Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai - New album 'Party Queen' out 03/21 information thread [VII]

Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai (http://www.ahsforum.com/forum/index.php)

- Ayu Music News (http://www.ahsforum.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=2)

- - New album 'Party Queen' out 03/21 information thread [VII] (http://www.ahsforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=112899)

New album 'Party Queen' out 03/21 information thread [VII]

Reminder: Please try to be civil in this thread.

I am posting all relevant information in here! Hopefully it helps. If anything needs to be fixed or added, please post it here and I will add it ASAP!

**Originally the title of the album was reported as "Party queen" by Kome, but Ayu corrected Kome and said it was "Party Queen". It looks like he sent out the notice before Ayu made the correction.

Quote:

フジテレビ系木曜よる10時ドラマ「最後から二番目の恋」主題歌として話題の「how beautiful you are」をはじめ、未発表書き下ろし新曲のみ全14曲を収録した超豪華フル・アルバム！全曲ロンドン・レコーディングを敢行し、世界の音楽シーンの最前線で活躍するトップ・エンジニアやミュージシャンを多数起用した、まさに世界標準のサウンドが詰め込まれた意欲作。
【CD+2DVD】【CD+DVD】【CD】の全3形態でのリリースで、【DVD-1】にはロンドンで撮り下ろされた3曲を含むミュージック・クリップ4曲とそれらのメイキング・クリップの未発表8トラックを豪華収録！さらに【DVD-2】には、2011年大晦日に開催されたばかりの最新ライヴ「ayumi hamasaki COUNTDOWN LIVE 2011-2012 ～HOTEL Love songs～」を完全収録！！

Translation by Misa-chan:
Starting with the unveiling of Fuji TV’s Thursday 10pm drama 「Saigo Kara Nibanme no Koi」’s theme song 「how beautiful you are」, a super grand full album of 14 brand new songs will be released! All songs were recorded in London, featuring top engineers and musicians at the helm of today’s musical scene, creating an ambitious album of world-class quality. 3 versions will be released:【CD+2DVD】【CD+DVD】【CD】【DVD-1】 will include the PVs for 4 songs, 3 of which were filmed in London, plus making-of clips to make up a total of 8 tracks!【DVD-2】 will be the complete live recording of countdown live concert held on New Year’s Eve in 2011, 「ayumi hamasaki COUNTDOWN LIVE 2011-2012 ～HOTEL Love songs～」!!

Covers

Spoiler:

Tracklist

Spoiler:

Versions

Spoiler:

CD+2DVD - first press includes a regular CD case + special DVD packaging in a plastic sleeve for the COUNTDOWN LIVE 2011-2012 A ~HOTEL Love songs~ DVDs, regular press has all discs in regular cases

Spoiler:

CD+DVD - regular CD+DVD

Spoiler:

CD only - regular CD only

Spoiler:

PLAYBUTTON - special button that also functions as an mp3 player... more information at http://www.playbutton.co

SPECIAL LIMITED BOX SET CD+2DVD+Blu-ray - special set that has the CD+2DVD, POWER of MUSIC Blu-ray, and a pair of half pint glasses and cork coasters

SPECIAL LIMITED BOX SET CD+4DVD - special set that has the CD+2DVD, POWER of MUSIC 2 DVD set, and a pair of half pint glasses and cork coasters

Mockup of the limited box from the website

Spoiler:

*Exclusive goods for box set are half pint glasses and cork coasters. Two of each.

Bonus goods

Spoiler:

Misc. information

Spoiler:

Notable links
2012.03.21 NEW ALBUM CONFIRMED
Albums on PLAYBUTTON
～POWER of MUSIC～ 2011 A LIMITED EDITION on DVD/Blu-ray (21. March 2012)
"how beautiful you are" Jacket Released
Party Queen lyric snippets + interlude confirmation
how beautiful you are PV on 03/09 on SSTV
how beautiful you are PV/making caps from Mezamashi TV
New album 'Party Queen' out 03/21 information thread [II]
New album 'Party Queen' out 03/21 information thread [III]
New album 'Party Queen' out 03/21 information thread [IV]
New album 'Party Queen' out 03/21 information thread [V]
New album 'Party Queen' out 03/21 information thread [VI]
New album 'Party Queen' out 03/21 information thread [VII]

Well, I just hope for more PVs, miss her work so much ♥
ps: she could direct one of them like she did in BALLAD... it would be pretty nice imo

CD+2DVD cover... anyone understand what's that down ayu's face? between the 2 table legs...? I really don't get it

Is it a table? Or like a furnished modern fireplace (without fire of course) and with a mirror??

^
^
Maybe the shadow of her face?

^
wtf, just noticed that now xD

I wasnt sure wth it was either lol

It sure is gaudy though.

oh...and the thing under her face looks like part of the wall?

Can we PLEASE get some new photoshoppers Avex? Dear god.

in hindsight they should have used Ayu in the Peach John cms,lol
not like Angelica is that popular and it goes with covers ~

I hope they air some of her pvs on MTV or Spaceshower (?) before the release

The one thing that creeps me out is the man or doll or whatever in the CD+DVD ver. :laugh

It just looks like a shadow to me :shrug

If you look at the left side of the mirror you can see more shoes in the background lol

When do her albums usually leak? The Friday/Saturday before the week of release, right? So maybe the 16th-18th. Hm...

they're fierce, very fitting for ayu. lol

omg! these are the shoes xD

As a friend of mine said, "we'll know we've finally made it in life when we can wear Louboutins to work".

^ Apparently, she's in love with Louboutin's shoes lol!

EDIT: I thought... do you imagine an ass kicked by those nailed pumps ? oO
It would REALLY hurt :laugh

I like the leopard print ones more. This whole Duty ~episode II~ thing has me even more excited than I normally would be for an album.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heavenly (Post 2826341)

^ Apparently, she's in love with Louboutin's shoes lol!

EDIT: I thought... do you imagine an ass kicked by those nailed pumps ? oO
It would REALLY hurt :laugh

if some guy is passed over the line lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by miki_beland (Post 2826298)

CD+2DVD cover... anyone understand what's that down ayu's face? between the 2 table legs...? I really don't get it

It's the shadow from the flash.

Maybe it's BECAUSE of all the controversy they're getting, but I can't get over how much I LOVE the concept and covers. I mean wow. :)

I am very enthusiastic about those shoes! Even when she's wearing almost nothing, Ayu has good fashion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ayuuk (Post 2826303)

Is it a table? Or like a furnished modern fireplace (without fire of course) and with a mirror??

It does look like that except theirs a mirror instead of a hole

I read on another site somewhere they thought there was a man tied up, as you can see in the mirror on the CD+2DVD cover.

does anyone else see this?!!
woah.
:thud

Quote:

Originally Posted by douggn (Post 2826383)

It does look like that except theirs a mirror instead of a hole

omg I love the covers with the coloring in your sig~~

and that is SOME flash to create that shadow. It turned white to color lol

So we think the only interludes are taskebab and serenade in A minor, yes? That would be too good to be true. Lol but hopefully...

If we compare the old tracklisting with the new one, there are likely to be three interludes.

・how beautiful you are
・Return Road
・Shake It♥
・NaNaNa
・Party queen
・Letter
・call
・reminds me
・the next LOVE
・Eyes, Smoke, Magic
・Tell me why
・taskebab
・a cup of tea
・Serenade in A minor

01.Party queen ※PEACH JOHN　ワークブラCMソング
02.NaNaNa
03.Shake It♥
04.taskebab
05.call
06.Letter
07.reminds me
08.Return Road
09.Tell me why
10.a cup of tea
11.the next LOVE
12.Eyes, Smoke, Magic
13.Serenade in A minor
14.how beautiful you are ※フジテレビ系木曜よる10時ドラマ「最後から二番目の恋」主題歌

It looks like they really did lump them all at the bottom of the first tracklist they showed us.

And since she said she recorded 12 new songs...IF there are 3 interludes, one of them must have some sort of vocals, or there is a hidden track...

I'm hoping for a hidden track...maybe an extension of hbya like they did with independent+

It makes sense, but you think they would be that obvious?

I kinda think there's a chance that "Eyes, Smoke, Magic" is an interlude that separates the midtempo/rock section from the final two ballads.

^^I hate waiting and not knowing. LOL

And CDJ is getting lazy. amazon and YA put up the covers a while back and cdj still hasn't. le sigh

wonder when her official site will be updated...

Yay! One more day down.. can't wait for this, but at least we get driving hits 4 to tied us over for a week! which by then i hope it leaks...
CANT WAIT!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coelacanth (Post 2826393)

It is a bit obvious, but that's all we have to go on really. Plus they lumped all of those full tracks with PVs and so on at the very top of that list so... maybe they wanted to be obvious? I think that Eyes, Smoke, Magic has more of a chance to be a song than Serenade in A minor does, to be honest.

It's assumed that the "12th" song she recorded while in London was Happening Here which was only announced at some point after she came back from London. As much as I want her to have been talking about the album tracks only when she said '12 new tracks' it makes sense imo.

I would love for there to only be two interludes though. However, the last time she only had two interludes was (miss)understood when she had eight single tracks on an album.

In the bigger pic I can see some Louboutins on the floor.

Lord, I hope happening was not recorded... that would just be said news for me

Quote:

Originally Posted by truehappiness (Post 2826400)

It's assumed that the "12th" song she recorded while in London was Happening Here which was only announced at some point after she came back from London. As much as I want her to have been talking about the album tracks only when she said '12 new tracks' it makes sense imo.

at first i thought this made sense but then..Happening Here was supposed to for LAST YEARS HOTEL Love songs already but she didnt release it. Of course, there's a possibility she might be re-recorded it. but to me, to go all the way to London just to re-record a cover and one that was made a year ago just feels...weird

Quote:

Originally Posted by setsuka (Post 2826314)

That would have been really cool, actually. I don't think I would have been so horrified at the CD+2DVD cover if Ayu was in the CMs just chillin' in her PJ bra...lol

I wonder how many lives she will do this time around? I really hope for at least 3! I am sure HBYA would be performed most, but at least one of the more upbeat songs should get an airing, too...

It's possible that they added the Timmy vocals while in London. (Though he joined her team in April/May of 2011 which fits in that timeframe for AT11)

I guess we'll find out when we get the album! Two interludes seems like much more of a possibility now. I WANT PREVIEWS.

Quote:

Originally Posted by freedreamer (Post 2826408)

I thought they said Happening Here was the official theme song for the 2012 tour?

^^yes, but hotel love songs was originally planned for last year...when the earthquakes happened, ayu changed everything up.

^ but what im saying is that I dont think she planned happening in 2011, it wasn't until CDL that we knew she did anything for it and it wasn't till than that it was going to be the theme song to her 2012 tour..
I honestly dont think she was going to do it with the 2011 version of the tour.
So that might be one of the songs that was recorded in London for the first time, not rerecorded.

Actually, the announcement for Happening Here said that it was originally made for the original HOTEL Love songs tour that got scrapped.

Well, if that is true then it wouldn't be a new recording and we have nothing to fear!
(Hopefully anyways....)

lmao at the last thread getting closed.

I'm super excited to see what the inside pictures are.

Those shoes are awesome!

Quote:

My point is, if the artists didn't care about their sales in any way, shape, or form, there wouldn't even be a need for record labels to exist. But, that's why its called the music business and by virtue of the fact that it is indeed a business its ultimately about making money. From Ayu to Koda to the tiniest artist on the label they are part of that business and therefore are always going to be concerned at least somewhat about sales. Of course they all care about their fans too, but money/business is also a part of the equation and not a small one. For example, every artist these days have multiple versions of the same album/single and to be frank, that has nothing to do with the fans and all to do with making money.

Brilliant post. It's naive to believe ayu is only doing what she does just out of love. She has expenses and that's what she does for a living. I've thought some of her releases were to milk fans tbh, but well, i guess it's business... :shrug

Quote:

Originally Posted by relmy (Post 2826339)

As a friend of mine said, "we'll know we've finally made it in life when we can wear Louboutins to work".

Does using them in weekends count? :P

It seems yeasia is not having a lottery now, i was really looking forward to win an extra item when purchasing the album :(

Quote:

Originally Posted by RayJason (Post 2826317)

The one thing that creeps me out is the man or doll or whatever in the CD+DVD ver. :laugh

This? 'Cause I've been wondering wtf that is (excuse the awkward positioning of the circle too XD)

http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/1214/pqwtf.jpg

^^ i only see a pair of shoes honestly :P

^ que onda contigo, de verdad... tienes que seguir sacando a Koda solo para llamar la atencion? -________-U

^no es con mala intención . Y no ando sacando a kumi para nada !! . Solo que es gracioso .

Again? It wasn't that funny to begin with.
Although looking at it again, I just got a cinderella reference.

@tasking that looks like her other shoe from the CD and DVD version

As for the subject of PVs, I really don't see a problem with there only being a handful. *shrug* It's possible that with the brief time allowed to her she was only able to do a few PVs before she had to come back to Japan and finalise or do... whatever, and have all her personal life situations settled to boot. I also don't really care for her recent PVs so much.. I feel like the only ones that really grabbed me were from Love songs. To be perfectly hones, I haven't cared for her PVs much since NEXT LEVEL.

Ah, oh well.

It would be fine with these four PVs but we know she filmed two more PVs at least so... it's a bit odd that they're not on this release at the moment.

That reflection is a pile of shoes used for the shoot, it looks like.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tasking (Post 2826434)

This? 'Cause I've been wondering wtf that is (excuse the awkward positioning of the circle too XD)

http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/1214/pqwtf.jpg

What? It's two pairs of shoes :shrug

I'm so not seeing the shoes there, but I trust you guys so lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by tasking (Post 2826449)

I'm so not seeing the shoes there, but I trust you guys so lol

I'm not sure about the ones on the left, but the dark ones on the right are clearly the shoes from the CD+DVD cover (and if you look in the background of the CD+DVD cover, you can see one of the shoes she's wearing on the CD+2DVD cover lol)

^^what are u seeing then ??
i only see shoes

Quote:

Originally Posted by adantatu2 (Post 2826453)

^^what are u seeing then ??
i only see shoes

I think she sees some guy that's tied up?

The nude soles of the shoes look a bit like flesh though.

is anyone else not sure where ayu's arm is?
I don't know if the one in the lower bottom more away from the camera is the mirror or her actual hand, and In the mirror you see that her hand is grabbing something up, but I don't see that in her

It's because that is being blocked by the table leg or whatever it is.

^ It does look like it's behind the table leg, because it is definitely going up in the background!

its just a very awkward position.

Not that I look at the bigger covers, I really like them. Even the 2DVD one. Ok, she reused NY pics but maybe there's a good reason, they might look better to portrait PQ album. It was the only thing that bothered me to be honest lol.

I'm so curious about the booklet though, I really want to see how it will look. But I'd like some previews first :laugh

^ why do people say she reused the pictures?
When did she take these?

^
the CD+DVD was supposed to be the cover of her Lifestyle Book. And it was already revealed.

I know maybe it's a stupid reason :laugh but when it comes to album covers I always expecting something new. Anyway I don't care as long as I like the covers :D

when was the lifestyle book announced? maybe she changed her mind and some of the photoshoot books were from the new pictures (with all the pink wigs)

^
I can't remember exactly, December maybe? It was a couple of months ago though. And yes, might the other photoshoot wasn't good enough for PQ and portait its sad queen theme.

Seriously I don't really know why :laugh.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kazeyomi (Post 2826474)

I hate to be a grammar nazi, but you keep putting "portrait" for "portray" lol. Unless you're French, I think you'll pronounce the "t" xD

And yes, apparently these pictures were taken last September and some members have already seen the CD+DVD picture, which is a bit anticlimactic when expecting something new for the covers. The original picture is floating around somewhere, they just messed with the colors a bit and changed the colors of her nails :laugh

Two and a half weeks to go.

the cd version looks so much better in bigger scan.. might be considering to buy that version too on top of the cd+2dvd

Wait, wait. So the Party Queen covers were from NY? As in, not originally intended to be used as the Party Queen covers?

Quote:

Originally Posted by happiholic★ (Post 2826490)

Wait, wait. So the Party Queen covers were from NY? As in, not originally intended to be used as the Party Queen covers?

seems like it...especially because she said on twitter that the covers were shot in london. :shrug

Quote:

Originally Posted by ohsixthirty (Post 2826491)

seems like it...especially because she said on twitter that the covers were shot in london. :shrug

But, didn't Ayu say things like "she looks sad in this picture", meaning that she's not supposed to look happy? Or was that fans saying they saw "sadness in her eyes"? I mean, sure if Ayu wants to use these pictures as part of her tabloid idea, even if that wasn't their original intention, it still works for her "deeper meaning". But there wouldn't be any sadness, unless she felt really terrible that day or something. I dunno... I don't even care about the songs on the album anymore, besides the lyrics so that with them, coupled with the booklet I can see if this album's concept is truly deep or if Ayu is just trolling us. Either way, I'm really excited for this album!!!

She also said in a TeamAyu blog that she shot the album covers in London.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeamAyu2004 (Post 2826473)

when was the lifestyle book announced? maybe she changed her mind and some of the photoshoot books were from the new pictures (with all the pink wigs)

Ayu first announced it in September and preorders started December 2, I think. Original publication date was December 31, 2011, but then it went on a mini-hiatus til it was announced March 21, then pushed back to March 31...

Originally CDJ listed it as "preorder only" but that was removed sometime between then and now :P

ViVi still says that the book is set to come out on the same day as the album.

They originally had the news that it was going to be out on the same day as whenever the new album came out but it's a bit strange that they're taking so long with announcing it and the Party Queen photobook.

need to see even bigger picture so know what that is.

Quote:

Originally Posted by microphone (Post 2826479)

Two and a half weeks to go.

yeah, it's closer and closer! hope to see her tv-lives :love

Quote:

Originally Posted by ilovekodaa (Post 2826438)

It's so funny
LOL
http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m0...5tj7o1_500.jpg

www.ilovekoda.tumblr.com

Oh. My. God.
:laugh :laugh :laugh x infinity

Quote:

Originally Posted by tasking (Post 2826434)

This? 'Cause I've been wondering wtf that is (excuse the awkward positioning of the circle too XD)

http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/1214/pqwtf.jpg

So it's a pair of shoes eh.. :eyebrow lol I totally didn't see that!

CD Only n CD+DVD versions now have First Press Bonus too, CD Japan doesn't state what kind of bonus though. Whatever it is I want it. lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by YUKARI (Post 2826530)

yeah, it's closer and closer! hope to see her tv-lives :love

Lives? More like tv-live and that's optimistic :p

YEAH LOL, Where is my tv LIVE? >_<

I hope the FP bonus is that the animal print is actually fluffy lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by microphone (Post 2826479)

Two and a half weeks to go.

So close already! I cannot wait!

http://i39.tinypic.com/t82c78.jpg

what da hell is that?? o.O

^ I think that should be put on the first post too :laugh

Her left arm is actually behind the table leg, that's why it seems she has lost it on the cover, or like a bad photoshopping.

It's a shoe, really.

So it's a 16 days to go! It's really exciting! What do you think, where around will be the cdrip leak? Cause I want to hear album before PV's... And I am exciting since it's right after my school weekend where my mates wants to celebrate end of exams... This realese is so mysterious, I can't wait, I wasnt even that excited for FIVE lol.

I haven't been here for a while, so I went in here, hoping to see something good. But oh my. That cover just totally destroyed all the respect I had for ayu. No no no no no.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExodusUK (Post 2826550)

Lives? More like tv-live and that's optimistic :p

haha yeaah :laugh

that's sad though ~.~

Quote:

Originally Posted by PinkShinigami (Post 2826594)

That cover just totally destroyed all the respect I had for ayu.

really? are you serious? why?

I wonder if the bonus is the photobook.. like missunderstood and guilty had them?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alucard from Hellsing (Post 2826547)

CD Only n CD+DVD versions now have First Press Bonus too, CD Japan doesn't state what kind of bonus though. Whatever it is I want it. lol

Neowing says it's just that AR "stage" card thing. :P

Quote:

初回仕様: 「ayupan AR」アプリ専用ステージ台紙

^ too bad, but I hope it'll be like Love Songs and they'll update it again with a sleeve thing first press >o<

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIRSTKLAS (Post 2826610)

Neowing says it's just that AR "stage" card thing. :P

What's this "stage" card thing?

YES! I finally found her other arm, lol!

When Ayu said she shot covers in London... Did she specify "album covers" or did she just say "covers" ??

It could have been covers for magazines, books, etc also, not just album covers... Maybe that's why she only said "we shot covers" and not "album covers".

This might be looking into it too much but it's just a thought really.

^ Ahhh... very good very good! :yes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suteisi (Post 2826629)

As far as I understood, she said "album covers"...

I really remember her writing in TA "back from london... blah bleh blah pvs, covers, etc"

I'll have to find it... TrueHappiness will probably beat me to it XD