Fri, February 13, 2009 (3:37am EST)
Ayumi Hamasaki's tenth original album, "NEXT LEVEL," marks a new stage in the era of digital music. With the industry gradually shifting away from CDs, Hamasaki has decided to make the album available to fans on a USB flash drive.
USB distribution has been tried by indies artists before, but this is a first for a major label in Japan. The USB album will be released in limited quantity on the same day as the regular CD version on March 25. "NEXT LEVEL" will be released in a total of 4 different packages, including a CD+DVD combination. The USB edition will include all 13 tracks from the regular CD, 6 music videos, and a lyric booklet.
The USB flash drive itself will have a capacity of 2 GB. The album will take up about 800 MB, while the remaining 1.2 GB of space is free to use. At a price of 6,800 yen, the USB version is said to be a bargain, as typical USB drives reportedly sell for around 4,000 to 5,000 yen.
The USB will be packaged in a case the same size as a normal CD case, making it easy to display in stores. Oricon will apparently include the USB drive version in its sales tracking.
Hamasaki explained, "As the way we listen to music changes from day to day, I looked at things from the listener's perspective and decided to sell it this way."
USB distribution has been tried by indies artists before, but this is a first for a major label in Japan. The USB album will be released in limited quantity on the same day as the regular CD version on March 25. "NEXT LEVEL" will be released in a total of 4 different packages, including a CD+DVD combination. The USB edition will include all 13 tracks from the regular CD, 6 music videos, and a lyric booklet.
The USB flash drive itself will have a capacity of 2 GB. The album will take up about 800 MB, while the remaining 1.2 GB of space is free to use. At a price of 6,800 yen, the USB version is said to be a bargain, as typical USB drives reportedly sell for around 4,000 to 5,000 yen.
The USB will be packaged in a case the same size as a normal CD case, making it easy to display in stores. Oricon will apparently include the USB drive version in its sales tracking.
Hamasaki explained, "As the way we listen to music changes from day to day, I looked at things from the listener's perspective and decided to sell it this way."
Fri, February 13, 2009 (3:03am EST)
Talento and ex-Morning Musume member Mari Yaguchi is returning to singing with her first solo single next month. It will be a joint release with AIR BAND, a new 6-man band born from the Fuji TV show "Quiz! Hexagon II."
The release, set to go on sale March 25, is titled "Seishun Boku / Seishun Ore." Yaguchi sings the first of the two songs, while AIR BAND does the second.
The release, set to go on sale March 25, is titled "Seishun Boku / Seishun Ore." Yaguchi sings the first of the two songs, while AIR BAND does the second.
Fri, February 13, 2009 (2:52am EST)
Actress Rie Miyazawa (35) will soon be married, it was learned on Thursday. Her partner is said to be a businessman who frequently travels between Japan and the U.S. It has also just been publicly revealed that Miyazawa is six months pregnant, even though she is currently in a play called "Piper" at the Bunkamura Theatre Cocoon.
Miyazawa learned she was pregnant around last October. She and her partner had already been dating for a long time and were considering marriage even before she was pregnant.
A formal wedding announcement is expected after February 28, when "Piper" ends its run. Miyazawa is scheduled to give birth in June.
Miyazawa learned she was pregnant around last October. She and her partner had already been dating for a long time and were considering marriage even before she was pregnant.
A formal wedding announcement is expected after February 28, when "Piper" ends its run. Miyazawa is scheduled to give birth in June.
Fri, February 13, 2009 (2:06am EST)
Actress Yui Aragaki is collaborating with Studio Ghibli for her upcoming single, "piece." Ghibli's Yoshiyuki Momose directed the title song's music video, as well as contributing art for the CD jacket.
The collaboration came about after Aragaki served as the guide of an NHK music program last May that focused on Disney and Ghibli songs. An offer to produce the music video was given in November, and Momose agreed after hearing the song. Momose's previous work includes "Ghiblies Episode 2" and music videos for artists such as capsule.
In addition to the animated music video, a second live-action video is also being made. Likewise, the CD jacket will come in three flavors - one illustrated by Aragaki, one illustrated by Momose, and one featuring a photo of Aragaki's face.
"piece" goes on sale February 25.
The collaboration came about after Aragaki served as the guide of an NHK music program last May that focused on Disney and Ghibli songs. An offer to produce the music video was given in November, and Momose agreed after hearing the song. Momose's previous work includes "Ghiblies Episode 2" and music videos for artists such as capsule.
In addition to the animated music video, a second live-action video is also being made. Likewise, the CD jacket will come in three flavors - one illustrated by Aragaki, one illustrated by Momose, and one featuring a photo of Aragaki's face.
"piece" goes on sale February 25.
Fri, February 13, 2009 (1:51am EST)
Girl group Idoling!!! has been reduced to 16 members since the graduation of Rumi Koizumi last month, but the group will now be getting even smaller. At the end of March, members Sayaka Kato (#1), Maria Eto (#4), Mira Takiguchi (#5), and Michelle Miki (#18) will graduate.
The announcement was made during Thursday's episode of "Idoling!!! Nikki." Because the group is meant to be a vehicle for developing idols, the four are said to be moving on further with their careers as idols. Their specific plans are still unknown.
Their graduation concert will be on March 18 at Shibuya C.C. Lemon Hall. The show is also scheduled to be broadcast live as a special program on satellite channel Fuji TV 721.
The announcement was made during Thursday's episode of "Idoling!!! Nikki." Because the group is meant to be a vehicle for developing idols, the four are said to be moving on further with their careers as idols. Their specific plans are still unknown.
Their graduation concert will be on March 18 at Shibuya C.C. Lemon Hall. The show is also scheduled to be broadcast live as a special program on satellite channel Fuji TV 721.
Fri, February 13, 2009 (1:29am EST)
The new issue of FRIDAY reports that actress Ryoko Hirosue (28) and actor Masaru Nagai (30) went out on a late-night date. They were seen at a dining bar in Tokyo past 1am, though they left the bar separately, so there were no pictures of the pair together.
Their agencies acknowledged that they did eat together, but insisted that the two are not dating.
Their agencies acknowledged that they did eat together, but insisted that the two are not dating.
