	40	3,993
14	-	-	45	28	48	-	61	2,308
25	-	-	-	-	-	-	73	1,537
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	104	1,028
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	144	900
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	114	736
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	98	815
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	128	594
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	171	595
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	181	566
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	228	368
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	273	287

Year	Month	Month Rank	Sales
2013	February	3	79,091

Total Reported Sales: 88,825 (#70 Album of 2013)

Total Downloads Reported by RIAJ: 100,000 (You & Me)

Billboard Japan Chart Positions

	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5	Week 6
Position	2	2	14	27	57	71

G-Music Japanese Chart Positions

	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5	Week 6	Week 7	Week 8	Week 9	Week 10	Week 11	Week 12	Week 13	Week 14
Position	2	3	10	14	16	-	15	-	14	-	-	-	-	15
Percentage	12.46%	4.94%	1.32%	0.55%	1.21%	-	0.68%	-	0.93%	-	-	-	-	1.12%

Gaon Foreign Albums Monthly Chart Positions

Year	Month	Rank	Sales
2013	February	30	306

Total Reported Sales: 306*

World Chart Positions

	Week 1
Position	15

External Links

• Oricon Profiles: CD-only | CD+DVD | CD+Blu-ray | CD+DVD+ayupan+PHOTO BOOK | CD+Blu-ray+ayupan+PHOTO BOOK