(Miss)understood is the seventh studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on New Year's Day 2006, by Avex Trax. Hamasaki acted as the album's sole lyricist, as she had on all of her preceding albums. (Miss)understood marked new musical directions for Hamasaki: she explored new influences such as funk and used gospel choruses in some of the songs, foreign to her previous works. This was the result of her having heard compositions by Geo from the German-based pop music project Sweetbox and asking him for his works. Subsequently, Hamasaki rewrote the lyrics entirely to fit (Miss)understood.
Lyrically, the album was a departure from her previous work, My Story, which had been primarily autobiographical. Where My Story had contained "musings about her past", Hamasaki wanted the lyricism on (Miss)understood to send a strong message to all women—to be a kind of "girls' talk" to give "moral support", while at the same time reminding women that there were times when they would feel weak and low. These themes, along with the album's funk influences, are epitomized on songs such as "Bold & Delicious" and "Ladies Night."
Upon its release, (Miss)understood received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who directed most of the acclaim towards its sonic quality and named it one of the best albums in Hamasaki's career. (Miss)understood was a commercial success, opening at number one in Japan (her seventh consecutive studio album to do so) with first-week sales of over 653,000 copies. It went on to receive a Million certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) and became the eighth best-selling album of 2006 in Japan. It is, to date, her last Million-certified album. According to Avex, it is also her first album to fail to hit over a million sales in Japan.
To promote the album, Hamasaki released four singles. "Step You" and "Is This Love?" were packaged together as a double A-side single and as the album's lead single on April 20, 2005; it was a commercial success, peaking at number one on the Oricon Singles Chart and was certified platinum by the RIAJ. The album's second single, "Fairyland," was a commercial success; also peaking at number one on the Oricon Singles Chart and being certified platinum. The third single, "Heaven", experienced similar success: it reached number one, and was certified platinum. "Bold & Delicious" and "Pride" were packaged together as the album's second and last double A-side single and was not as successful. Despite reaching number one, it became her poorest-selling single at the time since 1998's "Depend on You." Hamasaki promoted (Miss)understood by embarking on the Ayumi Hamasaki Arena Tour 2006 A arena tour.
Background and production
In 2005, after hearing demo tracks from band Sweetbox's then-upcoming album Addicted, Hamasaki "fell in love" with the songs and consequently asked Sweetbox's composer GEO if she could use some of the songs for her album. GEO agreed and gave Hamasaki permission to use "Bold & Delicious," "Pride," "Ladies Night," "In the Corner," "Every Step," and "Beautiful Girl." Hamasaki then set to work rewriting the lyrics and rearranging parts of songs. On October 24, 2005, it was confirmed that Hamasaki would be releasing a new album on January 1, 2006, with its title being undecided at the time. On December 13, 2005, it was reported that the recording for the new album was completed. Hamasaki and Avex Trax enlisted a long-term collaborator, Japanese businessman and producer Max Matsuura, to produce the album; this marked Hamasaki's seventh consecutive album to be fully produced by Matsuura.
While My Story (2004), Hamasaki's preceding album, contained mostly "autobiographical" lyrics and "musings about [her] past," (Miss)understood was a "strong message to send to all women": it was a kind of "girl's talk" to give "moral support" while at the same time reminding women that there would be times when they would "feel weak and low". "Bold & Delicious" "scolded indecisive men", "Pride" expressed Hamasaki's appreciation of "women who do not give up easily", and "Ladies Night" was about female camaraderie. Other themes appeared as well: "Is This Love?" and "Heaven" were about love, and "Fairyland" was about "childhood memories". In each song on (Miss)understood, Hamasaki sprinkled all kinds of mysteries and questions throughout–so her own message isn't necessarily in the songs.
Around the time of the release date for Addicted, Jade Valerie commented on Hamasaki's song adaptations: "I had the opportunity to listen to her self-covers this time, and I love how she have a completely different taste from my songs, but they really show off her strengths. I think it's a great album. I hope that people will listen to both my album and her album and enjoy both works."
Composition
(Miss)understood is more musically diverse than My Story; Hamasaki incorporated a variety of musical styles including rock, dance-pop and funk. She didn't decide on a particular theme when she wrote the album's songs, but once she put them all together she noticed that content was quite dark and that the lyrics could be interpreted in more than one way.
The album opens with "Bold & Delicious," a funk-infused up-tempo track that utilizes a gospel choir in the harmony. An organ Hamasaki heard while visiting a church in New York City inspired her to include the gospel choir in "Bold & Delicious." "Step You" is an electronic rock song that sings about an "unrequited love". "Ladies Night" is an 80s-inspired dance pop number with robotic breakbeats and disco blips. "Is This Love?" is a passionate rock song about unrequited love. The album's titular song is a rock number stripped down to its simplest form. "Alterna" is a rock song with lyrics which seem to tell oneself to "just be as it is" without fear of change or being pointed out. "In The Corner" is a dramatic R&B song that has been compared to Mary J. Blige's 2001 hit song "Family Affair." "Tasking" is an interlude-like instrumental that connects "In The Corner" and "Criminal."
"Criminal" is a solemn song which talks about how to deal with the "sense of guilt" felt in life. "Pride" is a ballad song that "sounded like it could be from a musical". Hamasaki gathered a lot of people from elementary school students to people in their 50s and had them sing together as the song's backup singers. The musical The Phantom of the Opera influenced her arrangement of "Pride." "Will" is a song that has a noble aura of "sparkling" light and "fluttering" dance. "Heaven" is an "ethereal" piano-driven ballad.
"Are You Wake Up?" is an instrumental track with a sharp and clear electric guitar. "Fairyland" is a dance pop song that sings about childhood nostalgia. "Beautiful Day" is a soulful song with a gospel choir in the chorus. The album's closing track, "Rainy Day," is sung in a quiet whisper, accompanied by sounds that sound like dripping rain or the ticking of a clock. As with "Bold & Delicious" and "Pride," other songs composed by GEO were rearranged.
Release and packaging (Miss)understood was released by Avex Trax on January 1, 2006, and was her first original album in a year and a month since her previous album, My Story (2004).Citations regarding the physical formats of (Miss)understood: My Story formats listed below: (Miss)understood became Hamasaki's second two-album set alongside Secret (2006) to be released in a single year.Citations regarding the physical formats of (Miss)understood: Hamasaki's first two album set to do this were A Song for ×× and Loveppears in 1999. The initial pressings of (Miss)understood included two photobooks—one for the CD version (entitled "Off My Day"), and another for the CD+DVD version (entitled "On My Way"). The DVD version included all music videos that were made for her 2005 releases (excluding "My Name's Women")—"Step You," "Is This Love?," "Fairyland," "Alterna," "Heaven," "Bold & Delicious" and "Pride," as well as an alternative video for "Bold & Delicious" (called the "Side Story"). Two new music videos were also included—"Ladies Night" and "Rainy Day" made their debut on the disc. Behind-the-scenes clips for "Step You," "Is This Love?," "Fairyland," "Alterna," "Heaven" and "Pride" are featured as well.
Promotion Singles and other songs "Step You/Is This Love?" was released as the lead single from (Miss)understood on April 20, 2005.Citations regarding the physical formats of STEP you / is this LOVE?: "Step You" was used as the Panasonic "D-snap Audio" commercial song, while "Is This Love?" was used as the commercial song for Morinaga & Company's "BAKE." The double A-side was a commercial success, reaching number one in Japan, receiving a platinum certification for shipments of over 250,000 units, and selling 345,340 copies in its chart run. "Step You" was certified triple platinum individually by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for ringtone sales of 750,000 units, and gold for selling 100,000 downloads.
Second single "Fairyland" was released August 3, 2005.Citations regarding the physical formats of fairyland: "Fairyland" was used as the commercial song for Miki Corporation's Camelia Diamond, the August opening theme for Nippon Television's Music Fighter, Nippon Television's Sports Urugusu image song, and as the theme song for Nissan Motors' "X-TRAIL CUP." The single's B-side "Alterna" was used as the commercial song for the Panasonic digital camera "Lumix FX8." The single "Fairyland" debuted at number one in Japan, sold 316,663 copies, and received a platinum certification for shipments of over 250,000 units. "Fairyland" also sold well digitally, receiving a triple platinum certification for ringtone sales of over 750,000 units, and a gold certification for selling more than 100,000 cellphone downloads.
The third single, "Heaven," released on September 14, 2005,Citations regarding the physical formats of HEAVEN: and was used as the theme song for the 2005 romantic drama film Shinobi: Heart Under Blade. The B-side song "Will" was used as the Panasonic LUMIX FX-9 commercial song. Akin to its predecessors, "Heaven" also experienced commercial success: it reached number one, and was certified platinum, selling a total of 327,111 copies. It also was certified million for selling about one million ringtones, and gold for selling 100,000 downloads.
"Bold & Delicious/Pride" was released on November 30, 2005, as the album's final single.Citations regarding the physical formats of Bold & Delicious / Pride: "Bold & Delicious" was also used as the Panasonic SD audio "D-snap Audio" and mini component "D-dock" commercial song. Despite reaching number one, "Bold & Delicious/Pride" became her poorest-selling single at the time since 1998's "Depend on You," selling only 132,993 copies. The song "Rainy Day" was used as the ending theme for the game Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams.
Music videos The music video for "Step You" was directed by Tetsuo Inoue, and the video featured Hamasaki wearing different styles of outfits (signifying different parts of her image and personality). A man walks up to a music box-like contraption and as he activates the levers (shown as I, II, III, and IV) different miniature versions of Hamasaki appear. As he activates the last lever, the contraption begins to short-circuit, and the four Hamasakis turn into one.
The music video for "Is This Love?" was directed by Masashi Muto. The music video features Hamasaki singing emotionally in a hotel suite. As she passes by, objects begin to explode (i.e. a bowl of fruit, a fish tank, walls, etc.). The video ends as Hamasaki looks at the hotel, in one piece with no sort chaos that happened earlier.