To Be (Ayumi Hamasaki song)
| "To Be" | ||||
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Mini CD cover.
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| Single by Ayumi Hamasaki | ||||
| from the album Loveppears | ||||
| Released | May 12, 1999 | |||
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| Recorded | 1999 | |||
| Genre | J-Pop | |||
| Length | 5:18 | |||
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| Songwriter(s) | Ayumi Hamasaki | |||
| Producer(s) | Max Matsuura | |||
| Ayumi Hamasaki singles chronology | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
CD single artwork.
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"To Be" (stylized as "TO BE") is a song by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It served as the third single from Hamasaki's second studio album Loveppears (1999). The track was released by Avex Trax in Japan and Taiwan on May 12, 1999, and through Avex Entertainment Inc. worldwide in September 2008. It was Hamasaki's final single to be distributed as a Mini-CD, a format that debuted at the start of her career in April 1998. "To Be" was written by Hamasaki herself, while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. Musically, it is a J-Pop that was written in third person perspective, much like the content from the parent album.
Upon its release, "To Be" received positive reviews from music critics. Some highlighted the single as one of Hamasaki's best works, and complimented the composition and Hamasaki's vocals. Commercially, the single was a success in Japan, reaching number four on both the Oricon Singles Chart and TBS' Count Down TV chart. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipments of 200,000 units. Due to the single's success, it was re-released as a CD single and re-entered both record charts.
An accompanying music video was directed by Wataru Takeishi, which featured Hamasaki in a kaleidoscope with several clones of her in a variety of colorful clothing. To promote the single, it appeared on several remix and greatest hits compilation albums, in addition to various live concert tours conducted by Hamasaki. It was used as the official theme song for a peach water commercial that was advertised in Japan. The song was covered by Chinese recording artist An Youqi in 2006, and released as a single.
"To Be" was written by Hamasaki herself, while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. The song was composed by Dai Nagao, who used the alias D.A.I., whilst it was arranged by Nagao and Japanese musician Naoto Suzuki. It was mixed by Dave Way, and mastered by Eddy Schreyer. Musically, "To Be" is a J-Pop song, a genre that wasn't as prominent on the parent album Loveppears (1999), which heavily incorporated dance music. The song's instrumentation consists of synthesizers and keyboards by Suzuki and electric guitar by Masayoshi Furukawa, whilst programming was handled by Takahiro Iida. Lyrically, the song was written in third person perspective, a trait that is shared with the rest of the album's tracks.
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