Whatever (Ayumi Hamasaki song)

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"Whatever"
File:WhateverAyumiHamasaki.png
Original Mini CD version.
Single by Ayumi Hamasaki
from the album Loveppears
B-side "Whatever" (J version)
Released 10 February 1999 (1999-02-10)
Format
Recorded
Genre
Length 5:36
Label
Writer(s) Ayumi Hamasaki
Producer(s) Max Matsuura
Ayumi Hamasaki singles chronology
"Depend on You"
(1997)		 "Whatever"
(1998)		 "Love (Destiny)"
(1998)
Alternative Cover
Alternative Cover

"Whatever" (stylized as "WHATEVER") is a song by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki, taken from her second studio album Loveppears (1999). It was written by Hamasaki and produced by Max Matsuura. The song is a dance with elements of trance music. Like majority of the tracks from the album, "Whatever" was written in third person narrative, and all lyrically deal with themes of loneliness, chaos, confusion, and the burden of her responsibilities, aimed mostly towards her public image as an recording artist. It was released as the lead single from the album on 10 February 1999 by Avex Trax and Avex Taiwan.

Critical reception towards "Whatever" has been mixed; while critics commended Hamasaki's music change to dance music and the songs arrangement, "Whatever" was criticized for Hamasaki's vocal delivery and song writing. In Japan, "Whatever" became her single to reach the top five on the Oricon Singles Chart, peaking at number five. "Whatever" also reached number five on the Japanese Count Down TV chart. "Whatever" was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipments of 200,000 units.

The accompanying music video was directed by Wataru Takeishi, featuring Hamasaki in a room flowing with water. A child with angel wings and dreads is seen walking around a destroyed town, with scene of Hamasaki taking the place of the child's position. "Whatever" has been included on several concert tours and New Year Countdown shows held and hosted by Hamasaki, and has featured on one of her greatest hits compilations.

Background

"Whatever" was written by Hamasaki, composed by Kazuhito Kikuchi, and produced by Max Matsuura.[1] Japanese composer Izumi Miyazaki was in charged of arranging the song, which included instrumentation of synthesizers, keyboards, and a drum machine.[1] "Whatever" was one of three songs from the Loveppears album composed by Kikuchi, the other two being "Immature" and "Appears".[1][2] "Whatever" was the only song from Loveppears to be arranged by Miyazaki, and is his final collaboration with Hamasaki.[1]

It was selected as the lead single from Loveppears and was released in Japan on 10 February 1999 by Avex Trax.[3] The Mini CD features: the original track, the instrumental version, and alternative versions (under the alias "J versions") of the former tracks.[3] A CD single was released on 28 February 2001 by Avex Trax in Japan, with a full-frontal body image of Hamasaki in front of a blue backdrop. She is wearing angel wings on her back, with Hamasaki's and the song's title superimposed on her.[4] The CD single features: the original version, the instrumental, the two alternative versions, one remix of "Whatever", one remix of "Appears", and one remix of "Immature".[4]

Composition

"Whatever" is a dance song that was noted for its musical similarities to other tracks from Loveppears.[5] "Whatever" and several tracks from Loveppears were written in third person narrative, and all lyrically deal with themes of loneliness, chaos, confusion, and the burden of her responsibilities, aimed mostly towards her public image as an recording artist.[6][7][8] "Whatever" became Hamasaki's first single to have featured any English language, with the word "Wow", and English later progressed in her 1999 song "Love: Since 1999", and 2000 single "Audience".[lower-alpha 1] However, because "Audience" and "Whatever" featured only one-word phrases, and "Love: Since 1999" was not written by Hamasaki, it does not count in using English–language conversation like Hamasaki did in tracks from her 2002 album Rainbow.[9][10]

Reception

Critical response

"Whatever" received mixed reviews from most music critics. Alexey Eremenko, who had written her extended biography at AllMusic, highlighted the song as an album and career stand out track.[11] A reviewer from Yahoo! GeoCities was critical towards all tracks from Loveppears, including "Whatever". The reviewer criticized Hamasaki's "thin" and "harsh" vocal delivery, but went on to state that her music have "improved" from her debut album, A Song for ×× (1999).[12] Morimasa from Nifty.com highlighted "Whatever", and Loveppear singles "Love (Destiny)" and A as the album's best tracks. He commented that despite the "easily" written lyrics for "Whatever", he commended Hamasaki's emotional delivery in both the production and her singing, selecting it as an album stand out.[13] A reviewer from Amazon.co.jp was positive towards the track. The reviewer praised Miyazaki's arrangement of both the original version and the J version, and commended the songs composition and Hamasaki's "homoeopathic" delivery.[14] In early 2014, in honor of Hamasaki's sixteenth-year career milestone, Japanese website Goo.ne.jp hosted a poll for fans to rank their favourite songs by Hamasaki out of thirty positions. The poll was held in only twenty-four hours, and thousands submitted their votes.[15] As a result, "Whatever" was ranked the lowest at thirty, with 13.6 percent of the votes.[15] Five other entries from Loveppears also appeared; "Fly High" (19th with 21.7 percent), A (12th with 32.1 percent), "Appears" (eighth with 40.3 percent), "To Be" (fifth with 46.2 percent), and "Boys & Girls" (fourth with 67.9 percent).[15]

Commercial performance

In Japan, the Mini CD format entered at number five on the Oricon Singles Chart, surpassing "Depend on You" as her highest entry on that chart.[16] "Depend on You" reached number six in its first week of charting.[17] The Mini CD stayed in the top fifty for nine weeks, selling over 189,610 units,[18] and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipments of 200,000 units.[19][upper-alpha 1] The re-released CD single format entered at number twenty-eight on the chart, the highest entry of her re-released singles.[21] The CD single stayed in the top fifty for three weeks, tallying both the Mini CD and the CD single to twelve charting weeks.[21] The CD single sold an additional 27,560 units, combing both the Mini CD and the CD single sales to 217,170.[18] "Whatever" is her thirty-fifth and fifty-seventh best selling single in Japan, her lowest in both the Loveppears and format re-release era respectively.[22][upper-alpha 2]

The Mini CD format entered at number five on the Japanese Count Down TV Chart, Hamasaki's highest charting single and first top ten at the time of February 1999.[23] The Mini CD slipped to number fifteen the next week, and lasted nine weeks inside the top 100.[24] "Whatever" was released twice as double A-side vinyl's with Hamasaki's single "Appears".[25][26][upper-alpha 3] The second vinyl managed to reach ninety-six on the Japanese Count Down chart.[27][upper-alpha 4] The re-released CD single format entered at number twenty-nine on the Count Down TV chart, the third highest behind "Depend on You" and "To Be".[28] "Depend on You" and "To Be" both reached twenty-eight and twenty-seven on the Count Down TV chart, respectively.[29][30] The CD single stayed in the chart for three weeks, tallying the total weeks to twelve.[24]

Music video

The overall appearance of "Whatever" is based on the photo shoot of its cover sleeve. Hamasaki (pictured) in a room full of interior waterfalls, with an angel costume on.

The accompanying music video was directed by Wataru Takeishi.[31] This is Takeishi's first video for Hamasaki since "Trust", whereas her singles "For My Dear..." and "Depend on You" were directed by Hiromitsu Odagami and Masashi Muto, respectively.[32][33][34][35] The video opens with a bench chair inside a pale-blue room, surrounded by interior waterfalls. Glitches of Hamasaki appears, and she starts singing the song while seated.[31] The next scene features damaged–archive footage of a destroyed town, fenced in with barbed wires. A young boy, with pale white skin, blonde dreads, and angel wings, appears in the distance. Several scenes features the boy looking towards the camera, which then inter cuts to scenes with Hamasaki singing the song in the room.[31]

The young boy wonders through the destroyed town, observing damaged homes and objects. The boy places his hands upon a dying tree, where he envisions the events of how the town became destroyed and dismantled.[31] These scenes include burning flowers, falling construction, and broken religious statues.[31] The second chorus has Hamasaki singing, and the song break shows the boy observing a blossoming flower which hasn't died. Smiling, he walks towards it, unbeknown that there is sharp barbed wire surrounding it. Scenes features Hamasaki singing, and shows brief inter cut scenes of barbed wire wrapped around the young boy. Struggling to become free from the wire, the young boy dies and leaves behind a large pile of angel feathers.[31] The final scene features Hamasaki wearing exactly the same outfit as the angel, trapped in a large bird cage, in the room the video started with. The video zooms out on the overall appearance of her.[31]

The overall appearance of the video was inspired by the cover sleeve of "Whatever", which also featured Hamasaki in an angel costume.[3][31] Several photoshoot out takes were considered to be released in the CD single, but Avex restricted this.[1][3] Because of this, only two photos of Hamasaki in the angel costume were distributed; one for the front cover, and one for the back.[3] The music video also appeared on Hamasaki's DVD compilation box sets: A Clips,[36] her self-titled video compilation (2000),[37] Complete Clip Box (2004),[38] A Clip Box 1998–2011 (2011),[39] and the bonus DVD version with A Complete: All Singles.[40]

J Version music video

An accompanying music video for the J version of "Whatever" was also directed by Takeishi.[39] The J version, composed and arranged by Keisuke Kikuchi, was intended to be the lead single from Loveppears and use the M version as the b-side.[3][6] When Kikuchi and Miyazaki submitted their J and M versions of "Whatever" to the head offices of Avex, Matsuura favored Miyazaki's version over Kikuchi.[6] Kikuchi was disappoint of the verdict, but Avex went ahead in releasing the M version.[6] Because Takeishi had already shot and produced the music video for the J version of "Whatever", Takeishi had to re-shoot a new video for the M version.[6] The J Version was used in Valentine's Day commercials for 7-Eleven.[41]

The J version features Hamasaki singing the J version on a white platform in front of a silky red backdrop.[39] The entire full-length video has never been released, but a thirty-second snippet was used as the commercial video for "Whatever".[39] The J version has been included on her self-titled video compilation (2000),[37] Complete Clip Box (2004),[38] and its most recent appearance is on the A Clip Box 1998–2011 (2011).[39]

Live performances and other appearances

"Whatever" has been included in one of Hamasaki's New Years countdown concerts, the 2004-2005 live tour.[42] "Whatever" has been included on several of Hamasaki's national and Asian concert tours. The song had made its debut tour performance on Hamasaki's 2001 Dome Tour and part two of the Dome Tour.[43][44] Since then, "Whatever" has be included on Hamasaki's Ayumi Hamasaki Stadium Tour 2002 A,[45] and its most recent inclusion was on her Premium Showcase: Feel the Love concert tour in 2014.[46] "Whatever" has been included on one greatest hits compilation, which is A Complete: All Singles (2008),[47]

"Whatever" has been remixed by several professional disc jockeys and producers, and has appeared on several remix albums by Hamasaki. This list is: the Laurent Newfield remix on Super Eurobeat Presents Ayu-ro Mix,[48] the FPM's Winter Bossa remix on Ayu-mi-x II Version JPN,[49] the Ferry Corsten remix on ayu-mi-x II Version US+EU,[50] and both appeared again on Hamasaki's remix compilation Ayu-mi-x II Version Non-Stop Mega Mix (2000).[51] The orchestral acoustic remix was included on her fifth orchestral remix album, Ayu-mi-x 7 Version Acoustic Orchestra (2011).[52]

Track listing

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the singles's liner notes.[3]

Charts and certifications

Release history

Country Date Format Label
Japan[3] 10 February 1999 Mini CD Avex Trax
Taiwan[3] 5 March 1999 Avex Taiwan
Japan[26][54] 29 March 1999 Vinyl
29 March 2000 Vinyl ("Appears/Whatever")
Europe[55] Early 2000 Ferry Corsten Remix Vinyl Avex Trax
Japan[4] 28 February 2001 CD single Avex Trax
Taiwan[56] 29 March 2001 Avex Taiwan
Japan[57] 25 February 2004 Digital EP Avex Trax
Australia[58]
New Zealand[63]
Germany[64]

Notes

  1. ↑ The Recording Industry Association of Japan had changed their criteria in July 2003 for shipment and sales, meaning that "Gold" certifications are now 100,000 units and "Platinum" are 250,000 units. But since "Whatever" was released before then, the sales shipments were 200,000 units.[20]
  2. ↑ Thirty-fifth place is awarded to the original release, while the fifty-seventh place is awarded to the re-release format.
  3. ↑ Despite both vinyl's being released under the title "Appears/Whatever", only the second vinyl features remixes of "Whatever". The first vinyl only features remixes of "Appears".
  4. ↑ "Whatever" charted in conjunction with her single "Appears".
  5. ↑ The Recording Industry Association of Japan had changed their criteria in July 2003 for shipment and sales, meaning that "Gold" certifications are now 100,000 units and "Platinum" are 250,000 units. But since "Surreal" was released before then, the sales shipments were 200,000 units.[60]
  1. ↑ The exclamation "Yes" is commonly used in the English–language and alternative European–languages. Technically, "Yes" is spoken and written in an English format and has been listed in the 1913 Webster Dictionary, so it proves that "Audience" is her third song to use an English–language word.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  53. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  54. ↑ 54.0 54.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  55. ↑ 55.0 55.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  64. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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