''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' is the eleventh
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
by Japanese recording artist
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 ...
. It was released on April 14, 2010, by
Avex Trax. It was also released just a little over a year after her 2009 album, ''
Next Level''. ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' marks Hamasaki's eleventh consecutive album to be fully produced by Japanese producer and manager
Max Matsuura
, better known by his stage name , is a Japanese record producer and businessman. He is the founder of Avex Group, one of the largest music labels. He is known mainly for discovering and developing new artists into stars (most notably Ayumi Hamas ...
, while she contributes to the album as the lead vocalist, background vocalist, and songwriter to all songs. Recorded in
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
with minor phrases in
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
, ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' is a
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
album with numerous musical elements such as
electropop
Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...
,
J-pop
J-pop ( ja, ジェイポップ, ''jeipoppu''; often stylized as J-POP; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively also known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1 ...
,
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
,
pop ballad
A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. Cur ...
, and
dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded danc ...
.
''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' was recorded in Japan and the United Kingdom, making it Hamasaki's first album recorded outside of her native country. Additional production was handled in the United States and the two prior countries. Five different formats were released to promote the album: a standalone CD, a CD and DVD bundle, a limited edition
box set
A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit.
Music
Artists and bands ...
, a limited edition Playbutton, and a digital release worldwide. Two different artworks were issued for the album's cover sleeve; one has Hamasaki inside a telephone box, while the second sleeve has a close-up of Hamasaki's face.
Upon the album's release, it was met with mixed to favourable reviews from music critics. Critics commended the album's approach to rock music, alongside its commercial appeal and music consistency. However, some noted the lack of emotional delivery in Hamasaki's lyrics, while criticizing the album's ballads and production. ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' was listed by several critics as one of the best albums of 2010. Commercially, ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' was a success. It became Hamasaki's tenth album to reach the top spot on Japan's
Oricon Albums Chart
The Oricon Albums Chart is the Japanese music industry standard albums popularity chart issued daily, weekly, monthly and yearly by Oricon. Oricon originally published LP, CT, Cartridge and CD charts prior to the establishment of the Oricon Albu ...
, and was certified platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of Japan
The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969.
The RIAJ's activities include pr ...
(RIAJ) for shipments of 250,000 units. The album charted on Korea's
Gaon Album Chart
The Circle Album Chart, previously known as the Gaon Album Chart, is a record chart ranking the 100 most popular albums, extended plays and single albums in South Korea based on their Record sales, pure sales. It is a part of the Circle Chart, pr ...
and Taiwan's
G-Music
G-Music Limited is a company built in 2002 by Rose Records and Tachung Records, both are the largest local music retails and wholesale chains in Taiwan. The physical retail arms have been kept separate, for different customer bases and brand ident ...
Albums Chart.
Two singles were released from ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'', including one promotional. Its lead
a-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...
single "
Sunrise/Sunset (Love Is All)
"Sunrise/Sunset (Love Is All)" (stylised as Sunrise/Sunset ~LOVE is ALL~) is Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki's forty-sixth (forty-seventh overall) single, released on August 12, 2009. The song "Sunrise: Love is All" is used as the theme song to ...
" was a commercial success, peaking at number one on the Japanese
Oricon Singles Chart
The Oricon Singles Chart is the Japanese music industry-standard singles popularity chart issued daily, weekly, monthly and yearly by Oricon. Chart rankings are based on physical singles' sales. Until 2017, Oricon did not track download sales. In J ...
and two on the
Japan Hot 100
The ''Billboard Japan'' Hot 100 is a record chart in Japan for songs. It has been compiled by ''Billboard Japan'' and '' Hanshin Contents Link'' since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at Billboard-japan.com ( JST) and every Thur ...
chart. The album's second and final a-side single, "
You Were.../Ballad", was a commercial success; it peaked at number one on the Japanese Oricon Singles Chart and 14 on the Japan Hot 100 chart. The album's only promotional single, "Microphone", reached number 33 on the
RIAJ Digital Track Chart
The was a record chart that ranks the best selling digital singles in Japan, with data provided by the Recording Industry Association of Japan from April 2009. The chart measures cellphone downloads (着うたフル ''Chaku-Uta Full'') (not downlo ...
. Several other album tracks charted on competent charts in Japan. Hamasaki promoted the album on her
2010 Rock 'n' Roll Circus tour.
Background and development
![Ayumi Hamasaki in London](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Ayumi_Hamasaki_in_London.jpg)
In March 2010, it was confirmed by Hamasaki and her record label
Avex Trax that she would release a then-upcoming studio album titled ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus''. Hamasaki and Avex Trax enlisted a long-term collaborator, Japanese businessman and producer
Max Matsuura
, better known by his stage name , is a Japanese record producer and businessman. He is the founder of Avex Group, one of the largest music labels. He is known mainly for discovering and developing new artists into stars (most notably Ayumi Hamas ...
, to produce the album; this marked Hamasaki's eleventh consecutive album to be fully produced by Matsuura.
Hamasaki began recording the album at Avex Studios and Prime Sound Studios in Japan around mid-2009 with
Kōji Morimoto
is a Japanese anime director. Some of his works include being an animator in the '' Akira'' film; shorts in ''Robot Carnival'', ''Short Peace'', and ''The Animatrix''; and key animation in anime such as ''Kiki's Delivery Service'', ''City Hunte ...
, Yūichi Nagayama, and Masashi Hashimoto.
Hamasaki briefly moved to
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
,
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, to record the remaining material of the album with Dom Morley and Phill Brown.
This marks Hamasaki's first album to have been recorded outside of Japan; she carried on recording her 2012 album ''
Party Queen
''Party Queen'' is the thirteenth full-length studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki. The album was released digitally on March 14, 2012 and physically on March 21, 2012 through Avex Trax. Primarily a pop album, ''Party Queen'' ...
'' in London, which is her final album recorded in that region.
The material from ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' was produced and recorded over a year and one month, one of Hamasaki's longer spanning projects to date.
Hamasaki and Avex enlisted previous composers and arrangers for the album, such as CMJK, Tetsuya Yukumi, Yuta Nakano, and Kazuhiro Hara; these composers and arrangers started working with Hamasaki back on her 2002 album ''
Rainbow
A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc. Rainbows c ...
'' and 2004 ''
My Story''. Several instruments from the album were directed by British musicians and arrangers; tracks "Microphone" and "Montage" were performed by the London String Machine group and other British instrumentalists.
Hamasaki was interviewed in the May 2010 issue of Japan's magazine ''Bea's Up'', and stated about her experiences in the UK;
"The reason why I chose to do the recording in London this time was because I wanted to make an album in a closed-off environment, sort of like a place where sunlight doesn't reach. The songs this time are like me. They're not liberal and open-minded. The songs which I've always made often share the same views and ideas as the listener, but this time, they're more like shouts and prayers from my individual innermost self. With this image, I've probably gotten closer to how I was like inside when I first debuted. What I do in America has always been liberal and open, so that's why I chose London this time instead ..."
Composition
''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' is a
rock music
Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...
album which includes numerous musical elements of
electropop
Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...
,
J-pop
J-pop ( ja, ジェイポップ, ''jeipoppu''; often stylized as J-POP; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively also known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1 ...
,
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
,
pop ballad
A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. Cur ...
, and
dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded danc ...
.
In an interview with Japanese magazine ''S Cawaii'', Hamasaki said that "
'Rock 'n' Roll Circus''nbsp;... basically has a feeling of "back-to-basics." A feeling of Ayumi Hamasaki, and less of adventure. More digging down into the foundation. Which isn't to say I'm taking a step backward. It's about expressing my feelings on things I've always liked, but as the person I am now."
According to
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
editor Alexey Eremenko, "''Rock'n'Roll Circus'' is pretty versatile: there are a couple of pop/rock tracks, a Middle Eastern techno tune, a playful plastic pop song, even a jungle interlude, and, of course, a slew of epic, string-drenched ballads that no J-pop singer seems to be able to resist performing".
Greg from ''Selective Hearing'' stated that the album's material showed more "restraint" than her previous music; "There is a deliberate pacing that entices the listener to stick around. You don't get hammered over the head".
Asian Junkie editor Random J reviewed the album on his personal blog, and noticed the music and themes for ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' were more consistent than her previous albums.
Tetsuo Hiraga from ''Hot Express'' noted the album's "formulaic rock music".
Each song from ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' was written by Hamasaki, including the Japanese, English, and interlude tracks.
Only two songs from the album; "Microphone" and "Don't Look Back", are recorded in Japanese with minor phrases of English.
The album includes three
jungle
A jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past recent century.
Etymology
The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaṅ ...
-influenced interludes: "The Introduction", "Montage", and "Jump".
Rock music is present throughout the tracks, "Microphone", "Count Down", "Last Links", "Lady Dynamite", "Sunrise (Love Is All)", and "Red Line (TA)".
Other musical elements, including
Middle Eastern music
The various nations of the region include the Arabic-speaking countries of the Middle East, the Iranian traditions of Persia, the Jewish music of Israel and the diaspora, Armenian music, Kurdish music, Azeri Music, the varied traditions of Cypriot ...
in "Don't Look Back", electropop in "Sexy Little Things", and
pop ballad
A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. Cur ...
melodies in "You Were...",
"Meaning of Love", "Ballad",
and "Sunset"
are present throughout the album. The songs "Sunrise" and "Sunset" have the same lyrics, but different music arrangements and vocal performances from Hamasaki.
Release and packaging
![Red telephone boxes behind Young Dancer - Broad Street - London - 240404](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Red_telephone_boxes_behind_Young_Dancer_-_Broad_Street_-_London_-_240404.jpg)
''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' was released in four different formats on April 14, 2010, by Avex Trax,
a little over a year after her 2009 album, ''
Next Level''. ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' became Hamasaki's third two-album set alongside ''
Love Songs
A love song is a song about romantic love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. A comprehensive list of even the best known performers and composers of love songs would be a large order ...
'' (2010) to be released in a single year;
Hamasaki's first and second two album sets to do this were ''
A Song for ××
''A Song for ××'' (the "××" is silent) is the debut album by Japanese pop artist Ayumi Hamasaki
is a Japanese singer, songwriter, record producer, actress, model, spokesperson, and entrepreneur. By 2002, Hamasaki had earned the nickn ...
'' and ''
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 ...
'' in 1999, and ''
(Miss)understood
''(Miss)understood'' (stylized in all lowercase) is the seventh studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki, released January 1, 2006 by Avex Trax. Hamasaki acted as the album's sole lyricist, as she had on all of her preceding alb ...
'' and ''
Secret
Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret.
Secrecy is often controvers ...
'' in 2006. To date, it remains Hamasaki's last two-album release in a single year.
''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' first format, the stand-alone CD, features the fifteen tracks in a
jewel case
Optical disc packaging is the packaging that accompanies CDs, DVDs, and other formats of optical discs. Most packaging is rigid or semi-rigid and designed to protect the media from scratches and other types of exposure damage.
Jewel case
A ...
, with first press editions including an
obi #REDIRECT Obi {{redirect category shell, {{R from other capitalisation{{R from ambiguous title ...
and a bonus poster.
Hamasaki was dressed in
Moschino
Moschino () is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1983 by Franco Moschino in Milan known for over-the-top, campy designs. The company specializes in ready-to-wear, handbags, and fashion accessories.
History Founding and 1990s
Franco Mosc ...
clothing for the photo shoots. Members from Hamasaki's fan club received a bonus track, "
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
". The CD and DVD package features the fifteen tracks, and a bonus DVD with the music videos to "Sunrise", "Sunset", "You Were...", "Ballad", "Sexy Little Things", "Microphone", "Don't Look Back", and "Lady Dynamite". The DVD also included behind the scenes videos for both music videos, and a live performance by Hamasaki on her 2009 Next Level Tour.
A limited edition
box set
A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit.
Music
Artists and bands ...
format features the fifteen tracks, and a bonus DVD including the same music videos. The box set also includes behind the scenes videos for both music videos, and the live DVD by Hamasaki on her 2009 Next Level Tour. The box set includes goods: a
mug
A mug is a type of cup typically used for drinking hot drinks, such as coffee, hot chocolate, or tea. Mugs usually have handles and hold a larger amount of fluid than other types of cup. Typically, a mug holds approximately of liquid. A mug i ...
, a bag,
red tea
''Red Tea'' is an English historical novel written by Paul Harris Daniel. It was published in Madras by Higginbotham's in 1969. It is based on the experiences of tea plantation workers in the Madras Presidency during the British Raj.
Backgroun ...
, and a limited edition photo album.
The final format is the worldwide digital release.
Twelve limited copies of ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' feature the hand-written lyrics to each song, and an autograph sheet from Hamasaki.
All four cover sleeves for ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' were photographed by photographer and designer ND Chow.
The standalone CD artwork has Hamasaki holding the door to a
red telephone box
The red telephone box, a telephone kiosk for a public telephone designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, is a familiar sight on the streets of the United Kingdom, Malta, Bermuda and Gibraltar.
Despite a reduction in their numbers in recent years, ...
in
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...
, London, with the album title and her name superimposed on the booth.
This marks Hamasaki's third album cover to be photographed and directed outside of Japan, after ''Loveppears'' and ''(Miss)understood''.
The CD and music video DVD formats have a close-up of Hamasaki's face, with parts of the
British flag design across her face.
The box set is coloured black with the red British cross near the corner; the album version is the CD and DVD format, with the CD and DVD cover imprinted onto the mug, red tea tin, and the bag.
The digital release uses the standalone CD format.
The booklet and photo shoot were designed by Chow, and the design was based on Hamasaki's first visit to the UK.
First pressing issues for both the standalone CD format, the CD and DVD format, and the box set included a 36–page photo album of Hamasaki roaming the streets and wandering around stores and markets in London.
Promotion
In order to promote ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'', Hamasaki conducted several commercial endorsement opportunities and expanded several other ventures. Hamasaki opened two special websites to document her preparation for the ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' concert tour, and additional promotional activity. On the day of the album's release, Hamasaki was interviewed by
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music was a brand under which Yahoo! provided a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming. Previously, users with Yahoo! accounts could gain access to hundreds of ...
Japan and
Myspace to talk about the album's material and further promotional activity. Hamasaki also received exclusive deals to promote ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' through
mobile phone
A mobile phone, cellular phone, cell phone, cellphone, handphone, hand phone or pocket phone, sometimes shortened to simply mobile, cell, or just phone, is a portable telephone that can make and receive calls over a radio frequency link whil ...
s, including the Japanese services SNS and Utapiku. One day after the album's domestic release, Hamasaki began expanding her online presence by setting up accounts on MySpace,
Ustream
IBM Watson Media (formerly Ustream and IBM Cloud Video) is an American virtual events platform company which is a division of IBM. Prior to IBM acquisition, it had more than 180 employees across San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Budapest offices. ...
, and Twitter to promote the album and interact with her fan base. Hamasaki renewed her contract with British cosmetics line
Rimmel
Rimmel (commonly known as Rimmel London) is a British multinational cosmetics brand, now owned by parent company Coty, Inc. The House of Rimmel was founded by French-born British cosmetics entrepreneur Eugène Rimmel as a perfumery 20 February 19 ...
as an ode to her image from the album; she was part of several campaigns through 2010.
Concert tours and other releases
Hamasaki conducted several live performances to promote the material from ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus''. Hamasaki performed both "Sunrise" and "Sunset" on the annual 2009
A-Nation concert tour in Japan; she performed on August 1 and 8. Hamasaki performed "You Were..." on Japan's Music Station television network on December 9, 2009. Hamasaki appeared again at the annual 2010 A-nation concert tour in Japan on February 29, 2010, only; she performed "Microphone", the only song selected from the ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' album. Her performance of "Microphone" received positive reviews from most music critics. "Sunrise (Love Is All)" and its accompanying music video was released on Avex Trax's ''A-Nation '10 Various Artists'' compilation album.
Hamasaki went on her
2010 Rock 'n' Roll Circus Tour. Hamasaki announced the concert in February 2010, with several concert tours in Japan confirmed. Merchandise from the tour stands were available exclusively through Mu-mo stores in Japan before the tour commenced. The concert tour was recorded at
Yoyogi National Gymnasium
Yoyogi National Gymnasium, officially is an indoor arena located at Yoyogi Park in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, which is famous for its suspension roof design.
It was designed by Kenzo Tange and built between 1961 and 1964 to house swimming and d ...
in Tokyo, and the recurring theme was circus-based.
Album tracks apart from "Sunset", "Last Links", Montage", "Sunrise", "Meaning of Love", and "Red Line (For TA)" were included on the set list for the tour.
Pushed back from March 20 due to the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on 11 March. The magnitude 9.0–9.1 (M) undersea megathrust earthquake had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region, and lasted approximately six minutes ...
, the concert tour was released on April 20, 2011, in two formats; a triple-DVD bundle, and a Blu-ray release.
Despite not being included on ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'', "Moon" and "
Virgin Road" from the 2010 Rock 'n' Roll Circus Tour were included on her following live DVD compilation ''A 50 Singles: Live Selection'' (2011).
The DVD reached number one on the Oricon DVD Chart, with over 38,319 in its first week.
At the time of its charting week on April 27, 2011, both ''Rock'n'Roll Circus Tour Final: 7days Special'' and ''A 50 Singles: Live Selection'' occupied the top and second position on the Oricon DVD Chart; this was the first time a female artist accomplished this feat. By the end of 2011, the live DVD sold over 54,180 units in Japan.
In May 2011, the live DVD releases prompted Oricon Style to declare Hamasaki the highest selling female artist based on DVD sales; it tallied to over 2.3 million units in Japan. To promote the material from ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'', tracks were remixed and produced for Hamasaki's ''Ayu-Mi-x''
remix album
A remix album is an album consisting of remixes or rerecorded versions of an artist's earlier released material. The first act who employed the format was American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson (''Aerial Pandemonium Ballet'', 1971). As of 2007 ...
series; "You Were..." was re-arranged by CMJK for the orchestral compilation ''
Ayu-mi-x 7 Version Acoustic Orchestra'', while "Sunrise" was remixed by Accatino, Rimonti, and Festari for the
eurodance
Euro-Dance (sometimes referred to as Euro-NRG, Euro-electronica or Euro) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s in Europe. It combines many elements of hip hop, techno, Hi-NRG, house music, and Euro-Disco. This ...
compilation ''
Ayu-mi-x 7 Presents Ayu-ro Mix 4'' (2011).
Singles
"
Sunrise
Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon and its accompanying atmospheric effects.
Terminology
Al ...
" and "
Sunset (Love Is All)" were released as the album's
lead a-side single on August 12, 2009. "Sunrise" was used as the theme song for NTT Communications commercial song and TV Ashai's program Dandy Daddy, while "Sunset" was used as the theme song for Music.JP and
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 ...
Lumix cameras.
The songs received positive reviews from music critics, who praised the composition and production.
It also achieved success in her native Japan, peaking at number one on the Japanese
Oricon Singles Chart
The Oricon Singles Chart is the Japanese music industry-standard singles popularity chart issued daily, weekly, monthly and yearly by Oricon. Chart rankings are based on physical singles' sales. Until 2017, Oricon did not track download sales. In J ...
, while "Sunrise" peaked at 10 on the Billboard
Japan Hot 100
The ''Billboard Japan'' Hot 100 is a record chart in Japan for songs. It has been compiled by ''Billboard Japan'' and '' Hanshin Contents Link'' since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at Billboard-japan.com ( JST) and every Thur ...
chart. The physical format was certified gold by RIAJ for shipments of 100,000 units; "Sunrise" was certified double platinum and platinum for digital and ringtone downloads, shifting over 750,000 units in Japan.
The accompanying music videos for both singles were shot at a sightseeing tower in
Chiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama Prefecture to the ...
; it features Hamasaki and back-up dancers performing the song in front of an audience. The "Sunrise" video was shot during the day, while "Sunset" was shot during the evening.
"
You Were..." and "
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
" were released as the album's second and final a-side single on December 29, 2009. "You Were..." was used as the theme song for Music.JP and the theme song for the Japanese subtitled
Walt Disney
Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
film, ''
Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure
''Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure'' is a 2009 American computer-animated adventure film directed by Klay Hall (in his feature directorial debut) and the second installment in the ''Disney Fairies'' franchise. Produced by DisneyToon Studios, it ...
'', while the second song "Ballad" is tied up with The Firmament of the Pleiades, a NHK's historical and political drama based on
Jirō Asada
is the pen name of , a Japanese writer.
Inspired by Yukio Mishima, who tried to stage a coup d'état among Japan Self-Defense Forces then committed suicide after the coup was failed, Asada enlisted in the SDF after finishing his studies. He c ...
's book of the same name.
Both songs received positive reviews from most music critics, praising the song writing, composition, and Hamasaki's vocals.
It achieved success in Japan, debuting atop the Japanese Oricon Singles Chart, while "You Were..." peaked at 14 and 4 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 and Hot Singles Sales chart. The physical format was certified gold by RIAJ for shipments of 100,000 units; "You Were..." was certified double platinum and platinum for digital and ringtone downloads, shifting over 750,000 units in Japan.
Accompanying music videos were shot for the singles; The "You Were..." video features Hamasaki in a winter field, while "Ballad" features Hamasaki in heaven watching over her lover.
Other charted songs
"Microphone", the album's lead promotional single, was released on March 26, 2010. The song charted at 33 on Billboard's Japan Hot 100 and 10 on the
RIAJ Digital Track Chart
The was a record chart that ranks the best selling digital singles in Japan, with data provided by the Recording Industry Association of Japan from April 2009. The chart measures cellphone downloads (着うたフル ''Chaku-Uta Full'') (not downlo ...
.
The accompanying music video was shot in London. The music video continues from the "Sexy Little Things" video; it features Hamasaki in a grand hall, and in different parts of London. After the album's release, "Don't Look Back", "Sexy Little Things", "Lady Dynamite", "Count Down", "Meaning of Love", and "Last Links" charted at: 20, 52, 66, 67, 49, and 50 on the RIAJ Digital Track Chart respectively.
"Don't Look Back", "Sexy Little Things", and "Lady Dynamite" received music videos each.
The video to "Don't Look Back" features Hamasaki at a dining table, with one half of her face done with make-up and the other side smudged with make-up; Hamasaki also poses in front of a ragged portrait of her album cover, ''
A Best 2: Black''. The video to "Sexy Little Thing" features Hamasaki inside a black and white room, dancing with Englishmen while wearing circus clothing; the ending scene includes the starting scene for the video "Microphone". The video to "Lady Dynamite" has Hamasaki partying in a
gay club
A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ( LGBT) clientele; the term ''gay'' is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBT communities.
Gay bars once served ...
with
drag queens
A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part of ...
.
Critical reception
''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' received mixed to favorable reviews from most music critics. A staff reviewer from ''
CD Journal'' praised the album's rock influences, and commended the album's production.
Greg from Selective Hearing was positive towards the album. He commented, "This was an excellent album and I couldn’t think of a single thing that could be wrong. It proves that Ayu is still at the top of her game." However, he felt that "Last Links", "Lady Dynamite", "Sexy Little Things", "The Meaning Of Love", and "Red Line -for TA-" were the album's, "standard cookie cutter fillers".
In a mixed review, Alexey Eremenko from
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
awarded the album three stars out of five. Eremenko was positive towards the album's "meticulously arranged music, and multiple stylistic layers ensure that the record does not wear thin after the first few listens". However, he furthered stated, "but although ''Rock'n'Roll Circus'' is a testament to veritable professional skills of Hamasaki and her producers and songwriters, its emotional power is questionable, to put it mildly." Although criticizing the album's addition of J-pop music, its additional "
cliché
A cliché ( or ) is an element of an artistic work, saying, or idea that has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, even to the point of being weird or irritating, especially when at some earlier time it was consi ...
s", and labelling the ballads as the "worst offenders on the album", he concluded, "This is Hamasaki's eleventh album, and so song writing routine is to be expected, to a degree, but she would have been better off going all the way with the alt-rock gimmick instead of meekly complying with the already trite conventions of J-pop, even if she had created those herself."
Tetsuo Hiraga from ''Hot Express'' was mixed in his review. Although he commended Hamasaki's transition to rock music and her song writing, he said he became "worried" about the production and found it regressive in comparison to ''Next Level''.
At the annual 2010 J-Station Music Awards, ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' won Best Pop album, Hamasaki won Best Female Artist, and "Microphone" won Best Music Video. Phil Freeman from the online blog and magazine publication ''
The Wire
''The Wire'' is an American Crime film, crime drama Television show, television series created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon. The series was broadcast by the cable network HBO in the United States. ''The ...
'' short listed ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' as one of the best albums of 2010.
Commercial performances
According to Oricon, Avex Trax had expected to ship approximately 400,000 total units in its first week of sales; as a result, the sales mark were printed and distributed for several stores throughout Japan.
''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' debuted at number one on the Japanese Daily
Oricon Albums Chart
The Oricon Albums Chart is the Japanese music industry standard albums popularity chart issued daily, weekly, monthly and yearly by Oricon. Oricon originally published LP, CT, Cartridge and CD charts prior to the establishment of the Oricon Albu ...
, staying there for an entire week.
This resulted in the album debuting atop the Japanese Weekly Oricon Albums Chart, with an estimated 205,000 sold units in its first week of sales.
This became the highest selling album by a female artist for first week sales of 2010. ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' became Hamasaki's tenth studio album to debut atop the Oricon Albums Chart for both Daily and Weekly rankings, making Hamasaki the first artist to have at least one album at the top of the charts for 12 consecutive years.
Hamasaki also became the only female artist to have the most number one albums on Oricon since her debut with eleven entries, apart from ''Guilty'' which reached number two.
It slipped to number three the following week, shifting 45,686 in Japan. It stayed in the top 10 for five weeks, and the top 300 with 23 weeks overall.
''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' entered the ''Billboard'' Top Albums Sales Chart at the top spot, her fourth album to do so.
It slipped to number three in its second charting week, and stayed in the top ten for five weeks. It lasted 14 weeks in the top 100 chart, with a final charting position at 73. ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' also reached number 73 on the South Korean
Gaon Album Chart
The Circle Album Chart, previously known as the Gaon Album Chart, is a record chart ranking the 100 most popular albums, extended plays and single albums in South Korea based on their Record sales, pure sales. It is a part of the Circle Chart, pr ...
, and the top spot on the Taiwanese East Asian Albums Chart.
''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' was certified Platinum in April 2010 by the
Recording Industry Association of Japan
The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969.
The RIAJ's activities include pr ...
(RIAJ) for shipments of 250,000 units.
[ This is Hamasaki's final album to shift over 300,000 physical units, and was her first studio album not to receive a double platinum certification since ''Next Level''.] At the end of 2010 ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' sold 318,454 units in Japan; this ranked the seventh best-selling album by a female artist, just behind entries from Japanese singers Kana Nishino
is a Japanese singer and songwriter signed with SME Records' Newcome Inc. She debuted on February 20, 2008, with the single "I".
Often considered one of Japan's most popular female singers of the late 2000s and 2010s, she gained early populari ...
, Namie Amuro
Namie Amuro ( ; ja, 安室奈美恵, Amuro Namie, label=none; born September 20, 1977) is a Japanese former recording artist, producer, songwriter, dancer, model, actress and entrepreneur who was active between 1992 and 2018. A leading figure of ...
, Kaela Kimura
is a Japanese pop rock singer, lyricist, fashion model and television presenter.
Career
Born in Adachi, Tokyo, Japan to a Japanese mother and British father, Kimura started working as a model in 2002 for the Japanese magazine '' Seventeen''. ...
, Kumi Koda
, known professionally as , is a Japanese singer from Kyoto, known for her urban and R&B songs.
After debuting with the single "Take Back" in December 2000, Koda gained fame in March 2003 when the songs from her seventh single, "Real Emotion ...
, and Hikaru Utada
, who is also known by the mononym Utada, is a Japanese-American pop singer, songwriter and producer. By 2010, Utada had become one of the most influential, and best-selling, musical artists in Japan.
Born in the United States to Japanese parent ...
, and American singer Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
. By March 2011, Avex Trax confirmed that ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' has sold over 380,000 units in Japan. Avex Finance Holdings Inc. released an online press statement, showing that ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus'' was recognized as a reason for their increase of sales and revenue for the first quarter of 2010.
Track listing
All formats
* Standard CD – Consists of fifteen original tracks on one disc.
* First pressing standard CD – Consists of fifteen original tracks on one disc. First press issues include bonus poster and an obi #REDIRECT Obi {{redirect category shell, {{R from other capitalisation{{R from ambiguous title ...
strip.
* CD and DVD – Consists of fifteen original tracks on one disc. Consists of eight music videos, eight behind the scenes videos, and one live performance on a second disc.
* First pressing CD and DVD – Consists of fifteen original tracks on one disc. Consists of eight music videos, eight behind the scenes videos, and one live performance on a second disc. First press issues include bonus poster and an obi strip.
* Special Limited Edition box set – Consists of fifteen original tracks on one disc. Consists of eight music videos, eight behind the scenes videos, and one live performance on a second disc. Box set includes a tea mug, a tin containing red tea
''Red Tea'' is an English historical novel written by Paul Harris Daniel. It was published in Madras by Higginbotham's in 1969. It is based on the experiences of tea plantation workers in the Madras Presidency during the British Raj.
Backgroun ...
, and a bag. Box set includes the live DVD to '' Ayumi Hamasaki Arena Tour 2009 A: Next Level'', and includes the photo album with CD. All items housed inside a black box with British symbols.
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Rock 'n' Roll Circus''.
*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 ...
– lead vocals, background vocals, song writing
*Max Matsuura
, better known by his stage name , is a Japanese record producer and businessman. He is the founder of Avex Group, one of the largest music labels. He is known mainly for discovering and developing new artists into stars (most notably Ayumi Hamas ...
– producer
*CMJK – composer, arranger, mixing
* Yuta Nakano – composer, arranger
*Tetsuya Yukumi – composer
*Dai Nagao
Do As Infinity is a Japanese pop and rock band that formed in 1999 with three members: vocalist Tomiko Van, guitarist Ryo Owatari, and guitarist and composer Dai Nagao. The band's name is sometimes abbreviated as DAI, alluding to the fact that ...
– composer
*Kazuhiro Hara – composer
*Hana Nishimura – composer
* Hal – arranger
*Hikari – arranger
*Jake Morley – bass guitar
*Fraser McColl – guitar
*Harry McColl – drums
*Kiku – guitar
*The London String Machine – string arrangements
*Chiharu Mikizuki – bass guitar
*Tom Tada – drums
*Ryota Akizuki – guitar
*Junko Hirotani
, better known by her stage name , was a Japanese singer.
Biography
Junko Kido was born in Tokyo on 17 October[Profile]
at Kira- ...
– backing vocals
*Yuko Kajitani Strings – string arrangements
*Magnus Mehta – tabla, percussion
*James Pusey – sitar
*Kenji Suzuki – guitar
*A Boys – audience cheering
*Harvey Brough – string arrangements
*Gen Ittetsu – string arrangements
*Mayuko Maruyama – programmer
*Hidetomo Yoneda – A&R
*Takuma Noriage – art director
*Kouhei Hatakeyama – engineer
*Liam Nolan – engineer
*Seiji Itabashi – engineer
*Tim Young – mastered by
*Kōji Morimoto
is a Japanese anime director. Some of his works include being an animator in the '' Akira'' film; shorts in ''Robot Carnival'', ''Short Peace'', and ''The Animatrix''; and key animation in anime such as ''Kiki's Delivery Service'', ''City Hunte ...
– mixing, recorded by
*Yuichi Nagayama – mixing, recorded by
*Yuta Nakano – mixing
*ND Chow – photography
*Taro Washio – assistant photography
*Dom Morley – recorded by
*Masashi Hashimoto – recorded by
*Phill Brown – recorded by
* Avex Trax – Hamasaki's record label
*Avex Entertainment Inc. – Hamasaki's distribution label
Charts
Album
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
See also
* List of Oricon number-one albums of 2010
Notes and references
Notes
References
External links
Ayumi Hamasaki's official discography.
''Rock 'n' Roll Circus''
– Hamasaki's official website.
– Hamasaki's official blog site.
''Rock 'n' Roll Circus''
– Special album website.
{{Authority control
2010 albums
Ayumi Hamasaki albums
Japanese-language albums
Avex Group albums