Dream (Ai album) explained

Dream
Type:studio
Artist:Ai
Cover:Ai - Dream.png
Border:yes
Alt:A grey-scale close-up shot of Ai's face with her bangs covering her left eye.
Recorded:2019–2021
Studio:
  • Sound Inn Studio (Tokyo, Japan)
  • Studio MSR (Tokyo)
  • Studio Mech (Tokyo)
  • Black Star Music (Studio City, California)
Length:33:27
Prev Title:It's All Me, Vol. 2
Prev Year:2021
Next Title:Respect All
Next Year:2023

Dream is the twelfth studio album by Japanese-American singer-songwriter Ai, released on February 23, 2022, by EMI Records. Ai collaborated with various Japanese and American producers, including longtime collaborator Uta and Bernard "Harv" Harvey, the latter produced her 2021 extended play, It's All Me, Vol. 2.

Three singles were released from the album. The first single, "The Moment" featured Japanese rapper Yellow Bucks and was released in June 2021. "In the Middle", a collaboration with Daichi Miura was released in August 2021. The third single was "Aldebaran", which served as the theme song for the Japanese television drama Come Come Everybody. "Aldebaran" was a modest hit in Japan, debuting and peaking at number 37 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 and at number 6 on the Oricon Digital Singles Chart. In 2022, "Aldebaran" won the Best Drama Song award at the 111th Television Drama Academy Awards.[1]

Background and promotion

Following the release of the extended play It's All Me, Vol. 2, Ai hinted on social media she was working on new music. In June 2021, she released "The Moment" with Japanese rapper Yellow Bucks.[2] In early August, Ai announced she was working on a new single.[3] The single was revealed to be a song with Daichi Miura, titled "In the Middle".[4] In September, Ai announced her next single, titled "Aldebaran". The song would serve as theme song for the NHK drama, Come Come Everbody. She revealed the song was written by Naotarō Moriyama and featured arrangements by Neko Saito.[5] [6] [7] The song was sent to radio in October, with the radio edit being uploaded to Ai's official YouTube channel to promote the song.[8] Following the release of the full song in November, "Aldebaran" has received critical acclaim.[9] In December, Ai announced her twelfth studio album would be released in February 2022. She stated that "Aldebaran" and "In the Middle" would be included on the album.[10] Ai also announced the Dream Tour, which took take place in Japan from May to December 2022.[11] In February, a special site was launched for the album by Universal Japan, revealing the full track listing of the album.[12]

Music and lyrics

Musically, Dream is a pop and R&B album with gospel and hip hop influences.[13] Three songs, "First Time", "Lessons" and "We Have a Dream" were recorded entirely in English while the rest of the songs feature bilingual lyrics. The lyrics for "First Time" are based on when Ai first started her career and how she was able to find success through many trials. "Welcome Rain" features a delicate melody about loved ones, similar to "Aldebaran".

Commercial performance

Dream debuted at number 12 on the Oricon Daily Albums chart for February 22, 2022.[14] It rose to number 7 on February 23.[15] On the weekly Oricon charts, Dream debuted and peaked at number 12, charting for 18 consecutive weeks.[16] The album sold more copies than her previous studio album, Wa to Yo, and her extended plays, It's All Me Vol, 1 and It's All Me, Vol. 2.[17]

Track listing

Notes

Personnel

Credits adapted from album's liner notes and Tidal.[19] [20]

Musicians

Technical

Visuals and imagery

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2022)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Japanese Combined Albums (Oricon)[21] 12
Japanese Digital Albums (Oricon)[22] 11
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[23] 11

Monthly charts

Chart (2022)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[24] 45

Release history

Region! scope="col"
DateFormat(s)VersionLabel
VariousFebruary 23, 2022Standard
JapanCD[25]
Limited[26]
[27]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ドラマソング賞 受賞結果 1位：アルデバラン、AI 第111回 - ザテレビジョンドラマアカデミー賞 . Drama Song Award Winner 1st Place: Aldebaran, AI The 111 Television Drama Academy Awards . https://web.archive.org/web/20220526021227/https://thetv.jp/feature/drama-academy/111/awards/best-drama-song/ . May 26, 2022 . May 26, 2022 . WEBザテレビジョン . ja.
  2. Web site: AIが￥ellow Bucksとコラボした新曲配信、「CDTVライブ！ライブ！」で披露（コメントあり / 動画あり） . January 15, 2022 . Music Natalie . ja.
  3. Web site: ＡＩ＆三浦大知 初コラボ曲 旧知の友人/デイリースポーツ online . January 15, 2022 . デイリースポーツ online . ja.
  4. Web site: ＡＩが長年の友人・三浦大知と初コラボ 新曲13日から配信 - 芸能 : 日刊スポーツ . January 15, 2022 . nikkansports.com . ja.
  5. Web site: ＡＩ「アルデバラン」次期朝ドラ「カムカムエヴリバディ」主題歌 - ドラマ : 日刊スポーツ . January 15, 2022 . nikkansports.com . ja.
  6. Web site: TVガイド . 2021-09-28 . AIの新曲「アルデバラン」が「カムカムエヴリバディ」の主題歌に決定！ 作詞・作曲は森山直太朗 ｜ TVガイド . January 15, 2022 . TVガイド . ja-JP.
  7. Web site: 『カムカムエヴリバディ』主題歌がAI「アルデバラン」に決定 ヒロイン3人からコメントも（リアルサウンド） . January 15, 2022 . Yahoo!ニュース . ja . October 5, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211005015514/https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/c36603fe56f24d77048f8dbe238bf18331683743 . dead .
  8. Web site: AI、新曲「アルデバラン」オフィシャルオーディオ公開 . January 15, 2022 . BARKS . 4 October 2021 . ja.
  9. Web site: カムカムエヴリバディ：次期朝ドラ主題歌はAI「アルデバラン」 作詞作曲は森山直太朗 明日「うたコン」で初披露 . January 15, 2022 . MANTANWEB（まんたんウェブ） . 27 September 2021 . ja-JP.
  10. Web site: AIがオリジナルフルアルバム「DREAM」リリース、5月から全国ツアー開催 . January 14, 2022 . Music Natalie . ja.
  11. Web site: AIとまやりんがコラボ、"大切な人"を描く「アルデバラン」動画公開 . January 14, 2022 . BARKS . 7 January 2022 . ja.
  12. Web site: AI、ニューアルバム『DREAM』クロスフェード映像＆スペシャルサイト公開 本人の生歌唱などの封入特典も . February 6, 2022 . Real Sound｜リアルサウンド . 3 February 2022 . ja.
  13. Web site: 【コラム】AI、アルバム『DREAM』に込めた願いとメッセージとは？ . February 23, 2022 . BARKS . 23 February 2022 . ja.
  14. Web site: 2022/02/22付 オリコンデイリー アルバムランキング 11～20位 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220223211738/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/d/2022-02-22/p/2/ . February 23, 2022 . February 24, 2022 . ORICON NEWS.
  15. Web site: 2022/02/23付 オリコンデイリー アルバムランキング . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220224220235/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/d/2022-02-23/ . February 24, 2022 . February 24, 2022 . ORICON NEWS.
  16. Web site: DREAM AI . 2022-09-28 . ORICON NEWS.
  17. Web site: AIのアルバム売上ランキング 2ページ目 . 2022-09-28 . ORICON NEWS.
  18. Web site: AI / DREAM [CD+DVD] [限定] - CDJournal ]. August 4, 2022 . artist.cdjournal.com . ja.
  19. Dream (CD). Ai. EMI Records/Universal/Def Jam Recordings. 2022. UPCH-20614.
  20. Web site: AI / Dream . February 24, 2022 . Tidal . en.
  21. Web site: Oricon Top 50 Combined Albums: 2022-03-07. . November 17, 2022. ja.
  22. Web site: Oricon Top 50 Digital Albums: 2022-03-07. . November 17, 2022. ja.
  23. Web site: Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of March 7, 2022. Billboard Japan. ja. November 5, 2022.
  24. Web site: Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2022-02 . . November 17, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220309213606/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/m/2022-02/p/5/ . March 9, 2022 . ja.
  25. Web site: DREAM AI . February 4, 2022 . Oricon News.
  26. Web site: DREAM(限定盤/DVD付) AI . February 4, 2022 . Oricon News.
  27. Web site: DREAM(限定盤/Blu-ray Disc付) AI . February 4, 2022 . Oricon News.

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