Loveppears

LOVEppears Album by Hamasaki Ayumi Released 27 September 2000 Genre Pop Length 1:49:15 (over 2 discs) Label avex trax Producer(s) {{{Producer}}} Album Artwork Gallery Hamasaki Ayumi Chronology A Song for XX (1999) LOVEppears (1999) Duty (2000) LOVEppears is Ayumi Hamasaki's second full-length album, released in November 1999. The title is a word coined by Hamasaki, a combination of "Love" and "Appears." The album was released the same day as the single for "appears," one of its title tracks. The covers of "appears" and "LOVEppears" show "black ayu" and "white ayu" respectively. Sound-wise, the album is a clear change from the unassuming rock-pop singer-songwriter style of "A Song for XX." Production has come to the forefront on this album, and the result is a collection of very slick, driving dance-pop songs. This album has a high concentration of single songs. No less than 12 of the 17 songs had been previously released on singles, and two more were released as singles after the album came out. As a result, many songs have been reversioned in some way. "kanariya" is a hidden track on the album, after "Who..." Disc 2 of the album includes two 10-minute megamixes, one new remix, and two previously released remixes from the "ayu-mi-x" remix album. It also came with a CD Extra section: when disc 2 was placed in the purchaser's computer, a multimedia presentation of Hamasaki's discography, commercials, and magazine appearances was available, plus various pieces of multimedia such as sound clips and videos. The overseas release of the album includes a fold-out poster, notorious for its typo, calling the singer "ayumi hamamsaki." Track Listing DISC 1 # Track Name Length Credits 1. Introduction 01:09 Music/Arrangement: HΛL 2. Fly high 04:07 Music: D.A.I/Arrangement: HΛL 3. Trauma 04:17 Music: D.A.I/Arrangement: Naoto Suzuki, D.A.I 4. And then 04:14 Music: Yasuhiko Hoshino/Arrangement: 5. immature "Album Version" 04:44 Music: Kazuhito Kikuchi/Arrangement: HΛL 6. Boys & Girls 03:54 Music: D.A.I/Arrangement: Naoto Suzuki, D.A.I 7. TO BE (Album Mix) 05:18 Music: D.A.I/Arrangement: Naoto Suzuki, D.A.I 8. End roll 04:49 Music: D.A.I/Arrangement: Naoto Suzuki, D.A.I 9. P.S II 04:48 Music: Hideaki Kuwabara/Arrangement: HΛL 10. WHATEVER "Dub's 1999 Club Remix" 07:20 Music: Kazuhito Kikuchi/Arrangement: Izumi "D.M.X" Miyazaki 11. too late (Album Mix) 04:25 Music: D.A.I/Arrangement: Naoto Suzuki, D.A.I 12. appears "Album Version" 05:38 Music: Kazuhito Kikuchi/Arrangement: HΛL 13. monochrome (Album Mix) 04:22 Music: D.A.I/Arrangement: Naoto Suzuki, D.A.I 14. Interlude 00:56 Music/Arrangement: Naoto Suzuki 15. LOVE ~refrain~ 05:21 Music: TSUNKU/Arrangement: Naoto Suzuki 16. Who... + kanariya 09:58 Music: Kazuhito Kikuchi/Arrangement: Naoto Suzuki

DISC 2 + CD Extra # Track Name Length Credits 1. ayu's EURO MEGA-MIX (Y&Co. Mix) 09:48 Remixed by Akira "BOSS" Yokota, Tetsuya "REMOCON" Tamura 2. ayu's HOUSE MEGA-MIX (N.S House Mix) 09:58 Remixed by Shoji Ueda 3. A Song for XX "MILLENNIUM MIX" from 1st album 04:45 Mixed by Dave Way 4. POWDER SNOW "Acoustic Orchestra Version" from ayu-mi-kkusu 05:03 Arrangement: Akimitsu Honma/Mixed by Atsushi Hattori 5. FRIEND II "MAKE MY MAD MIX" from ayu-mi-x 04:26 Remixed by HΛL + CD Extra

Interview from beatfreak magazine First off, can you tell us the origin of the title of your second album, "LOVEppears"?"LOVEppears" is the words LOVE (love) and appears ("seems to be") mixed. People say that it's a coined term made up by Ayu, but what kind of meaning does it have? Ayu: The title "LOVEppears" has two meanings to it, "thing that seems like love" and "discrepancy between what we see and what's really there." When I was thinking about the jacket design, I was concerned about the title I'd use, and my staff were there with a suggestion. They said, "You should use English word A and English word B, and put them together to make a whole new word." How did you decide to connect "LOVE" and "appears" together in the first place? Ayu: Before starting my trip to New York for the Jacket photo shoot, when I looked out the window from inside the car, there was a couple that looked SO happy, but I personally was thinking, maybe they're in the middle of a serious crisis. Or maybe they're actually talking about separating. So I thought of the meaning "Seems to be" for the word "appears" and stuck it on there. We give ourselves certain outward appearances and images, trying to make it look like things are good or bad, whatever we want to show people, but really things aren't as we're showing. So yeah, that discrepancy between what's percieved & what's real that you mentioned. But with the sort of air you put forth, an objective third party could tell that the way you write here isn't like your style on your first album. Like for me, I think that style is more clear when put next to "TO BE" or "Boys & Girls." But what do you think? Ayu: Mm-hmm, I think there was a change there. Do you think it's a spontaneous occurrance, or do you think it's the result of yourself changing? Ayu: I changed after absorbing various things & growing, but I was thinking for days about things like, what is it that I absorbed after my first album? Thanks to my writing I think I became aware that after I understood something, I would have to change as a result, wouldn't I? Sound-wise, on the maxi single "Boys & Girls" for example, there are alot of remixes with Hard House and reggae tastes that have been included. Ayu: For the second album the producers were thinking those sorts of sounds could be put in. Both parties have to decide on a remix's core arrangement, so when people who like me & people who have helped me since my debut introduced me to the sound, I thought about it. Tell us about how you prepared for the album. Ayu: Sure! Well, while working on "A Song for XX," for example, during the sad times that I couldn't shake, I'd always be saying "I'm very sad, I can't shake this." Quietly crying, quietly wounded, quietly mourning. But with "LOVEppears," during sad times, I express it with furious sounds, shouting out, screaming. I can see that there are some things I couldn't change, but I had alot of that sort of tension this year. So that's how that was. This album is like that, but next time, what will I be like? I can't know that. Maybe with the next album, I'll go back to sounding like I did on the first. Who knows? Or maybe I'll have a totally different way of doing things. By the way, before doing this interview, when we talked to your producer Max Matsuura, he said: "Ayu is a very meticulous worker behind the scenes. Alot of the work she does by herself is more in the Producer's arena. I think really we should say 'Produced by Ayumi Hamasaki'." But what do you think of that statement? I've heard it said several times, "Let's say 'Produced by ayumi hamasaki'," but Ayu's producer is Max Matsuura, and it's meaningless to try to say otherwise. Sure, practically speaking, I do producer-like duties, as do a few others. But why do I do it? Why do I stretch myself to that extent? I ask myself that, but I think max matsuura is the one doing most of it after all. So, for the sake of holding onto myself, if anyone else wanted to be Hamasaki Ayumi's producer, I wouldn't be interested. Saying those words, your producer Max Matsuura is giving you more credit than you think you deserve, it seems. Anyway, right after the album release, what kind of schedule is the year 2000 going to have for you? Ayu: Once the album is out there, once the feeling starts to come to me, I plan on releasing who-knows-how-many new singles. Then after that.... ummm... Definitely gonna do something. I think. Hahaha! That "something" is very meaningful, isn't it? Ayu: Yup. But it is a secret. Internal Links Hamasaki Ayumi

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