Audience (Ayumi Hamasaki song)

"Audience" is a song by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki from her third studio album Duty (2001). It was released as the album's fifth and final single on 1 November 2000 by Avex Trax. Hamasaki wrote the track and Max Matsuura Lewis produced it. Dai Nagao and HΛL composed both the single and album version. The single artwork was shot by Japanese photographer Toru Kumazawa and features duplicate clones of Hamasaki, resembling an audience. Musically, "Audience" is a dance–pop and disco song.

"Audience"
Single by Ayumi Hamasaki
from the album Duty
B-side"see track list"
Released1 November 2000 (2000-11-01)
RecordedTokyo, Japan. 2000
Genre
Length4:08
Label
Songwriter(s)Ayumi Hamasaki
Producer(s)
Ayumi Hamasaki singles chronology
"Surreal"
(2000)		 "Audience"
(2000)		 "M"
(2000)
Promotional Video
"Audience" on YouTube

"Audience" received positive reviews from music critics; many highlighted it from the parent album and her music career. It achieved lukewarm success in compare to her previous singles, with a peak position of number three on the Oricon Singles Chart and a gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). The single remains Hamasaki's twenty–seventh best selling single in Japan. No music video was shot for the single.

Background and composition
Dai Nagao (left) produced and composed the song, along with other of Hamasaki's subsequent releases.

Ayumi Hamasaki's track "Audience" appeared on her third studio album, Duty (2000). Hamasaki begun work on Duty and followed a similar musical concept like her first two albums A Song for ×× (January 1999) and Loveppears (November 1999).[1] "Audience" was written by Hamasaki.[2] Majority of the lyrics were about loneliness, chaos, confusion, and the burden of her responsibilities, aimed mostly towards her public image as a recording artist.[1] In contrast to "Audience", the trilogy singles focused on hopelessness, a reflection of Hamasaki's disappointment that she had not expressed herself thoroughly in any of her previous lyrics.[1] She described her feelings after the writing as "unnatural" and was constantly "nervous" for the final result.[3]

The song was recorded in mid–2000 in Tokyo, Japan.[2] Max Matsuura produced both the single version and the album version, with additional production handling by Naoto Suzuki for the single version.[4] HΛL played the keyboard, Suzuki played the guitar and all other instruments were handled by Dai Nagao.[4] "Audience" is a dance song that employs elements of disco music.[5] In comparison, Duty was a rock–influenced album and "Audience" was the only dance track on the album.[6]

"Audience" was her third song to incorporate an English–language phrase, alongside her single "Whatever" (February 1999) and the b–side to "Love (Destiny)", "Love: Since 1999" (May 1999).[lower-alpha 1] But because "Audience" and "Whatever" used one–worded phrases and "Love: Since 1999" was not written by Hamasaki, it does not count in using English–language conversation like she did in her 2002 album Rainbow.[7]

Release and promotion

"Audience" was released on 1 November 2000 in CD format by Avex Trax, as the fifth single from Duty.[8] The maxi single features over nine remixes, one instrumental and an a cappella of "Seasons".[4] The cover sleeve features several clones of Hamasaki, representing an audience.[4] The cover shoot was photographed by Japanese photographer Toru Kumazawa with a total off seven make–up and hair assistants.[4] Shinichi Hara had directed the cover sleeve and has been Hamasaki's creative director for promotional work and began collaborating with her in 1998. His final work was directing the sleeve for Hamasaki's 2009 single "Sunrise/Sunset (Love Is All)".[9][10] A digital release of the single was released in Australia, New Zealand, North America and the United Kingdom.[11][12][13][14] A vinyl was released by Rhythm Republic Records and was distributed in Japan only.[15] "Audience" has featured on three greatest hits compilation albums by Hamasaki including the white deluxe edition of A Best 2 (2007), A Complete: All Singles (2008) and A Summer Best (2012).[16][17][18]

No music video was shot for the single.[5] Only a video commercial for the single was aired in Japan.[19] This became Hamasaki's first single to not feature a music video; her next single to not feature a music video was her 2001 single "Unite!".[upper-alpha 1]

Reception

"Audience" received favorable reviews from most music critics. Alexey Eremenko, who had written her extended biography at Allmusic, highlighted the song as an album and career stand out.[23] A reviewer for CDJournal was positive towards the track, commending the production and calling it “fun” but “aggressive”[5] Hamasaki hosted an online voting poll for fans to choose their favorite tracks to be featured on her Ayumi Hamasaki 15th Anniversary Tour Best Live Tour. As a result, "Audience" were featured on the list.[24]

"Audience" debuted at number three on the Japanese Count Down TV chart.[25] The song was unable to pass Misia's single "Everything" and Southern All Stars' single "Blue in Green".[25] It fell to number eight the next week.[26] It fell to sixteen in its third week, and fell at number thirty and forty-six in its fourth and fifth week, respectively. The song fell outside the top fifty at number fifty-four and fell to seventy-nine.[27] "Audience" debuted at number two on the Oricon Singles Chart and lasted eight weeks.[28] In the 2000 annual Count Down TV chart, "Audience" was placed at ninety-two.[29]

"Audience" was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipment of 200,000 units.[30] "Audience" resulted in the lowest selling single off Duty, with only the lead "trilogy" singles selling over 500,000 units in Japan.[31][32][33][34] Despite this result, "Audience" now remains Hamasaki's second best selling limited edition single to date with sales over 293,000 units, just behind "Fly High" which sold 300,000 units.[35] "Audience" is her twenty–seventh best selling single.[36]

Live performances

Hamasaki has performed "Audience" in all of her New Years countdown concerts up until the Ayumi Hamasaki Countdown Live 2006–2007 A, which became the song's last live performance at the countdown shows.[lower-alpha 2] Additionally, Hamasaki has performed "Audience" twice in her involvement with Avex Trax's concert A Nation, being performed in 2006 and the last performance being held in 2008.[42][43]

"Audience" has also been featured on several of Hamasaki's national and international tours that has spread throughout many Asian territories. The song had made its debut tour performance on Hamasaki's 2001 Ayumi Hamasaki Dome Tour 2001 A.[44] Ever since the song's debut performance, "Audience" has appeared on several of Hamasaki's arena tours including Ayumi Hamasaki Arena Tour 2002 A, 2002 Stadium Tour and 2005 My Story Tour. The song's last live performance was her 2014 Ayumi Hamasaki PREMIUM SHOWCASE: Feel the love, in which was supported by her 2014 studio album Colours.[upper-alpha 2]

Personnel

Credits adapted from the single's liner notes.[4]

Song credits

Cover credits
  • Shinichi Hara – art direction
  • Shigeru Kasai and Takuma Noriage – design
  • Naoki Ueda – creative coordinator
  • Toru Kumazawa – photographer
  • Koji Matsumoto – fashion director
  • Hiroyuki Ishii and Takako Mishima – stylist
  • CHIKA – hair assistant and make–up stylist
  • Kanako Miura – nail artist

Track listing

All lyrics written by Ayumi Hamasaki.[4]

CD single
No.TitleLength
1."Audience" (Dave Ford Mix)4:08
2."Surreal" (Sample Madness Remix)5:31
3."Audience" (Keith Litman's Radio Mix)3:53
4."Audience" (Feelin' U Mix)6:29
5."Audience" (GENIUS ROCK Big Beat Mix)5:35
6."Audience" (Paranoid Android Mix)5:38
7."Audience" (Scud Formant Mix)5:45
8."Audience" (HAL'S 2000 Mix)4:16
9."Audience" (Dub's Floor Remix Transport 004)8:37
10."Audience" (Dave Ford Mix (Instrumental))4:08
11."Seasons" (Vocal Track)2:59
7" Vinyl
No.TitleLength
1."Audience" (Keith Litman's Radio Mix)3:53
2."Surreal" (Sample Madness Remix)5:31
3."Audience" (Dave Ford Mix)4:08

Charts, peaks and positions

Release history
List of release dates by region, including format details, and record label
Country Date Format Label Version
Japan November 1, 2000 Compact disc Avex Trax Album and Single Version
Vinyl
N/A Digital download[49]

Notes
  1. "Audience" was her first stand–alone single to not feature a music video and does not include her 1999 EP A. A featured "Monochrome", "Too Late", "Trauma" and "End roll" and didn't receive a music video for each track, making it her first EP to not feature music videos. This repeated on H (2002), but her third EP & did for all tracks.[20][21][22] To date, Hamasaki has four solo singles that have no music videos: "Audience", "Unite!", "Blossom" and "Terminal".
  2. All arena tours appearances are listed below; Stadium Tour 2002,[45] Arena Tour 2006,[46] Tour of Secret,[47] and the final performance from Premium Showcase: Feel the Love.[48]
  1. The exclamation "Yes" is commonly used in the English–language and alternative European–languages. Technically, "Yes" is spoken and written in an English format and has been listed in the 1913 Webster Dictionary, so it proves that "Audience" is her third song to use an English–language word.
  2. All New Years concert links are listed below; 2000–2001 A,[37] 2001–2002,[38] 2002–2003,[38] 2004–2005,[39] 2005–2006,[40] and 2006–2007.[41]
gollark: OH REALLY?
gollark: ~play crab with lasers
gollark: ~play a sawrm of bees
gollark: ~play bee noises
gollark: ~play bees

References
  1. Author, Unknown (December 22, 2000). ""Review of Ayu's Year 2000 & M"". J–Point (in Japanese): 75.
  2. Duty (Album liner notes). Ayumi Hamasaki. Avex Trax. 2000. AVCD–11837.CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. Tsuriya, Takako (May 2008). "Ayu 10th Year Career Anniversary". Cawaii (in Japanese): 15, 18.
  4. Audience (CD single liner notes). Ayumi Hamasaki. Avex Trax. 2000. AVCD–30184.CS1 maint: others (link)
  5. "Duty' by Hamasaki, Ayumi". CDJournal. 22 March 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  6. Tsuriya, Takako (November 2007). "Side Face Story". Cawaii (in Japanese).
  7. Takeuchi Cullen, Lisa (25 March 2002). "Empress of Pop". Time. p. 4. Archived from the original on 22 March 2008. Retrieved March 31, 2008.
  8. "Ayumi Hamasaki: Audience". Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  9. A Song for xx (Album liner notes). Ayumi Hamasaki. Avex Trax. 1998. AVCD–11691.CS1 maint: others (link)
  10. Sunrise/Sunset (Love is All) (Album liner notes). Ayumi Hamasaki. Avex Trax. 2009. AVCD–31719.CS1 maint: others (link)
  11. "AUDIENCE – EP by ayumi hamasaki". AU iTunes Store. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  12. "AUDIENCE – EP by ayumi hamasaki". NZ iTunes Store. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  13. "AUDIENCE – EP by ayumi hamasaki". UK iTunes Store. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  14. "AUDIENCE – EP by ayumi hamasaki". US iTunes Store. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  15. Surreal (Vinyl). Ayumi Hamasaki. Avex Trax. 2000. RR12–88193.CS1 maint: others (link)
  16. A Complete: All Singles (Compilation liner notes). Ayumi Hamasaki. Avex Trax. 2008. AVCD–23676~8.CS1 maint: others (link)
  17. A Summer Best (Compilation liner notes). Ayumi Hamasaki. Avex Trax. 2012. AVCD–38560~1.CS1 maint: others (link)
  18. A Best 2 (White Edition) (Double-disc DVD liner notes). Ayumi Hamasaki. Avex Trax. 2008. AVCD–23265/B~C.CS1 maint: others (link)
  19. "Ayumi Hamasaki – Audience Commercial". YouTube. March 22, 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  20. "浜崎あゆみ / HANABI～episode II～". YouTube. 8 April 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
  21. "浜崎あゆみ / grateful days". YouTube. 8 April 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
  22. "浜崎あゆみ / ourselves". YouTube. 8 April 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
  23. Eremenko, Alexey (22 March 2015). "Ayumi Hamasaki – Songs, Highlights, Awards and Credits". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  24. Hamasaki, Ayumi (14 March 2015). "ayumi hamasaki 15th Anniversary Tour A Best Live – avex". Avexnet.net. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  25. "CDTV PowerWeb:! Ranking Date for Audience by Ayumi Hamasaki". Count Down TV (Bulletin) (in Japanese). TBS. 3 August 2002. Archived from the original on 16 June 2006. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  26. "CDTV PowerWeb:! Ranking Date for Audience by Ayumi Hamasaki". Count Down TV (Bulletin) (in Japanese). TBS. 18 November 2000. Archived from the original on 10 September 2006. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  27. "CDTV PowerWeb:! Ranking Date for Audience by Ayumi Hamasaki". Count Down TV (Bulletin) (in Japanese). TBS. 30 December 2000. Archived from the original on 16 June 2006. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  28. "Audience – Ayumi Hamasaki – Oricon Music Style" (Bulletin) (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 25 April 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  29. "CDTV PowerWeb:! 2000 Annual List". Count Down TV. TBS. Archived from the original on 16 September 2006.
  30. "GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 2000年11月度" [Gold Albums, and other certified works. November 2000 Edition] (PDF). The Record (Bulletin) (in Japanese). Chūō, Tokyo: Recording Industry Association of Japan. 494: 9. 10 January 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  31. "GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 2000年5月度" [Gold Albums, and other certified works. May 2000 Edition] (PDF). The Record (Bulletin) (in Japanese). Chūō, Tokyo: Recording Industry Association of Japan. 488: 8. 10 July 2000. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 December 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  32. "GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 2000年7月度" [Gold Albums, and other certified works. September 2000 Edition] (PDF). The Record (Bulletin) (in Japanese). Chūō, Tokyo: Recording Industry Association of Japan. 490: 8. 10 September 2000. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 January 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  33. "GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 2000年6月度" [Gold Albums, and other certified works. June 2000 Edition] (PDF). The Record (Bulletin) (in Japanese). Chūō, Tokyo: Recording Industry Association of Japan. 489: 8. 10 August 2000. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  34. 浜崎あゆみのリリース一覧 [List of Ayumi Hamasaki's Releases]. Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  35. "GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 1999年12月度" [Gold Albums, and other certified works. December 1999 Edition] (PDF). The Record (Bulletin) (in Japanese). Chūō, Tokyo: Recording Industry Association of Japan. 483: 8. 10 February 2000. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  36. "Ayumi Hamasaki single sales ranking" 浜崎あゆみ売上ランキング シングル売上ランキング. Oricon. 2 April 2015.
  37. Ayumi Hamasaki Countdown Live 2000–2001 (CD). Ayumi Hamasaki. Avex Trax. 2001. AVBD–91060.CS1 maint: others (link)
  38. Ayumi Hamasaki Complete Live Box Set (DVD). Ayumi Hamasaki. Avex Trax. 2003. AVBS–75035.CS1 maint: others (link)
  39. Ayumi Hamasaki Countdown Live 2004–2005 (DVD). Ayumi Hamasaki. Avex Trax. 2005. AVBD–91270.CS1 maint: others (link)
  40. Ayumi Hamasaki Countdown Live 2005–2006 (DVD). Ayumi Hamasaki. Avex Trax. 2006. AVBD–91402.CS1 maint: others (link)
  41. Ayumi Hamasaki Countdown Live 2006–2007 (DVD). Ayumi Hamasaki. Avex Trax. 2007. AVBD–91558.CS1 maint: others (link)
  42. "Ayumi Hamasaki – Audience ~a–nation'08~ (sub esp + romaji)". YouTube. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  43. "Ayumi hamasaki [Audience] live 06". YouTube. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2009.
  44. Ayumi Hamasaki 2001 Dome Tour (DVD). Ayumi Hamasaki. Avex Trax. 2001. AVBD–91077.CS1 maint: others (link)
  45. Ayumi Hamasaki 2002 Stadium Tour (DVD). Ayumi Hamasaki. Avex Trax. 2002. AVBD–91119.CS1 maint: others (link)
  46. Ayumi Hamasaki 2006 Arena Tour (DVD). Ayumi Hamasaki. Avex Trax. 2006. AVBD–91452~4.CS1 maint: others (link)
  47. Ayumi Hamasaki Tour of Secret (DVD). Ayumi Hamasaki. Avex Trax. 2007. AVBD–91536~7.CS1 maint: others (link)
  48. Premium Showcase: Feel the Love (DVD). Ayumi Hamasaki. Avex Trax. 2014. AVBD–92166.CS1 maint: others (link)
  49. "AUDIENCE – EP by ayumi hamasaki". JP iTunes Store. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
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