Original article from here.
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“The 8th is ayu day” Releasing new songs for 5 consecutive months
Singer Hamasaki Ayumi (33), who will be welcoming her 15th Anniversary since her debut next year, is trying out a unique challenge. Following her debut date, the “8th of each month” has now been marked as “ayu day”. On the 24th, plans to release works for 5 consecutive months starting from November this year were announced. For Chapter 1, mini-album “LOVE” will be released. In the music industry, weekly rankings are announced every Tuesday, so in order to maximize chances of grabbing the top spot, celebrities often release new works on Wednesdays. However, Hamasaki aims to release works on fixed commemorative dates instead.
Hamasaki will be celebrating her 15th Anniversary on 8 April next year. Just how will she be celebrating the lead-up to this date with the fans? After discussions with her staff, she has decided on this novel idea that breaks away from traditional industry practice. Taking the “8th” from her debut date, she has set it as “ayu day”, on which she will release new material in the form of mini-albums and other formats for 5 consecutive months, from November to March. Starting off on 8 November, mini-album “LOVE”, which includes 12 tracks, of which 3 are new works including “Song 4 u”, will be released. Future release formats have not been announced, but may include singles, albums or DVDs, and be released every month on the commemorative date.
In the music industry, new works are often released on Wednesdays to maximize their chances of grabbing top spots on Oricon’s weekly rankings, compiled every Tuesday. In August, Hamasaki set a new record for solo artistes, with total single and album sales exceeding 50 million copies and 120 billion yen. She also holds records on Oricon’s weekly rankings, including most number of consecutive No.1 singles (25) and most number of total No.1 singles (37). This 15th Anniversary campaign, however, focuses on commemoration instead of rankings. She hopes to celebrate this commemorative date with her fans every month, commenting that “I’ll be releasing lots of new songs, and I hope that this campaign will be filled with feelings of gratitude for all the fans who have supported me thus far”.
Hamasaki will be holding the final dates of her arena tour at Yoyogi First Gymnasium in Tokyo on 10, 11 October this year. The show is also prepared to deliver her feelings of gratitude, and she hopes that everyone will “enjoy the show”.
◆Other famous consecutive releases: Yuzu released 4 singles in 4 weeks in Feb 2003, including “Ao”, “Kokyuu”, “Sanbansen/Suiheisen” and “Sumire”. EXILE also released 4 singles in 4 weeks in Nov 2003, including “Choo Choo TRAIN”, “Eternal…”, “ki.zu.na” and “O,ver”. Koda Kumi released 12 singles in 12 weeks, from 7 Dec 2005 to 22 Feb 2006. All works were released either on Wednesdays or Thursdays.
