『A BALLADS 2』on sale 2021.03.12
 

https://i.imgur.com/WVDzJTpl.jpg

The second installment in the Ballads Best series, 18 years after A BALLADS. The main release consists of two discs with 30 songs total (subject to change), remastered from their original master tapes. Other versions will include blu-ray discs and goods (40 page photobook).

As per the TA store, the album will only include songs released after the first A BALLADS. No rearrangements or re-recordings have been mentioned in the announcement text.


4 different versions of A BALLADS 2 will be available:

Literally absolutely no one was asking for this lol
Maybe one of the DVDs will be interesting though.

An other best...
Ohia no ki & Pray for you will be probably in it.

I don’t know yet if I’m happy or not lool

I hope for a good news in one the DVDs (maybe the SPECIAL showcase?!)

From CDJapan:
"Ayumi Hamasaki to release the first ballad greatest hits album in 18 years. Consists of two discs with 30 songs total (subject to change). Remastering from their original master tapes."

Looking forward to it!! The most expensive versions come with a 40 page book from the TeamAyu Shop entry. We've craved this for a long time, anticipating the tracklists!

Me every year for the past like 5 years lolol
But I understand I’m probably in the minority hah

I hope for new vocal version or new arrangement like the first one. The remastered on A BALLADS was the best for me.

I'm expecting a beautiful photoshoot :luv2

PLEASE let it be new arrangements like the original A BALLADS :weep that's all I want

This is such a cash grab (but let me see the goods on the expensive editions to see if I'll buy it anyways lol) I hope they do an amazing photoshoot :yes

I hope there are new songs (other than オヒアの木 and Pray for you) (and I hope Pray for you is great) (and some new arrangements!)

I hope the remasters aren't bullshit (LOVEppears sets such a high standard for me)

I hope the DVD contents aren't some bullshit live compilations

I think I'm aiming for the stars, but who knows. she surprises me sometimes.

Goods BOOK (40P) according to TA shop *just ordered my copy*

i hope it's not only a remastering and that there is new arrangement for some songs as in the first A BALLADS.

A book? or a photobook?

I'm waiting to see what will be on the second blu-ray to make my choice. I supposed the blu-ray that is in each version will be pv.

Part of me thinks the 2nd DVD/ bluray will be power of music 2018?
It’s the only unreleased concert that would...work? (Or the Christmas live but considering the quality I’m thinking not...)

Otherwise, it could just be a compilation of live performances?

Don´t get me hyped, I will die if they finally release it xD

Ooh the PoM 2018 will be perfect!!!!!

Not too excited about this so far but if this includes the new song then that's nice. I hope the CD's artwork looks pretty.

I was waiting for that for a long time! Just preordered 2CD+2BD from TA

difference in price between versions with 1 DVD and 2 DVD is 6600 yen. Book can't costs that much, so high chanse it will be any not released yet concert

BD / DVD DISC 1: Music Videos of all tracks on CD1 and CD2
BD / DVD DISC 2: Selection of Live Clips from 『ayumi hamasaki BEST LIVE BOX A』

LOLX

A BALLADS is one of my favorites and I always hoped she will release another one.
I'll wait for further details before speculating on how the songs will sound exactly or if there will be any rearrangements, but I am really happy this gets released.

I will buy it though as it's a good release for me specifically since I don't own too much Ayu stuff.

2021 sounds more hopeful musically, looking forward to it :-)

I just thought how nice it would be if she were to record a studio version of Haru yo koi but I think most people wouldn't like it as much in her current voice.

I hope the album will contain new vocal. Like jamie amuro does with Finally. And hopefully the tracklist will great too.

A new best album, at last. Bring me all these remasterings right now!

I'm trying not to set my hopes high. Ayu did great job for A BEST and A BALLADS, but all of her "best" releases after that were pretty simple. I believe this one will not be different, it will be compilation of remeastered songs without rerecording. I also expected to see ohia no ki on one CD and pray for you on another

good new but I'm a little fed up that there is no new album since a long time, and it is always the old songs that are used :(

You probably right! I’m ssoooo agree with you.

Ugh now I need this.

Queen releasing everything but a new album :luv2

Some people on AHS have been asking for A BALLADS 2 for years tho... lol

I hope she will includes some covers of other singers and of course new vocals for her own songs ! I'm surprised because I really thought this year would be the release of A BEST III.

I also hope that they won’t included the songs already present in the first A ballads unless they are rearranged or with new vocals ...

Well.. she has been recieving lots of money from Avex ballads compilations CDs that outsells her own albums sales. So yes, I think it's perfect timing.

you know what. I think you're one hundred percent right about this.

I AM SO HERE FOR THIS, YESSSSSS! A Ballads is perhaps my favourite Ayu release, I'm so excited! :heart

well avex is broke and needs to sell the head office.

I expect more and more BEST albums from different artists coming.

It's a wise move. I'm actually happy, it's been a long time since her last compilation. I hope this is a good release date and she can get another #1 album since this is not a new album and has more appeal to the general public.

I hope there are at least some rearrangements (like piano or classical versions). I love A BALLADS, so I hope it’s as good as that. It was my first Ayu album haha.

Watch that second dvd/bluray just be the A BALLADS compilation video from youtube, and maybe a second compilation video with remaining songs from A BALLADS 2 lol.

Still excited though and I can't wait to see what they actually include.

I'm very happy about this! hope it's as good as the first one.

I need more info before I drop any money on this, since shipping from mumo will cost me heaps.

Do you use DHL? I sent my promised land with surface male, it took 55 days :)

^Yeah, DHL was roughly $180 for shipping, which is more than the item itself. I don't trust surface mail! I'd rather pay EMS but hey, hopefully I can do that in the near future...

From cdjapan

First Press Detail sleeve packaging
External Bonus Bonus detail is to be announced

Maybe there will be two alternative covers on the DVD and Blu ray. CD only don't have sleeve packaging.

I think a lot of people did want this but maybe in another form. I like it though. However I wonder if any new tracks a la RAINBOW will be on...

I remember pretty well a lot of people here asking for an A BALLADS II lol

Although I'm craving for one I don't expect her to release a full length original album for now, so I'm ok with this. Can't wait too see the tracklist and the covers.

great news!

This is what I've been asking for since I listened to the original A BALLADS for the first time. I'm so happy right now. :weep

It's the perfect opportunity to finally release POM18 officially, as a content in one of those DVDs. Perhaps we will have Xmas Eve show too.

Exactly my thoughts. When I saw the announcement on twitter I thought “AHS is going to flip” in the good sense, cause I feel it’s a consistent request here time and time again.

Well, I am very excited about A BALLADS 2 coming to life <3

I can't wait for the content! hopefully she would do a new arrangement of her old hits.

Yay!!!

i wonder what the 2 video discs would comprise of! but nonetheless, if the audio discs comprise of new content, i would definitely buy it

the cover better have her and 3 other ayus

Okay I usually roll my eyes when she releases new best albums but I'm actually interested in this! Dang.. it really has been 18 years since the last one. I feel old lol

Really excited about this release! Loved the original A BALLADS and I'm a huge fan of her ballads (CAROLS, Together When..., walking proud, Moments, JEWEL to name a few are some of my favs), happy to have them on the same release.

However, I'd definitely have preferred 1 CD instead of 2 :( I'm worried that she'll include too much of her album-fillers songs (which she'll definitely do) and that the quality of this release will suffer greatly from it, but let's wait & see...

OK this gave me a hearty chuckle

I doubt there will be much space for album filler songs, though, considering just the abundance of ballad singles she's had since 2003. having too many of these lesser known songs could hurt the sales, too.

I don't know, this release could be hit or miss. I mean, there are several reason why the original A BALLADS is so greatly loved by her fans:
- Out of the 12 previously released tracks on the tracklist, 7 got new arrangements, A Song for xx even got a live demo makeover with new vocals.
- The thought that Ayu put into the new arrangements combined with the lesser known songs like Key and Dolls, which are nonetheless great tracks, gave the whole album less of a hit compilation feeling and added a nice personal touch to it
- The personal touch this album has was further emphasised by the whole project around RAINBOW and since the studio album everyone was really excited about how the final track would sound like. Also, it was a sweet way to connect with her fans
- The Matyutoya Yumi cover was also a very nice surprise and Ayu's version fits very nicely into the sound of A BALLADS

All in all, A BALLADS is not just a hit compillation, but kind of a work of its own. I never wanted a A BALLADS II, because I feel that there will be just two CDs with all of her balldas since then and it will turn out as just a compilation album. I really really hope she will do the original concept of A BALLADS justice and do the same here. Reworking the songs so that they fit her current feelings. But I'm not counting on that, especially since there are two CDs.

Erm ayu doesn’t do album fillers you got her mixed up with someone else. She is by far the best jpop artist when it comes to this.

Yes I want something "extra" so it doesn't just feel like a straight forward compilation album like A Ballads or Namie's Ballada with the new version of Contrail and the PVs for Four Seasons and Himawari.

That is so true. For the longest time, I considered A BALLADS to be my favorite Ayu album even though I knew it was a "best of" album. But listening to the whole thing really doesn't feel like it's a compilation of songs thrown together... A BALLADS really has a life of its own. :heart

ASFxx rendition from A BALLADS is the definitive version of the song for me (at studio, the a-nation '08 is the definitive live version).

I think it would be awesome to recreate the original covers, not exactly the same but I think having current Ayu (an experienced woman, a mother, wiser and stronger) embracing her younger self (the young girl who was lost, who didn't feel like she had a home or a place to belong to). Both CDs could be such a really nice story telling if we take her ballads in chronological order, from songs like A song for XX and SEASONS to Ohia no Ki, you can really tell how much her life has changed, her more recent ballads (I'd even say from How Beautiful You Are onwards) have become more... heart-warming imo.

Again this is just me being optimistic, knowing Avex they'll probably just put an "A" logo on the cover with "A Ballads 2" written in Arial lol

I’m excited for this album! Her latest physical compilation albums: A Classical, Love Classics and Winter Diary were all rearranged even though they weren’t projected to sell huge numbers. So I expect A Ballads 2 to feature at least a few rearrangements, unreleased live versions and/or remixes.

Is there anything extra for TA version or can I just get "2CD＋2Blu-ray＋GOODS" from mu-mo without joining TA and not losing any bonuses?

I definitely feel that her new song, Pray for You, is gonna be on this... :3

I agree :heart

I do hope there’s at least one rerecording.
I feel the lack of any info beyond the release date is because, as we know, Ayu is quite last minute with things lol. There’s still hope she has this planned.

SAME! Whenever I sing along in my head, it's always the A BALLADS ver. :laugh

you know what I would truly love to be included in this album, but I know for a fact that it's an impossible pipe dream?

• kanariya (with CDL1617 arrangement)

• ever free (with PoM18 arrangement)

:cry

It wasn't announced yet. The only difference may be in external bonus, like will it be postcard, clear file or whatever else

THIS!

I can't say I'm excited for this release at all but if she rearranges a song that sounds half as good as what she did for ASFxx, she can take my money.

Those were classical remix albums though, not compilations

If only!

I do hope it's akin to the first A BALLADS and not just a compilation! The fact that she's teasing it so long in advance makes me hope it's going to be more exciting than just a best album.

My only hope is that Ohia no Ki and Pray for you end up on it and stay there so we don't end up with another TROUBLE situation with the next album where we already know most of the songs.

I can see Ohia and Pray For You appearing on both A Ballads 2 and the eventual next album tbh.

I think Ohia will be on the next album, especially since it has a PV.

I was thinking the same regarding kanariya. It’d be a good excuse to include the CDL as a DVD/BluRay (knowing it’s already edited).

Yeah I suppose you and milkshake are right...

Well, here's to hoping the next album will have more than five songs then!

O...kay.... Where is A BEST 3 though uuhg.
Totally not expected this as well. Hope the concept will be as good as the first one.

I think TA members should write messages asking for this. Maybe not on this album, but someday would be nice. The only way to listen to a "studio" live versions was to listen to the rehearsals - they tend to use OG studio vocals placed on live arragenments (sometimes sounds weird when they had to change pitch).

what is the most likely tracklist at this point on two CDs?

Argh, I caved and bought the 2 Bluray set. I don't want it to go out of stock like Made in Japan Team Ayu version did when I didn't buy it straight away. :laugh

Probably most ballads tracks after RAINBOW.
There are too many potential songs...

- forgiveness
- No way to say
- Memorial address (?)
- Liar (?)
- Hope or Pain
- Happy Ending
- Moments
- Walking proud
- Carols
- Pride
- Will
- Heaven
- rainy day
- It was
- Jewel
- Secret
- Momentum (?)
- Fated
- Together when...
- Marionette (?)
- untitled ~for her~
- Days
- Green (?)
- Curtain Call
- Sunset ~Love is all~
- Ballad
- Last Links
- You were...
- Red Line (for TA)
- Moon
- Love song
- crossroad
- sweet season
- november
- Virgin road
- How Beautiful You are

.... and so on.

Also, would she cover someone else song again? If she did, she should cover two cover songs she sings in Team ayu xmas live. She performed so well in live and fit her current voice.

This past weekend I was talking to some friends and this is what I came up with

(singles)

01. Hanabi ~episode II~
02. forgiveness
03. No way to say
04. Moments
05. CAROLS
06. HEAVEN
07. Pride
08. fated
09. Together when...
10. Days
11. Sunset ~LOVE is ALL~
12. You were...
13. BALLAD
14. MOON
15. Virgin Road
16. how beautiful you are
17. Zutto...
18. Pray
19. Hello new me
20. Ohia no Ki
21. Pray for you

(album tracks)

22. walking proud
23. winding road
24. JEWEL
25. momentum
26. Secret
27. part of Me
28. MY ALL
29. beloved
30. Ivy

Ofc there are some left like she'd probably pick like Anything for You, or surprises like Shape of Love or You're the only one, etc, that's my take.

I hope they will not take much from other already released compilations

I don't understand people hoping for new vocal and new arrangements when the announcement mentioned the songs will be remastered from the master tapes.

^I don't think it is to far of to hope for one or two new vocal or ararngements. The original A Ballads had it too.

So excited for this album (if it's like A BALLADS, with re-recordings and new mixings)

If it was for me, the tracklist would be the following (some of them I don't know if they are considered as ballads, but, who knows):

RAINBOW (2021 special ver.)
Anything for you
BRILLANTE
CAROLS
criminal (please, give this song a moment to shine!!)
crossroad
Curtain Call
fated
forgiveness
HANABI ~episode II~
HEAVEN
Hello new me
how beautiful you are
JEWEL
Marionette
Melody
NO FUTURE
Ohia no Ki
part of Me
Pride
rainy day
Return Road
SEVEN DAYS WAR
Sweet Season
The GIFT
Together When…
Walk
Will
winding road
You were…

omg they are releasing it on the same day A BALLADS was released, what a nice touch!

I will not hope for new arrangements, but if there are any I will LOVE it. There's so much she could do with this release, from the shooting to the DVDs content, I gotta keep myself from dreaming too much :laugh I can see aeternal being in this btw, that songs deserves all attention it could get.

Yeah... I'm definitely in the "hope" camp, but at the same time, she was more popular then and so were ballads. I imagine that gave her more leverage and creative control. If all this ends up being is a playlist with only two new songs, I'm going to be very disappointed. I hope they do something to make this release special like the first one.

The most surprised remake song in A BALLADS would be A song for xx.
The remake sounds like the song for rock album, imo.

While I'm looking forward to the release (particularly for remasters of tracks like -hopefully- forgiveness) as it is one I have been hoping for for a long time, I think that the fact that there are two CDs doesn't bode well for potential re-arrangements and covers. Like others have mentioned, I feel like we're going to receive something like A SUMMER BEST, which is essentially a playlist + new song.

I hope I'm wrong, but this has been the format of Ayu's compilation albums for a while now. tbh, I think that Ayu should have gone with one disc as opposed to two, to produce a stronger album. i.e. including the best of the best between 2003-2020, as opposed to a wider selection. Alternatively, committing to a meaningfully selected and curated track list is also easier to achieve on one disc. This is the strength of the original A BALLADS - I mean, a handful of great Ayu ballads between 1998-2002/3 were not included, but the album is still fantastic.

Anyway, I'm really excited for the release regardless, and I think that there have been hints of renewed creativity expressed by Ayu and her team, so I hope that they blow my expectations out of the water. But if they don't, that's cool too, I'm looking forward to ballad remasters.

That is 4 years versus 17. I think 2 CD is well deserved, it will be like a winter version of Summer best.

Preordered the 2CD+DVD from cdjapan, I'm excited!

it's not too hard to understand. the original A BALLADS has rearrangements, so when a new album claiming to be a sequel of it is announced, it's not unreasonable to hope for something along those lines.

like koumori said, I'm all for managing expectations but some ayu releases have proven to exceed what was written in their original announcements. Secret was announced as a 7-track mini-album and turned out to be a full album. NEXT LEVEL was announced with 13 tracks, has 14.

Disc 1 - Original A Ballads.
Disc 2 - 2021 Remaster.

LOL

In all seriousness, I'm a little more curious what the video contents will be vs. the album itself at this point.

a world of pain :roflmao but it's unfortunately not impossible from someone who's subjected fans to many pointless releases over the years!

at this point I've sort of accepted that at least *one* of them will be a concert footage.

A Ballads is one of my favorite albums of all time.

Manifesting thoughtful rearrangements...

Maybe there’ll be three ayu’s on the cover ��

If this turns into a remastered Spotify playlist, I am not buying it �� It needs to have some new content. The fact it had 2 cds is already making it feel like they are throwing random stuff around sadly...

The first disc gonna be A Ballads - remastered.
The second disc gonna be songs from 2003 onwards - remastered.
LOL.