Deep Dive: Ayumi Hamasaki Part Four (A BEST)

    I know I didn't review Utada Hikaru's Single Collection Vol. 1, but that's because the tracks on it remained largely untouched. Hamasaki Ayumi, however, zhuzhed up her first best-of collection, A BEST. I also wanted to cover A BEST simply because of its impact on the industry since its release. I really don't think you could find a more timeless compilation that shows off Hamasaki's growth. We'll probably just talk about what's new here though. Let's do the best deep dive!

    A BEST is interesting on a multitude of levels. It was released as part of an intense fabricated rivalry against our genius homegirl, Utada Hikaru, and her second studio album, Distance. It blows my mind to this day that Utada was just releasing her second album while this release was Hamasaki's 4th album overall. And it's not even a studio album. It's a best album. Hamasaki put out 3 studio albums in the time it took Utada to release 2 and they debuted in the same year, 1998. This isn't a diss to either artist. It's just that both of them approached their careers very differently and then their worlds collided in this one instance, and the rest is history. 

    Did you know that due to this that Distance and A BEST held the records for highest first week sales until the release of Adele's 25 for 14 years? Think about how crazy this must have been in the media and amongst fans with these juggernauts going up against each other. A BEST debuted behind Distance selling almost 2.9 millions copies in its opening week. It's crazy to think that selling that much would still put you at number two. The albums would later go on to switch positions the following week, but that's still nuts to think about. 

    Something else of note is that Hamasaki was dissatisfied with A BEST's release. She thought it was too early to put out as she only had 3 albums out, and she wanted her first best-of release to be on her own terms. She rerecorded some of the tracks so they would feel more up to par even though they were already great. In a rare event for Japanese music even by today's standards, Hamasaki spoke out against her label, avex trax, during this time saying that she didn't want to be treated like a product. And she was very brave for doing so because Suzuki Ami had been blacklisted by her label earlier for doing something similar. The difference between these two artists? Hamasaki had wayyy more influence and popularity. She single handedly made avex's stocks drop when there was a dispute inside the label and she threatened to leave. I also think avex was more ahead of its time, and let their artists be artists more. It probably also helped that Hamasaki was in a relationship with avex head, Max Matsuura, during this time. 

    The times surrounding this release influenced everything about it. The cover art, which famously portrays Hamasaki shedding a tear, was in response to these times. It's one of the most iconic album arts in all of Japanese music. Probably the most recognizable photos of Hamasaki too. The album itself, is one of the most important pieces of Japanese pop. This album was the 2nd most downloaded album of the year in 2015 in Japan, 14 years after it was first released. It's been reissued for its 15th anniversary. This best-of holds a special place in my heart. I'm hoping Hamasaki decides to re-release all of her records on vinyl someday soon. I'll seriously be the first to buy.

    As for the songs themselves? Well, we've already discussed how much we love them for the most part. This collection of singles and deep cuts truly showcases Hamasaki's unique artistry and how she plays to her strengths. And also just how much of a pop megastar she is. You'd be hard pressed to find songs with similar charisma and righteousness. 

    "A Song for xx" gets a new mix and vocal here. Hamasaki seems more seasoned like she's a veteran celebrity. It's a joy to see the growth. It's also a great song to start off the compilation with because I feel like from its corresponding album, Hamasaki's debut, it's the first glimpse of the superstar we could come to know on this compilation.

    Like "A Song for xx," "Trust" has also been freshly recorded with new vocals and a new mix. It sounds more professional than the original and like Hamasaki is more comfortable.

    It's interesting she chose to redo songs from her first album, A Song for xx, because that album eventually became the least Hamasaki-like. And they feel much more at home here with their new vocals and mixes. Though the originals can't be dismissed as that's where it all began. "Depend On You" also sounds great here, and in its shiny form feels more like the rest of the album that follows.

    These aren't the only new surprises here though. We get "LOVE ~Destiny~" on a full album for the first time. "Boys & Girls" gets a new mix that's slightly different yet feels more timeless. "End Roll" has also gotten the A BEST spa day. The song is still highly enjoyable. 

    We have "M" featured here, but it also features on her fourth studio album, I am.... I think I'm going to talk about how crazy I am about that song there. It being featured here first, probably helped A BEST reach even higher highs though. We also have "Who..." here without "Kanariya" attached to it. It's still an excellent ender, and it being here shows Hamasaki's love for the song.

    The 15th anniversary edition has been remastered to perfection, and it also features acapella versions of the first 3 tracks to give us a little something new. This marks the third time A BEST has been re-released. The first was when its spiritual follow ups, A BEST 2 -Black- and A BEST 2-White- were released back in 2007. (OMG. Was 2007 really that long ago??) It also had a Playbutton re-release. (I totally forgot about these things) A BEST will probably continue to be re-released during various anniversaries, and I will continue to listen each time with love in my eyes. (Maybe I should get the Playbutton??)

    Even with all of its controversies, A BEST continues to be a landmark that younger generations of pop stars have hoped to match. It's had many contenders but none have really lived up to the challenge. I hope everyone enjoyed this little walk down memory lane. It reminded me of a time when pop had us sitting on the edge of our seats in anticipation and took risks. Let's hope the fun comes back again some day.

Rank: S Rank. It's the BEST!

Recommendation: When you just want the hits, you'll want this.

Standouts:

    It's a best album, so it's all the best!