"Mirrorcle World" is the forty-third physical single and forty-fourth single overall by Japanese singer

Ayumi Hamasaki is a Japanese singer, songwriter, record producer, actress, model, spokesperson, and entrepreneur. By 2002, Hamasaki had earned the nickname "Empress of J-pop" due to her popularity in Japan and throughout Asia. Due to her success and relevanc ...

. The title track is an extended version of the song "Mirror," a two-minute introductory track on Hamasaki's ninth studio album, ''

Guilty Guilty or The Guilty may refer to: * Guilt (emotion), an experience that occurs when a person believes they have violated a moral standard Law *Culpability, the degree to which an agent can be held responsible for action or inaction *Guilt (law) ...

''. The single was released on April 8, 2008, exactly ten years after her debut single, " Poker Face"; the single features two new recordings of her second and fifth singles, both released in 1998, "

You In Modern English, ''you'' is the second-person pronoun. It is grammatically plural, and was historically used only for the dative case, but in most modern dialects is used for all cases and numbers. History ''You'' comes from the Proto- ...

" and "

Depend on You "Depend on You" is the fifth single released by Ayumi Hamasaki on December 9, 1998. The single reached number nine on the weekly Oricon chart, becoming her third consecutive top-ten single in Japan. The single contains a B-side, "Two of Us", whic ...

," respectively. Mirrorcle World has been certified platinum b
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for shipment of more than 250,000 copies in Japan, Hamasaki's first single to do so since 2006's "

Blue Bird The bluebirds are a North American group of medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the order of Passerines in the genus ''Sialia'' of the thrush family (Turdidae). Bluebirds are one of the few thrush genera in the Americas. ...

". As of 2008 Oricon Yearly Chart, it is the #33 best-selling single in Japan of 2008 and #1 best-first week sales for female artist in Japan of 2008. "Mirrorcle World" made Hamasaki the first female artist to have a single reach #1 on the Oricon for ten consecutive years.

Packaging and design

The CD+DVD version of "Mirrorcle World," according to Avex, was released in a "special limited-edition package" which consists of a vertical sleeve. Also, first press editions of the CD+DVD versions comes with posters of the respective cover, and an extra-long vertical casing. The CD-only version, however, was released in regular sleeves. Also, Spoinichi Annex revealed that the cover of "Mirrorcle World" would feature Hamasaki in a topless shot, in the vein of the covers of her album and single ''

Loveppears ''Loveppears'' (stylized as ''LOVEppears'') is the second studio album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released in Japan, Hong Kong and China on November 10, 1999 through Avex Trax and the China Record Corporation, and distrib ...

'' and "

Appears "Appears" is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released by Avex Trax on November 10, 1999 as the sixth single from her second studio album ''Loveppears'' (1999), which was released on the same day. Alongside thi ...

," respectively. However, whereas Hamasaki's hair covered her bust in the covers of the aforementioned records, the covers of "Mirrorcle World" depicted Hamasaki covering her breasts with her arm.

Commercial and promotional videos

On January 9, rumors began circulating through Japanese media that Hamasaki was to fly to

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

to shoot a new

commercial Commercial may refer to: * a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television) ** Radio advertisement ** Television advertisement * (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...

for

Panasonic formerly between 1935 and 2008 and the first incarnation of between 2008 and 2022, is a major Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation, headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka, Kadoma, Osaka P ...

. The following day, the rumor was confirmed, and on February 22,

released the commercials, featuring "Mirrorcle World." In addition to shooting the Panasonic commercial in Italy, Hamasaki flew to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

where she shot a

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

for "Mirrorcle World." The promotional video was officially released on March 19, 2008. The PV for Mirrorcle World starts off in Paris. Hamasaki (dressed in a trench coat) walks under ''

Pont de Bir-Hakeim The Pont de Bir-Hakeim (English: Bridge of Bir-Hakeim), formerly the Pont de Passy (Bridge of Passy), is a bridge that crosses the Seine in Paris. It connects the 15th and 16th arrondissement, passing through the Île aux Cygnes. The bridge, made ...

'' with

Eiffel Tower The Eiffel Tower ( ; french: links=yes, tour Eiffel ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. Locally nicknamed "'' ...

in the background as she notices that men clad in black are following her. She flees from them and goes to Venice (where she is clad in a large, red, Spanish ballgown). The men find her and Hamasaki runs away from them again, leaving a handkerchief. Hamasaki goes back to Paris and she is finally cornered by the men inside a telephone booth (this time, she is clad in a white evening gown). A car arrives and the men disperse. Hamasaki steps inside the car before giving a smile to the camera. The video is also inter-cut with scenes of Hamasaki singing in lingerie and headshots of Hamasaki wearing furry nails and lash extensions.

Track listing

Live performances

*March 25, 2008 - CDTV x SACAS! *December 31, 2008 - 59th Kouhaku Utagassen *March 25, 2011 - 'Life' at Music Station

Charts

Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)

Total Sales : 220,000 (Japan)
Total Sales : 254,000 (Avex)

Billboard Japan Sales Chart

Digital Sales Charts

Notes and references

{{authority control 2008 songs Ayumi Hamasaki songs Oricon Weekly number-one singles Songs with music by Kazuhito Kikuchi Songs written by Ayumi Hamasaki Avex Trax singles